Our Team

Ivano is a seasoned Executive leader with over 30 years of experience in the utility industry. As the former President and CEO of Oshawa Power and Utilities Corporation, he played a crucial role in strategic planning and supporting energy and communication services in the region. Ivano brings to the Board his extensive background in business development and strategic planning.

He holds a Bachelor of Engineering Science from Western University, a Masters of Engineering from Out, MBA from Queen’s University and a graduate of the Directors College at McMaster University DeGroote School of Business.

Dedicated to community and industry advancement, Ivano serves on several Boards.

Eleanor has been a positive influence in the field of education for over 20 years. She began her career in education as a language teacher (A.L.T.) with the J.E.T. Program and has supported the transition of internationally trained teachers in Canada through a program jointly funded by the Ontario College of Teachers and United Way of Toronto.

Eleanor has developed her leadership skills in the various roles including Vice Principal, Principal, Education Officer, and currently as a Superintendent of Education with the Halton District School Board. She holds a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Administration and undergraduate degrees in Biochemistry and Kinesiology. A passionate advocate for youth and community, Eleanor was a founding member and two-term Chair of the Durham Black Educators’ Network (DBEN) and a founding member of the Ontario Alliance of Black School Educators (ONABSE). She currently serves on the Board of Directors for The Black Opportunity Fund Inc.

An experienced speaker, Eleanor has been a panelist and presenter at 20 different conferences and events since 2012 and has appeared on multiple media news.

Marvin Yorke, BA(hon), CPA CGA, FCCA, is an experienced Assurance and Accounting Advisory professional with a demonstrated history of serving organizations in multiple industry sectors. Throughout his 18-year + career, he has had the opportunity to gain exposure to multiple international jurisdictions through positions held with PwC, Deloitte and KPMG. Marvin is a member of the Chartered Professional Accountants Association of Ontario and a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants in the UK. Marvin is passionate about developing his team members and currently serves as a mentor to aspiring CPAs.

Marvin approaches his work with a practical mindset recognizing that every organization has its unique set of strategic objectives and operational challenges. He is a firm believer in giving back to the local community and regularly participants in charitable initiatives. Born and raised in St. Lucia, Marvin moved to Toronto in 2011 and currently lives in Oshawa Ontario with his wife and three girls.

Stephanie Chow is the Director of Finance at The International Group, Inc., where she oversees financial operations for the company’s consolidated entities in Canada and the U.S. With over 15 years of experience in financial reporting, governance, and internal controls, Stephanie brings a wealth of expertise to her role.

Prior to joining The International Group, Inc., Stephanie was an assurance manager at PwC, where she served as a trusted financial advisor to clients in the manufacturing, travel, and healthcare industries.

Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Ontario Tech University and is a proud member of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario.

Accomplished executive leader with over 25 years of experience and proven success directing large-scale divisions, and organizations with an emphasis on spearheading enterprise-wide service digitization, modernization, operational strategies and outcomes across government and non-profit sectors including Toronto Community Housing and the City of Toronto.

Adept at leading high-impact cross-functional teams, cultivating community partnerships, and driving innovation in service delivery. Recognized for professional passion, architecting purpose-driven organizational trust-based cultures built on psychological safety, clear goals, diversity, and aligned with strategic alliances.

Expertise in operational transformation backed by a track record of measurable results and visionary leadership.

Syed Sarwar is a dedicated healthcare leader currently serving as the National Director of Quality, Risk, Patient Safety & Experience at Bayshore Healthcare. In this role, Syed oversees a comprehensive Quality and Risk program within a Pan Canadian multi-divisional organization that includes homecare, specialty infusion nursing, virtual care, Alternate Health Facility Care, residential care, and pharmacy and supplies services.

Previously, Syed has successfully led corporate-wide Quality and Integrated Risk Management Frameworks across two large multi-site hospital networks. He has been instrumental in establishing a High Reliability Culture of Safety and promoting Person and Family Centered Care through the implementation of a comprehensive Patient Experience Program. Syed’s career began as a Personal Support Worker and Recreational Therapist, and he has since advanced through various leadership roles.

Syed holds a Bachelor in Kinesiology & Rehab Sciences, a Master’s in Healthcare Quality, Risk and Safety, an Advanced Certificate in Healthcare Law from Osgoode Hall, and a Master Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma. His professional experience includes serving as an Accreditation Canada Surveyor and ISO 9001 auditor, as well as a Board Member for the Canadian Mental Health Association.

