About Us
Operation Smile was founded in 1982 by Dr. William (Bill) P. Magee, Jr., a plastic surgeon, and his wife Kathleen (Kathy), a nurse and clinical social worker, after travelling to the Philippines with a group of medical volunteers to repair children’s cleft lips and cleft palates.
![about-us-hero Bill and Kathy Magee, Co-Founders, at the airport in Naga, Philippines](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/about-us-hero.png)
What they found was overwhelming. In Naga City, approximately 300 families arrived hoping their children would receive surgery, but the team could only treat 40 children. As they prepared to leave, the Magees made a promise they would return to help more children. They returned and helped approximately 100 more patients. Again, hundreds more still waited.
Today, Operation Smile is a global medical charity helping to improve the health and lives of children in more than 35 countries. We’ve provided more than 350,000 children and young adults born with cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial differences with free life-changing surgical procedures and dental care. We train doctors and local medical professionals, donate medical equipment and supplies and provide year-round medical treatments through a network of comprehensive care centres. Operation Smile Canada was established in 2011 and became a registered charity in 2012.
35+ COUNTRIES
350,000+ SURGICAL AND DENTAL PROCEDURES
Canadian Leadership
![Mike Bezuhly Headshot - Edited Nov 19 2019 This is a picture of Doctor Michael Bezuhly](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/mike-bezuhly-headshot-edited-nov-19-2019-600x600.jpg)
Michael Bezuhly,
MD ,MSc, SM, FRCSC, FAAP
Plastic Surgeon and Board Chair
![Ken Wilson Ken Wilson](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/ken-wilson-1-600x600.jpg)
Ken Wilson, MD, FRCSC
Past Chair
![Lori Tymchyk Lori Tymchyk](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/lori-tymchyk-600x600.jpg)
Lori Tymchyk
Treasurer
![Darcy Huda Darcy Huda](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/darcy-huda-600x600.jpg)
Darcy Huda
Secretary
![Christine Nakamura Headshot - Edited Nov 19 This is a photo of Christine Nakamura](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/christine-nakamura-headshot-edited-nov-19-600x600.jpg)
Christine Nakamura
Director
![Dr-Vivek-Panchapakesan Dr. Vivek Panchapakesan](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/dr-vivek-panchapakesan-600x600.jpg)
Vivek Panchapakesan
BSc, MD, FRCSC, Plastic Surgeon
Director
![Rick Mangat Rick Mangat](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/rick-mangat-1-600x600.jpg)
Rick Mangat, PhD
Director
![Jim Siti Jim Siti](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/jim-siti-600x600.jpg)
Jim Siti
Director
![Bill-Magee Dr. Bill Magee](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/bill-magee-600x600.jpg)
Dr. Bill Magee
Co-Founder
![Mark-Climie-Elliott-2020 Mark Climie-Elliott](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/mark-climie-elliott-2020-scaled-600x600.jpg)
Mark Climie-Elliott, CFRE
Chief Executive Officer
Meet The Team
![Diana-Church Diana Church](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/diana-church-1-450x450.jpg)
Diana Church
VP, Talent & Culture
![Kristy Rousseau 2023](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/kristy-rousseau-2023-450x450.jpg)
Kristy Rousseau, MBA, CFRE
VP, Philanthropy
![Annabelle Rocha Annabelle Rocha](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/annabelle-rocha-450x450.jpg)
Annabelle Rocha
VP, Finance & Program Compliance
![Sharon MacPherson Cropped Nov 2 2021 this is a photo of Sharon MacPherson](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/sharon-macpherson-cropped-nov-2-2021-scaled-450x450.jpg)
Sharon MacPherson
VP, Marketing & Operations
![Susan Soto Susan Soto](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/susan-soto-450x450.jpg)
Susan Soto
Director, Program Compliance and Reporting
![Tamar Shostakovsky Tamar Shostakovsky](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/tamar-shostakovsky-450x450.jpg)
Tamar Shostakovsky
Director, Direct Response Marketing
![Melanie Dekker Melanie Dekker](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/melanie-dekker-450x450.jpg)
Melanie Dekker
Director, Philanthropy
![os-globe-square Operation Smile Globe](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/os-globe-square-450x450.png)
Tenley Soares, CFRE, MFA-P™
Director, Philanthropy
![Natalie Punkkinen Headshot Nov 2021 this is a picture of Nathalie Punkkinen](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/natalie-punkkinen-headshot-nov-2021-450x450.jpg)
