Dr. Alana Butler
2020 Honourees
Dr. Butler is a member of the Social Program Evaluation Group (SPEG) at Queen’s University. She is currently working on a 2018-2021 program evaluation for the Ontario wide Youth Job Connections/Youth Job Connections Summer program. The evaluation includes a combination of both qualitative data from interviews and quantitative data analysis of surveys administered to over 2,000 youth. In addition, Dr. Butler is a co-evaluator for the Ministry of Children and Youth Services 2018-2020 program evaluation of Innovative Supports for Black Parents with Turner Consulting.
In October 2017, she was awarded a grant from the Ministry of Education’s Parents Reaching Out program to conduct focus group research for immigrant parents in low-income GTA communities. From 2016-2017, Dr. Butler was part of a program evaluation team in the School of Nutrition at Ryerson University for Rainbow Plate. Rainbow Plate is a nutritional intervention program for children and youth in Toronto to promote healthy eating.
Dr. Eugenia Duodu is a scientist, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) advocate, speaker and community builder. She attended the University of Toronto where she earned an HBSc in Chemistry and Biology (2010) and a PhD in Chemistry (2015). She is also a graduate from Harvard Business School Executive Education with a focus on Strategic Perspective in the Non-Profit Management (SPNM)
During her PhD, she coordinated week-end science clubs for Grade 4-8 children living in TCH developments and was a member the VoSNL Board of Directors.
Dr. June Marion James, O.M, Hon. Dip (RRC) BSc, BSc (med), M.D. FRCPC, FAAAAI, born In Trinidad and Tobago came to Canada in 1960 for university studies in Manitoba, with a career goal of Medicine. She completed her Bachelor Degree of Science in 3 years, and was accepted to Medical schools in the United States and Canada. In addition to cost, June learnt that she would be breaking new ground by being the first woman of color admitted at the University of Manitoba School of Medicine, so she made the decision to remain in Winnipeg.
Following her graduation in 1967, Dr. James did her residency training in Paediatrics, then became a Paediatric Fellow in Hematology /Oncology. At that time, chemotherapy options for children were limited for Blood Cancer and clinical outcomes were poor. An immunoglobulin discovered almost simultaneously in Japan and Sweden named Immunoglobulin E (IGE) was now found to play a pivotal role in Allergy and Asthma. She changed to this new medical sub-speciality entering in 1972 as a Clinical Fellow.
Dr. Vincella Thompson is a long time resident of Fort McMurray, Alberta. She was born in St. Andrew Jamaica but immigrated to Toronto Canada with her family as a teenager. She is the mother of three grown children and grandma to 6 grandchildren. Vincella holds a degree in Honors Psychology and a Bachelor of Education from Western University. She earned her Master’s Degree in Leadership in Special Education from San Diego State University and her PhD in Education from Capella University in Minnesota, USA. After graduating with a teaching degree she went to the Bahamas to teach the first grade at a private school. She moved to Alberta in 1981 to continue her teaching career. After 17 years she began her own consulting company Vincella Thompson Consulting Services working with school districts to provide supports as the Behavior Consultant for children with special needs as part of a multidisciplinary team.
Her desire to see people improve their skills allowed her to train many support staff who provided educational intervention for children ages 3- 6 years old. Her love for children and their families fueled her to design unique programs to support the early intervention goals of many children. Over the course of that time Vincella has worked with hundreds of children and their families providing hope and innovative programming for skill development. Early intervention works, and today many of these children are attending post -secondary institutions and achieving their life goals regardless of their diagnoses.
In 1995 Vincella saw the need for a Christian School in Fort McMurray and along with two other families she was instrumental in starting the Fort McMurray Christian School with 7 students two of whom were her own children. She was asked to serve as the principal as she was the only member of the parent group with a teaching credential. She would not know that today the school would flourish with several hundred students from well over 15 countries.
Ebonnie Joan Romessa Rowe is dedicated to the growth of others and supporting charitable causes with a positive community impact.
She has volunteered with, founded and directed organizations that cater to the needs of some of society’s overlooked groups including the Each One Teach One mentoring program for Black Youth and PhemPhat Entertainment Group. It is a dynamic all-female non-profit company that provides promotional, mentoring, networking, educational and performance opportunities for upcoming female artists and supports and promotes women’s charities.
Emerita worked with a team of professionals, sponsored by the City of Toronto and various organizations to support marginalized Black and Aboriginal women. Through the use of Arts Therapy, the participants were workshopped to help them develop skills and become confident women, some becoming professional artists. The production “Coming from the Womb,” was one of the successful projects where the women involved, published their poetry.
In 1998, she was invited to Kenya to represent Canada at the International Drama and Education Association Festival, where, 6000 delegates from all over the world attended. She performed and provided community building and problem solving theatre workshops. On her return, she organized a fundraiser with local artists, raising $10.000 to help build a Health Clinic in Kisumu, to treat AIDS patients.
