Our Team
With the leadership of Dr. Howard Bloom and Dr. Robert Cooper, our Sr. Director Operations and Quality – Marla Ovenden-Cooper (movenden-cooper@bloomingacres.com) guides our team of Directors and program managers who in turn guide our direct care and support staff.
Sherri-Ann Bloom
Sr. Program Director
Sherri-Ann has provided care for people for complex needs for over 30 years. Sherri-Ann worked in group care and autism treatment homes as therapist and counsellor and provide 1:1 support to some of the most aggressive and challenging kids with autism in Ontario. Sherri-Ann values a focus on early intervention and intensive, caring, and compassionate skilled treatment and therapy to support optimal human development. This relational care and lifespan family centred support is as the core of the values Sherri-Ann instills at the Blossom Group. In 1992 Sherri-Ann co-founded and co-directed a summer camp and was instrumental in its oversight for 15 years to 2005. Mrs. Bloom is at the heart of the creation of the Blossom Group program. For over a decade, Sherri-Ann and her two children and partner Howard lived in their farm-based community together with the 10 clients who live and learn with neurological disorders. Raising a family alongside the Blooming Acres community provided a family focused milieu for children and youth in care. Sherri-Ann continues to train our staff teams, provide quality outings on a 1:1 basis with clients who need her the most and works with our operations team members to deliver the Blossom Group program.
Dr. Robert Cooper
Medical Director and Founder
Dr. Robert Cooper is a family physician who operates a clinical practice in both Toronto and Orillia. He has served on a number of boards and councils including the Canadian Medical Protective Association and the Ontario Long-Term Care Clinicians organization. Dr. Cooper is currently on the Board of Directors at the Veteran and First Responders Foundation of Canada and the University of Toronto.
Dr. Cooper is a graduate of the University of Toronto School of Medicine, a Fellow of the Canadian College of Family Physicians, a Distinguished Fellow of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, and a Diplomate of the American Board of Addiction Medicine. Dr. Cooper is also a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School and was called to the bar in 1988.
Dr. Howard Bloom
Clinical Director and Founder
Dr. Bloom has been providing services and support to people with special needs for over 30 years. Dr. Bloom completed both a Masters degree in Applied Psychology: Special Education and Adaptive Instruction and a PhD in Teaching and Learning from the University of Toronto.
Dr. Bloom is a professor at Georgian College in both the Child and Youth Care and Counselling Psychology Degree programs. In addition to his teaching, Dr. Bloom’s current research interests include mental health, therapeutic programming and the provision of services for people with complex special needs.
Marla Ovenden-Cooper
Sr. Director
Operations and Quality
Marla is an experienced professional with over 17 years leadership experience.
In the private education industry, Marla was part of overseeing quality, significant organizational growth, coached and mentored franchise owners of learning centres, developed corporate policies and established efficient systems to streamline operations.
Marla believes that building relationships is key to her leadership success.