The 519 Board of Management Candidates 2020/21

The 519 membership will elect new members to The 519 Board of Management for a 1.5-year term (a shorter term due to COVID-19 delays) at our upcoming Virtual Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, January 27, 2021, 6:30pm ET via Zoom.

There are 6 available positions to fill on the Board this year – at least 4 elected members must be from the catchment area bounded by Bloor, Bay, Gerrard, and Parliament streets. Members from the catchment area may fill non-catchment positions. 

The 519 Board of Management is recommending a slate of candidates based on the following Board-approved Skills and Experience as well as Recruitment Priorities.

Skills and Experience:

• Philanthropy and fundraising
• Community services sector
• Local government relations / Advocacy of LGBTQ2S issues
• Financial planning
• Leadership in digital innovation
• Board leadership and development

Recruitment Priorities:

• Members of diverse racial and ethnocultural communities
• Members from Indigenous communities
• Women
• Trans and non-binary people
• People with disabilities
• Older LGBTQ2S adults

The Board-recommended slate for 2020/21 is comprised of 3 current Board Members who are completing their terms and are running for re-election and 3 new candidates who are running for election.

For more information about voting eligibility, please visit: https://www.the519.org/news/voting-eligibility-agm20-21.

The 519 Board of Management 2020/21 Recommended Candidates

Recommended Catchment Candidates:

Brett House

Brett House is Vice-President and Deputy Chief Economist at Scotiabank. Prior to joining Scotiabank in October 2016, Brett was Chief Economist at an alternative investment management start-up in Toronto and Global Strategist at Woodbine Capital Advisors, a New York-based global macro fund. Earlier in his career, Brett served as Principal Advisor in the Executive Office of the United Nations Secretary-General and as an Economist at the International Monetary Fund. He cut his teeth in financial markets at Goldman Sachs International in London and at the World Bank in Washington, DC. Brett is a Rhodes Scholar with degrees in economics from the University of Oxford and Queen’s University at Kingston. In addition, he has taught at Oxford University, McGill University, and the University of Cape Town, and has held research roles at Columbia University and Massey College at the University of Toronto. Brett sits on the investment committees of Pearson College and the Canadian Rhodes Scholars’ Foundation. He received the 2014 Québec Notable Award in Finance, the 2015 Good Citizen Award from his hometown of Lincoln, Ontario, and the 2018 Professional Leader Award from Start Proud. He was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum (Davos).

Watch a video from Brett
 

Juan Camilo Rendon Ocampo

Juan Camilo Rendon Ocampo is currently a Social Impact Senior Consultant at the Intact Foundation, the charitable arm of Intact Financial Corporation. In his role, he manages a $5M portfolio of charitable investments across Canada and leads Intact’s Employee Citizenship Programs as well as the Intact Foundation’s operations. Prior to Intact, Juan Camilo was an engagement officer and analyst for the Government of Canada where he supported enterprise-wide transformational initiatives with the Canada School of Public Service and the Department of Public Services and Procurement Canada. Juan Camilo is an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. He is actively involved in raising awareness of and promoting efforts of diversity and inclusion at the workplace and in the community. He is the Co-chair of the Intact LGBT & Allies Network (2019) and was selected to join Civic Action’s DiverseCity Fellows Program 2019. Juan holds a Masters of Arts in sociology and a Bachelor’s Degree (Joint Honours) in communications and sociology from the University of Ottawa.

Watch a video from Juan Camilo
 

Michael Cherny

Michael Cherny is a driven, innovative CPA, CA with an entrepreneurial skillset and the professional and educational experience needed to drive and deliver results in every situation. A diverse leader in every sense of the word, Michael has served clients in the consumer, financial services, and mining industries delivering assurance, advisory, and consulting services, and is currently the Senior Lead for the Future of Trust. An active member of the LGBTQ+ community, Michael currently serves as a Director on the Board of The 519 as well as on the Advisory Committee for LGBTQ+ engagement with CPA Ontario, having previously served as Treasurer on the Board of Pride Toronto and a Director on the Board of Start Proud as well. Michael is also a member of CPA Ontario's Council and Women College Hospital Foundation's Development Committee. A community builder at heart, Michael has been recognized as a Catalyst Canada Honours Champion, CPA Ontario Emerging Leader, and Notable Life LGBTQ+ Leader of the Year and is a sought-after speaker and thought leader in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space.
 

Paul Jonathan Saguil

Paul Jonathan Saguil is Deputy Head of TD Bank Group's Sanctions Compliance and Anti-Bribery / Anti-Corruption Program. He previously practised as Senior Counsel in TD's Legal Department and at Stockwoods LLP, and has appeared before all levels of courts in Ontario, the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court, and various regulatory bodies. He has served on The 519 Board of Management since 2016, including as Vice-Chair and Corporate Secretary. He is also a member of the Board and Corporate Treasurer for the Ontario Justice Education Network, as well as past Chair of the Law Society of Ontario Equity Advisory Group, the Board of Directors for Start Proud, and the Canadian Bar Association's Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law Section. He will continue to use his professional skills and lived experience as an immigrant Filipino-Canadian and resident of Moss Park to help advance The 519's strategic plan and support its mission and values.
 

Recommended Non-Catchment Candidates:

Erika Voaklander

Erika Voaklander is a recent graduate from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law with a JD and Certificate in Aboriginal Legal Studies. She grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, and is a descendent of the Swain and Gunn Métis families who relocated to the Sioux Lookout area from Red River. Prior to law school, Erika earned a BSc in Mathematics with an embedded Certificate in Indigenous Governance from the University of Alberta. While at the UofA, Erika was a member of the varsity tennis team, winning gold at the Canadian University National Championships in 2014 (silver in 2012, 2013, and 2015). At UofT, Erika was the co-president of Out in Law and the Indigenous Law Students’ Association, and co-captain of the Intramural Women’s Soccer and Co-Ed Basketball teams. Erika received a Callwood Fellowship for her first-year summer to conduct legal research at an Aboriginal law firm to assist their client in a claim against the Crown for the Métis scrip system. In her second-year summer, Erika worked at Blakes, Cassels and Graydon LLP in Toronto, where she is also completing her articles. Erika enjoys sports, puns, and aspires to age dignified like a golden retriever.

Watch a video from Erika
 

Sarah Zerihun

Sarah Zerihun has spent the last 5 years working in community development in Toronto looking at ways to improve the lives of residents in social housing communities. In 2014, Sarah pursued the field of social work where she graduated from Centennial College and is working on her BSW at Ryerson University. Sarah currently works for the Toronto Community Housing Corporation’s within their Development division as part of the Renewal and Revitalization initiative. Community development, Community economic development are key aspects of her work. Previously, she worked at St. Stephens Community House providing mental health and addiction programming to high school students across Toronto. Sarah is an active member of the 2SLGBTQ Caucus at TCHC as a spokesperson as she enjoys advocating inter-organizationally for equitable solutions. Sarah understands the importance of working from a holistic, anti-oppressive lens and is currently engaged in ensuring there is equitable access to education, training, and funding at TCHC to advance work on key community issues such as Food security, Safety, Health, Employment & training opportunities. Sarah currently sits as a Secretary, Board Member on the Alexandra Park Resident Association.

Watch a video from Sarah

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