Item - 2023.CC11.4

Candidates' biographies:

ETOBICOKE YORK

Laura Alderson

A long-time community activist, Laura has served on the Boards of Urban Arts, Farmers' Markets Ontario, the Clean Train Coalition (Finalist, Green Toronto Award, 2012) and the Weston Village Residents' Association. An Economic Developers Council of Ontario Award winner for Innovative Marketing Practices for the Film Resource Guide "Lights...Camera...York!", she currently sits on the Artscape Weston Common Steering Committee, is a member of the ABC Residents' Association and a Director of the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas.

Bill Dalton

Bill Dalton, Master of Planning, Member of the Canadian Institute of Planners, Registered Professional Planner, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional Building Design and Construction Associate of Arcadis/Intelligence, Buildings, and Infrastructure Group is a Land Use Planner with more than 25 years of progressive planning experience from working with both private and public sector clients in securing a wide range of planning, permits, licenses and related approvals from various municipalities throughout Ontario.

Dominic Gulli

Dominic Gulli is an academically qualified professional in transportation and land use planning both in the public and private sector. He has 35 years public sector experience in progressively responsible positions at the former City of Etobicoke and City of Toronto and fifteen years' experience in the private sector in all aspects of land use planning, transportation, traffic operations, including active mobility modes.

Stan Kumorek

A lifelong resident of Toronto, Stan has worked for over 30 years in property management and construction project management in the public sector. He holds a degree in Urban and Regional Planning with a minor in Public Administration. He is a former board member of the Toronto Parking Authority and a former Metro Toronto Hydro Commissioner. Stan has been very active as a board member and volunteer with various local community organizations.

Natalija Popovic

Natalija Popovic has 20 years of experience practicing administrative law in professional discipline and regulation for the securities industry, over a career spanning 30 years. She was educated at the University of Toronto and Western University. She has acted as an instructor in professional responsibility and legal ethics with Osgoode Hall Law School for over eight years.

Rick Ross

Rick Ross is a Professional Engineer with an Master of Business Administration from York University and an Master of Applied Science from the University of Toronto. After retiring from a Fortune 100 company, his volunteer work has included many community groups as well as mentoring youth. His current volunteering includes working with the admissions department of the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering at the University of Toronto. Rick also served on Toronto's Committee of Adjustment as a member, Panel Chair and City-Wide Chair.

Sophia Ruddock

Sophia Ruddock lives and works in the City of Toronto. She was called to the Ontario bar in 1995 and has over 20 years of experience practicing before various administrative tribunals and agencies. Ms. Ruddock has also organized and taught a number of workshops on human rights and health law issues. She has served on numerous community boards and committees, in various capacities, including acting as Chair.

Donald Taylor

Don retired in 2017 after 43 years of public service. Hired by the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing as a planner in 1974, Don went on to become a Chief Negotiator with the Ministry's Municipal Boundaries Branch. Don served the City of Markham in the Chief Administrative Officer's office from 2005 to 2017. Don was appointed to the City of Toronto Committee of Adjustment, Etobicoke York Panel on September 1, 2019.

NORTH YORK

Jordan Allison

Jordan Allison holds a Master's degree from the School of Architecture and Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a separate degree in Architectural History, Theory, and Criticism from the University of Toronto, where he has served on various design review panels. Jordan has been a long-time resident of the City of Toronto. His professional career involves work on mid- and high-rise development applications in the City of Toronto, its surrounding municipalities and abroad.

 
Jesse Auspitz

Jesse Auspitz has been a Planner for over 10 years with experience in both public and private practice. He has completed undergraduate and graduate degrees at the University of Waterloo and Toronto Metropolitan University. He has a strong interest in maintaining fair and transparent decision making.

Giuseppe Bartolo

Giuseppe has an undergraduate and Master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Waterloo and is a reserve army officer in the Canadian Army. He has resided in Toronto for the past seven years and wants to improve his community through the dedication of time and effort. He has managed many construction and development projects for the private sector and brings a strong professional background to the role. Giuseppe's desire is to ensure strong community-led and sustainable development in Toronto.

Marianne Cassin

Marianne Cassin is a professional land use planner with 30 years of both private and public sector experience and is a life-long resident of the City of Toronto. She has experience in appeals to planning applications and in settlement and mediation matters of provincial tribunals. Marianne has also participated in advisory committees, professional associations and community initiatives.

