LAIDLAW FOUNDATION - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director of Grants and Community Initiatives
Aldeli Albán Reyna (she/her) is the Director of Grants and Community Initiatives at Laidlaw Foundation. Born and raised in Montréal to Afro-Peruvian parents, Aldeli is a Black artist with a natural talent for using language to bring stories to life coupled with an ability to transform her lived experiences, using multilingual narratives. She holds an Honours Bachelor Degree in Women and Gender Studies, Spanish, and Italian from the University of Toronto and a Masters in Public Policy, Administration, and Law (MPPAL) from York University. Aldeli has extensive experience working in multiple sectors including nonprofit, philanthropy, and corporate. She has worked nationally for almost a decade in advocacy and public policy.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Indigenous Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Director of Indigenous Programs
- Member of the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation
Amanda Bernard is a member of the Madawaska Maliseet First Nation and the Director of Indigenous Programs at Laidlaw Foundation. Through the Foundation, Amanda supports Indigenous youth with projects that allow them to connect with their land, language, culture and each other. Prior to working at Laidlaw, Amanda was the Account Manager overseeing the launch of the NIHB portal, an application that allows Indigenous People to submit their health benefit claims online. Amanda holds an Honours Bachelor Degree in Business at the University of Guelph Humber. In Amanda's spare time, she has launched several businesses, some of which target and support the growth of Indigenous youth and communities.
Job Titles:
- External Advisor
- Member of Finance & Audit Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Granting Committee
- Vice Chair of the Governance and Recruitment Committee
- Vice Chair of the Recruitment Committee
Benjamin Mitsuk (they/them) is a two spirit Inuk based in Odawa, and was the founder of JusticeTrans. They currently work as a Manager for Inuit Tapiriit Kantami.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Family Committee
- Member of the Governance and Recruitment Committee
- Member of the Recruitment Committee
Bob is the Senior Living Member of the Laidlaw Family. He is a Board Member and the current Past President of the Laidlaw Foundation, with over 25+ years of service to the Foundation. He is a retired entrepreneur and business owner. Bob has extensive community involvement and volunteer experience. He served as a Board Member, President and Member of the Executive Committee of Central Neighbourhood House, now part of the Neighbourhood Group. In addition, Bob was a Board Member, one of two Vice Presidents and a Member of the Executive Committee of Family Service Toronto. Bob has also served on the Boards of the Canadian Camping Association, the Ontario Camps Association, and the Ontario Hockey Association. Currently, Bob is a Board Member and Past President of Kids in Camp charity and a Member of the Finance/Audit Committee and Family Committee of the Laidlaw Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Indigenous Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Indigenous Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Governance and Recruitment Committee
- Member of the Granting Committee
- Member of the Recruitment Committee
With extensive expertise in process improvement, traditional and agile project management, Christopher McFarlane specializes in guiding teams and organizations throughout a journey of continuous improvement. He is currently an Enterprise Transformation Lead at Walmart Canada.
Possessing a genuine passion to serve, Chris has local and international community leadership experience. He is a founding member of Visionaries Mentoring Program, an organization focused on mentoring recent university graduates from underserved communities. Chris has significant experience consulting with non-for-profit organizations related to strategy, marketing and governance. He has also served as a board member in organizations servicing at-risk youth.
Chris has a broad educational background, including a BSc. in Life Sciences from McMaster University and professional certifications in Project Management, Agile Coaching, Change Management, and Process Improvement. He is currently pursuing his MBA.
Job Titles:
- Operations Coordinator
- Program Manager
Diana is the Operations Coordinator at the Laidlaw Foundation, where she manages grant and office administration. Diana previously worked at Oceana Canada, a nonprofit organization focused on ocean conservation. She supported campaigns with the goal of bringing oceans back to abundance and had the opportunity to work with remote and Indigenous communities to advocate for ocean protection. Diana holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts in History, Political Science, and French from the University of Toronto.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Indigenous Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- External Advisor
- Member of the Investment Committee
Job Titles:
- Research, Learning, and Evaluation Lead
Haiat is the Research Lead for the Foundation. She holds a BA (Hons) in Political Science from the University of Toronto and an MSc. in Poverty Reduction: Policy & Practice from the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS). As a Social Researcher, she has helped numerous organizations develop and implement research projects in support of their programming and advocacy initiatives. With the support of her colleagues, she has produced a number of reports on homelessness, poverty and food insecurity, including ‘Meeting Crisis with Opportunity: Reimagining Toronto's Shelter System'; and ‘Who's Hungry'. Her work is driven by a curiosity to understand the socioeconomic factors that influence and motivate people's circumstances, their responses, the impact of their efforts and in turn their livelihood outcomes. When she is not working, Haiat enjoys mastering new languages, exploring Toronto's art scene and traveling.
