Ali Hassan
Ali Hassan is a stand-up comic, actor and CBC personality.
He is a Canadian Comedy Award nominee who has performed at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal, Toronto's JFL42, the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, and has toured his solo comedy show Muslim Interrupted across Canada and internationally.
CBC fans will recognize Ali as the host of Laugh Out Loud, a frequent guest-host of q, the leading arts and culture program in Canada, and the host of Canada Reads. Ali recently appeared in the films My Spy and Mafia Inc, and in the CBS action series Blood & Treasure. His other credits include Designated Survivor on ABC and FXX’s Man Seeking Woman, PBS Kids’ Odd Squad and CTV’s Cardinal.
Doug Mann
Doug Mann's advancement career started in 1990 in Halifax running the student call centre as part of the Saint Mary's University Annual Fund. His 30 year career includes nine years as a consultant with KCI Ketchum, six years as Director of Development at the University of Alberta and the last 14 years as Executive Director of Philanthropy & Alumni at Trinity College School (TCS). TCS is a leading independent boarding/day school in Port Hope Ontario with 6000 alumni in over 40 countries. The "Phil & Al" team consists of 6.5 staff, a $1M+/year annual giving program, $7M in planned giving expectancies and a major gifts program contributing an average of $4M/year over the last decade.
Rhonda Cunningham
Rhonda joined the Northumberland Hills Hospital Foundation as a member of a small staff team in September 1995 and was appointed as the Executive Director in 1997.
To date (2021), she has helped raise over $64 million in support of Northumberland Hills Hospital, including a successful capital campaign to build and equip a new hospital for Northumberland (2003).
In 2011, Rhonda earned her Fellows professional designation from the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy – its highest honour.
A lifelong resident of Northumberland County, Rhonda has extensive experience serving her community as a volunteer leader, most notably with Trinity United Church, The Help and Legal Centre of Northumberland, and is a member of the Rotary Club of Northumberland Sunrise.
Councillor Charmaine Williams
Charmaine Williams has been a member of the Bramalea community since 1981.
As a homeowner and proud mother of five beautiful children, she knows the challenges that Brampton residents face and understands the need to build a better Brampton for all families, seniors and small business owners.
She wants to truly engage residents in decisions at City Hall. She wants to make our streets safer, ensure that families have access to social and recreational services that they need and want, and restore respect for taxpayers. Transit and transportation are also on her radar. Charmaine believes that Brampton needs an integrated transportation plan that encourages a balance of all modes of transportation.
Charmaine’s beliefs, values and courage to advocate for people are shaped by her professional and personal experiences.
Professionally, Charmaine is a certified Multi-Systemic Therapist, behavioural consultant and counsellor. During her 19-year career, Charmaine has been a voice on behalf of families and children of all ages coping with domestic violence, mental illness, substance abuse, neglect, trauma and other personal challenges. She has worked in a number of therapeutic programs and organizations like Associated Youth Services of Peel, Youth Substance Abuse Program, Peel Children’s Center and the Reach Out Center for Kids in Peel and the Halton Region.
Charmaine believes that public service is the art of the possible, and her recent personal experience overcoming a debilitating health issue demonstrated her determination to pursue what is possible. Charmaine pushed through the obstacles to be able to enter public service in 2018, inspired and energized to work for her community.
She and her husband, Steve, live in Ward 7.
John Perenack
John Perenack is a Principal at StrategyCorp. He is a public affairs and communications expert who has been providing guidance and counsel on corporate reputation and how to communicate with government, media, communities, and other stakeholders for 25 years. He is a specialist in helping organizations educate, inform and persuade stakeholders in order to shape opinion and position clients for success.
He brings clients deep experience managing crisis communications situations, having counselled organizations and individuals in circumstances including theft and financial crime, bankruptcy, kidnapping, public health emergencies, cybercrime, and damaging reputational episodes.
His work in the financial sector has included communications and public affairs for high-profile mergers and aquisitions within Canada, and internationally including the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.
John is also a skilled media trainer and coach who has helped hundreds of spokespeople learn how to interact with media, and get their messages across clearly and concisely. He is a specialist in helping organizations use the media to influence opinion and helping clients tackle the toughest of issues and positioning them for success.
During his career, John has worked with each level of government and organizations from many sectors of the economy, including health care, banking, transportation, insurance, education, retail, technology, and manufacturing.
