Board of Directors
Jeff Wilson
Chair
Jeff Wilson has been a fixture as a coach and sports administrator for community and school organizations for the past four decades.
Born and raised in Nepean, Jeff has degrees from Carleton University (B.A. Hons) and the University of Ottawa (B.Ed.) and spent 30 years as an educator with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board.
Jeff has played and coached for provincially ranked basketball teams, including the Ontario Summer Games finalists, coached a national championship flag football squad, and led city and regional squads to badminton and hockey titles.
Jeff has served as president of the Ottawa-Carleton Elementary Athletic Association and Kanata Youth Basketball Association, is a director of the Ottawa Next Level Centre for Basketball Excellence, and founder of the National Capital All-Star Classic, a showcase for youth basketball players from across Eastern Ontario.
David Holder
Secretary
David Holder has served on the Board of Directors of the Nepean Hotspurs Soccer Club for 25 years, including 18 years as President. With 50 years of experience in the Federal Government, he has worked in several departments and agencies as an auditor and consultant.
He attended McGill University before moving to Ottawa, where he graduated from Carleton University in 1990. His involvement in organized sports began with the old Ottawa Intermediate Fastball League as a player and league organizer, and he was a dedicated volunteer for his daughters’ Nepean Ravens Ringette and Nepean Hotspurs teams.
In 2021, he received Ontario Soccer’s Meritorious Award for his contributions to Ontario Soccer and, most importantly, to soccer in Eastern Ontario. This recognition highlights his commitment to the community, dedication to assisting others, and leadership in multiple facets of the game.
Scott Rattray
Treasurer
Scott Rattray has lived in Nepean since 1975 and grew up playing hockey, softball, soccer, and rugby. He later shared his passion for sports by coaching at the house league level with Nepean Minor Hockey. His two children participated in nearly every sport Nepean offered, including many years at the competitive level with the Nepean Wildcats, with Scott providing ongoing support and mentorship.
A dedicated public servant, Scott is an accredited internal auditor and currently serves as the Inspector General and Chief Audit Executive with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Through both his professional career and volunteer efforts, he has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to integrity, leadership, and community involvement, positively impacting those around him.
Martin Cleary
For more than 52 years, Martin Cleary has written about the Ottawa amateur sports scene for the Ottawa Citizen newspaper, the Ottawa Sun newspaper and currently Ottawa Sports Pages. After graduating from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute (now Toronto Metropolitan University) with a diploma in journalism in 1973, he worked as a sportswriter at The Citizen for almost 40 years. He continued with The Citizen and the Sun as a freelance sportswriter for seven years before joining Ottawa Sports Pages in 2020.
During his career, he attended six Olympic Games and five world figure skating championships and covered hundreds of local, provincial, national and international championships in about 50 sports. Martin also served as a director for the Ottawa Sports Awards Dinner and was chair of the nomination committee for the Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame.
Lianne Laing
Lianne Laing is President, Ottawa Heart Institute Foundation. She is responsible for the leadership, management and operations of the Foundation and leads its campaign for cardiovascular research and precision medicine as well as the Canadian Women’s Heart Health Centre. Lianne is a former elite gymnast and had a 20-year broadcast television career with Bell Media, including 10 years as a sports anchor and then 10 years as the host of CTV Morning Live. A passionate health and wellness advocate, she is known for her leadership, community outreach and engagement in Ottawa and beyond. Lianne has degrees in Business and Sport Management from University of Massachusetts/Amherst.
Mark Moors
Mark Moors has lived in many places across Canada but has always called Ottawa home. After attending both public and high school in Nepean, he continued his education at Acadia University in Nova Scotia, where he was a standout offensive lineman and team co-captain, earning All-Canadian honours and helping the Axemen capture their first Vanier Cup in 1979.
Moors went on to enjoy a nine-year career in the Canadian Football League, playing from 1980 to 1989 with the Calgary Stampeders, Winnipeg Blue Bombers, Ottawa Rough Riders, and Hamilton Tiger-Cats, including a Grey Cup championship with Winnipeg in 1984.
Near the end of his CFL career he began law school at the University of Ottawa, later serving as a prosecutor with the Ottawa Crown Attorney’s Office for three decades.