Miraaj is the Youth Collective Impact Manager for the Foundation. A world traveller, Miraaj holds an Honours Bachelor Degree in Media, Culture & Communications from the University of Sunderland and a Masters in Gender & Social Justice from the University of Alberta. From community engagement programs, to mentorship, Miraaj has had extensive experience and passion working with youth within the welfare, justice and educational systems. Miraaj has extensive work in the nonprofit sector and hopes to continue making an impact at the Foundation.
Job Titles:
- External Advisor
- Member of the Investment Committee
Job Titles:
- External Advisor
- Member of Finance & Audit Committee
Job Titles:
- External Advisor
- Member of the Investment Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Indigenous Advisory Committee
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board of Directors
- Member of the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation
Janine Manning is Anishnabeg and a member of the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation (Neyaashiinigmiing, ON) who lives and works in Toronto. She is the first Indigenous person to be the president of a private philanthropic foundation in Canada.
Janine has spent the last 10 years dedicating her time and talents supporting Indigenous relations & community development efforts, most recently through granting in and in the philanthropic sector as the Manager, Annual Giving & Donor Relations, previously as the Senior Manager, Indigenous Collaboration at United Way Greater Toronto, Manager, Indigenous Culture Fund at Ontario Arts Council, and as a volunteer with the Indigenous People's Resilience Fund.
Janine is an Indigenous Advisor to the Toronto Public Library and FoodShare Toronto and has served 3 years as a Laidlaw Foundation's Board Member & Chairing the Granting Committee.
Jehad has been working in the public benefits sector for nearly 25 years. Before joining the Laidlaw Foundation in January 2014, he was the Executive Director of Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office, Regional Director of Catholic Cross-Cultural Services, Metro Region, and Executive Director of the Canadian Arab Federation. In all of these roles he has been an advocate for inclusion, diversity and equity. He is passionate about building bridges between Canada's oldest residents and its newest citizens. He strongly believes that the well-being of Canada rests with Indigenous Peoples and immigrants and refugees. In his work at Laidlaw, he is constantly inspired by young people's ability to provide solutions to some of the society's seemingly intractable problems.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Finance & Audit Committee
- Member of the Governance and Recruitment Committee
- Member of the Granting Committee
- Member of the Recruitment Committee
Jesse Waugh is a young finance professional in the Risk Advisory department at George Weston Limited, responsible for supporting management in solving complex business problems, recommending strategies to improve operational efficiency, and advising on mitigation strategies for top risks facing the business. Jesse has supported senior management teams at George Weston Limited, Loblaw and Choice Properties REIT on several transformational projects; most notably as a member of the deal team for the $2 billion divestiture of the Weston Foods bakery business. Prior to working in Risk Advisory, Jesse was the first employee selected, and to complete, George Weston's graduate rotation program where he worked in capital markets, corporate strategy and Risk Advisory. Jesse has a Bachelor of Arts from Western University where he completed an Honours Specialization in Political Science. Passionate about people, politics and problem-solving, Jesse in high school was elected twice as student trustee at the TDSB, served as President and Policy officer at the Ontario Student Trustees Association (OSTA-AECO), and in university worked as a community leader managing an international student residence at Western University. During his personal time, Jesse enjoys spending time with family, watching and playing sports, following political and economic developments and volunteering at his church.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Governance and Recruitment Committee
- Member of the Recruitment Committee
- Vice Chair of the Family Committee
Julia Laidlaw has extensive experience in the field of social work, philanthropy and investment, and granting through her volunteer work. Julia runs a private healing arts and counselling practice and currently volunteers on the Kingston Community Foundation's Grants Committee.
She has been previously involved with Laidlaw Foundation's work as a Family Committee Member and Board Member.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair of the Granting Committee
June Maresca is a semi-retired Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice. Prior to her appointment to the Bench, June was in private practice in Toronto where she focused on representing Youth in Child Protection matters, custody disputes, and criminal cases. At the time of her appointment to the Bench, June was counsel to the Special Education Tribunal. June taught law and alternative dispute resolution at the University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall Law School. She also taught judges across the country through the National Judicial Institute. She sat on the Board of Justice for Children and Youth and pioneered child protection mediation in Canada. June looks forward to working as a Director on the Laidlaw Foundation Board, including Co-Chairing the Grants Review Committee.