In his spare time, Syed enjoys traveling with his family, playing basketball, and watching comedy movies.

As a longtime resident of Ajax, Michael brings a wealth of experience and strategic vision to the Durham Community Health Centre’s Board of Directors. With over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, Michael is currently responsible for executing strategies to support and scale Manulife’s retirement and investment platforms and products, catering to the diverse needs of customers across Canada. His role involves collaborating with the largest investment firms in Canada, the U.S., and Asia, to align and enhance global partnerships

Michael holds a Bachelor of Applied Ares in Public Administration from Toronto Metropolitan University. He is a Chartered Investment Manager, accredited by the Canadian Securities Institute and a certified Responsible Investment Professional through the Responsible Investment Association.

His educational background and professional accomplishments underscore his dedication to fostering sustainable and responsible investment practices.

In addition to his professional endeavours, Michael is actively involved in community service. He serves on the board of the Charles H. Best Diabetes Centre, where he contributes to initiatives aimed at improving the lives of individuals living with diabetes. Michael is also a board member of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), where he supports empowering young people from under-resourced communities through entrepreneurship education.

Michele James, B.Sc., MBA, CHE, ICD.D, is a seasoned healthcare executive and governance leader with
over 35 years of experience advancing system transformation, community health, and equitable care.
She retired from Scarborough Health Network (SHN) in December 2025 after 17+ years in executive
roles, where she led patient care services, community partnerships, people and culture, and health
system integration. Michele also had a successful career in the private sector as a healthcare consultant
with PwC and IBM. A passionate advocate for health equity, Michele served on the provincial Black
Health Working Group. She has championed major initiatives to improve access, inclusion,
community-based care and collaboration among diverse stakeholders.

Michele brings three decades of governance experience, including board roles with United Way of Peel
Region, Family Services of Peel, Seniors Care Network, and Durham College, where she served as Board
Chair. She also chaired the Advisory Committee to the Board of the Black Physicians Association of
Ontario. She holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute for Corporate Directors and a number of
other governance certifications. She has an appreciation for both sides of the governance/management
relationship through her long-standing role as staff liaison to various hospital Board committees.

Michele’s contributions have been recognized nationally, including being named Canada’s Most Admired
Chief People and Culture Officer (non-profit sector) in 2024 and one of the 100 Accomplished Black
Canadian Women in 2020. She is committed to giving back through mentorship and voluntarism.

Jennifer is a dynamic, people-centred leader with more than 20 years of executive experience in complex, mission-driven organizations. Deeply committed to community impact, equity and public service, she brings a strong combination of strategic leadership, human resources and governance expertise, and operational excellence.

Jennifer has recently been appointed Director, Human Resources for the Regional Municipality of Durham and, prior to that, served as Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) & Bursar at Victoria University in the University of Toronto. She has held senior roles with Metrolinx, Legal Aid Ontario, and York University, supporting large-scale transformation and service delivery. She also recently supported important organizational transition work as a Board member with the AIDS Committee of Toronto (ACT).

Throughout her career, Jennifer has championed inclusive, human-centred change—leading major reorganizations, advancing future-of-work strategies, strengthening service delivery models, and delivering initiatives grounded in universal design and reconciliation. Known as a trusted advisor and collaborative leader, she excels at building strong partnerships and translating strategy into meaningful impact and outcomes. Jennifer also holds an MBA, a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designation, and Prosci Change Management certification.

A proud (nearly) lifelong Durham Region resident, Jennifer lives with her husband and two adorable kitties in Port Perry. She is honoured to contribute her experience and commitment to community health, equity, and public service with DCHC.

Shahid Saya brings more than 20 years of product and technology leadership experience to The Fertility Partners, where he leads enterprise technology across the network. He is known for translating complex business challenges into outcome-driven technology solutions that support both clinical teams and enterprise growth.

In his role, Shahid oversees engineering, product, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, data, and AI initiatives, with a focus on modernizing systems, strengthening operational resilience, and enabling data-driven decision-making. He is recognized for driving digital transformation and building secure, scalable platforms across healthcare and fintech environments.

Shahid brings a leadership approach that bridges business strategy and technical execution, positioning technology as a strategic partner rather than a support function. He is deeply committed to ethical technology, thoughtful leadership, and long-term value creation through systems designed to scale with purpose.

Shahid holds an undergraduate degree in Business Technology Management from Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) and an Advanced Diploma in Computer Systems Technology from Seneca Polytechnic.