City Council appointed 30 citizens to serve on the Committee of Adjustment Panels for the 2007-2010 term.
Brief biographical summaries are provided for each of Council's appointees to the following panels:
Etobicoke-York Panel
Douglas S. Colbourne
Mr. Colbourne, a chartered accountant, is a lifetime resident of Toronto. With an extensive career in the planning and development field, he has adjudicated and rendered decisions over 30 years at the Ontario Municipal Board and the Assessment Review Board. He has kept abreast of the city's planning issues through newsletters, community planning meetings, and membership in the Lambda Alpha Society and Canadian Urban Institute seminars.
Rick Florio
Mr. Florio has worked in the building/fire safety and electrical industry over the past 30 years. He is presently a member of the Canadian Fire Safety Association and served as President. Member of CFSA, CHES, OACETT, CFAA, NFPA, SFPE and OBOA. Served on City of Toronto Committee of Adjustment in 2001 - 2004. Presently serving on the Ontario Building Code Commission. Graduated from Ryerson University in Electrical Engineering.
Mary-Anne Popescu
Ms. Popescu has recently completed a Certificate in Dispute Resolution at the University of Toronto, training that she feels will assist her in reaching fair resolutions on the Committee of Adjustment. With a B.Sc. in Child Studies and Youth Services, Mary-Anne has previously been employed as a caseworker in the Social Services division of the City of Toronto, work that has given her a keen understanding of municipal and provincial legislation and policies. She is a regular volunteer and public speaker for the Maternal Support Program at St. Joseph's Health Centre.
Paul M. Valenti
Mr. Valenti is a lawyer and civil engineer with over 30 years of experience at the municipal level of politics. He has been a North York Councillor, a Metro Councillor and a City of Toronto Councillor, and has served on the former North York Committee of Adjustments and Planning Advisory Committee, and the current City of Toronto Committee of Adjustment. He has also been a Director of Humber Memorial Hospital for a 2-year period and was a Director of the York Finch Hospital Board for 20 years (1976-1996).
Carlene Whittingham
Ms. Whittingham is a development planner for a GTA municipality. Her experience in presenting land use cases and in community consultations has prepared her well for her role on the Committee of Adjustment. She has a Bachelors Degree in Urban and Regional Planning, and a certificate minor in Public Administration from Ryerson University. Carlene is a Provisional Member of the Canadian Institute of Planning, and the Ontario Professional Planning Institute.
North York Panel A
Donald R. Di Prospero, AACI
Mr. Di Prospero is an Architectural Technologist and an Accredited Appraiser. For more than 10 years, Donald was a real estate appraiser with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. He conducted comprehensive appraisals on a wide variety of proposals for acquisition, development, foreclosure, leasing and mortgaging of land and buildings. In his current position, he provides educational services to the public. Donald is also active in his community and volunteers for the Downsview Softball League.
Ronald F. Forbes
Mr. Forbes has more than 30 years' experience in senior roles both in the business and not-for-profit sectors. Most recently, he served as the President and CEO of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). His role at JDRF provided him with the necessary skills to chair committees, adjudicate, maintain order in conflict situations and manage complex issues. He served on the Boards of Research Canada and the Diabetes Council of Canada. Ronald also served on the board of his condominium corporation. Currently, he is a member of the York Mills Ratepayers Association where he has been exposed to Committee of Adjustment issues.
David Gurin
As a past Commissioner of Planning for Metropolitan Toronto, Mr. Gurin brings a wealth of experience to the Committee of Adjustment. Since Toronto's amalgamation he has been an urban planning consultant. His projects have included a proposal for rail-based transit in the GTA prepared for the Toronto Board of Trade and the Toronto Atmospheric Fund, a study of urban sprawl in Canada for the David Suzuki Foundation and a study of the role of farmers markets in preserving GTA agricultural land for the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation. He has taught city planning at the University of Toronto (where he continues to be a research associate at the Centre for Urban and Community Studies) and at Ryerson. He served for three years on the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. Before coming to Toronto David was Deputy Commissioner of Transportation in New York City.
Shima Mirkarimi
Ms. Mirkarimi has a Bachelor of Environmental Studies with a major in Urban Planning from the University of Waterloo and is currently enrolled in the Masters of Science in Planning at the University of Toronto. Shima was previously employed in the Planning department in the Region of York where she developed her knowledge of the intricacy of the decision-making processes that contribute to the creation of a liveable and vibrant city. She is also active in the community. Shima sits on the YMCA Adult Karate Board and is also an instructor with the North York YMCA Karate program for kids.
Robert Pletsch
Having served a term as a committee member of the North York Panel of the Committee of Adjustment, Mr. Pletsch is committed to working on the complex challenges of city building. As an experienced school principal and trustee in the former North York, he worked in and with a variety of North York communities ranging from high socio-economic to inner-city communities. He is presently chair of a provincial riding association and has been an active volunteer with UNICEF for more than 20 years. This includes two years as President of the National Committee, which focused on community development in the developing world.