John holds a Master of Business Administration degree in Finance and Strategic Management from the Schulich School of Business at York University, and has earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto. John is also a member of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute (CIRI), the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) and the IAP2 Federation.
Michelle Capobianco
Since 2016, Michelle Capobianco has led the critical growth of Pancreatic Cancer Canada (PCC) to become a charity with national scope, international influence, and fundraising power dedicated to demanding survival, not sympathy, for Canadians facing this devastating disease. Under her visionary leadership, PCC has doubled its lifetime investment in pancreatic cancer research and overseen the creation of a first-of-its-kind collaborative network connecting top researchers across North America. Over the last two years while the charitable sector has grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, Michelle has kept her eyes on the future, spearheading the development of the PancONE Network, a sister organization to PCC based in the United States that takes a bold approach to improving pancreatic cancer treatment options and care through unexpected partnerships and collaborations. Prior to being with PCC, Michelle was a senior staff member of the MS Society of Canada, preceded by a long-term tenure with The Easter Seal Research Institute. At these organizations, she provided leadership on numerous national new business development ventures, resulting in revenues in excess of $1M per year and a clear increase in brand recognition, employee engagement and a positive charity affiliation for the corporate partners.
Suzette Strong
Suzette is an accomplished senior leader and non-profit executive with extensive experience and success in leadership, governance and fundraising over the last 25 years. She was appointed the CEO of Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation in 2007 and continues to lead the team in their mission to raise funds and awareness for Markham Stouffville Hospital – one of the three large community hospitals in York Region.
Under her leadership, the Markham Stouffville Hospital Foundation has raised more than $115 million to enable the growth of Markham Stouffville Hospital that includes doubling the size of the hospital, building a brand new, state of the art Emergency, expanding its well respected Cancer & Breast Health Clinic; as well as its new and expanded Diagnostic Imaging Centre, Orthopaedic Centre and opening the first of its kind, Wellness Clinic located in the community to help address the mental health crisis in the province.
Suzette is a frequent speaker at various conferences on leadership, governance & strategic fundraising. She is also published and most recently contributed a case study on diversity and inclusion in a textbook entitled “Excellence in Fundraising in Canada; Volume Two” and several articles including most recently “The Healing Power of Philanthropy” in Hospital News. Suzette holds a post-graduate degree in International Relations from the University of Kent in Canterbury, UK and a B.A. from Huron University College at Western University. She is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE designation) since 2003 and a Fellow of Community Shift Program from the Ivey School of Business, Western and served on the Executive and Corporate Boards of Huron in London, Ontario from 2016-2021.
Andrew Mackenzie
Andrew Mackenzie is the Regional Director for the Mississauga of IG Wealth Management. He has had a 28 year career with the company and has held his CFP designation for almost 25 years. Andrew is passionate about finding creative financial solutions for clients and believes strongly in working together with professional advisors to achieve optimal results for clients.
He has been married for 25 years to his beautiful wife Trisha and has 4 amazing boys.
Walter Alonso
Walter joined Investors Group in 1994, became a Division Director in 2004 and a Regional Director in 2007. His vision is to develop and lead a top notch wealth management team by focusing on helping Canadians achieve financial freedom. Walter’s goal in life is to inspire everyone to do and give more. He enjoys talking to people and learning what excites them about life and life’s opportunities and his goal is to help them achieve their goals. He is married to a wonderful woman (Madelaine) and they have two beautiful young ladies aged 18 and 21. He enjoys playing soccer and working out at his local boot camp. Spending time with many friends over great food and wine, is his pleasure. At the end of it all, Walter wants to ensure that he leads, inspires and gives back to everyone he has the pleasure to cross paths with.
Daniele Zanotti
In his over 20 years of experience in the public and non-profit sectors, Daniele's work is guided by one core value-to work in and with community across all sectors to create positive change.
As a CEO of United Way York Region, he played da pivotal role in the merger of "United Ways across Toronto and York Region in 2015. Under his leadership, the organization continues to apply an increasingly regional lens - in 2018 joining with Peel Region to form United Way Greater Toronto, the largest United Way in the world and largest funder of social services outside of government.
This scaled-up approach is improving opportunities for donors. volunteers and partners across Peel, Toronto and York Region, and building capacity to expand local investments.
Daniele holds a Masters in Social Work from the University of Toronto and sits on advisory committees and boards across the region.