Appointee Biographies

MOHAMED FIRIN

Mohamed Firin is an activist for Somali Canadians and he is deeply connected with youth, parents and the Somali Community and religious leaders in Greater Toronto Area. Mr. Firin has been very active in advocating for marginalized voices in our province. With lived experience and a passion to assist young people in the community, Mr. Firin has worked with various organizations including the Somali Youth Association of Toronto (SOYAT) and the Centre for Resilience and Social Development (formerly Canadian Friends of Somalia) to develop grassroots initiatives for local youth to empower them to stay in school, avoid criminal activities and promote civic engagement.

AINSWORTH MORGAN

Following a career as a professional football player, including a stint with the Toronto Argonauts, Ainsworth Morgan pursued a career in education, obtaining his Bachelor of Education and Master of Education at the Ontario Institute for Students in Education. This was in addition to his Bachelor of Science in Criminology that he received from the University of Toledo prior to entering the CFL. Upon completing his B.Ed., Ainsworth returned to Regent Park, where he had spent his childhood. There, he began his education career as a teacher with the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) in September 1999. Facilitating equitable access to education is at the core of Ainsworth Morgan’s approach to teaching. It was with that in mind that he accepted a secondment as the Academic Coordinator with the Pathways To Education Program (Regent Park) – a charitable organization created to reduce poverty and increase access to post-secondary education among disadvantaged youth in Canada. In 2012, Ainsworth co-founded the 100 Strong Foundation – a mentoring and advocacy group for Black boys between the ages of 11 to 14. Presently, he also serves on the Board of Directors for White Ribbon Canada – an organization that engages men and boys in the prevention of gender-based violence by promoting equity and transforming social norms, a position he’s held since September of 2017. In his continued service to community, Ainsworth was appointed to the Toronto Police Services Board in January 2020. A dedicated educator, mentor and community organizer for 20 years, Ainsworth is committed to the students and families he serves, both inside and outside the classroom and is currently a Principal at the Toronto District School Board.

LEANNE NICOLLE

Leanne Nicolle, idea generator, humanity advocate and globally minded social innovator left her private sector marketing executive career to dedicate her life to helping girls around the world and social impact initiatives. Leanne has a passion for human development and has worked in the social space for UNICEF, Plan Canada and as the founder of girl !mpact (Because I am a Girl). Leanne continued her journey in the social space as the Executive Director of the Canadian Olympic Foundation. She was instrumental in creating programs to increase accessibility to high performance sport for those in marginalized communities. Her legacy program, RBC Training Ground, provides a platform to recruit the best athletes in Canada for our high performance stream. Currently, Leanne is the President and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto where she is thriving in her role as leader and mentor. BBBST is an organization entirely dedicated to empowering children and youth to reach their potential and break the cycle of poverty through intergenerational connections. She is an Executive Mentor in Residence at Ryerson University in Toronto lending her expertise and lived experience in inclusive leadership; ethics & values; and women in leadership at the Ted Rogers School of Management MBA program. Leanne is on the Boards of Directors for the Canada Soccer Association; Canadian Women and Sport; and is a volunteer family mentor with the Sashbear Foundation – helping families who have loved ones affected by mental health challenges.

SUZANNE BRANT

Suzanne provides leadership, vision and innovation in Indigenous post-secondary education at the First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI). She is Bear Clan and a member of the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte, Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, located along the shores of the beautiful Bay of Quinte. She holds a Master’s degree from York University in Environmental Studies with a focus on Indigenous post-secondary programming. Suzanne graduated from the Institute of Integrated Medicine as an Integrated Medical Clinician. Suzanne is a current and founding board member of Honouring Indigenous Peoples, HIP, (“Understanding the Past, Moving Forward Together”) an initiative of Rotary International and a committee member of the Haudenosaunee Environmental Task Force. Suzanne is a past board member of: Aboriginal Institutes Consortium (Vice-Chair), St. Lawrence College Board of Governors, Prevent Cancer Now (national board), member of the Great Lakes United (bi-national) and founding board member of CKWE Tyendinaga radio. She is a past committee member of the Remedial Action Plan/Bay of Quinte, the Environmental Advisory Committee - Mohawks of Bay of Quinte, and the Health Advisory Committee - Mohawks of Bay of Quinte Suzanne is the 2019 recipient of York University’s Bryden Alumni “Tentanda Via” award, recognizing a graduate who has demonstrated innovative, unconventional and daring leadership and success, reflecting the University’s motto – Tentanda Via (“The Way Must Be Tried”). Suzanne has a strong commitment to Indigenous language, culture and traditions. She is an accomplished visual artist and photographer who has exhibited her work at the Woodland Cultural Centre, Brantford and Gallery 121, Belleville. She is a seasoned gardener and specializes in traditional food systems and medicinal plants. Suzanne has four incredible children and two beautiful granddaughters.

