Verna Liezl Perdon’s passion for helping keep people healthy and safe stems from her childhood experience of having a father who sustained a brain injury from a motorcycle accident in the workplace. Impacted by the lifesaving efforts of health-care providers who cared for her father, she felt compelled to help people experiencing health challenges and traumatic events. Verna, now an registered nurse (RN), currently leads and develops mental health and substance use awareness strategy and programs for a national construction company. Specialized in mental health and occupational safety and peer support, her work experience spans various sectors including not-for-profit and government. She also teaches “mental health first aid” to reduce stigma. Verna’s achievements include a master’s degree in public health, a master’s degree in business administration, an Occupational Health Nursing Certificate, and a publication on domestic violence in the Ontario Occupational Health Nurses Association’s 2021 journal.
The HUB Fellowship gives an RN or NP the opportunity to get in the thick of things with a one-week placement with RNAO CEO Doris Grinspun. The $2,000 HUB Fellowship is generously sponsored by RNAO’s Group Home and Auto Insurance provider, HUB International Ontario Limited.
