The Task Force on Community Access and Equity has not completed its mandate but is no longer active. The following information is provided for archival purposes.
The Task Force on Community Access and Equity was absorbed by the Roundtable on Access, Equity and Human Rights.
Task force members
Councillor Joe Mihevc
With a PhD in theology and social ethics, Mihevc brings a deep concern for social issues to his work as a Toronto councillor. Mihevc had been a York city councillor for six years, previous to his tenure on Toronto council, and has served in a variety of capacities including deputy mayor of York. His accomplishments in York include building the new York Centre for Health and volunteering on a number of boards such as the York Community and Agency Social Planning Council.
Councillor Pam McConnell
McConnell first became a city councillor in 1994, following a 12-year commitment as a school board trustee. As a councillor, McConnell helped create the Survival Fund which set aside $6 million in the budget to assist vulnerable people targeted by provincial cutbacks. A staunch advocate of children she helped found the Parents for Better Beginnings for Regent Park, Moms and Their Babies, and The Brighter Futures St. James Town health project. Among McConnell's current memberships is the City of Toronto Children's Action Committee.
Councillor Elizabeth Brown
Brown has served two terms on Etobicoke city council where she served as chair for the Etobicoke Library Board and served as a member on the Community Consultative Committee for Lester B. Pearson Airport. Brown believes in fair representation, equitable distribution of services and feels strongly about the success of Toronto's diverse communities.
Councillor Sherene Shaw
Shaw was first elected to public office in 1988 with the Scarborough city council. She held many positions including deputy mayor and was involved with a number of boards and committees such as chair of the Scarborough Community and Race Relations Committee, and board member of the Scarborough Grace Hospital.
Councillor Peter Li Preti
During his 12 years as a North York councillor, LiPreti has been actively involved in the community on various committees including the committee to extend the Spadina subway to York University. He is honorary president of the Canadian Hispanic Congress and the North York Vietnamese Association.
Sylvia Maracle (co-chair)
Maracle, a member of the Wolf Clan from the Tyendinaga Territories, has been involved with the Native Friendship Centres for 25 years and has been the executive director of the Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres for the past 19 years. She has contributed to the enhancement of the urban Aboriginal community in many facets including president of the Native Women's Resource Centre, president of the Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, past chair of the Aboriginal Healing and Wellness-Joint Steering Committee, past chair of the National Aboriginal Headstart Committee, and currently serves as a member of the Ontario regional committee for Aboriginal Headstart. Maracle also lectures on urban development, women's issues and the cultural revitalization of her people.
Gloria Fallick (co-chair)
Fallick's community involvement spans 17 years of serving in various capacities including board member of the Toronto Arts Against Apartheid, and board member of the International Defence and Aide Fund to South Africa which later became the Canadian-South African Cooperation. Fallick also served on the committee that organized the February 11th celebration of Nelson Mandela's prison release and was a member of the Nelson Mandela Reception Committee in Toronto and the ANC-Mandela Support Coalition, and a founding member of the Voter Education South Africa-Canada.
From 1993 to 1995, Fallick served as president of the YWCA Metropolitan Toronto Board of Directors and in 1994, was the Canadian YWCA observer for the South African elections. In 1995, she attended the Women's Summit and the World YWCA Council in Seoul, Korea.
Presently Fallick serves on the YWCA of/du Canada National Board, is a member of the Task Force on the Churches and Corporate Responsibility, and is a continuing member on the banquet committee for the Canadian Council of Christians and Jews.
Kahn Rahi
Rahi is a consultant in human services and race relations. He specializes in community-based program planning, education, media relations, and community development on ethno-racial issues and organizations. Rahi is presently the executive director of the Access Action Council and the chair of the Partnership Community Council of the Joint Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement. He was the former vice-president of the Ontario Advisory Council on Multiculturalism and Citizenship, and former co-chair of the Community Reference Group on Ethno-Racial and Aboriginal Access.
Dennis Fong
Fong is chairperson of the East York Race Relations Committee and a member of the Race Relations Directions Sub-committee. He is also a committee member of the East York Board of Education Anti-racist Education Committee. Fong is the manager, Human Resources for the Toronto Community Care Access Centre.
Duberlis Ramos
Ramos, executive director of the Hispanic Development Council, has a broad volunteer experience including being a member of the Advisory Committee to the Chief of Police, a board member of Access Alliance Multicultural Community Health Centre, and a founding member of the Environment Centre for New Canadians.
Sonja Greckol
Greckol has successfully bridged the theory and practice of service equity, pay equity, and employment equity. She has worked with a wide variety of public and broader public sector organizations in areas of complaint handling, employment practices, communication and problem-solving strategies. Greckol's private practice involves several research and consulting projects.
Karen Mock
Mock is the national director for the League for Human Rights of B'nai Brith Canada, a national agency dedicated to combating racism, bigotry, and is also the executive director and principal trainer of the League's Education Training Centre. Among her current activities, Mock is involved with the International Training Cadre on Hate and Bias Crime and with the anti-Racist and Multicultural Educators' Network of Ontario. She is the past president of the Multicultural Association, former board member of the Urban Alliance on Race Relations and past chair of the Canadian Multiculturalism Advisory Committee.
Kenneth Denis Richard
Richard, Executive Director of the Native Child and Family Services of Toronto, is also chief executive officer of Canada's First Off Reserve Native Child Welfare Authority. Richard has developed and provided training workshops on cross-cultural literacy on competence for human service professionals, and Native child welfare and community development. He has received the Chief of Police Community Service Award in 1995 and the Civic Award of Merit in 1997.
Shaheen Ali
Ali is a co-director in Across Boundaries: An Ethnoracial Mental Health Centre. She has developed an anti-racism framework for anti-racist health and a manual of anti-racism organizational change for the health and mental health sectors. Ali has participated in various projects, initiatives and committees dealing with anti-racism, health and mental health. She is a member of the Provincial Advisory Committee on Mental Health in the Ontario Mental Health Promotion Work Group and Ethnoracial Work Group.
Z. Jenny Ratansi-Rodrigues
Rodrigues, Senior Manager of Agency Services at United Way of Greater Toronto, has over thirteen years experience working in the social services sector. She has supported United Way member agencies in implementing Multicultural/Anti-Racism Organizational change. Rodrigues is a member of the management board of the Joint Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement.
Carole Riback
Riback is the program co-ordinator for the Anne Johnston Health Station, Barrier Free Health program. She is very active in various committees dealing with disability issues such as the Health and Disability Coalition and the Toronto Transit Commission Advisory Committee on Accessible Transportation.
Charles Ng
Ng is self-employed conducting training programs in managing diversity. His vast community experience includes the Ping Triangle Committee, Ontario Division of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, The Community Advisory Committee of the Family Services Association, David Kelley Lesbian and Gay Community and HIV/AIDS Counselling programs and the Gay Asians Toronto, Campaign Against Homophobia.
Al Reeves
Reeves is a founding member and board of director of Nucleus Housing Inc., a company providing accessible housing with 24-hour attendant service to adults with physical disabilities. Reeves' active involvement on the TTC's and Go Transit's Advisory Committees on Accessible Transportation is helping to improve transportation for many riders. In addition, Reeves is co-chair of the Access Awareness Committee-York District, a committee that advocates barrier-free access for people with disabilities and seniors, while also advising politicians and the community regarding issues of disabilities and inclusion.
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