Item - 2023.CA2.2

During the review of the Order Paper on February 7, 2023, City Council adopted a procedural motion to remove this Item from the jurisdiction of the Civic Appointments Committee and bring it forward for consideration by City Council.

The Civic Appointments Committee recommends that:

1. City Council appoint the following candidates to the Board of Health, at pleasure of Council, for a term of office ending on November 14, 2026, and until successors are appointed:

Abinaya Chandrabalan

Lindsay Kretschmer

Charles Ozzoude

Suman Roy

Ramanjeet Singh

Stephanie Zhou

2. City Council appoint the following school board nominee to the Board of Health, at pleasure of Council, for a term of office ending on November 14, 2026, and until a successor is appointed:

Ida Li Preti, Trustee, Toronto Catholic District School Board

3. City Council direct that Confidential Attachments 1-3 to the report (January 24, 2023) from the City Clerk remain confidential in their entirety as they relate to personal matters about identifiable individuals being considered for appointment to the Board of Health.

Candidates' biographies:

Abinaya Chandrabalan

Abi is a multifaceted registered nurse passionate about Public Health and its role in building strong, healthy communities. Currently, Abi is pursuing a Master's of Business Administration at Wilfrid Laurier University to further her leadership capabilities in the healthcare space. Abi brings a unique perspective to the Board of Health through her years of experience as a bedside nurse and working at a political level for the municipal government.

Lindsay Kretschmer

Lindsay's spirit name is Swooping Hawk and she is German and Indigenous Mohawk and was raised with Wolf clan members on her paternal side. Her family comes from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory and Missisaugas of the Credit. Lindsay has worked in the non-profit sector for over two decades with a specialty in advocacy and funding acquisition. She has excellent written and verbal communication skills and over 20 years public speaking experience both on community and corporate levels.

Ida Li Preti

Ida Li Preti was first elected to the Toronto Catholic District School Board in 2018 and was appointed to the Toronto Board of Health as their education representative. Ida is a small business owner and mother to three boys. Ida works collaboratively with various levels of government to effectuate real, positive and impactful changes in Humber River Black Creek. Ida takes pride in community building and is committed to closing the opportunity gaps for students.

Charles Ozzoude

A public health leader, Charles’ experience as an immigrant shaped his understanding of health issues. He is strongly committed to health equity through focus on the social determinants of health. He brings cross-sector leadership in research and policy from government, healthcare, community, academia, and non-profit, including work at Health Canada, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto Community Housing, and Toronto Metropolitan University. He has degrees in Health Policy and Global Health.

Suman Roy

Suman has an extensive career in Private, Public and Not for Profit sector business operations around the City of Toronto, Nationally and Internationally. Suman was a member of the Toronto Board of Health, Toronto Food Policy Council, during which he supported the launch of Toronto Youth Food Policy Council. He was also the Chair of the Board of Director at FoodShare Toronto. Suman was also one of the key consultants who helped write the first Food Strategy for the City of Toronto.

Ramanjeet Singh

Raman is a strategic communications and issues management professional with a decade of experience in the public and private sectors. She is currently a Senior Communications Consultant at Sussex Strategy. Prior to joining Sussex, Raman was the Manager of Communications and Issues at Toronto Metropolitan University  and senior public affairs specialist at the Ontario Medical Association. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Toronto and a Master of Arts in Professional Communications from Toronto Metropolitan University.

Stephanie Zhou

Dr. Stephanie Zhou is an Addictions Physician, Department Lead of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and Social Accountability at Sunnybrook Hospital and the Curriculum Lead on Financial Literacy at the University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine. She completed her Doctor of Medicine and Master of Science at University of Toronto’s Faculty of Medicine and Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation. She serves on the board at Habitat for Humanity GTA and is a member of the Ontario College of Family Physicians Implementation Group.

The Civic Appointments Committee will conduct interviews and recommend six candidates and one education representative to City Council for appointment to the Board of Health.