Services
Team
NROCRC is driven by a dedicated staff that goes the extra mile. Permanent staff are the foundation of NROCRC. Volunteers expand the range and scope of programming and services that our agency provides.
Our Board of Directors....jpg)
President of the Board
Tushar Shakya is currently the Director of Business Development and Strategy at Canadian Science Publishing. Prior to joining CSP, Tushar spent 7 years in senior advisory and business development roles at the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and Mitacs Inc, to facilitate the delivery of research funding across the country. Tushar holds a PhD and BSc in Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences from McMaster University and a Master of Health Administration (MHA) from the University of Ottawa. Tushar has previously held positions on other volunteer boards and brings a wide range of health policy and planning experience to NROCRC. Originally hailing from the Greater Toronto Area, Tushar and his family now proudly call Barrhaven their home and he looks forward to this opportunity to serve his community.
Vice-President
Seppi Panachikavayalil has a background in Human Resources Management and International Affairs. He pursues a career within the Public Sector. Before that, he worked as a management consultant engaged in organizational development, strategy, and evaluation. He helped teams to improve effectiveness, cultural alignment, and cost-efficiency. Seppi earlier worked with Oxfam and Save the Children across multiple humanitarian crises, including the 2004 boxing day tsunami where he led information management efforts. Seppi is also a founding member of the Centre for Public Policy Research, a successful policy think tank in India. He holds a Master's degree in International Affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA) and a Master’s degree in Human Resources Management from Middlesex University, London. On the NROCRC board, he contributes by participating in the Human Resources committee, the Fundraising committee and the Advocacy committee. He is delighted by the opportunity to serve the community through NROCRC.
Secretary
Kristen Douglas, a long-time Ottawa resident, recently retired from an executive role in the Library of Parliament's Parliamentary Information, Education and Research Service, having worked on the Hill since 1990. Among her roles at the Library, Kristen served as the Library’s Diversity and Inclusion Champion. Kristen is a lawyer by profession and has written in a variety of areas including family law and environmental protection. She has filled leadership roles in a number of volunteer organizations including, the Library's Government of Canada Workplace Charitable Campaign. She has also been a long-term fundraiser for a number of health charities and served as the first Coordinator of the Knox Community Garden. Kristen and her family are very involved in the community and have supported several local community theatre companies and other arts-related organizations. She is delighted to have the opportunity to contribute to the excellent work of NROCRC by serving on its Board of Directors.
Treasurer
Soojin Yu is a sociologist and classical pianist by training, with a PhD (Oxford) and le Prix (Conservatoire de Montréal). Her professional career has focused on social, immigration, and labour market policy with the federal and Ontario governments. She currently holds the position of Director, Employment Insurance Policy, at Employment and Social Development Canada. Born in Seoul, South Korea, she grew up in Montreal and has lived in Toronto, Oxford, and Los Angeles before settling in Wellington Village in Ottawa, where she lives with her husband and two teenage children. Her volunteer work, spanning a number of continents and two decades, includes: founding and conducting choirs, coaching budding musicians, and serving as a deacon and a teacher in churches.
Directors
Olivia Reed is a Director at BMS Canada Risk Services, a specialist insurance brokerage that is dedicated to working with associations across the country and globally. Olivia has worked at BMS in London, UK, Australia and now in Canada. Previously, she was a journalist in Australia working in TV for more than 5 years, covering a range of national and regional stories focused on politics, mining, crime and tourism. Olivia moved to Ottawa in 2018 and joined NROCRC later that year to become more involved in the community and continue to drive positive change across Nepean, Rideau, Osgoode and the wider city of Ottawa. Olivia is also the Chair of the Strategic Planning Committee and outside of work enjoys travelling, sports, running and stand up paddle boarding.
Wendy Love relocated to Nepean from Peterborough in July 2019 to be closer to her son, daughter and family. Following her retirement from the provincial government, Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services (now Solicitor General) in 2014, she volunteered in the non-profit sector in a variety of roles, supporting the Multiple Sclerosis Society, Food for Kids Peterborough Public Health, Peterborough Community Care and the YES Shelter for Youth and Families, where she held the Board Chair position. Wendy earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Waterloo and Masters of Social Work from Dalhousie University and held a variety of positions in the field of social work, from child protection to addictions, in Nova Scotia and British Columbia, prior to joining Ontario Corrections, where she was employed for over 20 years in provincial correctional centres, both young offender and adult. Wendy retired as a Corrections Ministry corporate director ending an amazing career spanning 30 years as a provincial government employee. Wendy enjoys going to the gym, golf, and just about any outdoor activity. On weekdays during the school year Wendy helps promote community safety in her role as a school crossing guard ensuring students safe passage to and from school.
Jill Skinner is a lifelong resident of the Ottawa neighbourhood of Queensway Terrace North. She retired after 37 years from the Ottawa Police Service at the rank of Deputy Chief of Police. She spent the majority of her career in areas serving victims of crime including Sexual Assault & Child Abuse & Partner Assault. She was awarded the Governor General’s Member of Merit of the Police Services medal, as well as the Queen’s Jubilee award for her contributions to policing in Canada. She is presently a Senior Investigator and Business Development official for Investigative Solutions Network (ISN) specializing in workplace investigations. Jill has been a Board member of Pinecrest-Queensway Community Health Centre for the past 12 years. She has and continues to be involved in a variety of community-focused initiatives in Ottawa. She and her partner, Tony have 4 children, 5 grandchildren and 1 great-granddaughter. Jill is excited to be a part of NROCRC and looks forward to being involved with the Board.
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Agnes Warda is a first-generation immigrant to Canada, born in Poland. She earned her second master’s degree at Carleton University. Her extensive volunteer experience includes, but is not limited to, working with the Canadian Polish Congress, the National Capital Commission, City of Ottawa advisory groups, Glens Community Association, and the Knoxdale-Merivale Council of Community Associations. She has obtained many awards for volunteerism, including the Mayor's City Builder Award for outstanding commitment to the City of Ottawa. During her career, Agnes worked at Carleton University, the Government of Canada, the
Parliament where she was an assistant to an MP, several NGOs, and recently as partner and co-owner of the consulting company JPW Innovation Associates Inc. Agnes is currently retained by the Bronson Centre Hub where she is responsible for advocacy and impact evaluation.
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Judith Minorgan has her Master of Social Work and experience working in the areas of mental health, child services, and health care. She has been a mentor for new staff, a student supervisor at Carleton and McGill University, and managed a mental health team of 35 staff members in British Columbia at the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council where she increased her knowledge about colonial impacts on Indigenous communities and the barriers to health equity. Judith currently works as the Coordinator of Quality, Patient Safety and Risk Management at Bruyère, initiating quality improvement projects, developing and leading a post-discharge
call program, leading serious and critical incident reviews, and supporting the accreditation process for the organization. She is also an active member of Bruyère’s Wellness Committee and the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Catherine Eaton is currently the Director at Spirits Canada/Association of Canadian Distillers, a national not-for-profit industry representing large global companies operating in Canada. In her executive leadership role, she is responsible for the organization’s finances and heads up their National Statistics Program. Catherine is also a key staff member providing support to their Board of Directors and maintains positions on several committees, including the Audit Committee.
Catherine has previous banking experience as a senior manager leading a team of customer service representatives as well as working in investments and financial services. Her educational background includes Event Management, a BA in History with a minor in Developmental Psychology, and accreditation related to Canadian Securities and Investment Funds in Canada.