Item - 2023.NC4.1

The Nominating Panel - Corporations recommends that:  

1. City Council appoint the following candidates to the Toronto Community Housing Corporation Board of Directors, at pleasure of Council, for a term of office ending June 16, 2025, and until successors are appointed:

John Campbell

Joe Cressy, as Chair

Debbie Douglas

Adele Imrie

Nick Macrae

Naram Mansour

Brian F C Smith

2. City Council appoint the following three candidates to the Toronto Community Housing Corporation Board of Directors, as tenant directors, at pleasure of Council, for a term of office ending June 16, 2025, continuing to serve until successors are appointed:

Marcel Francis Charlebois

Ubah Farah

Lakeisha Ziva Ferreira

3. City Council direct that Confidential Attachments 1 to 4 to the report (May 2, 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 Toronto Community Housing Corporation Board of Directors.

4. City Council direct that the balance of Confidential Attachment 1 to the supplementary report (May 2, 2023) from the City Clerk remain confidential as it relates to personal matters about identifiable individuals being considered for appointment to the Toronto Community Housing Corporation Board of Directors.

Candidates' biographies:

John Campbell

John served as Toronto City Councillor (2014-18), (Budget Committee Vice-Chair, Planning and Growth, TTC.) Previously, he was elected as TDSB Trustee (2003) and Chair (2008-09), during two terms. As Chair, he led 22 trustees in setting priorities and policy, and managing a $2.3B budget. For thirty years, John worked in the consumer packaged goods industry, most recently as managing director of his own sales agency. John has an MBA from the Schulich School of Business (1999), Hon BA from U of T.

Marcel Francis Charlebois (Tenant Director)

Marcel Charlebois belongs to the Ojibway First Nations and has lived and worked in Toronto for approximately 25 years. He has been involved in many roles within social services, such as developing a community watch program with a focus on domestic violence. He has worked in the addictions field and has experience in working with homeless individuals. He has volunteered with sentencing circles within the Native community and worked with Bereaved Families Ontario with the focus of suicide loss.

Joe Cressy, as Chair

As Senior Vice-President, External Relations, Communications and Real Estate Development, Joe Cressy advances George Brown College's unique role in serving local communities, promoting regional economic opportunities, and engaging in partnerships that benefit our students, industry, and the greater community. He also leads investment in new facilities and infrastructure that enhances learning opportunities, promotes career-oriented education and job creation, and strengthens community.

Debbie Douglas

Debbie Douglas is the Executive Director of OCASI-Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants. Through her work in the NGO Sector she has highlighted issues of equity and Antiracism. She has highlighted issues of gender, economic class and sexual orientation in her policy work and has promoted the creation of safe, welcoming spaces within the settlement and integration sector. Ms. Douglas is often called upon by governments to share her expertise. She is the recipient of several awards.

Ubah Farah (Tenant Director)

Ubah Farah has over 20 years of experience in organizational development, project management, and creative leadership. Her experience encompasses community advocacy, policy analysis, operations management, financial management, facilitation and public speaking. She has a diploma in Community Work from George Brown College and a degree in Social Work from York University. Ms. Farah is a passionate housing manager, intervention and high level civic engagement leader, and has built strong relationships with Somali-Canadian and Muslim diaspora leaders in order to better their lives.

Lakeisha Ziva Ferreira (Tenant Director)

Ziva Ferreira is passionate about making the vibrant communities of TCHC a better place. She has experience with working with diverse community stakeholders, managing multiple projects, and leading various teams which have made her an effective leader. In combination with her professional experience, she is knowledgeable of the cultural and politically relevant resources to support marginalized groups in social housing by utilizing an anti-oppressive framework which makes her a great fit for the board.

Adele Imrie

Adele brings extensive experience in public/private partnership (P3) infrastructure, commercial real estate and renewable energy investments as a senior finance executive with an entrepreneurial real estate company. Adele also has significant board experience, having served as chair and audit committee chair for several large not-for-profit organizations in the education and health care sectors. Adele is a CPA CA.

Nick Macrae

Nick is the Head of Investments at Woodbourne Capital Management where he is responsible for the firm's investment activities and is a member of the senior leadership team. Prior to Woodbourne, Nick was the Co-Head of Global Real Estate (Acting) and Senior Portfolio Manager, Real Estate at the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP). Nick has earned degrees from the University of Toronto and Queen's University, and sits on several nonprofit boards of directors and committees.

Naram Mansour

Naram Mansour is the Founder, President and CEO of Carlyle Communities, a mixed use development company with $1.3 billion of developments comprised of more than 2,000 residential units and 150,000 square feet of commercial space. Naram is also an adjunct professor at the Schulich School of Business, where he lectures on the topic of real estate development. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration Degrees from the Schulich School of Business.

Brian F C Smith

Brian F. C. Smith was the President and Chief Executive Officer of WoodGreen Community Services from 1978 to 2014. He served as a member of the Mayor’s Task Force on Toronto Community Housing Corporation, on the Ontario Expert Advisory Panel on Homelessness and on the Consumer Council of Canada’s Residential Intensification Panel Report. Brian has a Bachelor of Arts from Bishop’s University, a Bachelor of Sacred Theology from Trinity College, a Master of Business Administration from Western University and a Non-profit Certificate from the Institute of Corporate Directors. He has also received Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association's Sybil Frenette Outstanding Leadership Award, the Canadian Urban Institute City Leadership Award and is a Past President of Home Ownership Alternatives and International Federation of Settlements.

The Nominating Panel - Corporations will conduct interviews and recommend seven public members to City Council for appointment to the Toronto Community Housing Corporation Board of Directors. One of the seven public members or one of the three tenant directors will be recommended for appointment as Chair.

The Nominating Panel - Corporations will recommend three public members as tenant directors to City Council for appointment to the Toronto Community Housing Corporation Board of Directors.