Our Board of Directors
Ann Norris
Co-Chair
Ann serves her community as Outreach Coordinator of the Brampton West-Mississauga Ontario Early Years, one of CDRCP’s many programs serving Peel's diverse families. In addition, she is an instructor for numerous programs offered by the Brampton West-Mississauga Ontario Early Years, including the Infant Massage for OEYC parents.
For more than 25 years, Ann has been serving the Peel community in her local church, with Peel Police, the YMCA and various community organizations. Ann is also a member of the Peel OEYC Outreach Committee, The Health and Racism Committee, the Black Community Action Network Committee and Peel's Board to Board Connect.
Among her various community awards are the distinguished Outstanding Mentor of the Year (1995) and an adult national scholar of the Garfield Weston Merit Scholarship, chosen because of her community involvement and leadership. Ann’s mission is to leave the world a better place than she found, and so she intends to make a positive difference in the life of each person she comes in contact with.
Julian Hasford
Co-Chair
Dr. Julian Hasford is an Assistant Professor in the School of Child and Youth Care at Ryerson University, whose research focuses on issues of equity and empowerment through systems change and community-based prevention, with a particular focus on African Canadians. He holds a Ph.D. in Community Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University and an M.HSc. in Health Promotion from the University of Toronto.
Presently, Dr. Hasford maintains an active program of research that includes needs assessments of African Canadians involved in the child welfare system, and evaluations of the Cross-Over Youth Project (a systems change initiative for youth dually involved in child welfare and youth justice systems) in various communities, including an a social network analysis of the Cross-Over Youth project in Belleville (funded by Social Science and Humanities Research Council).
His experience includes a three-year postdoctoral fellowship (funded by the Canadian Institute for Health Research) that examined the dissemination and implementation of Housing First (a supportive housing intervention for homeless people with mental illness) across seven Canadian cities. Over the last several years, Dr. Hasford has also been involved in anti-racist advocacy through work with organizations such as the Black Community Action Network of Peel, Tabono Institute, and the Ontario Association for Children’s Aid Society (One Vision, One Voice project).
Jeff Msangi
Board Member
Jeff Msangi is one of the first founders of the Black Action Coalition Network (BCAN). For over 10 years he has worked in non-profit sector developing and coordinating newcomers programs specifically in the black communities across Ontario.
He is a firm believer in the idea of not only welcoming newcomers but also providing them necessary tools and support to succeed. He is a firm believer in the ability and need of societies solving social, economical and political issues collaboratively rather than single-handedly.
With the academic background in Law and Communication, Jeff, a pragmatic optimist cares deeply about justice, equality and fair representation for all in social, economical and political spectrum.
George Martin
Board Member
As a board member of several organizations, George played significant roles in the planning and establishing Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office, Bramalea Community Health Centre and several other community service agencies. He has worked in the Regent Park, Lawrence Heights and Weston/ Mount Dennis regions of Toronto. In addition, he founded the Caribbean Youth and Family Services on behalf of the Jamaican Canadian Association in the Jane-Finch community. He received awards for services to individuals, families, schools and communities.
George has worked in the Child Welfare System, mainly as a family service worker. This experience has enabled him to mediate several complex issues between parents, children and Children’s Aid workers. He visited young offenders while they were incarcerated and prepared them for life after detention. He has facilitated several teenagers who left their parents’ households and needed navigation in establishing themselves for independent living.
George has extensive experience helping develop and sustain several Black organizations in the GTA, including the Black Community Action Network. He has always found time for anyone in distress, whether professionally or in a volunteering or humanitarian capacity, utilizing frontline, managerial and group facilitation skills to bring about positive outcomes.
Camisha Sibblis
Board Member
Camisha Sibblis is an Assistant Professor at the University of Windsor in the School of Social Work. She has taught at Sheridan College in programs: Child and Youth Work and Social Service Work.
Her doctoral research uses spatial theory and discourse analysis to focus on the anti-Black racism, the politics of race, social identity, and marginalized youth in school expulsion programs and other spaces of exclusion. She holds a BA in Philosophy from the University of Toronto and pursued her BSW, MSW, and PhD degrees at York University. Camisha has extensive experience working with ‘at risk’ youth as a school social worker in the Peel District School Board expulsion program and as a clinician/researcher assessing the effect of anti-Black racism on the lives of the accused/convicted for courts to consider upon sentencing. She counselled wards of the Children’s Aid Society as a mental health practitioner in private practice; and she is a clinical agent for the Office of the Children’s Lawyer.
