Our Current Board of Directors:
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- Grace Patenall, Chair is a mother to a daughter and 2 sons. She has been practicing law for 24 years and, when she is not taking her children to one of their many extra-curricular activities, enjoys exercise, reading and spending time outside. She cherishes time with her family and loves being part of the East York community. Grace joined our board in 2012.
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- Mandy Vaughan is a mother of two boys and brings a decade of brand management in kids and family sector. She has a BA in Communications from Wilfrid Laurier University and studied Children’s Media at Centennial College. Mandy is very passionate about community and helping others.
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- Tina Lines, Treasurer, is parent to an active eleven year old. She has worked within the not-for-profit sector for more than 15 years, and specializes in program and fund development. She is passionate about child-centered programs locally and internationally. Tina joined our board in 2014.
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- Shivani Lahar was first introduced to EECC as a participant where she attended various classes/sessions with her two children. She became a Board Member in 2023. Shivani has worked in the Financial Services industry for over 15, with an expertise in Governance, Compliance and Risk. She is passionate about the community and fostering a safe and educational environment for children of all backgrounds.
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- Maureen Chow is a mother to a toddler boy and discovered the EECC by participation through its EarlyON program. She is a paralegal who has worked in human rights in the nonprofit and public sectors for over 15 years. Maureen has lived in the east end of Toronto her entire life and seeks out opportunities to be involved in the community. In her spare time, she enjoys playing volleyball, reading, travelling and spending time with her family.
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- Anastasia Zaver is a senior marketer that enjoys the diversity of juggling projects from copywriting and design, events and PR, and everything in between. She became fond of living in East York in just a few short years, volunteering at numerous organizations in the area. With a passion for travel and adventure that came to a halt during the pandemic, and now with a young daughter attached to her hip, she turned her focus on discovering her own end of the city which led her through the doors of the East End Children’s Centre. Shortly after, in May 2022, Anastasia officially joined our Board.
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- Kelly Aizicowitz is the GM of a health technology company, and mom to a very active toddler. She has seen the first hand benefits of the EECC as a participant of the Baby Time program, and during the Saturday drop in program. Previous to her current role, Kelly worked at Queens Park for the provincial government, in the Ministers of Education and Culture, and Premier’s Office. Kelly enjoys baking, cooking, and loves to travel with her family.
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- Kathryn Rutherford is an east end mom of two young people and is currently on maternity leave. Kathryn is a Registered Nurse and currently works with electronic medical records and does some virtual care nursing on the side. Kathryn’s true passion is in climate advocacy work and volunteers with several climate-related organizations. She hopes to bring a lens of climate and its intersections with health to her role on the board of the East End Children’s Centre.
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- Katee Hui M.B.E. works in brand strategy and corporate responsibility. A social entrepreneur at heart, she’s set up a number of nonprofits in the UK, including Hackney Laces, a football (soccer) community for girls and women. Having lived abroad for 15 years, she loves living in the east end of Toronto alongside her partner, their toddler and miniature dachshund.
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- Anna Nowak is a mom of 2 toddlers and has been living in East York for 5 years (and Toronto on and off for 15). She is a CPA with experience across profit and non-profits, currently working in financial services. Having loved travelling and living abroad in earlier chapters of her life, she is looking to put down more roots and contribute to her community, especially those places that she and her family have enjoyed being participants of.
Farewell and thank you…
to Vanessa Stevenson, Meredith Briglio and Rachael Owen-Worden, who have collectively given East End Children’s Centre 19 years of service! They have planned multiple fundraising events, and helped keep our ship steady through the pandemic years. All local moms, they understand families in the East End and we know they’ll continue strengthening the community through their leadership, commitment and big hearts!