Sunshine list: Here are Hamilton’s top public sector earners

The hospital CEO who lost his job over a Caribbean vacation during COVID was the second highest public salary earner in Hamilton last year.

Dr. Tom Stewart made $684,657 in salary and taxable benefits in 2020 as CEO of St. Joseph's Health System, St. Joseph's Healthcare and Niagara Health.

His payout is based off of his salary and is expected to be as high as $1.1 million.

Public salary disclosure released late Friday afternoon by the province shows another potential golden handshake as the former head of the local health integration network (LHIN) was paid her full salary in 2020 despite leaving the job near the end of 2019.

Donna Cripps made $301,949 last year despite being let go as CEO when the province started overhauling the health-care system in November 2019. However, it's not clear if this pay was for one-year's worth of work she was expected to do for Ontario Health, as a salary for the super agency is not listed.

The city's top public sector earner for the fourth year in a row is one of Hamilton's most prominent researchers.

Dr. Salim Yusuf's combined salary and taxable benefits of $784,674 from Hamilton Health Sciences (HHS) and McMaster University topped the city's so-called Sunshine List.

He is one of three health researchers to get paid by both HHS and McMaster. Dr. John Eikelboom was paid $402,069 and HHS physician-in-chief Dr. Khalid Azzam received $326,082 in 2020.

Mohawk College president Ron McKerlie also has two salaries although only one appears on the Sunshine List. He made $292,270 as president of the college in 2020 but his salary as head of the school's foundation has not yet been posted by Mohawk. Spokesperson Bill Steinburg said it was roughly the same as 2019 which was an additional $120,652.

The combined pay brings McKerlie to $412,922 which puts him among the top 15 public salary earners in Hamilton.

Hamilton's top 10

1. Dr. Salim Yusuf, executive director of the Population Health Research Institute HHS and McMaster, $784,674

2. Dr. Tom Stewart, former CEO of St. Joseph's, $684,657

3. Rob MacIsaac, CEO of HHS, $632,950

4. Melissa Farrell, president of St. Joe's, $525,626

5. Dr. Paul O'Byrne, dean and vice-president of the facility of health sciences McMaster, $460,840

6. Leonard Waverman, dean of the DeGroote School of Business McMaster, $428,552

7. Dr. Michael Stacey, chief medical executive HHS, $424,151

8. Dave McCaig, chief financial officer HHS, $422,898

9. Dr. Ralph Meyer, vice president oncology and palliative care HHS, $417,199

10. Dr. Stuart Connolly, physician HHS, $415,000

City of Hamilton

1. Dr. Bart Harvey, an associate medical officer of health, $374,369

2. Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, medical officer of health, $368,021

3. Eric Girt, former chief of police, $310,056

4. Dr. Ninh Tran, an associate medical officer of health, $277,041

5. Janette Smith, city manager, $275,775

City of Burlington

1. Tim Commisso, city manager, $298,233

2. Nancy Shea Nicol, executive director of legal services and corporation counsel, $243,756

3. Joan Ford, chief financial officer, $235,074

4. Allan Magi, executive director of environment, infrastructure and community services, $233,197.

5. Heather Macdonald, executive director of community planning, regulation and mobility, $228,437

School Boards

1. Manny Figueiredo, director of education, Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB), $248,416

2. David Hansen, director of education, Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board (HWCDSB), $219,198

3. Peter Sovran, associate director HWDSB, $203,077

4. Stacey Zucker, associate director HWDSB, $203,077

5. Paola Pace-Gubekjian, associate director, HWCDSB, $194,275

Other notables

• Ron McKerlie, president of Mohawk College and Foundation estimated combined pay, $412,922

• Dr. Julian Hart, chief of laboratory medicine, Joseph Brant Hospital, $412,273

• Winnie Doyle, interim CEO of St. Joseph's, $409,469

• Dr. Wes Stephen, former chief operating officer HHS, $408,781

• David Farrar, president McMaster University, $400,040

• Eric Vandewall, CEO of Joseph Brant Hospital, $384,250

• Dr. Wassim Balhous, Doctor Centre de sante communautaire Hamilton-Wentworth-Niagara Inc, $341,720

• Donna Cripps, former CEO of the Local Health Integration Network, $301,949

• Paul Johnson, director of Hamilton's Emergency Operations Centre, $230,227

• David Cunliffe, Hamilton fire chief, $211,911

• Michael Sanderson, chief of Hamilton Paramedic Services, $201,971

• Mayor Fred Eisenberger, mayor of Hamilton, $197,126

• Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, mayor of Burlington, $193,042

• Karon Roche, Burlington fire chief, $189,344

• Sam Hammond, HWDSB elementary teacher on loan to the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario, $186,416

• Rocco Gizzarelli, executive director Catholic Children's Aid Society Of Hamilton, $183,673

• Dr. Scott Wooder, lead physician Family Health Team Of Hamilton, $174,231

• Bryan Shone, executive director Children's Aid Society Of Hamilton, $167,421

Joanna Frketich is a Hamilton-based reporter covering health for The Spectator. Reach her via email: jfrketich@thespec.com