Etagegnhue (Eta) Woldeab is the Associate Executive Director of OCASI- Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, a provincial Council concerned with immigration and inclusion of public policies, access to justice, professional development and training of the immigrant and refugee serving sector and issues of race, gender, disability and sexuality and immigration status.
As a key member of the executive leadership of OCASI Eta led the organization and the Ontario sector on a technological revolution twenty years ago which laid the foundation for the current robust online presence of the Council through its award winning site, settlement.org/establissement.org and various other online platforms serving the information and referral needs of immigrants, refugees and workers in Ontario. She was also instrumental in having OCASI recognized with a Great Grant Award by the Ontario Trillium Foundation in 2007.
Fennella’s television career began as an editorial assistant for CTV National News. Shortly after, she was hired as a writer for Citytv’s Breakfast Television and quickly moved up the ranks to become a writer for CityNews, then senior writer and finally a producer of several shows. At the time, she was the first Black woman news producer at Citytv and one of a handful in the city. She worked in the field of television news for more than 25 years and has supervised staff, worked on major election shows and specials, developed content and influenced the decision-making of news programming. She has worked for: Citytv, CP24 and Toronto 1 (both of which she helped build from the developmental stage), BET as a correspondent and producer, and CTV – where she produced the national news for Canada AM for seven years. She started her media consulting company – FKB Media Solutions in 2018 on a full-time basis after working on side hustle projects for five years.
Gael Miller-Jackson is a Singer, Songwriter, Playwright and Author. Born and raised in Owen Sound, Ontario, Canada, Gael attended Owen Sound Collegiate Vocational Institute (OSCVI).
She was ‘raised’ and participated in the British Methodist Espiscopal (BME) Church co-founded (approx. 1853) by her Great Grandfather Thomas Henry Miller, fondly known as Father Miller. It was the first Black church in Owen Sound. He also co-founded the Owen Sound Emancipation Picnic that is still celebrated annually. Gael was informed by her father that this wonderful man – Thomas Henry Miller and his family escaped slavery and travelled the Underground Railroad, settling in Owen Sound in the early 1850’s. There has been several newspaper and book passages complimenting his history in Owen Sound
Harriet Thornhill is a Vice President at Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), where she leads a multi-business, multi-geography, integrated Contact Centre distribution channel for the bank. This includes: Telephone Banking, Direct Investing, e-mail Chat and Remote Office teams. She oversees six Centres across Canada with over 3,000 Banking Advisors and Investment Specialists.
Prior to her current role, she was Head of Caribbean Markets Personal Banking at RBC, based in Trinidad and Tobago. Her responsibility spanned across six strategic regional markets for 19 countries. Along with other members of the Caribbean Banking Operating Committee she set the overall strategic direction of RBC Financial (Caribbean).
With roots in Barbados, Harriet joined RBC in Montreal over thirty years ago and has held progressive leadership roles in:
Marketing
Recruitment
Client Experience Strategy
Leadership Development
Sales Leadership
Hazelle Palmer is a seasoned senior executive with more than 30 years of extensive progressive experience in the non-profit sector. She is currently the President and Chief Executive Officer of Sherbourne Health, a dynamic centre for integrated health care services and community programs located in downtown Toronto. Sherbourne prioritizes populations facing unique barriers to health care which includes newcomers to Canada, lesbian, gay, bi- and trans-communities and people experiencing homelessness.
Hazelle is driven by her passion for giving back to community and creating programs and services that are responsive to community needs. An advocate for community development, she champions initiatives that build on the input of those in need and helps to imagine outcomes that build resilience and empowerment.
Isabelle Fotsing, B.Eng, M.Sc. is a passionate problem-solver, prize-winning start-up founder and committed citizen who is devoting her journey to showing that talent/success has no color, gender, or any other socio-physiological specificity. Her expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas, including technology, strategy and governance.
Originally from Cameroon, Isabelle moved to Montreal in 2004 as an international student on a Canadian fellowship. Driven by her desire to understand the world and leverage technology to improve people’s life, she completed a bachelor and a master in engineering. She then worked as a clean energy projects analyst and big data scientist for more than 10 years before jumping into the startup journey. Isabelle is now co-founder and CTO of Watergeeks, a prize-winning and women-led startup leveraging artificial intelligence to accelerate circular economy.
Jacqueline McIntosh, Senior ENG Editor at CTV News is an activist and Vice-Chairperson for the Unifor Ontario Political Action Committee.
Jacqueline was born in Bath, England and like other children, was involved in many activities and excelled in gymnastics, track and field, sang in the choir and on one occasion presented flowers to the Mayor’s wife for an event at her school.
