Item - 2024.NC9.2

The Corporations Nominating Panel recommends that:

1. City Council appoint the following candidates to the Toronto Hydro Board, at pleasure of Council, for a term of office ending on July 27, 2026, and until successors are appointed:

Sheila Block

Michael Eubanks

James Hinds

Joyce McLean

Ken Neumann

Ersilia Serafini

2. City Council direct that Confidential Attachments 1a, 1b, and 2 to 4 to the report (May 30, 2024) 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 Hydro Board.

Candidates' biographies:

Sheila Block

Sheila Block is an economist with experience in research institutes, the labour movement, and the Ontario government. A focus of her research has been public finance at the provincial and municipal levels. Sheila is on the board of the My65+ retirement savings plan and was on the board of the Canada-Wide Industrial Pension Plan and the Central Toronto Community Health Centre, as well as the University Pension Plan. Sheila has a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Toronto.

Michael Eubanks

Michael Eubanks has more than 30 years of diverse and complex entrepreneurial, retail, financial services, operations, supply chain, digital and information technology experience with national retail firms in Canada and the United States Negotiated acquisitions and mergers, led enterprise strategic planning, and implemented complex technology changes to meet shifting business models. He is a transformational and enterprise-wide thinker, and a collaborative strategist.

James Hinds

James is a resident of Toronto and a customer of Toronto Hydro and has been involved in various agencies and companies in the Ontario electricity business from 2005 until 2018. Electricity is a vital service to our city and our society. The need for more electricity – reliable, affordable and clean – is an important part of supporting economic growth and mitigating carbon dioxide emissions in the future.

Joyce McLean

Joyce is a communications and policy professional with a focus on sustainability and climate resiliency. Prior to retiring, she was the Director of Strategic Issues and managed the Office of the President at Toronto Hydro. Prior roles included senior political policy advisor to two Ontario Environment Ministers and Chair of the Canadian Wind Energy Association. She is currently Treasurer of the Greenbelt Foundation and studied political science, marketing, journalism and negotiations at various institutions.

Ken Neumann

Ken has 45 years of experience as a union activist/leader as well as 17 years as the United Steelworkers National Director for Canada. He has directed and managed pan-Canadian and global projects and programs dealing with environmental matters, diversity, equity, and inclusion, occupational health and safety issues, as well as labour relations and community outreach. Ken has held numerous board seats across the country playing a key role in a wide variety of sectors, from telecommunications, railways, mining to forestry, manufacturing, and university sectors.

Ersilia Serafini

Ersilia Serafini is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Summerhill, a Canadian owned and operated energy efficiency implementation company operating in nearly every province and territory. With a career dedicated to the country’s environmental and energy sector, she builds and leads teams working to achieve measurable reductions in energy use. Ersilia is also the Chair of the Clean Economy Fund, an active member of Young Presidents' Organization, and a proud mom to two teenage daughters.

The Corporations Nominating Panel will conduct interviews and recommend seven candidates, including a Chair, to City Council for appointment to the Toronto Hydro Board.