Appointee Biographies

DEBORAH KOROLNEK

Deborah Korolnek, of Bala, serves as a member of the Ontario Clean Water Agency. She is also former General Manager, Engineering, Planning & Environment at the County of Simcoe and former Director, Engineering Services at the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury. Her community involvement includes serving as Director/Member with the Government Land Use Committee of the Muskoka Lakes Association.

JOE FARAG

Joe Farag is a public finance professional with over 30 years’ experience, including 25 years in senior and executive management positions with the City of Toronto. In 2017 and 2018, Joe served as the City’s Interim Chief Financial Officer, overseeing a $17 Billion annual Budget and providing strategic financial and policy advice to the Mayor and members of Council. Joe also served as the City’s Executive Director of Corporate Finance for a decade with direct management oversight of the City’s multi-billion dollar investment portfolio and debt issuance programs, insurance and risk management, intergovernmental finance and corporate policy development including policies dealing with taxation, development charges and water and wastewater pricing and financing. Joe has developed and led many unique financing arrangements and public private partnerships to deliver major City building initiatives in the areas of transit expansion, affordable housing and social and recreational facilities. Joe holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Masters Degree in Economics and Finance.

NIKE DATTANI

Dr. Nike Dattani was born in Scarborough (now Toronto) Ontario to refugee parents from Uganda. He attended elementary school in Whitby and high school in Markham. While at University of Waterloo, he worked as a scientific researcher with many professors, including Bob LeRoy, and Ray Laflamme (then the Director of the Institute for Quantum Computing, and a former PhD student of Stephen Hawking). He completed his PhD at Oxford University while funded by multiple different scholarships, including the prestigious Clarendon scholarship which is the most competitive scholarship available to all Oxford applicants. While at Oxford, he won the Heatherington Prize for the best doctoral thesis presentation. He then held many research positions including (but not limited to) JSPS Fellow and Fukui Fellow at Kyoto University (Japan), Research Fellow at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) and the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (USA), and Banting Fellow at McMaster University. With a passion for protecting nature, an understanding of the challenges the natural world faces, and a spirit of ruthless optimism, Dolf DeJong has enjoyed an incredible career in the parks, conservation, wildlife protection and education field. Dolf began as Chief Executive Officer of your Toronto Zoo in September 2018, and his focus revolves around a commitment to raising the Zoo’s community connections to ensure we are working together to deliver on the new Strategic Plan to protect nature for future generations. Dolf has a Master of Environmental Studies from Wilfred Laurier University, a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from Brock University.

MELANIE DEBASSIGE

MBA, ICD.D – Currently serves as a Director on the Mother Earth Renewable Energy Board that oversees the for-profit wind turbine corporation that is solely owned by M’Chigeeng First Nation. Melanie was appointed to the Ontario Clean Water Agency Board of Directors, in October 2013 where she was recently appointed as Chairperson of the First Nations Committee. In March 2018, she was appointed to the Board of Reconciliation Canada where she holds the position of Director/Treasure. Melanie completed the Director’s Education Program at the Rotman School of Management and is a certified corporate director which complements her Master’s in Business Administration. Melanie has been recognized by the Canadian Board Diversity Council in the Diversity 50 which is a list of highly-qualified board candidates. Melanie most recently has undertaken the role as strategic advisor to the National Energy Board of Canada.

QUIRIEN MUYLWYK

Quirien Muylwyk is an Americas Practice Director for Water Quality for AECOM Canada Limited, and a former Canada Water Business Development and Technology Manager for CH2M Hill Canada Limited. As a civil engineer practising in drinking water treatment, Quirien leverages infrastructure projects to improve public health and equity in communities.

CANDICE WHITE

Candice White is the Chief Administrative Officer for a rural municipality in Peterborough County. She is a results-focused Municipal Manager specializing in finance and executive leadership. While promoting balanced economic growth she has demonstrated significant accomplishments in streamlining operations, maximizing efficiencies, driving strategic outcomes and developing an effective communication plan for relationship building. After two decades in finance she has taken specific interest in asset management and the benefits that program provides. Known as a proficient grant writer she has successfully received millions of dollars for municipal infrastructure and community programming for her community. Candice also sat as a member of the York Region Wastewater Advisory Panel and is the Secretary-Treasurer for the Police Services Board.

LAILA HULBERT

Laila Hulbert is a staff engineer for Qualcomm, and a former engineering intern for Qualcomm and Integrated Device Technology.

SCOTT CARTER

Mr. Carter is the Electrical and Controls Engineering Technologist for BME Mining Canada.

HAO LI

Hao Li is a Chief Financial Officer for Canuc Resources Corporation, and a senior staff accountant for Ernst & Young. Hao’s community involvement includes formerly serving as a Board of Directors Member (Treasurer) for Peel Condominium Corporation 419.