Ontario's Sunshine List 2022: here are the top paid Windsor-Essex ...

Published Mar 24, 2023  •  4 minute read

Windsor Regional Hospital CEO David Musyj speaks on the last week of operations at the mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Devonshire Mall. Photographed March 29, 2022. Photo by Dax Melmer /Windsor Star

Several local officials topped the 2022 Sunshine List for Windsor and Essex County despite only working for part of last year, and in some cases just a few months.

Fired City of Windsor CAO Jason Reynar and retired Windsor police chief Pam Mizuno were the highest paid people at their organizations in 2022 despite calling it quits in March, according to the salary disclosure list released late Friday afternoon

Former Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare CEO Janice Kaffer, who retired before April 1, and former health unit CEO Nicole Dupuis, who resigned in September, also had the biggest paycheques at their institutions.

Reynar, whose employment was terminated on April 1, received $279,131.55 in pay last year and $13,407.88 in taxable benefits — more than Mizuno, who retired suddenly from the force one day before Reynar left city hall. Mizuno was the second-highest-paid city employee for 2022 with a salary of $266,536.34, plus $4,143.84 in taxable benefits.

Reynar became CAO one year prior following the retirement of longtime CAO Onorio Colucci. After Reynar was let go, Colucci returned to office and continues to serve as acting CAO. He made $142,200.04 last year.

Kaffer made $313,772.48 with $2,074.37 in benefits last year despite announcing she would retire “no later” than March 31.

But when current president and CEO Bill Marra officially took over on Jan. 1, 2022, the hospital said Kaffer would remain available in an “advisor capacity.”

Marra’s 2022 salary was $303,471.15 with $11,146.53 in benefits. The third highest paid person at Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare was Florentyna Osula, a registered nurse. Osula made $195,766.20 and $468.42 in benefits.

Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare had 127 employees on the 2022 Sunshine List.

Dupuis, who quit her job at the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit in September, made $174,376.17 with $1,286.80 in taxable benefits.

The second highest-paid individual at the health unit was Lorie Gregg, director of Corporate Services. Gregg made $159,721.44 with $1,122.78 in benefits.

Kristy McBeth, the health unit’s director of Health Protection, was paid $155,961.78 with $1,122.78 in benefits.

The health unit had 27 employees on the list in 2022.

Windsor Regional Hospital President and CEO David Musyj was once again the top-paid person on the public payroll in Essex County in 2022, as he has been for several years. He made $431,661.91 plus $13,578.64 in taxable benefits

Dr. Wassim Saad, the hospital’s chief of staff, was the hospital’s second highest-paid individual with a $308,331.30 salary and $2,450.46 worth of benefits.

Karen Riddell, the chief operating officer and chief nursing executive, was the third highest paid person at the hospital with $267,219.14 and $2128.86 in benefits.

Windsor Regional Hospital had 738 people with salaries at $100,000 or above.

At the city, current police chief Jason Bellaire was the third-highest paid employee ($238,523.73), followed by city treasurer and chief financial officer Joe Mancina ($216,724.42) and deputy police chief Jason Crowley ($216,711.12)

Windsor Mayor Drew Dilkens made $199,168.06 with $9,909 in taxable benefits.

Essex County CAO Michael Galloway was the top earner for the County of Essex with a salary of $226,592.57 plus $19,698.21 in benefits. Essex-Windsor EMS Chief Bruce Krauter made $180,153.84 with $5,076.85 in benefits.

ENWIN president and CEO Helga Reidel, who retired at the end of the year, made $310,026 with $13,026 in taxable benfits, while vice president of water operations Garry Rossi — now CEO — made $234,644 with $10,853 in benefits, and vice president of hydro operations James Brown made $232,553 with $9,932 in benefits.

At the Greater Essex County District School Board, director of education Erin Kelly was top earner with $244,618.85, followed by Martha Hradowy, executive officer of the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation with $204,666.84, and Todd Awender, superintendent of education with $173,331.90.

For the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, director of education Emelda Byrne made the most ($247,933.16), followed by executive superintendent John Ulicny and executive superintendent of business John King (both made $179,280.32).

At the University of Windsor, where 731 people made $100,000 or more last year, President Robert Gordon was the highest paid. He brought home a salary of $372,275.04, with taxable benefits of $17,209.48.

Professor Hoda Elmaraghy was the second highest paid individual at the university with $320,433.24 and $974.16 in benefits.

Professor Mehrdad Saif was the third highest paid $289,820.25, and $974.16 in benefits.

At St. Clair College, President Patti France was the highest paid person with $300,160.08 and $629.60 in benefits.

Waseem Habash, the college’s vice-president of Academic and College Operations, made $220,335.39 with $573.44 in benefits.

The college’s third highest paid in employee was John Fairley, the vice-president of College Communication and Community Relations. He made $204,448.58 with $232.56 in benefits.

St. Clair College had a total of 252 people who earned $100,000 or more last year.

Erie Shores HealthCare CEO Kristin Kennedy was her organization’s top earner with a $234,973.68 salary and $1,107.75 in benefits. Registered nurse Cyndie Crook was the Leamington hospital’s second highest earner with $184,725 in pay and $603.44 in benefits.

The third highest paid person was CFO Nolan Goyette, also the vice-president of Corporate Services, who was paid $159,003 with $389.55 in benefits. They were among the 55 people at Erie Shores HealthCare who made the 2022 Sunshine List.

Ontario’s Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act, also known as the Sunshine List, requires organizations that receive public funding from the province to publicize the names, salaries, and taxable benefits of all employees paid $100,000 or more in the previous calendar year.

“The Public Sector Salary Disclosure Act, 1996 makes Ontario’s public sector more open and accountable to taxpayers,” reads the government’s website. To view the 2022 list, visit Ontario’s public sector salary disclosure page.

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