DR. HANIYEH YOUSEFPOUR

Dr. Haniyeh Yousofpour is a Harvard alumnus, award-winning educator and a celebrated strategic negotiator, consultant, and human resources and organizational behaviour expert. Her thought-provoking and engaging approach have garnered Haniyeh numerous global MBA and executive-level teaching accolades. Dr. Yousofpour is an influential speaker and expert in Strategic Negotiations, Diversity Management, and Leading Change with Emotional Intelligence. Furthermore, Dr. Yousofpour is the co-founder of the Educational Consulting Firm, Leonnova. Over the years, she has provided various educational and consulting services to multinational Fortune 500 companies, universities, the public sector, and midsize organizations. In addition to her global teaching, Dr. Yousofpour has been the keynote speaker at various events and conferences for domestic and international audience. Dr. Yousofpour is the recipient of Queen’s Platinum Jubliee Award for her service to the community. She is heavily involved with the community focusing on education and mentoring underrepresented groups to progress in their careers.

HENRY WALL

Henry passionately believes that positive youth development, engagement, opportunities, and support are critical components to a framework that allows young people to develop their full potential. By providing youth with a voice and meaningful engagement through community involvement and collaboration, young people are better equipped to build upon their strengths and develop skillsets and connections that they need to be successful in both life and in the workforce. Living in Northwestern Ontario for the past twelve years has provided Henry with a great appreciation for the beauty, diversity, and unique challenges, both financial and cultural, that rural and remote communities face. The opportunity has also allowed him to gain necessary knowledge and understanding to develop and foster relationships and partnerships with First Nation Communities and Indigenous Organizations. Henry Wall is a hands-on leader with twelve years of expertise in the Municipal Sector. He began his career as the Treasurer and Director for Finance for the Municipality of Sioux Lookout; making him one of the youngest municipal Treasurers in the Province. Since November of 2014, he has been the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) for the Kenora District Services Board (KDSB). Henry has a proven record of managing a diverse range of teams by engaging staff to achieve ambitious strategic priorities, as well as developing and implementing policies, and establishing internal controls. As CAO of the KDSB, Henry is responsible for the operations, transformation and development of the region’s Emergency Medical Services, Community and Housing Sector, Social Assistance and Pre-Employment Programs, Early Years and Child Care Programs, Homelessness Sector and Non-Profit Housing Sector. Henry’s leadership philosophy is straightforward: with strong vision, collective-forward thinking and engaged employees, any organization can achieve great things. During his term, KDSB has become a fully integrated organization focused on providing full wrap-around services and support for families. The organization has grown from being a Service Manager and Housing Provider of safe, affordable housing to administering Emergency Homeless Shelters, and developing Supportive and Transitional Housing. Henry strives to empower communities to implement positive health and social system change.

JUDE ALOYSIUS

Jude Aloysius, works as a Senior Technical Representative at Canon Canada Inc. Outside of his professional career, he enjoys spending time volunteering and has over 30 years of volunteering experience in different organizations. During this time, he has held many roles, including serving as the President at Society for the Aid of Community Empowerment and Our Lady of Good Health Parish. In 2013, Jude received The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and in 2019 he received a Volunteer Service Award from the Ministry of Ontario for his 30 years of community service.

STEVEN DOHERTY

Steven has over thirty years of experience in the fields of children and family mental health, developmental services, youth addictions treatment, and youth shelter operations. Steven is currently the Executive Director of Youth Without Shelter (YWS) in Etobicoke. YWS has a long history of supporting youth experiencing homelessness. The one of a kind Stay In School (SIS) program allows youth in high school, post secondary or apprenticeship programs to advance their education while living in a safe and supportive environment. With a graduation rate of over 80%, SIS focuses on the elimination of barriers so young people can thrive. YWS strongly embraces and personifies the idea of equality of opportunity through targeted supports including tuition support, mental health and addictions treatment services, wrap around case management, housing supports, and employment and life skills services. Steven has guided YWS through unprecedented growth over his six years as Executive Director.

IMRAN ALLY

Shaykh Imran Ally is a career Imam in Canada as he continues in employment as the official resident Imam at the TARIC Islamic Centre in Toronto since 2000. His employment at one mosque beyond two decades is an extremely rare achievement and includes him among a very small number of elite Imams in Ontario and Canada. He’s currently the vice president of the Canadian Council of Imams. His passion for service extends beyond his career and he continues to serve as a chaplain for first responders and international sports. Furthermore, he’s considered by chaplains as a stalwart in the field multifaith chaplaincy in Ontario and Canada. He serves as a director, an advisor, and a consultant on various boards while actively participating in various community development via civic, interfaith, and multifaith engagements. It’s not surprising that he’s highly respected in policy circles for his unique ability to bring faith leaders together for common humanitarian causes for which he continues to receive multiple accolades. Imam Shaykh Imran Ally enjoys a blissful marriage in which he and his wife are blessed with three young sons. The Ally family cares for Yusuf (Yusuf’s Day Of Hope) who has special needs and is dedicated to advocating for caregivers and their loved ones with special needs.

