MUSLIM CHILDREN'S AID AND SUPPORT SERVICES - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Ted Rogers School of Management
Dr. Irfan Butt is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at the Ted Rogers School of Management, Ryerson University, Toronto. He has been associated with academia for teaching and research for more than 20 years. He has lived and worked in Pakistan, Yemen, Oman, and the USA.
Irfan has been volunteering for non-profit organizations in Canada for almost 15 years. He has served South Nepean Muslim Community (SNMC) Center & Masjid in various capacities. He is on the advisory board of Canada Bangladesh Education Trust (CBET). He is a member of ILEAD 2021 Shura Council and a founding member of Ottawa-Gatineau Muslim Memorial, a community initiative to recognize the contributions of community builders. He also assisted in the development of a marketing plan for Wilderness Discovery Center, a Thunder Bay based not-for-profit camping facility, providing services to physically disabled individuals, veterans and their families.
Irfan received his PhD in Management from Carleton University (Canada), MBA from Arizona State University (USA) and BA from College of Wooster (USA).
Imam Abdul Hai Patel is the Founder and Past Coordinator of the Canadian Council of Imams representing the Muslim religious leadership. He is currently a Director of Interfaith Relations.
Imam Patel has been serving as an Imam and Community Leader for more than 50 years in Canada. He is a Trustee of Toronto District School Board for Ward 21 and has served as a Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission (1999- 2005). He is also a Founding Member of MCASS and several Inter-faith groups active in interfaith dialogue and training.
Imam Patel is a Recipient of Governor General's and Ontario Government's awards for Community Service and a Queen's Diamond Jubilee medal recipient. He holds a Doctorate from the Canadian Institute of Islamic Studies.
Karen J. Scott holds a BA (Sociology) from York University and has been a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) from The Project Management Institute (PMI) in the United States for 20 years. She plans to continue post-graduate studies in 2022. The majority of Karen's career has been spent in IT, in Canada, Europe, and the United States managing global programs and projects with worldwide teams for major corporations, among them the implementation of the Euro currency for the Opel Bank.
Karen's transition into the not-for-profit sector and humanitarian work began in 2010 when she returned from the United States. She became a Travelling Volunteer for Sleeping Children Around the World (SCAW) which has taken her to India, Sri Lanka, Togo, and Kenya. As a member of The Rotary Club of Toronto, which she joined in 2014, Karen has been involved in a variety of initiatives locally, provincially, and internationally. Karen became involved in refugee sponsorship in the spring of 2015 and served as the Co-Chair of the Metropolitan United Syrian Refugee Sponsorship Committee for 18 months during the resettlement of one of the first Syrian refugee families to arrive in Canada in December 2015. Karen has also served on the Workshop Committee of the Etobicoke Network of Refugee Sponsors (ENRS) since 2017 and is currently a member of the Islington United Church Refugee Support Ministry. Karen has also recently been appointed to the Board of the Private Refugee Sponsor Network (PRSN).
Karen held the position of Senior Manager, IT & New Media at the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) from 2017 - 2019. Karen joined Muslim Children's Aid and Support Services (MCASS) as a Program Manager in October 2019 and was appointed Executive Director in April 2020. Karen is passionate about human rights, peace and social justice, and diversity and inclusion and is honoured to serve the diverse Muslim communities and all children, youth, and family who connect with us from across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and beyond.
Mohammed Harun Al Rashid is an Economics Graduate with 23 experienced in Finance and Accounting. He has worked as a Finance Manager in Dubai-based luxury hospitality industry "Jumeirah International". He has worked as a Finance Business Partner in Abu Dhabi-based Entertainment and Leisure Industry "Farah Experiences LLC (Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi, Saray Aqaba Jordan and Qas'r Al Watan - Presidential Palace of United Arab Emirates under the Ministry of Presidential Affairs).
Job Titles:
- Community Engagement Officer
Roya Ramen is currently working with Enterprise Canada in strategic communication,. She holds two bachelor's degrees-a Bachelor of Business Administration from the American University of Afghanistan, and a BA in English Language and Literature Studies from Kabul University. She worked for more than two years as a journalist and communication coordinator at Khaama Press, an independent news service in Kabul. During her tenure in this position, she honed her journalism skills - researching and pursuing stories, meeting tight deadlines and creating engaging content for the news agency.
Roya proved to be a reliable, professional and efficient manager in her role as operations manager at Afghanistan's New Generation Organization, a youth-driven community service and leadership development initiative. She directly managed a team of 5-10 people and had primarily responsibility for coordinating all office functions. In that role, she grew accustomed to performing important tasks in a high-pressure environment.
She was also a real estate consultant with Porto Turkey Real Estate in Istanbul. At Porto, she supervised a business team and operated in a fast-paced and deadline-driven business environment. She further strengthened her multitasking and time management skills.
Among her other involvements, she carried out extensive volunteer service. She managed a volunteer education program (Sarak-e-Awal) for a group of 35 children in Kabul who worked on the streets as breadwinners for their families. She managed all tasks related to their educational needs and progress.
Job Titles:
- Senior Research & Programs Coordinator
Yasmin Haq Khan was the founding Chair of MCASS and brings 25+ years of extensive experience in social services specializing in newcomer issues and services. She has worked as a Community Planner with Social Planning Toronto (SPT) for 20+ years and was a founding member of Job Opportunities for Youth (JOY) where she was the Director for seven years.
Yasmin has been a tireless advocate for racialized youth, women, newcomers and the homeless through leading or facilitating many committees and collaborations.