Appointee Biographies

MOHAMED LACHEMI

Mohamed Lachemi, of Mississauga, is President and Vice Chancellor of Toronto Metropolitan University. His community involvement includes serving as a member of the Council of Ontario Universities and the World University Service of Canada Board of Directors.

ALIS B. KENNEDY

earned a PhD in Psychology. She is a francophone, Indigenous leader and veteran who is an active member of several veterans' organizations She served 13 years with the Canadian Armed Forces. She has been, for over 50 years, much involved volunteering at the international, national, provincial and local levels. Dr. Kennedy belongs to a board of directors and several advisory councils. She was probably the first Indigenous francophone woman to earn a commercial pilot's licence with land and sea ratings. She is a founding member of the Ontario Honours and Awards Secretariat Advisory Council, Citizenship Division; the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship and the Ontario Medal for Young Volunteers. She has been the recipient of many awards including the Order of Ontario and the Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship. Dr. Kennedy retired from the Ontario Public Service in 2013.

NISHAN DURAIAPPAH

Chief Nishan Duraiappah began his career with Halton Police, where he rose through the ranks and was appointed Deputy Chief in 2015. In October 2019, he became Chief of Peel Regional Police. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police and previously served as President of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police for 2022–2023, while also representing Ontario on the CACP Board. In addition, he sits on the Board of the Major Cities Chiefs Association. Beyond policing, Chief Duraiappah volunteers on the Runnymede Healthcare Centre Board and serves as a Senate Member for the Canadian Armed Forces Regiments of The Lorne Scots and The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Criminology from the University of Toronto, is an Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces and is a recipient of the Order of Ontario.