North York Panel B
Isaac Lallouz
Mr. Lallouz has been a member of the Committee of Adjustments (North York) since 2004. He is a professional engineer with extensive management and administrative experience. Isaac has also been a member of a Provincial Tribunal (Fire Safety Commission) for the past 11 years and is currently a member of the Commission. Active in his community, he is a past co-president of the Fairholme Ratepayers Association and was active in the Dear Park Ratepayers Association. He is a past president of the Beth Torah Congregation and served for 15 years as the congregation's treasurer.
Donna McCormick
Ms. McCormick brings to the Committee the view of a citizen and parent who has lived and worked in the city for most of her life. Donna's appreciation of Toronto's diverse neighbourhoods and communities is drawn from her midtown neighbourhood, downtown church involvement, and frequent traversing of the city, both by car and TTC. She is active in the community, co-chairing the 2000 Shades of Blue fundraising catalogue committee, twice chairing the Little Trinity Church Weekend committee, has been a board representative at the Enoch Turner Schoolhouse and is a member of the Lawrence Park Ratepayers Association. In her professional life, Donna has been a high school teacher, and is currently a business manager for a small professional practice.
David Peacock
Mr. Peacock is a professional engineer and has been a member of the Committee of Adjustments since 2004. In his role on the Committee, David visited more than 525 sites to better understand the neighbourhood context. He is a lifetime resident of Toronto and a former executive member of the Willowdale Central Ratepayers Association. David also completed his MBA with a major in marketing and computer systems. He has extensive volunteer experience with such organizations as Scouts Canada, Toronto Region Conservation Authority and the York Region Environmental Alliance.
Virginia A. Solomon
Ms. Solomon has more than 40 years' experience as an urban planner dealing with development proposals in the public and private sectors. She has project experience over a wide range of the GTA with neighbourhoods diverse in ethnic, social, physical and economic terms. As development co-ordinator for Ronto Development, she worked with many community groups to implement plans and facilitate the construction of more than 1,900 affordable housing units. She was also co-chair of the Planning Committee for the York Mills Valley Association where she successfully lobbied for the adoption of development guidelines along the Yonge corridor between the city limits and the 401. Virginia has extensive volunteer experience with the Koffler Centre for the Arts, the North Public Art Advisory Committee and the Jewish Community Centre.
Jason Tsang
Mr. Tsang, a recent graduate of the University of Waterloo's School of Planning, is currently working in the urban planning field. Upon his graduation, he was given the Distinguished Teaching by a Registered Student Award, the University's highest level of recognition for excellence in teaching by a student. Jason also volunteers at his local tennis club (Parkway Valley Tennis Club) as a member of its board of directors, as well as at the ATP/WTA tennis tournaments held annually at York University where he is one of the Event Transportation committee heads. He can also be found assisting computer users online in the Microsoft Technical Communities.
Scarborough Panel
Rick Froner
As an Architectural Technologist, Mr. Froner has a thorough understanding of city plans and the impact these plans have on the community. Because he has operated his own business for the past 11 years, he has developed the skills necessary to lead public meetings and deal successfully with conflict. Rick has served on the Committee of Adjustment, Scarborough Panel for the past 2-1/2 years. He is also active in his community and attends meetings of the Cliffside Village Community Association and the Cliffside Village Revitalization Committee. As a life-long resident of Scarborough, Rick appreciates the cultural diversity that this community offers.
S. Gopikrishna
S. Gopikrishna is the Executive Director of the Scarborough Housing Help Centre. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of leading non-profit agencies such as the Family Day Care Services and YOUTHLINK. Through his work on the advisory committees of the United Way and Scarborough Hospital as well as his familiarity with various cultures and languages, Mr. Gopikrishna has attempted to establish relationships with members of various communities and encourage their involvement in community activities. He is also interested in the evolution and development of housing and immigration policy.
Asif A. Khan
Mr. Khan is a retired Civil Engineer who was employed for 28 years as a Senior Building Official with the former City of Scarborough and the City of Toronto. Asif brings extensive knowledge on by-laws, zoning, planning and other building development issues to the Committee of Adjustments. He has extensive community service experience at the local, provincial and federal level including service as a member of the Committee of Adjustment (2004-06), the Advisory Committee on Access, Equity and Human Rights (City of Toronto), the Ontario Advisory Council on Multiculturalism and Citizenship and the Canadian Consultative Council on Multiculturalism.
Prabhakar Basawant Mahant
With a Master of Applied Science degree from the University of Toronto in structural engineering, Prabhakrar was employed for 40 years as a private engineering consultant and with the City of Toronto in the building division. He has experience with the complex challenges associated with satisfying the zoning, structural, health and mechanical aspects of the Building Code Act and Planning Act regulations. In his capacity as Manager of Plan Review, he dealt with neighbourhood issues such as noise complaints, privacy issues, heritage issues and demolition reports. Throughout his career, Mr. Mahant dealt fairly with home owners, contractors, designers, architects and engineers. He retired from the City of Toronto in 2006.
