Zack works for CAPREIT—the landlord of 4000 & 4010 Lawrence Avenue E.—as an Operations Manager and has partnered with the Storefront on multiple projects serving the residents. He has worked in managerial positions for over 25 years which helps him serve as a strong liaison between landlord, residents and the Storefront in addition to being part of the planning of the community services provided by the Storefront.

Zouhair "Zack" El Helou Agency Representative

Janice has worked at the Boys and Girls Club of East Scarborough for 20 years and has an Early Childhood Education Diploma as well as a Bachelor of Physical Education Degree. She has been a part of the senior management team for more than 10 years as the Manager of Early Years Programs and Services. Working extensively in the community, Janice supported and advocated for families and worked extensively in partnership with other agencies to bring new and much needed programs and services to the East Scarborough community. She’s been involved with the Storefront since its inception and continues to be a keen supporter both at the community level and on the Steering and Agency Committees.

Janice Simmons Agency Representative

St. Margaret’s Church is located in the heart of KGO and is a neighbour of the Storefront. Rev. Karen is looking forward to expanding the relationship and see how the Church’s skills, talents and resources might help the community without duplicating the efforts of other community groups like Storefront. She also believes there is a lot St. Margaret’s can learn from this established organization whose work in the community is unparalleled. The skills/talents that Rev. Karen brings to the Steering Committee are: love of the neighbourhood, organizational skills, listening skills, administrative skills (Word, Excel etc...), hope and passion! Karen Hatch Agency Representative Camesha Cox is a dynamic change‐maker and community trailblazer with over 10 years of experience in community building and program development. She is an Ontario‐certified teacher who has worked in primary schools across and around the world. She currently teaches as a part‐time Instructor in the Child Development program at . Camesha has been recognized by the Ontario Women’s Directorate for her role as Managing Director of The Reading Partnership, a charitable initiative to improve child literacy in KGO, and for her contributions to improving the lives of girls and women across the province. As a member of United Ways Speaker’s Bureau, Camesha spends much of her time, sharing the importance of supporting resident‐ led and community‐based organizations to high‐level donors across the city. Camesha is in love with her Kingston Galloway Orton Park community‐ a place she’s Camesha Cox called home for over 17 years. She is committed to using her passion and expertise Agency Representative as a catalyst for change in her community, with goals to make KGO a better place to work, live and play for all.

Ahmed Allahwala is a faculty member in the Department of Human Geography at the Scarborough. He received his MA from the Free University Berlin and his PhD from . He was the recipient of the Government of Canada Award and a teaching fellow at the John F. Kennedy Institute for North American Studies in Berlin. His work focuses on migration and labour markets, community planning, and the politics of multiculturalism. He has taught a wide variety of courses both in Germany and Canada on topics including welfare state analysis, employment and social policy, city politics, and urban Ahmed Allahwala planning. Ahmed started to work in the Kingston‐Galloway/Orton Park Agency Representative neighbhourhood in 2010 in the context of the partnership between UTSC and the East Scarborough Storefront. Since then, he has worked on a variety of community planning and resident engagement projects including the youth‐ friendly community initiative, a youth safety project, and most recently the community storytelling and oral history project.

About working on the Steering Committee, Morgan says, “I am inspired by the work of the Storefront. Having recently bought my first home in the KGO, I am looking for a way to give back to the community. I have lots of enthusiasm to share.” As a lawyer practicing primarily in the areas of employment law and human rights, Morgan provides insight and information to the board when reviewing various workplace policies and dealing with workplace issues as they arise. She also has significant experience fundraising for non‐profit organizations engaged in capacity building and human rights litigation abroad. Morgan Sim Resident Representative

Neville grew up in South Africa under the repressive Apartheid regime; experiencing first‐hand what it meant to be poor and denied basic human rights. In his late teens, he joined the then banned “African National Congress, working actively toward the end of apartheid and pursuing justice for the oppressed masses. Since Neville Jacobs’ arrival in Scarborough, he joined the Resident’s Rising Community Association and as a chair of the Social Justice Committee; he led a number of social justice initiatives; e.g. Anti‐TTC fare hikes, the “bed bug clean‐up’ in the T.C.H.C. He is presently serving on the Board of Directors of the Scarborough Community Legal Services and has acted as the chairperson of its Neville Jacobs “Social Issues Committee.” Resident Representative In 2011, Neville was nominated as “Senior of the Year”, and in 2012 he was honoured for his service to the community by receiving the prestigious honor of the “Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal”

Carol Armstrong is a longtime resident of K.G.O (30 yrs+) and Resident Rising Community Association Advisor and is a strong advocate for positive change in the KGO community.

