Meet Our Team

Debbie, M.S.W, joined Blue Door following a role as the Interim Executive Director at the Peel Addiction Assessment and Referral Centre.  Debbie also worked at Covenant House Toronto as the Director, Program Services, was the President and CEO of Youthdale Treatment Centres and the Executive Director and previously the Director of programs of Turning Point Youth Services, both accredited Children’s Mental Health Agencies.  Debbie has experience leading organizations providing inpatient and community based addictions and mental health services, residential treatment, justice programs, and services for individuals experiencing homelessness.

Prior to joining adult health services and the youth mental health sector, Debbie worked for 20 years in the child welfare sector in progressive positions at the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto. Prior to leaving CAS Toronto, Debbie was the founding Director of the Child Welfare Institute. Debbie has taken leadership in a variety of community-wide initiatives and is a strong believer in equity, inclusion, engagement, collaboration and partnerships.

Debbie has a Master’s Degree of Social Work from the University of Toronto

Alex has over 20 years of experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness. As Vice President of Programs and Services at Blue Door, Alex has helped to create and launch six new programs, including Construct, service provision at Passage House, Blue Door’s Health Hub, as well as three transitional community housing programs called Abode (families), Forward (senior men), and INNclusion (2SLGBTQI+ youth).

Prior to entering his current role, Alex was a Director at Blue Door responsible for leading Blue Door’s health support, community housing, and emergency housing programs. Alex first started at Blue Door, working directly with the male youth in the emergency housing program called Kevin’s Place in Newmarket.

As a result, Alex brings a wealth of knowledge of the York Region community, experience developing and launching new programs, collaborating with partners, evaluating projects, working directly with vulnerable individuals, and has a thorough understanding of existing community needs and barriers faced by individuals experiencing homelessness.

Karen is a dedicated and experienced social services professional with a passion for helping vulnerable individuals. With over 10 years of experience in the field, Karen is currently serving as the Director of Programs, Emergency Housing Supports, where she oversees the development and implementation of programs that support families, adult, seniors, and youth in finding and securing housing.

Prior to her role as Director, Karen worked in various capacities at all programs, gaining invaluable experience and knowledge of the unique needs of  individuals accessing Blue Door. As a result, Karen is well-versed in the various challenges that come with supporting vulnerable individuals and has developed a deep understanding of how to provide compassionate care and support.

In her current positions, Karen is focused on building new partnerships and developing the programs that she oversees to ensure that they are utilizing best practices and providing the highest level of support possible.

Amanda has over 10 years experience in Human Resources. She graduated from York University with a Bachelor of Arts and from George Brown College Human Resources Management Post Graduate Program. She is a member of HRPA in good standing and activity participates in HRPA events. Prior to joining  Blue Door, Amanda developed volunteer programs with Blue Door through previous HR roles with Home Depot, Inscape and Children’s Aid Society, York Region. Amanda is active in her community and gives back as Board Member for New Path Family and Youth Services located in Simcoe County. She was recently voted in as Chair of the Human Resources Seneca Program Advisory Committee where she volunteers alongside other HR working professionals to support with curriculum updates and changes for future HR leaders. Amanda is passionate about organizational culture and ensuring overall staff satisfaction is at the forefront of recruitment and retention policies and practices.

Fayyaz brings over 10 years of experience supporting individuals experiencing homelessness. As Director of Quality, Compliance and Evaluation at Blue Door, Fayyaz is passionate about strengthening programs, improving service quality, and advancing evidence-informed practices that support positive outcomes for vulnerable populations and communities.

Prior to joining Blue Door, Fayyaz held leadership positions at 360°kids in housing operations, quality assurance, research, evaluation, and organizational strategy. In these roles, he oversaw housing and homelessness programs serving youth across York Region, led organizational quality and compliance initiatives, developed evaluation frameworks, managed funder reporting requirements, and fostered partnerships to support research and continuous improvement. In addition, Fayyaz has held strategic planning and performance advisory roles at Trillium Health Partners and Public Health Ontario, where he led performance measurement, integrated planning, risk management, and organizational improvement initiatives.

Fayyaz holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Liverpool.

Hetal, CPA, CGA, serves as the Director of Finance at Blue Door, bringing over 10 years of experience in nonprofits, accounting, financial analysis, and strategic planning. Hetal ensures the smooth operation of day-to-day financial functions while also driving strategic financial planning for the organization. Hetal plays a crucial role in optimizing financial performance. Her strong leadership abilities, problem-solving skills, and continuous pursuit of growth make her an invaluable member of our team.

Rachael has over 10 years of experience helping non-profit organizations reach their fundraising goals, ultimately sustaining and expanding life-saving services. Rachael joined Blue Door in 2019 and continues to foster long-term relationships as well as secure funding to launch and scale Blue Door’s homelessness solutions. Additionally, Rachael leads Blue Door’s marketing and communication campaigns raising awareness, educating, and advocating to reduce stigma and drive dignified programming. With a postgraduate certificate in Fundraising and Volunteer Management from Humber College and previous experience at the MS Society and Yellow Brick House, Rachael is a thoughtful, passionate, and strategic leader.

Melody is an accomplished fundraising and nonprofit leader with extensive experience in major gifts, capital campaigns, corporate partnerships, and community engagement. A Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE), Melody has worked across health care, social services, and the charitable sector, including serving as Executive Director of the CP24 CHUM Christmas Wish. Her background in sales, marketing, and real estate brings a broad business perspective to philanthropy, housing, and community development.

Melody has completed professional studies in nonprofit grant writing through the Schulich School of Business at York University, along with real estate at Sheridan College. Passionate about storytelling, building donor communities, and bringing people together around a shared vision, she believes philanthropy has the power to create meaningful, lasting change.

At Blue Door, Melody is excited to help advance the Housing for All vision, building the relationships and partnerships needed to create more homes, hope, and opportunity across York Region.

Emma is an innovative and passionate leader with a strong commitment to driving positive change in her community. With a Master’s in Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership from Carleton University, and previous experience in the food security sector, Emma has dedicated herself to gaining various experiences that have been invaluable in shaping her approach to program development. In 2021, Emma founded the Good Food Impact, a nonprofit organization dedicated to tackling food insecurity in the community of Whitchurch-Stouffville by increasing access to nutritious meals. Starting at Blue Door as the Resource Development Manager, Emma brings her experience in managing key funder relationships and contracts, particularly within the Construct program.