Rolf Rogde
Mr. Rogde is retired from a career at IBM, where he has been everything from a systems engineer to a sales manager for their finance division. Rolf's career intersected with municipal government when he worked as the marketing representative for IBM's insurance and municipal government accounts. He has lived across most of Toronto, and while studying at the University of Toronto, he drove a taxi - all of which gives him an intimate knowledge of this city.
Toronto and East York Panel A
Sandeep Kumar Agrawal
Mr. Agrawal is a practicing architect-planner and an urban planning faculty at Ryerson University. He has a deep understanding of the cultural and social diversity of the city, significant knowledge of planning, architecture and local government, a complete familiarity with the operations of the Committee of Adjustment and an unswerving commitment to serve the community. Sandeep also has extensive committee and volunteer experience. He has worked with the United Way of Greater Toronto as a member of the Allocation Committee, as a member of the Scarborough Preservation Panel, as Data Committee Chair at the Centre of Excellence for Research on Immigration and Settlement and as Vice-Chair of the Midtown Preservation Panel.
Fernando D. Costa
Mr. Costa practices law in Toronto. He has previous adjudicative experience as Chair of the Canada Pension Review Tribunal and has conducted hearings under previous Provincial legislation dealing with civilian oversight of police. He has a record of civic involvement dating back to 1982, having served on the Planning Board, the Planning Advisory Committee, the Board of Health and more recently the Committee of Adjustment. Fernando has been actively involved in professional and community organizations. He is fluent in English, Portuguese and Spanish.
Heather Gardiner
With eight years' professional experience as an urban planner, Ms Gardiner brings a wealth of experience to the Committee of Adjustments. Her work history shows that as a municipal planner, Heather was trusted with facilitating the development and making recommendations for plans, which carried significant impacts, from neighbouring zone disputes to Official plan policies. Heather also participated as a citizen member on the Task Force to Bring Back the Don.
Kay Gardner
Twelve years on City Council, including nine years on the Executive Committee, Land Use Committee, the Historical Board and the Chair of the Neighbourhood Committee have provided Ms. Gardner with the experience necessary to undertake the responsibilities and fulfil the duties of a member of the Committee of Adjustment. As a member of City Council, Kay was actively involved and took a leadership position on many issues affecting neighbourhoods in Toronto.
Corinne Anne Muccilli
While studying for her law degree, Ms. Muccilli articled with the Municipality of Peel. Additionally, one of her undergraduate majors was Urban Studies. This allowed Corinne to transfer her passion for Toronto to an academic environment. During that time, she participated in internships with two former City Councillors, Dan Leckie and Betty Disero. A lawyer now for four years, Corinne has litigation experience that includes motions, mediations and pre-trial settlement conferences at both the Superior and Small Claims Court levels.
Toronto and East York Panel B
Robert George Brown
Mr. Brown has been a member of the Annex Residents Association for the past 25 years. Through this work, he has developed an understanding of the Provincial Policy Statement and Planning Act as well as the City Official Plan and By-laws as they relate to building issues. Robert has been a member of the planning and zoning committee of the Annex Residents Association for a number of years and participated in City-sponsored working groups dealing with major development applications. Professionally, Robert is a senior executive with more than 35 years' experience in international business development, marketing and supply chain management with major industrial and consumer packaged goods companies.
Gillian M. Burton
Ms. Burton majored in municipal and planning law at law school and has more than 20 years' experience in this field with the Ministries of the Attorney General, Municipal Affairs, and Housing, including the Ontario Municipal Board and the Assessment Review Board. Gillian has drafted municipal and administrative legislation and regulations. She was selected as founding Chair of the Residential Rental Standards Board, Ministry of Housing, where she reviewed property standards orders and drafted a provincial property standards code. She is a trained mediator and hearing officer.
David Pond
David Pond teaches Canadian and environmental politics at the University of Toronto. He has published a number of academic articles on various topics, including land-use policy in Ontario. He is the author of a forthcoming study of the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario and federal Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development. Before joining academia he was a non-partisan public servant at the Ontario Legislature. He previously served on the City's Housing Standards and Appeal Committee.
John Tassiopoulos
John Tassiopoulos is a registered professional planner. Much of his work as an urban designer and policy planner applies an understanding of both public and private realm requirements towards the preparation of urban and architectural design guidelines involving built form in new communities. Mr. Tassiopoulos also brings his interest and expertise in the fields of urban planning and architecture to volunteer activities such as the Royal Architecture Institute of Canada Syllabus Program.
George Vasilopoulos
Mr. Vasilopoulos is former Councillor for the Borough of East York, having served from 1985 to 1997. He has been on the Toronto and East York Committee of Adjustment since 2004. George has served his community as a member of the Home and School Association, Neighbourhood Watch, and the Board of Directors for the Greek Community of Metropolitan Toronto. He also served for 25 years as the Vice-Chair of the East York/Toronto Canada Day Committee. Other community activities include participating in the Metro Challenge, the Toronto Police Service's Community Liaison Committee and the True Davidson Acres Home for the Aged advisory board.
