Meet Our Board

meet our current board

JOSH VANDEZANDE, Chair

Josh 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.

Debbie 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, Vice-Chair

HABIB ABDULLAHI, Treasurer

Habib is a Principal Consultant at Oracle NetSuite. He has an accounting degree from Ryerson and is currently doing his MBA at Wilfred Laurier University. Before Oracle, he worked with different non-governmental organizations such as Care International and Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Kenya. Habib is originally from Somalia. He has family roots in the NLS catchment area, and understands our immigration work well. Habib's three small children keep him and his wife very busy.

Maryam is a third-year law student at Osgoode Hall Law School and a long-time resident of St. James Town. She previously completed a summer research fellowship and Pro Bono Students Canada placement at NLS.

Maryam is passionate about serving her community and advocating for equity-seeking groups. She is interested in pursuing a career in criminal defence to protect the liberty and human rights of marginalized groups from the abuse of police and state powers.

Maryam is also a visual artist who leads youth arts programming in St. James Town, helping strengthen the social well-being of her community. Her advocacy work has been recognized by the Women’s Law Association of Ontario, Mayor John Tory, the St. James Town Service Providers' Network, and several other legal and community-based organizations.

MARYAM HASSAN, Secretary

Walied has lived in Regent Park with his family since 2005. He has worked to champion issues such as affordable transit, environmental stewardship, equity and human rights in both the community and across the city. Walied is known for his work with residents from all backgrounds to create safe, inclusive, sustainable communities that are free from discrimination and hate.

Walied is passionate about building a society in which all people can reach their full potential.

He is the Co-Founder of the Coalition Against White Supremacy and Islamophobia (CAWSI). This coalition of 170+ organizations, mobilized a national day of action in February 2017 in response to the Trump administration’s “Muslim ban” and the deadly Islamophobic and racist attack on a mosque in Quebec City in January 2017. Walied is a community mentor for youth experiencing marginalization, and an advocate for education and career opportunities, as well as meaningful youth participation in public discourse. Walied continues to support at-risk youth and families across the Greater Toronto Area as a mutual aid coordinator at the City of Toronto, focused on raising awareness about food insecurity and promoting vaccine access.

WALIED KHOGALI ALI, Director

KUMSA BAKER, Director

Kumsa is a community organizer and the Director of Campaigns at the Toronto Community Benefits Network, a 120 member community-labour coalition whose goal is to negotiate Community Benefits Agreements as part of new urban infrastructure and development projects in Toronto. During his spare time, Kumsa enjoys playing sports and supporting various community and youth initiatives

HANAE DAVIS, Director

Hanae has called Toronto home for much of her life, and most recently lives in the NLS catchment area. She is passionate about addressing gaps in equity, diversity, accessibility, and inclusion in her community. In addition to serving on the NLS Board, she actively volunteers in the disability community - particularly on healthcare and research initiatives that amplify the family voice in services for people with disabilities. Hanae completed her PhD in Experimental Psychology at McMaster University, and her postdoctoral fellowship there focused on cognitive well-being of youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities. She currently works in project management at the University Health Network, with a focus on initiatives that improve the psychosocial well-being of patients, families, and staff.

AMBARO GULED, Director

Ambaro is a deeply experienced Community Health Worker at the Regent Park Community Health Centre. She has an expert understanding of the many barriers newcomers to Canada face.

Ambaro is a longstanding Member of NLS. Her volunteer experience is rich, having contributed her time and skills to the Toronto District School Board & Frontier College. She has also served on the Boards of the Somali Immigrant Aid Organization, African Community Health Services, and Midaynta Community Services

KEVIN LAFOREST, Director

Kevin is a lawyer at Scarborough Community Legal Services where he works in the housing and immigration teams. Kevin has worked in and with Community Legal Clinics since law school where he began as a student at Parkdale Community Legal Services. Following his Call to the Bar, Kevin entered private practice where he continued to work on tenant-side landlord and tenant matters as well as on immigration and refugee work. Kevin’s work in private practice took him across the GTA including working directly with shelters in the NLS catchment area. These experiences gave Kevin insight into NLS community, and their unique legal needs. Since moving to the Clinic system in 2018, Kevin continues to work with tenants across the city of Toronto, organizing against issues such as evictions, rent increases, and harassment by landlords. Kevin is a passionate advocate for safe, affordable housing and is excited at the opportunity to support the incredible work at NLS.

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 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

SEAN O'CONNOR, Director

Sean is trained mediator and adjudicator who has served as a member at Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal, worked in senior leadership positions in government and currently works as an independent communications consultant. A long-time resident of downtown Toronto, he has a Master of Laws degree in dispute resolution, a Qualified Mediator designation from the Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute of Canada and has been published in Canadian Labour and Employment Law Journal.