2017-05-12 Decision Letter - Nominating Panel

Susan Garossino, Acting Director, Court Services and Aretha Phillip, Manager, Public Appointments gave an overview of the selection process for the Administrative Penalty Tribunal.

Candidates' biographies:

Paul Sommerville, Chair

Graduated from Glendon College of York University, then the University of Western Ontario Law School. Joined the Ontario Trucking Association as Director of Legal Services then recruited by General Motors of Canada Limited, becoming Counsel responsible for Environmental, Health and Safety and Human Rights matters. Joined the Ontario Energy Board as Member. Then joined Toronto Hydro as Exec Vice President, General Counsel. Joined the Mowat Centre. University of Toronto, as Executive Director.

Richard Austin

Richard Austin, a native of Toronto, is a retired financial services lawyer with considerable experience in administrative law and dispute resolution who recently was Counsel with Canada's largest law firm. He currently is a member of the disciplinary tribunals of two professional organizations. He has been an active supporter of local children's sports organizations, industry trade associations and local charities over the years. He has also authored a number of financial services courses.

Sudershen Beri

Since 1984, I have been working as a Financial Advisor in the financial industry. I have a wide range of experience and skills having served for over 25 years on a number of boards such as the National Parole Board, Multicultural Board, College of Physicians & Surgeons. Current, I am President of the Aryan Vedic Cultural Society; involved in fundraising for humanitarian causes. I am a key person in establishment of Vedic Cultural Centre at $5M in Markham. Prior to this was, I was Deputy Secretary for the Office of the President in Kenya.

David Black

David Black was called to the Ontario bar in 1988, after having graduated from McMaster University (B.A.) and Western University (LL.B.). He is a Part-time Member of the Licence Appeal Tribunal, a Deputy Judge in Small Claims Court, and a sole practitioner as a Municipal Hearing Officer in Hamilton and several Niagara municipalities. Mr. Black has practiced law as a civil litigation lawyer. He has also held positions as an Immigration Adjudicator and as an Arbitrator and Mediator.

Deborah Boudreau

Graduated from the University of Windsor in 1974 (Bachelor of Laws) and called to the Bar of the Province of Ontario in 1976. Employed as a lawyer in the private sector until joining the former Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto in the Legal Department as a Solicitor in 1990. Continuously employed by the amalgamated City of Toronto until retirement in January 2017.

Daniel Boyer

Daniel Boyer is a seasoned entrepreneur, executive coach, and trainer with a bias for action. Eager to prototype, evaluate, and iterate solutions, Dan is relentlessly focused on achieving quantifiable impact for his clients. In his over 15 years experience in social services, Dan has advised senior leaders on projects in three continents. Dan currently serves on the Legal Aid Ontario Area Committee and volunteers as Chair of the Board of Directors for PTP Adult Learning and Employment Programs.

Cherie Daniel

Cherie A. Daniel has a BA in English and Legal Studies. Cherie is a criminal defence lawyer with over 10 years of experience. She has practiced in the areas of criminal law, provincial offences regulatory, tax and civil law. Cherie also teaches in the Paralegal program at George Brown College and Humber College and she is currently working towards her LLM at Osgoode Law School and Med At OISE (UFT).

Sandra Driesel

I have 16 years of adjudicative experience (ELTO- Assessment Review Board). With a keen passion for education, I was active in member training and I continue to assist with the SOAR/OSGOODE Adjudicative Training Course. Since 1985, I have been a consultant to large corporations and small businesses on systems analysis; records management and bookkeeping. This includes developing workflows, documentation and training for cost-effective processes that meet customer service objectives.

Joanne Foot

Joanne Foot has lived in Toronto for most of her life and is proud of her city. She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1983, following which she clerked for the Justices of the Court of Appeal of Ontario. Joanne then went into private practice, specializing in corporate law, becoming a partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP and spending 20+ years at that firm. Joanne enjoys teaching in continuing education programs and contributing to community events.

Lisa Freeman

Lisa graduated from the University of Toronto Law School in 1992 and was called to the Ontario bar in 1994. Over the course of her career, Lisa has appeared before the Law Society Tribunal, the Divisional Court and the Ontario Court of Appeal. Lisa teaches trial advocacy at a variety of venues and has participated as a panelist at numerous educational events. Lisa's community involvement ranges from sitting on a variety of boards to helping create an ice rink in her neighbourhood park.

Cheryl Gaster

Cheryl, a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School, has been an adjudicator since 2007 and a mediator since 1995, accredited as a Chartered Mediator in 2001. In 2007, the City of Toronto appointed Cheryl to the position of Deputy Rooming House Licensing Commissioner. As an adult educator, Cheryl has presented on a wide variety of topics, including, human rights, mediation, ethics, fact-finding, facilitation, personal harassment, sexual harassment.

Christina Gural

Christina M. Gural is a Toronto lawyer who has practiced law before a range of administrative tribunals since her call to the Ontario Bar in 2003. She completed a bachelor’s degree in political science, a law degree and a master’s degree in public administration, which focused on local government management. Christina actively participates in community initiatives, having served as director, and then, as president of a community association, and she is currently coordinating various fundraising initiatives.

Mumtaz Jiwan

Mumtaz Jiwan is a highly experienced mediator and adjudicator. She has worked with the Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario as a mediator, adjudicator and team leader. Prior to that, Mumtaz served as a Senior Board Member on the Ontario Rent Review Hearings Board. She has also volunteered with various organizations including the Ismaili Council for Ontario. Mumtaz holds a BA Hon. Political Science (International Relations) from Western College, Ohio.