Jacqueline experienced racism and bullying from a young age. She and her sister were the only Black students in their community. She recalls when she was 7 years old, playing in the schoolyard and some of the older kids called Jacqueline – “Blackie Jackie”. Jacqueline told her mom what happened and her mom said “first, people who meet you will see you as black, then as a girl/young woman they will see you for the true Jacqueline.” That talk has remained with Jacqueline for all these years.
Jan Simpson was born in Barbados and at age 3, moved with her family to Toronto, Canada, where she grew up. Jan worked for Canada Post for over 30 years. She has been an elected representative of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) since 2011. She was elected First-National Vice President in 2015, making her the first black person to be elected to the National Executive Committee. In 2019, she was elected National President of CUPW, becoming the first black woman to lead a National Union in Canada.
Jan has been a member of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) since 2005. CBTU is a non-profit organization that uses an equity lens on work within our communities and workplaces bringing collective strength to the goal of economic, political, and social justice for all.
Janet Campbell is CEO of Nanni’s Natural Hair Studio, a Children’s Author and Storyteller.
She was born in St. Catherine, Jamaica and grew up with her grandparents after her mother migrated to Canada. After the death of her grandparents she joined her mother when she was 11 years old. She attended secondary school and then Seneca College, where she received a Diploma as a Social Service Worker (SSW). Janet then worked at The Hincks-Dellcrest Centre, a family mental health centre. She worked at this agency for 11 years, facilitating parenting groups, particularly young mothers and babies, linking participants with community resources and in general, ensuring that parents and children receive the necessary and appropriate support.
Nanni’s Natural Hair Studio is run by Janet Campbell, who obtained her credentials at Emery Collegiate Institute. The salon has been a fixture in the Toronto community for over 20 years.
Mrs. Searles has held leadership/administrative roles of teacher, chairperson, guidance counselor, vice principal and principal. She has also been course director of the ‘Valuing Diversity’ course at George Brown College of Arts, Science and Technology. Mrs. Searles has represented the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) at seven National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE) Conferences which afforded her the opportunity to share best practices as it relates to all students, but particularly those of colour who are often seen as marginalized. She culminated her outstanding thirty-one year career in education after serving as principal of three schools in Toronto — Dublin Heights Elementary and Middle School, Lawrence Heights Middle School, and J.S. Woodsworth Senior Public School.
Jibs has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics from the University of Lagos and certified as a Project Management Professional. She also completed a 4th class Power Engineering course at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT).
Jibs’ previous work experiences include: Financial Services Representative at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), Mortgage Specialist at TD, Project Cost Controller at Dow Chemical and Credit Risk Analyst at the Guaranty Trust Bank in Nigeria.
Mrs. Justina Ijeoma Nwaesei (nee Okwunwa) is a Canadian citizen, from Issele-Uku Town in Aniocha, Delta State, Nigeria. She was born in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Justina currently resides in Windsor, Ontario. She graduated in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Architecture from University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus (UNEC) and was admitted into a 2-year post-graduate studies in Architecture at UNEC. She obtained a Master of Science degree in Architecture in 1987.
Justina is a Registered Professional Planner and a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners. She is a Senior Planner working with The Corporation of the City of Windsor. She has held various positions with the City since she was hired in June of 1991.
Justina’s mentorship activities were a direct result of her concern about the way girls and women were treated in her society; she wanted to make a difference by proving that, given the opportunity, girls/women with training and support can excel in many areas of life. She chose Architecture because she wanted to make a statement and encourage other girls and women to push forward and break as many glass ceilings as possible.
Karen Murray is currently a Centrally Assigned Principal for Equity, Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression in the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). A proud product of Georgetown, Guyana, Karen has had the pleasure of growing up between Toronto, Ontario and Brooklyn, New York. These experiences have molded her into the woman she is today, a strong committed activist that believes in the power of community to support the learning and development of our future generations.
Karen is a dedicated equitable leader, who is an international speaker, lecturer and presenter engaged in working with educators, administrators and superintendents on deepening their understanding in the areas of Equity, Anti-Oppression, Anti-Racism and Anti-Black Racism. She is an honours graduate of York University’s Urban Diversity, Faculty of Education Program and continues to credit this program in providing the foundation for her ongoing equity work within the educational system. Karen was a York University’s Teacher of Excellence recipient in 2006 and was also featured in York University’s magazine, 50th Anniversary Special Issue, representing the decade 1990 and the Urban Diversity program.
Karen Richards-Bradshaw is the Chief Operating Officer for Patrick Cassidy & Associates a business interior, design and furniture dealership. Karen has a Bachelor of Arts from The University of Western Ontario and a Business Administration Marketing Diploma from Fanshawe College. She considers her 25 year career journey as blessed by a combination of: a laser focus on learning, several opportunities to uncomfortably stretch to lead large and complex programs, followed by career moves to continually build new capabilities while leading fantastic teams across several disciplines.