Deborah Peart
Board Member
Deborah Peart is a higher education professional with 20 years progressive experience at University of Toronto. Her career includes professional roles in external relations, alumni, student life, student recruitment and outreach. Since 2016 Deborah has held the role of student Recruitment Officer at University of Toronto Mississauga (UTM). In her current role she combines professional expertise in student recruitment and outreach with her passion and commitment to social justice, equity, diversity and inclusion.
In 2020, she spearheaded the implementation and development of the Black Access to Educational Excellence (BAEE@UTM) initiative. BAEE@UTM supports awareness raising, efficacy, and the removal of barriers that prevent Black students from reaching their full potential in pursuit of a university degree.
Deborah sits on the Board of Directors for the Black Community Action Network (BCAN), and collaborates with organizations like the Visions of Science Network for Learning to bring informative presentations and first hand experiential learning opportunities to youth.
Andrelle Chapman
Board Member
As a forward thinking leader and change maker Andrelle is driven by innovation and results. She excels in the areas of advisory and has gained valuable skills and insight providing solutions, working with all levels of clients, government, stakeholders, policymakers, and personnel which have facilitated the successful completion of transportation infrastructure projects within the GTHA.
Her calm, yet effective demeanour has allowed her to gain vast experience, encourage collaborative engagement and synergies with a wide spectrum of responsibilities. With over 8 years of experience in the transportation industry she is an agile team player, who excels in relationship building with political acumen and sensitivity, while her daily interactions are managed with poise and zest.
Ryan Knight
Board Member
Ryan has built multiple businesses over the last 10 years and spends a great deal of his time leading and mentoring young entrepreneurs. After starting Detailing Knights, a mobile waterless car cleaning company, Ryan was able to launch his first youth entrepreneurship program called Knighthood Academy.
Knighthood Academy was designed to help at risk youth in the community develop their leadership skills through an entrepreneurship bootcamp. Various youth with multiple barriers have accessed the program ranging from high school drop outs, past gang members, and those recently released from detention.
“I have realized that entrepreneurship is a tool that gives a level playing field to all those that want to partake. I envision helping youth all over the world experience entrepreneurship at least once during their learning journey.
To this end Ryan is an active board member with the Peel Learning Foundation. Helping to bring alternative resources to youth in the Peel District School Board.
Genevieve Gregory
Board Member
Genevieve Gregory, BBM, worked as a Financial Analyst in IT for over 18 years. Currently, this entrepreneur is a Cryptocurrency day trader and investor.
Genevieve serves her community by volunteering her time and sharing her expertise with various organizations, including BCAN and the Junior Achievement Ontario.
Loni Frank
Board Member
Loni Frank (she/her) is a transformative educational leader contributing to the success of today's students and tomorrow’s world changers. Loni is committed to ongoing professional development and dedicated to supporting and affecting positive change in the lives of young people, their families, and the larger community, using and anti-oppressive and trauma informed approach. Loni is part-time professor in the School of Social and Community Services at George Brown College and Sheridan College. Loni has taught in the Community Worker Program, Social Service Worker Program and primarily in the Child and Youth Care Program, teaching courses such as Mental Health Issues and Trauma Informed Approaches. Prior to post-secondary work, Loni worked concurrently as a Resource Facilitator with the Peel District School Board, and solely operated a therapeutic treatment foster home for latency aged girls in Brampton. Loni has extensive experience working with the autistic community and began her career as an in-home junior therapist supporting skill attainment and behaviour modification in school-aged youth. Loni obtained an advanced diploma from George Brown College, a B.A and M.A in Child and Youth Care from Ryerson University. Her thesis and major research paper focused on trauma informed schools and exploring the short and long term impacts of childism- the oppression of children and youth. Loni strives to create an enriching learning experience for all students rooted in anti-oppressive practice.
Rad Dockery
Board Member
Rad Dockery has over 20 years of experience in business, technology and sustainability. Throughout those years he has constantly led change initiatives within the public and private sector.
As Chief Innovation Officer of Unifai Solutions Inc. he specializes in bridging advanced technology innovations such Artificial Intelligence and Analytics with Legacy Technologies to address Digital Transformation and Talent Management. In particular, he focuses on the challenges aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals surrounding Diversity, Equality, Economic Growth and Smart Cities.
