Biographies and photos for new board members are currently in the works
WANGARI MURIUKI
President Wangari
Muriuki has over 16 years of professional experience in health and human services, especially in the field of mental health. Wangari has significant skills in the area of knowledge transfer and exchange as well as in dept knowledge of social service deliver models. This encompasses managing the development of services, case management, supervision and training of staff, program development, management, leadership and mentoring. She has a particular interest in diversity, equity, social determinants of health especially as it pertains to the health status of new immigrants. Her experience comes primarily from the not-for-profit sector. During her career, Wangari has held different positions with Central Neighbourhood House. From 2001 - 2009, she worked with Street Health Community Nursing Foundation where she went on to become the Manager of Mental Health, Identification and teams at Street Health. She is also a Director and Lead Researcher for Jiamini Community Consultants which works primarily on health issues faced by new immigrants to GTA from social determinants of health perspective. Wangari is currently the executive assistant to Councillor Gord Perks of Ward 14, Toronto. Wangari also has extensive volunteer board experience including current affiliations with the Toronto Board of Health, the Health Equity Council, and St. Michael’s Hospital – Mental Health Community Advisory Panel. Wangari serves as the Chair of the Board of the Broad African Resource Centre. Wangari pursued a B.A. in Communication from City College, New York. In addition, she holds a certificate in Community Based research from Wellesley Institute. In June 2007 she received a Certificate from St. Michael’s College University of Toronto in Management for Health Services. Additionally, she has completed courses and seminars on topics including: media advocacy, policy development, leadership/mentoring/coaching, knowledge transfer and exchange, crisis intervention, case management and Risk Management
Sectorial Expertise & Skills
Wangari has significant experience in the following areas: community and social services, advocacy on issues of affordable housing, diversity and access and equity, health, mental health and addictions, homelessness, change agent, civic engagement, immigration and women’s issues and services. Her core skills and competencies include advocacy, anti racism and inclusion education, leading committees, communications/marketing/PR, community development, conflict resolution, counselling, facilitation, program development, and community based research. She is fluent in Swahili.
FAHEEM SANGRAR
Board Secretary
Faheem Sangrai has worked as a Service Rep in the Water Treatment Sector for 6 years. Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Faheem moved to Canada in 1995 where he completed his high school education before proceeding to the Trent University where he graduated with a BSc in Biology.
QUEEN AINAJUGOH TAYLOR
Queen Ainajugoh Taylor is a formally installed Queen in her country of origin, Sierra Leone. She served as Co-Chair of the Transitional Council during the formation of the African Canadian Social Development Council. She has also served as Vice-President of both Halton Multi-Cultural Council and Canadian League of African Women, as well as a board member of Peel/Halton Dufferin Co-operative Housing Federation.
Queen Ainajugoh Taylor was also the co-founder of Transitional Housing for Refugees, Immigrant Women, Youth and Seniors in Oakville, and was an elected member of the NGO/Government Committee for Private Sponsorship of Refugees.
Following her nomination by the board of the Council, Queen recently won the prestigious 2006 Michael “Pinball” Clemons Community Leadership Award, which formally recognized and honoured her many years of dedicated service to the community.
JANELLE BENJAMIN
Janelle Benjamin has been policy adviser to the Honourable Jean Augustine, in her role as Fairness Commissioner, since November 2007. As policy adviser, Janelle's primary responsibility is the management of the office's audit function as she develops the policies and guidelines to help ensure that Ontario's health and non-health regulated professions comply with either the Fair Access to Regulated Professions Act, 2006, or the Regulated Health Professions Act, 1991, and have registration practices that are transparent, objective, impartial and fair for those intending to practise their professions. Janelle came to the Office of the Fairness Commissioner from the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration where she was instrumental in the design and implementation of Ontario's first-ever immigrant selection program, the Provincial Nominee Program. Janelle advised the province on the mechanisms to select and nominate highly-skilled immigrants and multi-national investors for permanent residence to Ontario based on their ability to make an economic contribution to the province. Prior to this, Janelle investigated complaints to the Ontario Human Rights Commission. Janelle is a Juris Doctor who concentrated her U.S.-legal studies in international law and litigation. She was the Managing Editor of the the Thomas M. Cooley Law Review, a member of the Moot Court Board and competed in several national mooting competitions. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto.
