Carol Comissiong, CPA, CGA, MBA

Carol Comissiong is a former Chief Financial Officer, with over 15 years experience in a CFO role. Prior to her retirement, Carol was CFO, IBM Canada – Caribbean North District. Her various roles and responsibilities included leading finance teams in treasury, financial planning, external reporting, regulatory, audit and business controls functions, managing complex cross functional business operations and working with corporate clients. Carol is committed to volunteering and was the former President and Treasurer of People Bridge Charitable Organization. Previously she was a Rotarian, Treasurer of the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA) and a former trustee of the Harry Jerome Scholarship fund. Carol obtained her MBA from Ivey Business School at the Western University and holds a CPA, CGA designation.

Jenny Gumbs

Thora H. Espinet, LLB

Thora H. Espinet is a Barrister, Solicitor, Notary Public and Family Law Mediator. She obtained her undergraduate degree from York University and her Law Degree from the University of Windsor in 1982. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 1984. She is a former Chair of the Canada Pension Plan Tribunal, where she served for eight years. She taught Criminal and Civil Procedure at Centennial College and is a former student of Fanshawe College. In 2008, she was appointed as Deputy Judge of the Small Claims Court, a branch of the Superior Court of Ontario. She is a former board member of the Humber College Institute of Technology and advanced learning of People Bridge Foundation. She is recognized by the Law Society as one of the first black woman lawyers to be called to the Ontario Bar. Thora was the 2017 recipient of the Lincoln Alexander Award. In 2018, she was selected as one of the 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women (100ABCWomen).

Lennox Parkins

Alice Bhyat, Ed. D

Alice Bhyat is an educator and retired principal with a doctorate in Sociology and Equity Studies and with extensive expertise in the areas of education, workshops, management of high schools, staff, students, resource and education assistants, administrative and janitorial personnel. Dr. Bhyat has strong leadership, management, and staff development skills. She was successful in consistently delivering innovative, results oriented programs while working towards a high level of education for youth, and the ongoing task of preventing barriers in education. She did extensive research and writing in the areas of Anti-Racism, Diversity Work and Difference Education. Her goal is to continue work in this arena in a supportive consultative effort to support the future growth and education of our youth. She has a high interest in doing research on student achievement and the factors and barriers preventing students’ achieving their potential. She has taught as an adjunct professor at Niagara University.

Bobbette Jones-Keita

Tiana Knight

Paula A. Morrison, MBA, M.A.

Paula Morrison is an award-winning communications executive with experience in public relations and digital marketing. As a VP of communications, she led the strategic planning, coordination and implementation of public relations and marketing activities for leading corporate, consumer and B2B companies in the U.S., Canadian, and U.K. markets. Skilled at storytelling, Paula works to help companies understand how people now consume and create content.  With a sharpened pencil and clean eraser Paula is a strategist editor, industry listener and creator. She was the Chair, Board of Trustees, Black Business & Professional Association (BBPA), National Scholarship Fund as well as the Vice President and Communications Lead, for the Urban Financial Services Coalition (now CAUFP). Paula holds an MBA from Ivey Business School at the University of Western Ontario and an M.A. in International Relations from United States International University.

Basil Mwawasi

Esrick Quintyn

Colleen Vandeyck, MBA, CHRP, PMP

With an extensive career in the not-for-profit sector, Colleen’s true passion is in human resources, where she has excelled. She takes her knowledge and experience from organization to organization, always building on it and refining her practice. She combines deep professional experience with strong strategic planning skills, bringing significant improvement and change within the systems and practices of diverse organizations. Colleen held roles with responsibilities that included human resources, labour relations, project management, administration, financial planning, audits, and business controls. Throughout her career, Colleen practiced in school boards, unions, regulatory colleges, and not-for-profit organizations. Her understanding of good board governance and the importance of board self-evaluation, benchmarking, training, and development of members have made her an invaluable asset to these organizations.

Term: 2024-2027 Secretary

Jonathan Wong

Raymund Guiste, LL.M

Raymund Guiste serves as Executive Director at Tropicana Community Services. He holds a Master of Laws from Osgoode Hall Law School and has a deep background in social justice, human rights and consumer protection legislation and policy. An experienced mediator and adjudicator, he left the Ontario Public Service after a 25-year career where his policy analysis work with the Human Rights Commission, helped re-shape dispute resolution and investigative approaches. Raymund has also been lead consultant on a number of non-profit engagements where he worked to build capacity, shape organizational governance, and achieve alignment of operating pillars for maximum effectiveness.

He has been at the helm of Tropicana, Canada’s largest Black led and serving human services charity, since July 2019 guiding the organization through successful negotiation of its first collective agreement, it’s pandemic crisis transition to hybrid remote digital service delivery and over the same period, year over year growth in organizational impact and revenue. Today, he and his team are leading the implementation of Tropicana’s strategic and operational plan for the next five years.

Raymund remains active in the community, volunteering with several organizations. He sits on the Board of Directors of Shepherd Village Inc. Retirement and Long-Term Care, the Mediation Program Advisory Committee at Durham College, and the Toronto District School Board’s Black Student Achievement Community Advisory Committee. He has also volunteered his time with The Canadian Multicultural L.E.A.D. Organization for Mentoring and Training, The Stand-Up Young Men’s Conference, and the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund Canada.