JASON OTTEY

Jason Ottey is the Director of Government Relations and Communications for LiUNA Local 183 where he provides direction, advocacy and strategic advice on construction related issues at all three levels of government. Prior to joining LiUNA Local 183, he was the Director of Research and Policy for RESCON, where he represented the interests of single and multi-family residential builders across the GTA. He is graduate of McMaster of University and the University of Toronto, receiving Master of Arts in Political Science and Master of Industrial Relations respectively.

HIRAD ZAFARI

Hirad Zafari, of Toronto, is a Dentist at Toronto Diamond Dental. Hirad’s community involvement has included serving as President of the Ontario Student Trustees’ Association and as a student trustee of the Toronto District School Board.

RACHEL AARONS

Rachel Aarons is a DEI enthusiast whose experiences working as a marketing and finance research assistant, while competing internationally on Schulich’s Case Competition Team have inspired her to adopt practical and solution-oriented approaches to addressing social and political issues in the Black community. As a former member of the Ontario Securities Commission DEI team, she has published toolkits including the “How to Support Racialized Employees in Times of Tragedy” toolkit to instill a culture of diversity and equity companywide. As the Vice President, Community Partnerships at the Canadian Association of Urban Financial Professionals, she directs funding and partnerships to support the career development of Black early- and senior-level talent. As well, she works at SponsorshipX and the Black Talent Initiative (BTI), where she has managed partnerships with OLG, RBC, Scotiabank, Microsoft, NFL, The Globe and Mail, and Meridian Credit Union, in aiming to empower Black youth with equal opportunities.

JOHN AYEMOBA

John has a true passion for problem-solving, data analysis, and community impact. As a resident in the SIS program, he received a full M2M scholarship from the Pinball Clemons Foundation. He earned an advanced diploma in Business Administration from George Brown College in 2022, achieving Dean's List honors for six terms. His internships at CIBC ignited his love for data analytics. After graduating, John joined a leading healthcare procurement firm, playing a pivotal role in championing strategic data-driven initiatives. John collaborates with The Whiteboard Collective, a social enterprise that removes barriers and creates a clear pathway for employment for marginalized communities across Canada. Here, John leads data and research initiatives across the country that fuel growth and community impact, creating over 185 employment outcomes. John continues to volunteer with various organizations, applying his skills to foster positive change and enhance community development.

CARRIE MCEACHRAN

Carrie McEachran is the Chief Executive Officer of the Sarnia-Lambton Chamber of Commerce. She previously served as the Executive Director of Sarnia-Lambton Rebound and also held leadership positions at Community Living Sarnia and Pathways Health Centre for Children. She carries a master’s degree in leadership from Royal Roads University, a developmental services worker diploma from Loyalist College and a non-profit management certificate from Western University. Her community involvement includes being an active Rotarian for 18 years where she served a term as President of the Rotary Club of Sarnia. She currently serves as a board member for the Sarnia Lambton Economic Partnership, Arlanxeo CAP member, Business PAC member at Lambton College, and served previous terms on boards for North Lambton Community Health Centre, Sarnia-Lambton Physician Recruitment Taskforce, Sarnia-Lambton Social Services Network and PAVRO (Professional Association of Volunteer Leaders-Ontario).

SUNNY PATHAK

Sunny Pathak is the President of NewPath Sports & Entertainment Inc., a leading sports marketing agency that brings together top athletes, brands, and organizations to form winning partnerships that deliver impactful results. With a foundation built on years of experience, hard work, grit, and authenticity, Sunny consistently goes the extra mile, embodying a championship mindset that has forged compelling connections for renowned brands such as Nike, Timberland, Under Armour, AMEX, Levi’s, Wonderful Pistachios, Toronto International Film Festival, Ruffles, Heineken, Sapporo, Chevrolet, Twitch and BioSteel Sports Nutrition. As an entrepreneur, Sunny recognizes the significance of skills development, training, and seizing opportunities for success. He firmly believes that we all bear a responsibility to ensure that the choices we make today pave the way for a better tomorrow.

PAUL DE LA ROSA

Paul de La Rosa was born and raised in Toronto. He is a professional stage and film actor with over 40 years of experience. He has appeared in numerous film and television productions, and many commercials. Paul also served as a 2 term council member for ACTRA, one of the largest unions representing film actors and writers in North America. Furthermore he served on the ACTRA discipline committee for over 10 years, as well as their awards jury.Prior to acting Paul worked as a plumber and an electrician. He studied chemical engineering at Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson) going on to work as a chemical laboratory technician.Paul is an avid athlete and martial artist. After studying Karate for close to a decade, Paul then practiced the Korean art of Hapkido, where he reached the rank of black belt. In addition to an extremely busy schedule as an actor, Paul taught both adults and young people Hapkido 3 days per week for many years at the Eagle Hapkido Academy, in Toronto. Paul first discovered acting as a hobby, not suspecting that it would blossom into a career spanning 40 over years. He believes strongly in the power of the arts to reach young people of diverse backgrounds and bring them together.