Kathleen Kelly

Kathleen Kelly, FCIArb, C.Arb, C.Med, lawyer, author, is a dispute resolution expert who provides conflict management, dispute resolution, ADR systems design, and training. She has held executive positions at ADR Chambers and public appointments to various provincial tribunals. She is a mediator for the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada. In 2003, she received the Award for Excellence in ADR from the Ontario Bar Association. Ms. Kelly is an active community volunteer.

Stanley Makuch

Stanley M. Makuch is a Toronto lawyer who has had unparalleled experience in municipal law. Born and raised in Toronto, he is a graduate of the University of Toronto, Osgoode Hall Law School and the Harvard Law School. He has taught and practiced municipal, planning and environmental law in Toronto throughout his professional career. He is the author of numerous books and articles and his community involvement includes serving on a large number of public bodies.

Randal Montgomery

Randal Montgomery has a B.A. in Psychology, M.A. in Sociology from York University, and a Ph.D. from the U. of Alberta. His thesis was on Vietnamese refugees. He has participated in major research projects (academic, government, business, Law Society) and has publications in scholarly journals. He has taught courses at 8 universities in three countries. After his call to the Ont. Bar, he worked at the Refugee Board and then was counsel at the Immigration Appeals ct. and is now in solo practice.

Nicola Mulima

Nicola Mulima is an Ontario Lawyer called to the Bar in 1995 and has worked in both the public and private sector for over 20 years. Ms. Mulima has served as Executive Director and Staff Lawyer for Legal Aid Ontario community legal clinics, the Legal Aid head office, with a Municipal government, and as General Counsel for one Canada's largest charities. She has been committed to social justice and equity and human rights issues throughout her career and has served on several boards of directors.

Jonathan Ng

Jonathan Ng is a lawyer and access to justice advocate for middle-class litigants who fall outside of legal aid thresholds. He represents individuals and small businesses in a variety of civil and administrative litigation contexts. He also makes use of limited scope retainers to assist self-represented litigants efficiently and cost-effectively. Jonathan holds degrees from Cornell University and Dalhousie University.

Sancia Pinto

Sancia Pinto is a Barrister and Solicitor licensed to practice law in the province of Ontario. Sancia practices with a prominent litigation law firm where she practices exclusively in the area of civil litigation. Sancia has handled a varied array of cases at numerous levels of Courts and Tribunals in Ontario. Sancia is also an Assessment Officer for the Ontario Superior Court where she conducts quasi-judicial hearings.

Andy Radhakant

I am an Ontario litigation lawyer, called to the bar in 2001 after I completed a law degree at Osgoode Hall Law School of York University and a chemical engineering degree at McGill University. While I am now running an independent legal practice, I have spent most of my legal career in civil litigation at large national and international law firms in Toronto. For six years now, I have been proud to be a volunteer lawyer at the free legal clinic at the 519 Church Street Community Centre.

Debra Ram

Debra Ram is a long time Toronto resident. She holds a law degree from University of Toronto, and has worked as a legal aid lawyer and legal clinic director in Toronto and Northern Ontario. She has also taught clinic law at Osgoode Hall Law School at York University, and most recently has taught paralegal, law clerk, and court and tribunal agent students at Seneca College. She has also written poetry, screenplays and fiction, and was twice short-listed for CBC Literary Awards for short stories.

Victoria Romero

I am very thankful that this country provided me with the opportunity to be the best that I can be. I came to Canada in 1990, learned English while finishing my high school education and went to University of Toronto. There, I had the opportunity to not only to learn French but complete my Specialist Degree in International Relations. I subsequently obtained my Law Degree from University of Windsor and started practicing in 2003. I have volunteered throughout because I believe in giving back.

Vince Scaramuzza

Vince Scaramuzza has been a lawyer since 1993. He maintains his law practice with a focus on criminal law, with a keen interest in representing vulnerable people in conflict with the law. Due to his experience, Legal Aid Ontario placed Vince on their panels dealing with extremely serious matters, Ontario Review Board cases, administrative tribunals, civil litigation, criminal, mental health, Gladue and criminal Duty Counsel matters. Vince is a mentor to others in the profession.

Fizul Sima

Fizul Sima is the Co-Chair for the Deputy Minister's Aboriginal Workforce Initiative at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. He has served as an Adjudicator with the Child and Family Services Review Board, President of Local 0134 Public Service Alliance of Canada and Mediator with Warden Woods Community Centre. He holds a certificate as an Adjudicator from the Society of Ontario Adjudicators, Law degree from the University of Saskatchewan and MBA from the University of Fredericton.

Sylvia Verkerk

Sylvia Verkerk is a lawyer and resident of the City of Toronto for many years. She brings a wealth of experience in both prosecution and defense sides of legal matters to this position through her involvement in trials, negotiations and mediations. Her involvement in the community includes sitting on community legal and self-help boards of directors, giving her expertise to school activities, representing the indigent, helping teenage mothers, and working on Pro Bono Canada activities.

Panel Decision
The Tribunals Nominating Panel recommends that: 1. City Council appoint the following candidates to the Administrative Penalty Tribunal, at pleasure of Council, for a term of office ending on May 26, 2021, and until successors are appointed: Paul Sommerville, as Chair Richard Austin Sudershen Beri David Black Deborah Boudreau Daniel Boyer Cherie Daniel Sandra Driesel Joanne Foot Lisa Freeman Cheryl Gaster Christina Gural Mumtaz Jiwan Kathleen Kelly Stanley Makuch Randal Montgomery Nicola Mulima Jonathan Ng Sancia Pinto Andy Radhakant Debra Ram Victoria Romero Vince Scaramuzza Fizul Sima Sylvia Verkerk 2. City Council direct that Confidential Attachments 1 and 2 to the report (May 5, 2017) from the City Clerk remain confidential in their entirety as they relate to personal matters about identifiable individuals being considered for appointment to the Administrative Penalty Tribunal.