Meet Our Board

board vacancy

We currently have a vacany on our Board! If you are interested in becoming a Board Member please apply below.

meet our current board

AADIL MANGALJI, Chair

Aadil Mangalji is a partner at Long Mangalji LLP, a downtown Toronto immigration law practice and a longtime resident of Regent Park. He is an active advocate for immigration and refugee rights in Canada and appears regularly at Federal Court, the Immigration Appeal Division and the Refugee Board. He has been Certified by the Law Society of Ontario as a Specialist in Citizenship and Immigration Law as well as a Specialist in Refugee Protection Law, a prestigious list of which only approximately 15 lawyers in all of Canada belong. Aadil is passionate about ensuring access to justice for vulnerable people, and volunteers his time with many community group.

Aadil is passionate about immigration law because of the direct benefits not only for individuals today, but also for future generations. He graduated with a Juris Doctor law degree from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law. He also holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree with Dean's list distinction from McGill University in Montreal, Canada.

Michelle Bashir is a Senior Director with Strategy & Transformation Services under the CAO group. Michelle is accountable for the delivery of consulting services across RBC to ensure project outcomes are aligned to business objectives and achieved. In addition to her role as Secretary of the Board with NLS, she is also a Board Member and an Impact Committee Member at Capitalize for Kids, a not-for-profit organization that works with children mental health service providers to build capacity and reduce waitlists so that more children are able to access care.

Michelle holds an MBA in Strategic Management from the Schulich School of Business and Bachelor in Administrative and Commercial Studies (with a specialization in Finance), from the University of Western Ontario.

MICHELLE BASHIR, Secretary

MARY BOUSHELL, Vice Chair

Mary Boushel is Manager, Strategic Initiatives in Health Services at the Region of Peel. Mary started her career as an in-house lawyer working in social housing and has since moved into leadership roles in social services and health care in Toronto and at the provincial level. Her focus has been on building partnerships to improve services in the community and she is excited to be able to support NLS in providing access to justice and legal services for those who need it. Mary joined the Board of Directors in 2018 and currently serves as vice-chair.

Lana Frado is the Executive Director of Sound Times Support Services. Sound Times is funded to provide community mental health and addiction supports and is entirely staffed by users and former service users. The majority of their services are provided to support individuals who are also involved in the criminal justice system. Lana has worked with her community for almost 30 years and has served in many government and community initiatives and advocacy efforts in the disability community. She has a keen interest and considerable experience in service user participation in the design, delivery, implementation and evaluation of services and supports as the means to ensure quality and accountability, and to ensure accessibility and accommodation for individuals with social disabilities.

LANA FRADO, Treasurer

NISHA ANAND, Director

Nisha is a lawyer Gilbert’s LLP. She is a scientist-turned-litigator with a doctorate in molecular biology, genetics and cancer, and now enjoys a diverse litigation practice. Nisha has represented clients before the Ontario Superior Court and Federal Court of Canada, and like any ambitious Canadian litigator, Nisha looks very forward to the day she can add the Supreme Court of Canada to the list!

When Nisha is not lawyering or conducting complicated science experiments in her kitchen, or lending her expertise to NLS, she spends as much time outdoors as humanly possible, and indulges her sense of humour with books, YouTube videos, or conversations with people she thinks are hilarious.

Debbie Hill-Corrigan is the Executive Director of Sojourn House, a refugee shelter and transitional supportive housing program in Toronto. Prior to Sojourn House Debbie was the Executive Director of NOAH Reception Centre which supported both sponsored refugees and refugee claimants. She brings a wealth of organizational management experience having been an ED for over 30 years in the not for profit sector, the last 30 working with refugees.

She is a former co chair of the Inland Protection Working group of the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) and completed two terms on the CCR Executive over the years. Debbie also brings valuable governance experience having sat on the Boards of the Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture, CultureLink and AURA (Anglican United Refugee Alliance) and The Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) in Toronto. She is the past chair of the Toronto Shelter Network of which she remains active on the Board.

DEBBIE HILL-CORRIGAN, Director

HAYLEY MACPHAIL, Director

Hayley has worked in the east end of Toronto as a Child and Family Therapist, Family Support and Youth worker for over 20 years. Hayley is an accredited Family Mediator and applies a social justice perspective to her work. Hayley earned a Master’s degree in Psychology from the University of Toronto, and has a background in family systems and child development. Hayley draws on her experience helping clients in distress navigate legal, financial, mental health and other systems to add an expert perspective to the NLS board.

Diana Mavunduse sees herself as a communicator for social change and social justice. Her career spans three continents (Africa, Europe, and North America), where she worked as a Journalist and Communications Specialist for various international NGOs. She has spoken globally on communication competence and freedom of speech as a foundation for civic engagement in developing democracies. Currently, she works as a Community Development Coordinator for Dixon Hall Neighbhourhood Services that advocates for and addresses the challenges faced by low-income families and individuals living in disadvantaged neighbhourhoods in downtown Toronto.

DIANA MAVUNDUSE, Director

LESA MCPHERSON, Director

Bio coming soon

Josh Vandezande is a seasoned public sector manager who has led communications and community engagement in several provincial human service ministries. A changemaker and champion for people who live at the margins of our society, Josh creates opportunities for collaboration that give everyone a voice. He is a proud member of the LGBTQ community and long-time resident of the Church-Wellesley Village with a passion for creating a more inclusive, sustainable future.

JOSH VANDEZANDE, Director