Board of Directors

Michael is an inclusive senior leader with over 25 years of experience in financial services, including executive roles at two of Canada’s Big Six banks. He brings a strong strategic and governance perspective, with a proven ability to align vision, execution, and oversight to deliver sustainable, long‑term outcomes.

He is known for helping organizations translate strategy into action—strengthening decision‑making, accountability, and organizational effectiveness. Michael contributes deep expertise in risk management, leadership, and operational stewardship, supporting boards and leadership teams as they navigate complexity, change, and growth.

Beyond his professional career, Michael has dedicated more than 15 years to board service, volunteering, and community engagement, reflecting a deep commitment to social impact, inclusive leadership, and building resilient communities.

Anika Mifsud works in research administration at the University of Toronto. Prior to this position, she was a Postdoctoral Fellow with the Research and Evaluation team at the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness. During her time there, she was also a member of the Systems Planning Collective and served as the resident Systems Planning Expert on the Homelessness Learning Hub. She holds a PhD in Psychology and has worked on two homelessness enumeration events in Durham Region. Anika enjoys bringing her lived experience to make meaningful change in the lives of people experiencing homelessness.

Julie Ralph is a Board Member and a lawyer with a global professional services firm that provides a broad range of risk, retirement, and health solutions. In her professional role, she is routinely involved in governance-related matters, advising on regulatory compliance, organizational oversight, and best practices in governance.

Julie brings a strong understanding of risk management and strategic decision-making to her board work. Her expertise supports effective governance, accountability, and long-term sustainability. She is committed to contributing her legal knowledge and professional experience to help guide and strengthen Blue Door/HFA’s mission and impact.

Christopher is the founding partner at Achkar Law, a firm focusing on labour, employment, human rights, and business litigation. Christopher works with his team to help both employers and employees resolve their legal issues pre- and during litigation. During his time away from work, Christopher focuses his time serving on boards to help with causes close to his heart. He also loves spends time in nature with his wife and kids as well as playing musical instruments with them.

Dharmesh is a finance executive partnering with executives to capitalize and execute strategic growth opportunities.  He has built high performing teams, scaled high growth companies, driven profitability, while managing risk. He holds a CPA, CGA designation along with an MBA from Laurentian University. In his spare time, Dharmesh, along with his wife, enjoys travelling, hiking, binge watching, and experimenting with new cooking recipes.

Vidia is a social policy, public sector leader with extensive experience in poverty and homelessness response systems change and transformations, focusing on the best outcomes for people with an all of community approach. Vidia has held several non-profit board positions, is invested in community well-being, and supports a wide range of activities as an active alumni at the University of Toronto.

David is a retired High School teacher, who is currently a supply teacher with the TDSB. He has an M.A. in Geography and an M.Ed. David was previously the president of Mosaic Interfaith Out of the Cold until the merger in 2021 and coordinated a volunteer-run Homeless Shelter in Thornhill from 2000 to 2020. Co-author of seven local SideRoad GuideBooks, David is also involved in the History and Heritage of Thornhill through two local societies.

Nick is a lawyer and Senior Vice President, Affordable Housing with EllisDon Capital where he provides leadership to EllisDon’s dedicated national affordable housing development team – EllisDon Community Builders. Beginning his career in corporate and commercial law, he gained expertise in project finance, public infrastructure procurement, and multi-jurisdictional lending.

Since 2020, he has focused on leading national efforts to develop affordable housing in Canada, leveraging innovative strategies to transform housing delivery models. Under his leadership, his team has developed holistic and practical approaches to affordable housing, driving impactful solutions for communities across the country. Recognized as one of Construction’s Most Influential People of 2024 by SiteNews, Nick continues to champion transformative projects that address Canada’s housing challenges.

Grant is a government, stakeholder, and community relations professional and currently serves as Director of Corporate Affairs at SmartCentres REIT. A seasoned board director, he has focused his leadership on strengthening the governance of organizations that serve the most vulnerable in our communities. His board experience includes service with Davenport-Perth Neighbourhood and Community Health Centre, Fred Victor, Pride Toronto, Unison Health & Community Services, and the University of Toronto. He is a 2021 CivicAction DiverseCity Fellow and a recipient of the King Charles III Coronation Medal.

Paula is a collaborative and systems-focused leader with expertise in governance, leadership, and quality and safety improvement. With more than 30 years of experience, she has partnered with healthcare organizations in Canada and the United States to align strategic priorities with improvements in service/care delivery, to achieve sustained improvements in outcomes. For over a decade, Paula taught in the Master of Health Science in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety program at the University of Toronto. Beginning her career as a physical therapist, she also holds graduate degrees in Clinical Epidemiology and Health Administration. Paula currently serves on the Board of Directors for Sinai Health System and volunteers with Habitat for Humanity.

Tom Muirhead brings 20 years of experience with the York Regional Police to the Blue Door Board, currently serving as a Detective in the Special Victims Unit. Throughout his career, Tom has worked closely with community agencies to address the complex intersection of crisis intervention, mental health, and housing instability. In addition to holding a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from Brock University, his background includes foundational frontline experience as a Case Manager for the Canadian Mental Health Association. A long-standing supporter of Blue Door, Tom is eager to leverage his experience in trauma-informed collaboration to help drive safe transitions and positive outcomes for the region’s most vulnerable populations.

Fyaz Faisal is a risk management leader with more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, specializing in market risk, liquidity risk, governance, and financial strategy. He holds graduate degrees in Economics from McGill University and Finance from the University of Toronto.

Fyaz believes that strong communities are built through a focus on thoughtful decision-making and empathy. He has served on several nonprofit boards and finance committees, contributing expertise in governance, financial oversight, strategic planning, and risk management to support organizations in achieving lasting impact.

Outside of work, Fyaz enjoys reading and spending time with his wife and two sons.