Shahin Fazeli

Shahin Fazeli is a Manager at The Housing Help Centre, a non-profit active in the area of facilitating housing for low income residents in Toronto and the Region of York. A resident of North York for the last ten years, he is passionate about community building and the creation of habitable and affordable housing in the City of Toronto. In addition to English, he speaks Persian, Russian and Ukrainian, and is fascinated by the thriving culture of multiculturalism in Toronto.

Victor Keubou

Victor is a lawyer and member of the Law Society of Ontario. Prior to his call to the Bar, Victor held several positions with the federal and provincial public services in Ottawa, Hamilton, and Toronto. In addition to his practice, Victor enjoys traveling, reading, and watching history and environment related themes, books, and documentaries. Victor's community involvement includes a membership with a youth/environment related organization.

Carol Macnaughton Martin

Carol Martin graduated from University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture. She is an advocate of design excellence in Landscape Architecture, including park and open space design and land use planning. During her over 14 years with the City of Toronto, she has had the pleasure of working with all stakeholders to successfully manage the design and construction of many development park projects spanning the four districts.

Mehdi Marzyari

Mehdi Marzyari was born and raised in Tehran, Iran where he received his Master's of Architecture degree in 2001. In 2008, Mehdi made Toronto his new home in order to expand his professional experience. Collaboration with acclaimed Toronto based architectural practices as key contributor to the firm’s projects helped him translate his professional skills in the new context. In 2013, Mehdi established his practice in Toronto to achieve his professional goals. Mehdi is a registered architect with Ontario Association of Architects since 2013.

Neil Rodgers

Neil Rodgers, holds a degree from the University of Waterloo's School of Urban and Regional Planning. Over 35 years of land use planning experience in the land development and real estate sector, combined with a strong understanding of land use policy and regulation, he brings valuable insight and perspectives on urban planning, maintaining vibrant neighbourhoods and meeting the needs of a growing city within the greater regional conversation.

Larry Swartz

Larry Swartz is a lawyer and Chartered Financial Analyst Charter holder with several professional financial designations. His practice includes governance, compliance, insurance, tax, trusts, mergers, and acquisitions. He is a winner of the Award of Excellence from the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association Ontario and the Ontario Bar Association, and the Osgoode Hall Law School Adjunct Faculty Teaching Award.

SCARBOROUGH

Nancy Ferguson

Nancy Ferguson is an Ontario lawyer with a background in administrative law. She led investigations and engaged in dispute resolution for several self-regulated professions and held managerial roles overseeing this work. At the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner and at Ombudsman Toronto she was an investigator/mediator. She adjudicated Social Benefits Tribunal appeals for five years and is currently a part-time Vice-Chair at the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal.

Asif Khan

Asif Khan is a retired Civil Engineer who was employed for 28 years as a Senior Building Official with the City of Toronto and City of Scarborough. He has extensive knowledge on by-laws, zoning, planning and other development issues. Asif has gained community service experience at the Municipal, Provincial and Federal levels, including as a member and chair of the Committee of Adjustment, Property Standard Committee. Asif is recipient of Ontario Medal of Good Citizenship and Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers.

Anne McCauley

Anne McCauley is a professional land-use planner with over 40 years of experience working in the municipal sector. She is a strong advocate of citizen participation in city and community building. Anne believes by working together collaboratively with active listening, we can achieve positive results.

Muhammad Saeed

Muhammad Saeed has been involved for over fifteen years in project management, group facilitations partnerships and community engagement. He has worked on different positions and has strong skills in proactively managing important and time sensitive projects, developing innovative solutions to critical problems, balancing stakeholder’s expectations and working collaboratively with the team members for achievement of desired goals. He has a Master’s degree in Public Administration.

David Stinson

David has been a community volunteer since1989 to the present. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science from Guelph University and Diploma in Police Leadership from Humber College. He has co-authored articles in two Canadian professional Alternative Dispute Resolution journals as a Mediator/Negotiator and is credentialed by the University of Windsor and Toronto Metropolitan University. He obtained diversity training from Universities of Alberta and Glasgow (UK), and is a professional home renovator and landscaper.

