The 519 membership will elect new members to The 519 Board of Management at our upcoming Annual General Meeting, details of which are:

• When: Wednesday, September 28, 2022,
• Time: 6:00pm ET
• Where: In person at The 519 [519 Church St.] The AGM will also be broadcast virtually.

There are 5 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:

• Financial literacy
• 2LGBTQ+ community engagement and advocacy
• Fundraising and philanthropy
• Community services
• Government relations
• Board leadership and development

Recruitment Priorities:

• Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) communities
• Trans and non-binary people
• Older 2SLGBTQ+ adults
• People with disabilities

The Board-recommended slate for 2022/23 is comprised of 3 current Board Members who are completing their terms and are running for re-election and 2 new candidates who are running for election.

For more information about voting eligibility or to register to attend, visit https://www.the519.org/news/agm22-23.

The 519 Board of Management 2022/23 Recommended Candidates

Recommended Catchment Candidates:

Aaron Hewitt (he/him)

Aaron is a frontline healthcare worker, educator and passionate member of Toronto’s vibrant queer community. He has worked in different capacities over the years to promote Accessibility and community engagement. Now a full-time student studying Healthcare Administration he is looking forward to applying his leadership skills and working with community members to continue the amazing legacy of The 519.

Min Oh (he/him)

Min is a recent law school graduate that is currently working at a full-service law firm in Toronto. As an LGBTQ+ person of colour that lives adjacent to The 519, he hopes to provide a unique and relevant perspective for The 519 Board, while drawing from his unique lived experiences and work experiences. Further, he has a wide array of working in various industries, including health sciences research, blockchain startup, the arts and the legal field. He believes that the intersectionality of his personal identity and work backgrounds makes him a suitable candidate for this position.

Juan Camilo Rendon Ocampo (he/him)

Juan is Manager, Social Impact, North America at Intact Financial Corporation. In his current role, he leads the operations and implementation of the organisation’s social impact strategy across North America. 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 and promoting efforts of inclusion at the workplace and in the community. He is the co-chair of the Intact Pride employee 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.

Paul Saguil (he/him)

Paul is an award-winning queer Filipino Canadian lawyer who has defended equality and human rights before the Supreme Court of Canada. He currently works on the front lines of fighting financial crime and combating corruption worldwide. He has demonstrated his passion and long-standing commitment to equity for vulnerable and marginalized communities through a career dedicated to volunteerism and public service. He has served in leadership capacities with a number of organizations, including as Corporate Treasurer of Asian Community AIDS Services and the Ontario Justice Education Network, as well as Chair of Start Proud, the Law Society of Ontario Equity Advisory Group, and the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Law Caucus of the Canadian/Ontario Bar Association. He has previously served for 5 years on The 519 Board of Management and its various committees (including as Corporate Secretary and Vice-Chair) and is seeking re-election in order to help advance the 519’s strategic priorities and assist with important public advocacy and capacity-building initiatives during a critical period of organizational and societal transition.

Recommended Non-Catchment Candidates:

Erika Voaklander (she/her)

Erika is a lawyer at an Aboriginal law firm in Toronto, where she focuses on the negotiation and implementation of modern treaties and governance agreements. 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. Erika received her JD and a Certificate in Aboriginal Legal Studies from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law. At law school, Erika was Co-President of the Indigenous Law Students’ Association and Out in Law. She received the Dean’s Leadership Award and the Gordon Cressy Student Leadership Award for her contributions to student life at the faculty. Prior to law school, Erika earned a BSc in Mathematics with an embedded Certificate in Indigenous Governance from the University of Alberta. During and after law school, she worked at a leading national law firm in Toronto where she completed her articles. In her free time, Erika enjoys playing tennis and ultimate frisbee, working on her beadwork skills, and visiting Toronto parks with her dog Gus.