Board of Directors

The Board of Directors provides strategic direction and the governance structure of Blue Door.

The Board is comprised of volunteers with a range of skills and experience. Board members are elected at the Annual General Meeting.

Michael Scarano (He/Him)

Board Chair

Michael is a transformational and process improvement leader with over 25 years of Financial Services experience in Capital Markets, Risk Management, Wealth Management, Retail Banking and Corporate Services. He brings in depth knowledge in the areas of Compliance, Governance, Risk, Procurement and Delivery complimented with his experience in Strategy, Product Management, Sales and Third-Party Management. Michael holds an MBA from Dalhousie University and an Undergraduate degree in Public Policy & Administration from York University. Michael has an extensive volunteer history and looks forward to building strong relationships and working in collaboration with the Blue Door team to bring forward sustainable solutions to prevent and end homelessness.

Anika Mifsud (She/Her)

Vice-Chair

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 Jones (He/Him)

Board Treasurer

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 Ralph (She/Her)

Board Secretary

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 Bhatt (He/Him)

Board Member

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 Dhanraj (She/Her)

Board Member

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 Hunter (She/Her)

Board Member

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 Le Bel (She/Her)

Board Member

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 Rawcliffe (He/Him)

Board Member

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.

Christopher Achkar (He/Him)

Board Member

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.

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