Carol Armstrong Resident Representative

Ian has been on the Storefront steering committee for the past five years. He is one of the Storefront volunteers who provide income tax clinic services to Storefront clients. He mentors recent immigrant engineers for the non‐profit agency Skills for Change. Ian is also a volunteer mentor in the one‐on‐one literacy program with the Toronto District School Board. Ian is retired and has enjoyed living in the East Scarborough community for over 30 years.

Ian Daly Community Representative

I have had the sincere pleasure of working in south east Scarborough and in particular the Kingston‐Galloway/Orton Park area for over 12 years. I continue to live and work in this area, and am proud to be able to continue to be part of this community in the role of community member on the steering committee at the East Scarborough Storefront. My present work at the Scarborough Community Legal Office is a valuable asset to our community members, but it is the diversity and vibrancy of this community and its community members that keeps me looking for ways I can continue to contribute. Heather Urbansky

Community Representative

When something interesting and exciting happens to us for the first time, we would always remember it for it would fill our hearts with very warm feeling of joy and gratitude to people, places and events, to everything that was part of our experience. As, probably, a lot of newcomers in Canada, I saw my landing to this country as an opportunity to restart my life and to experience a lot of things for the first time. I call Scarborough and, particularly, the Kingston Galloway/Orton Park my Canadian Native Land because my first Canadian home was at 4064 Lawrence Avenue East. I started my first English class at the LINC School at 4383 Kingston Road. My first “newcomer survival job” was at the Specialties Graphic Finisher at 946 Warden Avenue. I volunteered for the first time at the Pine Tree Senior Centre. At the same time, I have had my first choir singing experience at the St. Margaret in‐the‐Pines Anglican Church. I started my undergraduate studies at the University of Toronto at Scarborough Campus and volunteered as a French Teacher Assistant‐Intern as a Aline Merlette part of the U of T Internship Program at Henry Hudson Public School. After my graduation, Agency Representative my first professional work was a Settlement Employment Worker at the Centre for Information and Community Services in Scarborough. Today, I am grateful to this community for giving me the opportunity to live through this great experience and to have these wonderful memories of my first years in Canada.

Dania holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Toronto and a Masters in Environmental Studies, specializing in Urban Planning from York University. Her projects during her masters program focused on community planning and development, which has supported her community work in priority neighbourhoods in Scarborough. She is also a visual artist with interests in painting and photography. Her work has been exhibited at York University, Scarborough Civic Centre, and several other locations around the city. Dania is a strong supporter of different forms of art, including visual, literary, and music. In addition to supporting the arts, Dania is passionate about community‐driven initiatives to help create stronger social ties that will better the multi‐faceted gem Dania Ansari of Toronto that is Scarborough. Community Representative

Gerry is a long time resident of East Scarborough and proud to live in this vibrant and culturally rich community. He has been an entrepreneur and leader in the commercial real estate field for over 30 years. He is a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, an Accredited Member of the Institute of Municipal Assessors, a past President of Canadian Property Tax Association and a licensed paralegal with the Law Society of Upper Canada. In June of 2014, Gerry was appointed by the Federal Government to the Payments In Lieu of Taxes Dispute Advisory Panel.

Gerry is the current president of the Cedar Ridge Studio Gallery, a volunteer organization, which in partnership with the City of Toronto’s Cedar Ridge Creative Centre work to promote the arts and artists in Scarborough. In 2002 Gerry was Gerry Divaris awarded the Toronto Council Volunteer Citation. Community Representative He is a committed community stakeholder using his experience, knowledge and passion to work for and serve his community.

Silma has spent the past 16 years acquiring experience around leadership, career management, community engagement and business development strategy. She is the President of PCPI, a not‐for‐profit business focused organization that helps people reach their full potential. She is a certified trainer in Common Assessment and has trained many frontline social service staff on assessing the needs of people from across diverse backgrounds.

Silma’s leadership extends beyond her organization as is demonstrated by the Service Provider network that she spearheaded in 2010, to bring service providers together to share best practice and to work collaboratively in resolving challenges and issues within the sector. The Service Provider network is coined as, the E‐Team and still meets every six weeks accordingly.

Silma is the co‐chair of the Inclusive Economy Network (ILEN) which adheres to a collective approach in responding to the changing needs of residents and businesses in the Kingston‐ Galloway/Orton Park and Mornelle Court area. She is also a member of the Cross Community Organizing (CCO) team which works collaboratively to increase opportunities for youth to Silma Roddau engage in and influence programs, and services opportunities in KGO. Agency Representative

Besides being a graduate of U of T, she also attended OSIE and holds a certificate in Human Service Management, and several psychometric assessment tools. She is committed to helping communities develop and grow by working with others to create opportunities.