Chand’s keen entrepreneurial sense, business experiences in accounting and seasoned fundraising expertise addresses a few of the competencies sought in the talent mix for this round of director recruitment. Chand combines his passion for raising awareness about the issues experienced by the Centre’s target populations with his business sense and ability to form partnerships with a variety of organizations. Having led, chaired and supported several fundraising and community-building initiatives for the Gerrard India Bazaar community, Chand has an intimate sense of how fundraising can be a tool for reputation building and for developing institutional partnerships with esteemed organizations in the city of Toronto. Chand’s esteemed skills and experiences will raise the profile of any position at the Centre.
Lubaina brings expertise in strategic program management as a professional leading large complex business and IT transformations for private and public sector organisations. She currently holds a position as Director, Consulting with Deloitte Canada where she leads client initiatives.
Lubaina also has experience with not for profit boards including a position on the Board of Directors of the The Etobicoke Children’s Center, where she served for five years.
Lubaina has volunteered at a food bank, delivering groceries to families for over ten years. She has helped in fund raising activities for a charity in Kenya in support of providing food for an Arts program for Cancer Kids at the largest hospital in Nairobi.
Vinod Sharma brings over 15 years of management experience in accounting, finance, purchasing and operations in the private sector as well as 15 years in social housing. He has served on boards of different Non-Profit organizations for the past 7 years. He has received training in board governance, fundraising and financial management from the Maytree Foundation. He has spearheaded and coordinated new initiatives and the delivery of programs and services to diverse communities including low income seniors and youth.
Vinod holds a Master of Arts in Economics and a Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation.
Toni has worked as Event Coordinator and Board Member for the Women of the CIBPA and been a Board Member at the Humber River Foundation. She has facilitated and managed a number of annual events including High Tea, Bingo Night, Fashion Show, Bus Tour, Holiday Party. She has assisted with fundraising events throughout the year to assist in achieving their capital campaign goals. Over the years, her priority and passion has been giving back to the community, especially to causes that support women and children. She has done this through philanthropic contributions, donating time and supporting fundraising events. She consistently works to support the community and initiatives that are dear to her heart.
Jeff stepped into his first business venture in 1987, gradually expanding and diversifying his business from supermarkets to financial services. During this period, Jeff gained opportunity to enter land purchase, investment, and land development. In 1999, he built multiple strip plazas Known as Jaipur Bazaar, Jaipur Gore Plaza, Jaipur Chrysler Centre Jaipur Bovaird Centre. Beyond business, Jeff has made significant contributions to the community. He played a key role in establishing Bharat Mata Mandir in 2005 and founded Bharatiya Seniors Parivaar, a senior’s group that has grown to 250+ members, helping elders stay connected, supported, and active in the community. In 2010, he launched Jenco Canada L.E.D. His vision and leadership have created jobs and has strengthened communities.
Rosemarie Powell is Executive Director of the Toronto Community Benefits Network, co-founder of the Canadian Building Diversity Institute, and President of Big on Green. With over 20 years of advocacy for social, economic, and environmental justice, she has advanced equitable policy across all levels of government. Rosemarie helped negotiate Ontario’s first Community Benefits Framework for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, forging cross-sector partnerships that unlock good jobs and procurement opportunities for equity-deserving communities.
Maria Papadopoulos is an experienced and results-oriented government relations and public policy professional with more than 25 years of experience planning and delivering complex,
multi-stakeholder initiatives across the public, private, and broader public sectors. Maria is recognized as an effective leader who builds collaborative relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including government officials, community leaders, and industry experts. She has extensive experience providing government relations counsel within the broader public sector, including serving as Director of Government Relations at Wilfrid Laurier University and, earlier in her career, as Government Relations Advisor at York University. In the private sector, Maria served as Manager, Government Relations and Special Projects at Hydro One. She currently works in Intergovernmental Relations for the City of Vaughan. In government, Maria served as Chief of Staff to the Government House Leader, Senior Advisor to the Minister of Energy, and Senior Policy Advisor to the Minister of Finance.
Noland Merrick is an experienced legal advocate, strategist, and community organizer with a deep commitment to social justice and community empowerment. As the Executive Director of Jane Finch Community Legal Services (JFCLS), he leads efforts to provide legal services and support to underserved communities in the Jane and Finch neighborhood in Toronto. With a background in both legal practice and nonprofit management, Noland works tirelessly to ensure that vulnerable populations have access to legal representation, advocacy, and education. He has extensive experience in managing nonprofit organizations and is skilled in engaging with marginalized communities to promote legal literacy.
Rosemary has worked at Sun Mircrosytems and Bell. She has been responsible for strategy, planning, managing, and executing a wide range of internal and external events. She has collaborated with not-for-profit organizations supporting both youth and adult mental health. She supported organizations that promoted mental wellness and reduced stigma, especially women escaping domestic or partner violence through outreach, and corporate sponsorships.
She has also volunteered on several organizations including at Elspeth Heyworth Centre for Women.
Cristina is a Community Manager with Royal Bank. She was previously a Branch Manager at the bank. As a Community Manager, Cristina develops and implements strategies to increase community engagement. In her role she has oversight of 3 branches in the community.
She is passionate about change management and making a difference in people’s lives.
She is a long-time supporter of the EHCW and has volunteered here for many years. She has also volunteered at the Humber River Foundation.