Karris Ann’s employment experience includes working at Scotiabank as a Reconciliation clerk (Corporate Accounts), GEAC Computer Corporation, as a Financial Analyst and United Way as a Finance coordinator with the focus on fundraising and allocation of funds. This was based on corporate donors and sponsors’ Allocations which included non-profit organizations, families and community groups.
With her goal of becoming an entrepreneur, Karris Ann kept running her business as a Nail Technician, throughout this journey. At the same time, she became a Financial Planner with the mission to help families make better financial commitments with their fixed incomes. Motivated to become and maintain financial independence after experiencing the financial needs of various recipients, Karris’ quest to become an entrepreneur continued.
For the past decade, Kathy has devoted her efforts to documenting, digitizing and videotaping the stories of Black Canadian veterans and Black Canadian History. She places an emphasis on interviewing veterans and elders; inviting participation from the loved ones of the deceased, public engagement, and connecting their stories to Canadian history. Kathy has made educational presentations to municipalities, schools, and community organizations promoting an inclusive approach to storytelling and historical documentation. Connecting to her audience through social media, Kathy continues to engage a diverse audience, receiving a half million views on her page annually.
Kathy has made educational presentations to municipalities, schools, and community organizations, promoting an inclusive approach to storytelling and historical documentation. Kathy’s approach has resonated with numerous stakeholders. She has collaborated with the Canadian War Museum, Library and Archives Canada, Department of National Defense, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, and Veteran Affairs Canada.
Ketcia Peters, born in Haiti, is an award winning entrepreneur and community activist with a record of strong results delivered for individuals and organizations across civil society, government and the private sector. As an elderly care resolution strategist and founder of retirement home “Residence La Voix Du Bon Berger” Ketcia has been a leader in the retirement home and human resources services for over ten years. She created KETCIA Peters Group (KPG), a certified coaching service, out of a need to make a difference. Ketcia and her team deliver exceptional results, provide responsive client service, and offer innovative, practical solutions exclusively to the Canadian retirement home sector both in person and online. Under her leadership, KPG provides full project lifecycle services that promote the application of technology to improve retirement home-delivery across Canada.
Ketcia’s expertise consists of business strategy planning, recruitment partnership both local and international, social media marketing strategy, branding and the systematization to ensure business owners have a system that allows them to enjoy the fruits of their labor. She also provides elder care dispute resolution by helping the elderly and their families navigate the healthcare, caregiving, financial and legal landscapes of aging.
Letna Allen-Rowe was born in Clarendon, Jamaica W.I. She migrated to Canada in 1993 and has lived in Canada for 26 years, being an active community mobilizer, advocate and Jamaican Cultural Ambassador.
Letna received her High School Diploma at Clarendon College in 1977 and was educated in Drama and Educational Theatre Arts at the Edna Manley College for the Performing Arts in Jamaica. She also attended the National Institute of Broadcasting, at York University and the Travel Training College of Canada.
She is a Thespian and a connoisseur of the arts in all forms, whether it’s dancing, singing, miming, poetry, acting, or Master of Ceremonies. She offers cultural workshops in Schools that are interested in teaching children about their Caribbean folk heritage and culture.
Lisa Skeete, was born in Toronto, but spent some of her preschool years in Barbados. Growing up in a family of educators and activists, Lisa had a steady stream of exemplary role models and mentors. Her formative and teenage years were spent traveling between the Caribbean and America where family members, mostly matriarchal in nature, encouraged Lisa to embrace her creative self and her passion for defending others. Lisa was amused with all things arts and culture, the literary world, as well as social activism. While attending Fine Arts, and minoring in African Studies at York University, Lisa was an executive member of the Caribbean Students Association, the Pan African Students Collective, and Unity Force Organized Movement. These organisations brought social justice, debate and dialogue, and the arts to the campus and community.
Caribbean folklore and music were a muse for Lisa. While studying, Lisa was fortunate to sign on as a contributing writer for Upfront Magazine, a music publication out of Montreal, for “urban” and Caribbean music. While writing on the Rap and Calypso/Soca genre, Lisa met Ron Nelson while covering a Music Conference. That meeting blossomed into a long standing friendship and business relationship with “Friday Night Reggaemania” on CKLN 88.1 FM. Known as “Lisa West”, she spent Friday nights interviewing artists in the Roots and Culture/Dancehail genre, coupled with topical debate on issues in the Caribbean community in Toronto and abroad. During that time Lisa founded West Productions, a publicity and events management entity, and worked with several Reggae Dancehall artists both in Canada and Jamaica. Still a reggae and soca enthusiast, Lisa remains entrenched in the industry.