Vera Nazareth, Chair – Vera became involved with York West when she retired from IBM after over 30 years of service. With her experience in various areas at IBM as an executive assistant: HR, Finance, Governance, Legal to name a few, she soon became a volunteer at York West. Over the years she has been involved with various Committees at York West, was elected to the Board and served as Board Secretary. Currently she is Board President at York West.


Debby Culotta-Fernandes, Vice Chair
– Debby stumbled upon YWALC serendipitously when she read about the organization in the local paper. Newly retired and eager to join an organization that promotes healthy living, Debby became an active member of YWALC. The decision to join the Board was easy as Debby knows first-hand the amazing support that YWALC offers older adults and considers it a privilege to serve the community as a Board member. Debby’s communication, collaborative nature and management skills have leant themselves well to her role as Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors at YWALC.


Cathy-Ann Cope, Secretary
-Cathy-Ann joined York West because she was looking for a new community after she retired. The members were welcoming, and she was impressed with the wide variety of programs offered. When it became an option, she joined the Program Committee. Cathy-Ann has worked as a conference organizer, information systems trainer and e-learning developer. Cathy-Ann was elected to the Board in 2014 and currently serves as Board Secretary.

Rocio Tantahuillca Landeo, TreasurerRocio learned about YWALC when she was looking for volunteer opportunities. Newly graduated and new to Canada, Rocio was looking for ways to get involved in her new community. Rocio has experience working in governance and compliance and, as such, started as a member of the Governance Committee, now she serves as Treasurer and chair of the Finance Committee. She currently works as a senior analyst, compliance for a bank. 

Directors

Roberta Jennings – Roberta joined YWALC upon turning 55 as the organization was highly recommended by her friends.  She joined the board as she was impressed with the leadership and professionalism of the staff and their ability to transition to on-line offerings during the pandemic.  Roberta brings decades of experience in corporate human resources, municipal adjudication and volunteering in arts and education.  Roberta is a member of the fundraising committee.

Mary Kowalsky – Bio coming soon

Adrienne McKenzie – Adrienne has volunteered for many years in Weston and became involved with York West Active Living Centre when the call came out looking for Directors in 2019 and felt it was a good time to support this great organization. Adrienne has over 25 years of experience in finance with a focus on risk management and Regulatory compliance., including roles in HR and Governance.  Adrienne is the current Chair of the Governance Committee.

Amanda Meadows – Amanda learned of YWALC while seeking a volunteer opportunity with an organization focused on making active and healthy lifestyles accessible to the community. As a lawyer with experience across the health and wellness industry, Amanda joined the Board of Directors wanting to assist YWALC in furthering its valuable mission of supporting healthy, independent living through a variety of health and wellness programs. Amanda currently sits on the Governance committee.

Diana Santos -Diana  has spent her career in banking.  For 20 years she worked in various credit unions. The past 10 years she has worked at one of Canada major banks.  When she isn’t working she enjoys traveling. Diana’s goal is to travel all seven continents.  She is an outgoing and enjoys meeting new people and making a difference in her community.  When Diana isn’t working or traveling she enjoys reading, meeting her friends, and looking after her extended family.  Diana has a passion for helping people especially seniors, this is rooted from her caring for her parents and and more recently her brother.

Dylan Scammell – Dylan learned about YWALC while attending Volunteer Toronto’s board of directors workshops.   He decided to join their Board of Directors to help further YWALC’s mission to promote active living in his community.   Dylan has a career spanning 20+ years as a corporate trainer & college instructor. He is also an active volunteer in Toronto and recently served as a Newcomer Mentor for the TRIEC Mentoring Partnership and as a COVID 19 volunteer chair to help coordinate volunteers to buy groceries for those with mobility-issues living in his apartment.

Shazia Yasmeen – Shazia has been our board member since 2020. Her deep passion to support our community coupled with her professional experience in finance, human resources, strategic communication, and policies & governance encouraged her join our board.  Shazia currently serves as chair of our HR and Marketing & Communication committees. She currently works as a senior manager, Compensation governance & Strategy for a telecommunication company.  In her free time, Shazia enjoys reading, baking, gardening, oil painting, traveling, and enjoys spending time with her nieces and nephews.