Nathalie Punkkinen, CFRE
Director, Brand & Communications – Directrice, marque et communications
![John Branton Headshot (002)](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/john-branton-headshot-002.jpg)
John Branton
Director, Corporate Philanthropy & Partnerships
![Alex Morosovskiy photo Alex Morosovkiy](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/alex-morosovskiy-photo-e1711989255397-450x450.jpg)
Alex Morosovskiy
Director, Database Management, Finance & Analytics
![Leslie McCourt Leslie McCourt](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/leslie-mccourt-450x450.jpg)
Leslie McCourt
Executive Assistant & Office Manager
![Ahmad Nataj Ahmad Nataj](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/ahmad-nataj-450x450.jpg)
Ahmad Nataj
Finance Officer
![Michael Gross Michael Gross](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/michael-gross-450x450.jpg)
Michael Gross
Smile Partner Program Specialist
![Jake Chong Jake Chong](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/jake-chong-450x450.jpg)
Jake Chong
Database Integrity & IT Specialist
![Marta-Serdoncillo Marta Serdoncillo](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/marta-serdoncillo-1-450x450.jpg)
Marta Serdoncillo
Database Integrity Specialist
![Kaitlin Waters Kaitlin Waters](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/kaitlin-waters-450x450.jpg)
Kaitlin Waters
Talent & Culture Specialist
![Julia Navarro Julia Navarro](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/julia-navarro-450x450.jpg)
Julia Navarro
Brand & Communications Specialist
![Joseph Pires Joseph Pires](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/joseph-pires-450x450.jpg)
Joseph Pires
Direct Marketing Coordinator
![Michael Williams Michael Williams](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/michael-williams-450x450.jpg)
Michael Williams
Community Engagement Specialist
![Mary-Pereira Mary Pereira](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/mary-pereira-450x450.jpg)
Mary Pereira
Community Engagement Coordinator
![Candy Keillor - Headshot - May 2022 headshot picture of Candy Keillor](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/candy-keillor-headshot-may-2022-450x450.jpg)
Candy Keillor
Community Engagement Specialist
![Paige Melvin Headshot Nov 3 2021 this is a picture of Paige Melvin](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/paige-melvin-headshot-nov-3-2021-scaled-450x450.jpg)
Paige Melvin
Philanthropy Officer
![Phoebe Cheng Phoebe Cheng](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/phoebe-cheng-450x450.jpg)
Phoebe Cheng
Philanthropy Associate
![Karley](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/karley--450x450.jpg)
Karley Staskus
Philanthropy Officer
![Untitled design (3)](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/untitled-design-3-450x450.jpg)
Kayla LeBlanc
Philanthropy Officer
![Tenzin Dolker Tenzin Dolker](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/tenzin-dolker-450x450.jpg)
Tenzin Dolker
Donor Care Specialist
![Valeria-Contreras Valeria Contreras](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/valeria-contreras-450x450.jpg)
Valeria Contreras
Donor Care Associate
![Maha-Saeed Maha Saeed](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/maha-saeed-450x450.jpg)
Maha Saeed
Donor Care Associate
![Toni Maggio](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/toni.jpg)
Toni Maggio
Administrative Specialist
Financial Overview
Program Investments Fiscal Year 2023
- Surgical Programs 36%
- Comprehensive Care Centres
including nutrition, speech, dentistry and other pre- and post-operative care programs 46% - Training & Education/Research 18%
Operation Smile Canada Foundation (OSCF) is a registered Canadian charity (Registration Number 84064 3605 RR0001). Our first fiscal year ended June 30, 2013. We comply with all of Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) annual reporting requirements for charities.
Audited Financial statements can be requested by email to [email protected]. All of our audited financial statements since we became a registered charity are available for viewing or downloading.
Our Impact
Current, insightful, and filled with stories about the smiles you bring to the faces of patients and their families, our Smile Report partner newsletters are your window into the life-changing and life-saving work of Operation Smile.
![FY24-Summer-Smile Report-Covers](https://operationsmile.ca/wp-content/uploads/fy24-summer-smile-report-covers.webp)