TERRY MUTUKU
Terry has over 12 years experience in print and on-line communications, multi-media productions, public relations and community media. She is currently the communications officer and web manager for the World Association for Christian Communication (WACC), based in Toronto. Previously she worked as the communications and networking Programme officer for the Eastern African Sub-regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI), a women rights network based in Kampala, Uganda. She has also worked for several non-profit and educational institutions in Nairobi, Kenya. She holds a Bachelor’s and Masters Degrees in Social Sciences, with specialization in social communication, from the University of Gregorian, Rome Italy.
DELROY MENDEZ
Captain Delroy Mendes is a graduate of the world famous Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and the Royal School of Signals in the United Kingdom. During his tenure at Sandhurst he developed many close friendships among his peers to include many from his Diaspora’s home, continent “Africa”! He also received an Advanced Training- Special Forces- Airborne Detachment Training Team from Fort Bragg- USA.Delroy believes in giving back to his community and in so doing is gaining valuable experience as a volunteer at 6 St Joseph House in Toronto where he is directly involved in assisting the organization’s Executive Director in stream-lining systems for greater efficiency and ease of operation.He is also enrolled in the Maytree Foundation’s Board programme aimed at developing community leaders. Delroy Mendes is committed to growing a small business within the large and expanding telecommunications business sector. His business which provides Internet, wireless, local and long distance, digital telephone and video telephone services, recently became a value-added discount distributor of gas and electricity services in various provinces of Canada including Ontario.
JOSAIH ADEDOYIN IDOWU
Josiah is a member of African Canadian Seniors Network, Nigerian Canadian Association, Co-founder of Yoruba Community Association and the Ijebu Heritage Association of Toronto. He has extensive experience working with various community associations including church organizations to improve the socio-economic well being of their membership. His responsibilities include counseling new African immigrants and Refugees to Canada and resettling them into Canadian society. He is currently free lance translator and interpreter of Yoruba language in Canada. He holds a B. A. in Economics from York University and a Certificate in Personnel Management and Industrial Relations from the University of Toronto. He is interested in serving on the Board in order to help develop a strategy for awareness of the various programs that are currently available to growing numbers of African Canadians Seniors in Toronto and the suburbs that may benefit from the services provided by various agencies that are currently operating under the umbrella of African Canadian Social Development Council.
CHARITY LEBEANYA
Charity has served on prior boards as a Board Member, Social and Publicity Secretary and Vice President. These include the Nelson Mandela Children Funds (2001 - 2004), Africa-Canada Women’s Business Alliance (2002 - 2005), Canadian Feed the Children (2000 - 2004), Canadian Women Executives (1999 - 2000), Nigeria and Canadian Associate (1998 - 2002), and the African Community Health Services (2001 - 2004), African Canadian Social Development Council (2005 – 2008).
Charity has received numerous awards and recognitions including being named one of the Women of Substance in the Nigerian Canadian Community (1997), the Black Achievement Award (1998), the Continental African Award for Community Services (1999), profiled in the Black Canada “Who's Who” (2002) and in the Canadian “Who's Who” (2004). She is currently co-leading, the City of Toronto’s Working Women Group of Access and Equity, (2005).
Charity has over 16 years of international organizational, community and economic development, mentoring, marketing and management leadership professional experience. She has a focus on dealing with issues around diversity, access, equity and advocacy for disadvantaged groups including youth at risk, immigrant women and families. Her experience comes mainly from the private and not-for-profit sector. Since 1995, Charity has held the position of Executive Director for Heritage Skills Development Canada.