Rad is responsible for delivering these innovations in global markets such as Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia and the United States. The Government of Canada featured Radcliffe in the July edition of CanadExport magazine, The Government of Canada also asked Rad to comment on digital innovation within the World Trade Organization.
Radcliffe has worked for Zurich, TELUS, Canada Post and IBM. He mentors young people from an array of cultural backgrounds including facilitating workshops with youth and small businesses across Canada, Southeast Asia and the West/Southern Africa.
Board of Advisors
Suzanne Nurse
Advisor
Parent engagement and student success are two key motivators that drove Suzanne Nurse to excel in her work and role as past Trustee and Vice-Chair for the Peel District School Board. For over twelve years, Suzanne has maintained her passion for preparing students to achieve academic success in post-secondary education, the workforce and positively impacting their communities.
As a Brampton resident for over 20 years, Suzanne was committed to making a difference in the Peel Board. She has chaired and has been a contributing member of several board committees, including Audit, Student Discipline, Staff Grievance, Budget Development, and French Immersion Review, to name a few. In the fall of 2016, Suzanne introduced a motion to direct the Peel Board to conduct a student census, in essence, to collect race-based data, beginning in the fall of 2018. It was unanimously approved.
Suzanne is passionate about her family, community and using her voice to make a positive difference. As a self-described problem-solver and mediator, Suzanne feels no issue is ever one-sided. There is always a solution where everyone can be heard and feel supported—particularly with students.
Suzanne volunteers in her church and various community groups. She is also a past co-chair of the Black Community Action Network of Peel Region. In addition, she worked with Carabram, Rapport Youth and Family Services, and residents groups in Brampton North.
Danardo Jones
Advisor
Danardo Jones joined the Faculty of Law as an Assistant Professor in January 2021. Professor Jones comes to the Faculty with years of criminal law experience, having worked as a staff lawyer at various Legal Aid organizations across Eastern Canada (Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia) and Ontario. He was also the Director of Legal Services for the African Canadian Legal Clinic. In that role, he intervened in precedent-setting cases before the Supreme Court of Canada (Tran v. Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness), 2017 SCC 50; British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal v. Schrenk, 2017 SCC 62).
Professor Jones's research interests include criminal law, criminal procedure, criminal sentencing, and race and the law. His research draws on scholarly literature from law and cognate disciplines, including penology and criminology, law and geography, philosophy of law, critical race theory, and prison abolitionist and restorative justice literature.
Craig Wellington
Advisor
Craig Wellington is an accomplished senior executive who has held leadership positions in private and public sector organizations. Craig's expertise includes strategic planning, management and leadership, diversity and inclusion, communications and marketing, media and public relations, digital media, and executive education.
Wellington is currently the Executive Director at Black Opportunity Fund; and has managed strategic marketing and sponsorship campaigns with organizations including Labatt, Scotiabank, Nike, KPMG, Western Union, Roots, McDonald's, RBC, Bombardier, CityTV, BET, the Toronto Star, and various Provincial and Federal Government Ministries.
Craig has developed and managed successful executive education programs in partnership with Ivey Business School, Western University and Seneca College on public sector management; ethical leadership; data analytics and persuasion; and implicit bias.
Wellington also has decades of experience working within the media and with not-for-profit and community-based organizations to address systemic social justice issues in the criminal justice and education systems. He was recently a member of the Toronto Chief of Police's Black Community Consultative Committee, and is a current advisory board member of the Black Community Action Network of Peel Region (BCAN), a strategic advisor to the Jamaican-Canadian Association; and provides strategic and operational management expertise for large scale technology and educational projects currently being implemented at several schools in Jamaica.
Craig has extensive experience working in the media and is a frequent guest on national tv and radio programs on CBC, CTV and other media outlets. In addition, he has produced and hosted a national CBC program on the Canadian Immigrant Experience and develops dynamic media projects for film, tv and digital channels.
Nadine Rubie
Advisor
Nadine Rubie is a social work professional with extensive experience in community development, health promotion and as a mental health therapist.
Nadine has worked in various areas across the GTA serving black and racialized communities in different capacities to support social justice and equity. In Peel, Nadine supported community engagement and mobilization to open the community health centre in Malton. As a Health Promoter in Bramalea she took leadership in the popular Black Health Challenge program. Nadine was also Team Lead for Peel/Halton for the " Black Experience Project" the largest research study of its kind in Canada.
In addition to working as a Director at a large children's mental health organization, Nadine currently has a private social work practice, health coaching business and also volunteers on the board of directors for Malton Moms.