Job Titles:
- External Advisor
- Member of Finance & Audit Committee
Job Titles:
- External Advisor
- Member of the Investment Committee
Miraaj is the Youth Collective Impact Manager for the Foundation. A world traveller, Miraaj holds an Honours Bachelor Degree in Media, Culture & Communications from the University of Sunderland and a Masters in Gender & Social Justice from the University of Alberta. From community engagement programs, to mentorship, Miraaj has had extensive experience and passion working with youth within the welfare, justice and educational systems. Miraaj has extensive work in the nonprofit sector and hopes to continue making an impact at the Foundation.
Job Titles:
- External Advisor
- Member of the Investment Committee
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Investment Committee
- Vice Chair of the Finance & Audit Committee
- Vice Chair of Finance & Audit Committee
Paul Nagpal is an interdisciplinary professional with 18 years of experience in roles such as strategic advisor to business owners, with a focus on small and mid-market organizations. He holds an MBA from University of Toronto - Rotman School of Management. Paul is specialized in providing sales & growth advisory and interim management services, particularly within the professional services, technology, food, retail, and non-profit sectors. He was among the Diversity 50 Candidates for 2017 and was rewarded with the honour in January 2018.
Job Titles:
- External Advisor
- Member of the Investment Committee
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Governance and Recruitment Committee
- Chairman of the Recruitment Committee
- Vice Chair of the Board of Directors
Rebecca was a Senior Policy Advisor at Ministry of Children and Youth Services, Responsible for Anti-Racism. She is a policy professional and trained social worker with extensive experience in all aspects of community development from frontline service delivery to management roles. Prior to joining the government, Rebecca was the Community and Knowledge Catalyst at the Counselling Foundation of Canada. She currently serves as an Advisor to the Foundation for the Youth Direct Action Fund. Rebecca has been recognized for her success and accomplishments by many awards including the Canadian Millennium Excellence Award Year 2005-2009 and the Calgary Herald Class Act 2005.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Finance & Audit Committee
- Vice Chair of the Investment Committee
- Chairman of Finance & Audit Committee
Sandra Kagango is a young professional in the financial services industry. She holds a Master degree in Financial Economics from Western University and has an Honours degree from Trent University in Mathematics Finance and Economics. Sandra has a certification from Bloomberg Market Concepts. As a young immigrant to Canada, Sandra is keenly aware of the challenges facing newcomers to Canada and bring a unique insight about issues confronting immigrants and refugees as they try to settle in the new country. Sandra is multilingual who speaks English, French, Kinyarwanda and Swahili. Her passion for the plight of child soldiers has provided her the chance to be active with the Right to Play organization. Sandra has been on the Laidlaw Foundation's Finance and Audit Committees for two years.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Granting Committee
Tara Farahani is a Toronto-based interdisciplinary professional, with expertise in social research, and communications. With close to a decade of experience in the social sector, Tara operates from a critical socio-political perspective to understand systems, and the people that navigate within them. She has researched, written and advocated on issues relating to race, gender-based violence, cyber sexual violence, youth, mental health, disabilities and LGBTQ communities. She is also Co-Founder of not for you. zine featuring written and visual works of BIPOC women and non-binary peoples.
Tara has worked in the realms of research, communications, and facilitation with organizations across Toronto, including the City of Toronto, St. Stephen's Community House, Ryerson University, Social Planning Toronto, among others. She has been featured on Metro Morning Radio, http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/853748291628 CBC News for her work on cyber-sexual violence, as well http://www.nxtbook.com/dawson/ryerson/alumni_2017winter/index.php#/18 Ryerson Alumni Magazine and The Toronto Star https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/2017/02/05/protest-poetry-alive-is-alive-and-well.html for her professional writing and advocacy work. She has also authored diverse bodies of writing with published features Huffington Journal of Critical Anti-Oppressive Social Inquiry Springer International Publishing. In 2018, Tara was the successful recipient of CUE's 2018 Writing Program bursary to work on her upcoming non-fiction prose book, I Had a Very Happy Childhood and in 2015, she was the recipient of the Russell Jolliffe Award for Excellence in Social Work Practice at Ryerson University. In 2018-2019, Tara was appointed the Jack Layton and John C. Eaton Chair's Artist-in-Residence at Ryerson University, exploring what it means to honour our lived experience through the written form in her project From Under the Rug.
Job Titles:
- External Advisor
- Member of Finance & Audit Committee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Family Committee
- Member of the Finance & Audit Committee
- Member of the Granting Committee
- Member of the Investment Committee
- VP of Direct - to - Consumer at AromaTech
Tim Apgar is the VP of direct-to-consumer at AromaTech and graduated from the University of Toronto with a double major in Anthropology and Cinema Studies. Tim is passionate about outdoor recreation and has volunteered and supported organizations empowering Canadians to access natural spaces. He has been involved with the Laidlaw Family Committee for two years and is a great-grandson of Mr. Robert A. Laidlaw.