Board of Directors

An inclusive leader with more than 25 years of experience in Financial Services, including roles at two of Canada’s Big Six banks. A skilled communicator with a proven track record of building high-performing teams by aligning strategy, execution, and governance to deliver sustainable results. In addition to my professional expertise, I have dedicated over 15 years to volunteering and working within my community, deepening my commitment to positive social impact. Since 2022, I have been collaborating with Blue Door, where I currently serve as Board Chairman, to address the root causes of homelessness through focused initiatives in housing, health, and employment programs.

Anika is a Research Administration Officer for the University of Toronto. Prior to this position, she was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness. She holds a PhD in Psychology and has worked on two homelessness enumeration events in Durham Region. As a former refugee, Anika is excited to bring her lived experience to Blue Door to make meaningful change to those experiencing homelessness.

Al is a CA/CPA whose career spanned various financial and operational roles including CFO and COO of the Canadian operations of a foreign bank, responsible for finance, risk management, systems, business transformations, and regulatory reporting matters. Since joining the Blue Door Board Al has assumed the role of Treasurer. Al is pleased to support Blue Door’s efforts as it tackles the multi-faceted challenges of homelessness.

Julie is a lawyer with a global professional services firm that provides a broad range of risk, retirement and health solutions where she is routinely involved with governance related matters. Julie is currently Co-Chair of the Governance Committee for Blue Door. Prior to joining Blue Door, Julie was on the Board of Directors for 360°Kids.

Chirag is a 17-year member of the York Regional Police. He is presently an Inspector and is the Officer-in-Charge of the Training and Education Bureau. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Western University and holds a Masters of Arts degree from the University of Guelph. Chirag is passionate about serving the community and is committed to Blue Door’s mission and vision. Chirag is the vice chair of the Board’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.

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.

Caroline is a healthcare leader with progressively senior experience in the publicly-funded healthcare system. In her current role as Director at the Central Local Health Integration Network, Caroline works closely with health system partners to improve patient outcomes and drive innovation. In addition to her nursing diploma Caroline holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Biomedical Ethics from the University of Toronto and a Master’s of Business Administration from Athabasca University. Caroline is excited to contribute to achieving Blue Door’s mission.

Denise is the Managing Director and owner of Le BEL Consulting specializing in banking operations and financial controls. More recently she has taken a step back from her consulting practice to become more involved in her community. She joined Blue Door in April 2020 and is looking forward to actively contributing to the success of Blue Door’s initiatives as it tackles the challenges of homelessness.

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.