The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) announced on November 25 that it has reappointed Elizabeth Witmer as chair of the Board of Directors for a fourth term. She will continue to serve through December 31, 2021.

Witmer has served on the WSIB board since 2012, and has overseen a period in which the WSIB has made significant strides toward improving its services to workers and employers, and cleaned up its financial house. In 2018, for example, the WSIB retired its operating deficit—nearly 10 years ahead of a government-mandated of December 31, 2027. At its worst, the deficit stood at $14.2 billion.

That change enabled the WSIB to lower its average employer premium rates by nearly 50 percent, and gave the organization the flexibility to implement a new rate framework model that more closely aligns employer premiums with their actual accident experiences. The WSIB has since introduced a new Health and Safety Excellence program, and has implemented a series of tools to allow employers and workers to submit, process and track claims online.

A dedicated advocate for workplace health and safety and public service, Witmer has received numerous honours including the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee Medals, the Social Work Doctors’ Award and most recently, the Ontario General Contractors Association Doug Chalmers Award for Safety.

She also was a key architect of the WSIB’s Strategic Plan and its vision to make Ontario the safest and healthiest place to work.

“The COVID-19 pandemic is shining a bright spotlight on health and safety in our workplaces while challenging us to keep meeting the needs of people who need our help, and supporting Ontario businesses to be even safer,” said Witmer. “I look forward to working with the incredible people of the WSIB to meet these challenges directly.”