Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare Foundation Board of Directors
Melanie Gardin
Melanie Gardin is a partner at Velocity Injury Law LLP and has dedicated over 25 years to representing the injured and disabled in her personal injury practice.
A proud lifelong resident of Windsor-Essex, Melanie earned both her Honours Bachelor of Public Administration and her Bachelor of Laws degrees at the University of Windsor.
With a strong commitment to advocacy for individuals living with disabilities, Melanie has been deeply involved in the Brain Injury Association of Windsor and Essex County, first as a Director in 2007, then as President from 2008 to 2015, and later as Past-President. At the provincial level, she served as Co-Chair of the Ontario Brain Injury Association Advisory Council (2009–2013) and as a Director of the Ontario Brain Injury Association. In 2013, she chaired the province-wide D.O.N.T. (Drive Only Never Text) Campaign, targeting distracted driving.
From 2008 to 2022, Melanie was Director and Secretary of the Beyond Disability Rehabilitation Network, a grassroots organization that grew into a partnership with Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare and more than 20 local charities and volunteer agencies. That work continues today under the Windsor-Essex Ontario Health Team, where Melanie lends her expertise to planning initiatives that enhance the lives of those living with chronic disabilities.
She is also a founding member of Women United, part of the United Way, where she has worked to empower women and support children in the community. She served as co-chair in 2020 and contributed for three years to the “Women Who Inspire Us Luncheon” fundraising committee. Melanie has also been part of the United Way’s Cradle to Career Strategy Review Team and has volunteered at countless community events over the past decade.
Her leadership and dedication have been recognized through numerous awards, including the Charles J. Clark Award for professional integrity and community service, the Ontario Volunteer Service Award, the Windsor-Essex Accessibility Award for Outstanding Individual, the Ontario Brain Injury Association Volunteer Award, and the Odyssey Award from the University of Windsor Alumni Association.
Most recently, Melanie volunteered with the Imagine Campaign for the Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare Foundation, helping raise funds for the new rehabilitation expansion project - a role that inspired her to take on a greater commitment as a Director for the Foundation.
Beyond her legal and advocacy work, Melanie is known as “Sunny Owl” with the Tecumseh Girl Guides, where she participates in their many activities. She has also been part of a book club for over 20 years. In her spare time, she enjoys golf, yoga, and travel, and treasures time with her husband Terry, their daughter Elina, and her step-daughters Mila and Seija.