TORONTO AND EAST YORK

Zaheer Bhyat

Zaheer Bhyat has served as a teacher and administrator with the Toronto District School Board for over 20 years. He entered the University of Toronto and York University completing his Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Education, Master of Environmental Studies, Master of Arts and Doctorate degrees. He has also been an entrepreneur, Urban Planner in Alberta, and Canadian International Development Agency in Lesotho. His eclectic background affords him a global perspective. He has also served on the Committee of Adjustment. He brings leadership, entrepreneurial, educational and conflict resolution skills.

Yim Chan

A member of Ontario Architects Association since 1995, Yim has a portfolio of a large variety of projects, ranging from residential to institutional, health-care, large-scale theme parks and high-rise commercial towers. She has in-depth knowledge of City Planning, construction principles and practices including project management, the Ontario Building Code, and regulatory approval process. She is an active member in the community and has been doing volunteering work for many years.

Aaron Cheng

Aaron Cheng is an architect and founder of C& Partners Architects Inc., with a focus on health care and how the built environment can have a positive impact on wellness and health. Aaron has been a member of Committee of Adjustment since 2019.

Larry Clay

Larry Clay was Assistant Deputy Minister of the Ontario Growth Secretariat. As Assistant Deputy Minister, Larry oversaw the Places to Grow Act and Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, designed to guide and shape growth across the entire Greater Golden Horseshoe. Prior to leading the Secretariat, Larry was Director of the Central Regional Office at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, responsible for land use planning approvals, municipal service delivery and governance issues in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area.

Lois Figg

Lois Delia Figg, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws (Alternative Dispute Resolution) worked as a decision-maker and Mentor for the Immigration and Refugee Board from 2000 to 2023. Previously, Ms. Figg worked as a mediator and investigator with Ontario Human Rights Commission, a decision-maker for the Hong Kong Refugee Status Review Board and an Appeals Counsellor with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Philip Ghosh

Philip is an experienced litigator with a practice dedicated to defending architects against professional liability lawsuits as Senior Legal Counsel at Pro-Demnity Insurance Company. He has represented clients at all levels of court in Ontario and at other tribunals. He graduated from Queen’s Law School in 2011. Recognized for his litigation expertise, Philip has contributed articles and been asked to present to insurance professionals, professional associations, and to fellow lawyers.

Paul Gogan

Paul has over 25 years of experience as an Architect in the City of Toronto. Known for the ability to understand and address different agendas, delivering projects that maintain design excellence, and successfully managing teams on complex projects. Extensively involved in public, municipal and heritage approvals processes, as well as project design and delivery. Paul has an in-depth understanding of the interrelationships between the design, construction, and real estate industries.

Gary McKay

Gary McKay has an extensive background in municipal, planning and land use law. Gary has worked in 3 different municipalities, and as a lawyer, he has conducted many administrative board hearings before such boards as the Ontario Municipal Board, now the Land Tribunal of Ontario. He is very familiar with the concept of natural justice, and the rules concerning fair hearings. Gary holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, and a Juris Doctor from Queen's University.

Peter Reed

Peter Reed is a practicing professional planner with more than 20 years of experience in the public and private sectors, having worked extensively in Toronto, throughout Ontario, in the United States and overseas. He recently directed the Land Use Planning group at Infrastructure Ontario, an agency of the Provincial government, in protecting and enhancing the value of public land and buildings. Peter grew up in Dundas, Ontario, and raises his three children in Toronto’s west end.

Dylan Reid

Dylan Reid is a co-founder and currently the executive editor of Spacing magazine, for which he has edited and written many articles about Toronto's urban issues. He is the author of the book "The Toronto Public Etiquette Guide" and co-editor of other books about Toronto, and co-winner of the 2010 Jane Jacobs Prize. He is also a co-founder of the volunteer pedestrian advocacy group Walk Toronto. He works as a freelance editor and writer.

Nelly Volpert

Nelly is an urban planner passionate about cities and envisioning better places through innovation, research and public policies. As a professional, she provides planning advice to higher education institutions throughout the world. Nelly holds a Master's degree in Planning. She has an international perspective, design and business experience, and a strong understanding of space and form. Her knowledge of urban policy research, planning and provincial / municipal regulations informs her work.

J. Douglas B. Wilkins

J. Douglas B. Wilkins holds a joint degree in physics and business from the University of Waterloo and a law degree from Queen's University.