Item - 2026.NB2.1

The Nominating Panel - Compliance Audit Committee recommends that:

1. City Council appoint the following candidates to the Compliance Audit Committee for a term of office coincident with the term of Council that takes place following the 2026 regular municipal election:

Sara Gelgor, as Chair

Ramin Faraji

Catherine Syms

2. City Council appoint the following candidate to the Compliance Audit Committee as alternate member for a term of office coincident with the term of Council that takes place following the 2026 regular municipal election, such appointment to be effective only in the event that any vacancy on the Compliance Audit Committee occurs:

Darinka Pejic

The Nominating Panel - Compliance Audit Committee:

1. Directed that Confidential Attachments 1a, 1b, 2 and 3 to the report (April 9, 2026) from the City Clerk remain confidential in their entirety as they relate to personal matters about identifiable individuals being considered for appointment to the Compliance Audit Committee.

2. Recommended Candidate CAC3-128 for appointment as alternate member, which candidate subsequently withdrew from consideration.

Candidates' Biographies:

Ramin Faraji

As a proud Torontonian,  Ramin strongly believes in electoral system and would like to protect its integrity and uphold the public’s confidence in the electoral process. As a Professional Account and an experienced and multi-disciplinary professional with in-depth knowledge of the Municipal Election Act, 1996, and its Campaign Finance rules, he has the technical skills and experience to make sound and unbiased decisions on applications for compliance audits, candidates. He had the honour of serving on the City of Toronto Compliance Audit Committee since 2022.

Sara Gelgor

Sara Gelgor is an experienced legal, compliance and governance professional. Sara holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Laws from Queen’s University, a Master of Laws from Cambridge University and a Master of Business Administration from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Sara earned the Institute of Corporate Directors, Director corporate directors' designation and is a recipient of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada award.

Catherine Syms

Catherine Syms is a lawyer and governance professional with over 20 years of senior leadership experience in legal, compliance, risk management, and privacy. She is currently General Counsel and Director of Enterprise Risk, Privacy and Governance at Waterloo Regional Health Network, where she leads the integrated legal and risk functions and supports the Board of Directors. Previously, she served as Vice President, Legal, Privacy and Risk and Corporate Secretary at the Provincial Health Services Authority in British Columbia, and as a Senior Manager in Deloitte’s Regulatory, Quality, Risk and Reputation group. Catherine holds a Juris Doctor and Master of Health Services Administration from Dalhousie University, as well as governance, risk, and privacy certifications. She has served on several boards and national committees, including the British Columbia Registered Nurses Foundation and the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management, contributing to governance and community service.

Darinka Pejic

Darinka Pejic is a senior finance and corporate services executive with more than 20 years of public sector leadership experience in financial management, audit oversight, and governance. She has held senior roles across multiple Ontario ministries and agencies, where she led finance, procurement, payroll, and administration functions and supported audit and risk committees. Darinka serves as National Secretary Treasurer of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada and as a Director with Applaud People in Public Service. A Chartered Professional Accountant and experienced educator, she teaches accounting at the University of Toronto. She brings a strong commitment to transparency, accountability, and evidence-based decision making.

The Nominating Panel - Compliance Audit Committee will conduct interviews and recommend three candidates and two alternates to City Council for appointment to the Compliance Audit Committee.