Steering Committee

The East Scarborough Storefront’s work is strategically guided by a dynamic Steering Committee made up of resident leaders and partner organizations/institutions. The committee members ​bring their passion for community change and aid in strengthening the resiliency of the Kingston Galloway-Orton Park n​eighbourhood. By representing the diversity of thoughts and experiences of the community, each steering member presents unique perspectives that together lead to the fulfillment of The Storefront's mission.

The Storefront is a project of MakeWay.  The Storefront Steering Committee, along with The Storefront Director has delegated authority from MakeWay to provide strategic guidance to all Storefront activities.

NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR OUR STEERING COMMITTEE! Click Here for Application Flyer and submit by Sunday April 24, 2022.

Judy is Director, Partnerships with Social Capital Partners, a privately funded non-profit. In her role, Judy works with various partners within workforce development to design and prove new models that benefit both employers and jobseekers. Judy is also currently on secondment with Ryerson and the Ontario Centre for Workforce Innovation to help build a more skilled, resilient and productive Ontario workforce through evidence-based research and cross sector collaboration. With a career spanning multiple sectors Judy has solid insight on the labour market, employment, and training programs and practices. Working within the recruitment industry Judy acquired knowledge of employer practices as well as workplace needs and expectations, retention strategies and diversity and inclusion initiatives.

As a current community member on the Storefront Steering Committee Ian has assisted with the development of Storefront governance policies, procedures and budgets. He is one of the Storefront volunteers who provide income tax clinics to clients of the Storefront. He also mentors recent immigrant engineers, who are seeking employment, for the non-profit agency Skills for Change. Ian is also a volunteer mentor for the one on one literacy program with the Toronto District School Board. Ian is retired and has enjoyed living in the East Scarborough community for over 30 years. Ian strongly supports Storefront because Storefront is helping to develop and improve the local East Scarborough community.

Melanie has been connected to the KGO community in different capacities for just under a decade. She has personal connection with KGO through relatives that have lived in the community for over three decades. She has also worked as a TCH frontline staff in after school programs and summer camps which involved resident outreach, program planning and facilitation. Melanie currently works at the University of Toronto Scarborough as the Community Development Coordinator; working closely with the East Scarborough Storefront to build strong and sustainable partnerships. Melanie is passionate to be a part of transformative and empowering work that reflects the diverse fabric of the KGO community.

Silma has spent the past 16 years acquiring experience around leadership, career management, community engagement and business development strategy. She is the President of PCPI, an organization that helps people reach their full potential. Silma has been instrumental in positioning PCPI as a leader in the employment and career management sector. Over these years, she has been exposed to diverse business cultures as well as, to various levels of government and small and large communities which has honed her comfort level in working within a variety of environments, Additionally, she has developed performance management systems that were implemented in government funded services in the GTA. She is a certified trainer in Common Assessment and has trained many frontline social service staff on assessing the needs of people from across diverse backgrounds.

Janice has worked at the Boys and Girls Club of East Scarborough for 20 years and has an Early Childhood Education Diploma as well as a Bachelor of Physical Education Degree. Janice has been a part of the senior management team for more than 10 years as the Manager of Early Years Programs and Services. Working extensively in the community, Janice has supported and advocated for families and worked extensively in partnership with other agencies to bring new and much needed programs and services to the East Scarborough community. Janice has been involved with the Storefront since its inception and continues to be a keen supporter both at the community level and on the Steering and Agency Committees.

Iman is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, Public Law and Women and Gender Studies (2018) at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC). Iman is passionate about creating the best environment for citizens through inclusive and conscious planning, she believes in creating proactive and integrated policies that address the complexities of communities. Iman’s experiences working in both the community and institutional settings have prepared her with the knowledge to understand the importance of community development. Through her involvement with the Storefront as a course assistant and later as a University Community Partnerships assistant at UTSC, she has built a connection with the KGO community and hopes to continue to be a part of the vibrant community.

Sachin Sharma is a UTSC Graduate who is also a resident of the KGO community. Apart from being a member of the Storefront’s Steering Committee, Sachin is also an avid musician and athlete. While a volunteer at Storefront, Sachin cultivated relationships with staff and community members. It was during this time where he fostered a deep interest in community development. As a member of the Steering Committee, Sachin will use his perspectives, viewpoints and skill to best serve the residents of the KGO community. It is his hope to be part of creating a stronger KGO, where opportunities for residents to grow are bountiful.

I am a pharmacist and my daytime job running Guildview Pharmacy. As a pharmacy owner, I am interested about community development’s impacts on preventive healthcare in the Kingston Galloway Orton Park (KGO) area. Business development in this context is a key concept and I currently lead the KGO Business Networking Group. I am a Master of Pharmacy graduate of University College London’s School of Pharmacy in the United Kingston.