Amelia Nielsen
A former national-level swimmer and Olympic Trials qualifier, Amelia Nielsen has spent most of her life in and around the pool. She competed internationally and was a Division I scholarship athlete before continuing her involvement in the sport as a coach in Ottawa. She also enjoys the challenge of open water swimming and the camaraderie of her local running club.
Amelia holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce in International Management and brings her experience as both an athlete and a coach to promote sport within the community. Outside the pool, she has experience in communications, event coordination, and administrative operations across public sector and community organizations.
Her involvement with the Nepean Sports Wall of Fame reflects a personal connection, as her grandmother, Phyllis Nielsen, was inducted in 1990 as a member of the Canadian Senior Women’s Curling Championship–winning team. She is eager to help celebrate local athletic excellence and preserve Nepean’s rich sporting history.
Sherry Pang
A public relations professional with more than 30 years of experience, Sherry Pang has dedicated much of her career to community engagement, advocacy, and fundraising in support of people living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.
Raised in Nepean, Sherry competed with the Bayshore Barracudas, played hockey with one of Nepean’s inaugural women’s competitive teams, and won a national lacrosse championship with the Nepean Knights as the team’s only female player.
A proud mother of two grown boys, she remains active through golfing, stand-up paddleboarding, and as an avid pickleball player. She also loves live music and continues to value the role sport and community play in bringing people together.
Rae Polite
Rae Polite is an Executive Assistant with 20 years of experience supporting local and national nonprofit boards, both professionally and as a volunteer. She has played a key role in planning and executing multiple gala fundraisers, helping to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations for charities.
Rae grew up in Barrhaven with her brother, BASE jumper, Treehouse Mike Racicot. Following his posthumous induction to the Wall of Fame, Rae was inspired to join the Board of Directors. She is proud to support the continued celebration of community achievement and is excited to see other inspiring athletes take their place alongside him.
Now rooted south of Ottawa, Rae enjoys spending time with her daughter and two sons. An avid baker, she finds joy in caring for others and building strong community connections.
Debra Power
Debra Power grew up in Nepean and was a competitive athlete throughout her youth, excelling in a variety of sports and playing elite-level basketball with the Ottawa Rookies program, which led her to compete at both Dalhousie University and Brock University. A seasoned professional in the field of information management with extensive experience in project and people leadership, Debra has built a successful career while remaining closely connected to sport, fitness and community life.
A certified yoga teacher, golfer, pickleball player and avid curler, she continues to enjoy staying active across a wide range of sports. Debra has also volunteered for several community charities over the years, contributing her time and energy to the community that helped shape her athletic journey.
Vicki Thomas
Vicki Thomas is an athlete and long-time contributor to Ottawa’s sporting community. A 1st Degree Black Belt in ITF Taekwon-Do, she competed internationally and won a bronze medal in team sparring at the 2003 ITF World Championships in Greece. She later raced professionally in cyclo-cross across Europe and North America, representing Canada at the 2010 UCI Cyclo-Cross World Championships.
Vicki is the co-founder and past president of the Ottawa Women’s Cycling Club, established to create an inclusive and supportive space for women and people who identify as women to ride, train, and race together.
Professionally, she is a writer and marketing strategist with a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University and volunteers with The Ottawa Hospital’s Patient and Family Advisory Council.
PAST CHAIRS
Andrew Foti | 2022-2024
Andrew Foti brought 30 years’ experience as a lawyer, executive and director to the Nepean Sports Wall of Fame. He has served as national practice leader for two of Canada’s largest national firms, and as chief legal officer and corporate secretary to public companies in Canada and the U.S. Andrew is the co-founder and principal of Avokka, where he acts as part-time general counsel to high-growth companies. He also has been a director and advisor to numerous Canadian non-profit organizations.
Andrew has a lifelong involvement in sport, as a competitive athlete growing up in Nepean and at McGill University from which he has degrees in business and law. He also is a highly certified ski instructor and downhill ski racing and soccer coach. Andrew is an avid skier, cyclist, and backcountry hiker.
David Rattray | 2022-2024
