Carina graduated with an Honours BA from Western University in 2018. During her four years at Wester, Carina served as the president of Arts and Humanities Faculty Student’s Council, held the position of Gender Equality Network for the University Students’ Council (USC) of Western University, and worked on multiple gender-equity projects in the London community. In her fourth year, Carina campaigned and was elected as the USC Student Programs Officer for 2018/19. In this full-time position, Carina worked to address and prevent gender-based violence on campus, and to elevate the voice and integration of women in politics through various campaigns. For Western’s Orientation Week, Carina developed an original campaign to address sexual violence and educate Western’s incoming class about consent. As a capstone to her work at the USC, Carina developed and executed a successful pilot project to collect data about the viability of providing free menstrual products permanently in campus washrooms. Carina is currently pursuing a Master of Public Policy at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy.

Gerry Connelly is the former Director of Education, Toronto District School Board and Director of Curriculum and Assessment Policy Branch in the Ontario Ministry of Education.

She is an adjunct professor at York University and has also served as Special Advisor – Education for the Learning Partnership and as Vice Chair of the Education, Quality and Accountability Organization (EQAO).

Gerry’s career includes teaching and administration in both rural and urban environments in Alberta, the Northwest Territories, the United States and Ontario, at both the secondary and post-secondary levels. She has worked in South Africa, China and Estonia providing advice on inclusive schools, teaching and learning, curriculum development and second language learning.

Gerry served on several boards including WE Charity, the Children’s Aid Society of Toronto, Humber College, EQAO, Jump Math and ALPHA Education. She co-chaired the Sustainability and Education Academy which provide leadership training and support both nationally and internationally in the area of Education for Sustainable Development.

Gerry is the recipient of many awards including the Distinguished Educator Award from OISE/University of Toronto, the Government of Ontario Teacher Dedication Award by the Royal Conservatory of Music, Learning Through the Arts, the Ontario Supervisory Officers provincial award for Leadership in Public Education. Several other awards have acknowledged her commitment to equity, and community engagement. These include the City of Toronto Bob Marley Award, the Fraser Mustard Award and the University of Toronto Arbor Award. She is recipient of the Science Teacher of the Year Award, Lifetime Achievement Award as a Leader in Science and Phi Delta Kappan/UToronto Outstanding Educator Award.

Kate Gatto is the National Program Director at the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative Canada, a public charitable foundation that offers a youth-led participatory grant-making program in schools across the country. With ten years of experience in the non-profit sector managing education programs locally, nationally, and globally, Kate is dedicated to empowering youth to be civically engaged leaders in their communities. She approaches this work through social justice education programming in collaboration with students, educators and community partners. Through this work, Kate has served at organizations like TakingITGlobal, IDRF, YMCA, and CAMH, and is currently a member of the Advisory Council at Rawlinson Community School.

Kate earned an M.Ed from Brock University, where she studied the social and cultural contexts of education, and completed her B.A. in English Literature at the University of Toronto. She lives in Toronto in the Corso Italia neighbourhood with her husband and daughter.

Claire’s experience spans the private and charity sectors, beginning with a 12 year career at KPMG in Toronto and the UK in audit and human resources. For over twenty years Claire’s professional training as an accountant has provided her with the opportunity to work, in a voluntary capacity, with a variety of charities and not-for-profits, in both Toronto and the UK across a variety of sectors including education, health, social services and the arts. Claire’s passion for working with these organizations led her to obtain her Masters in Charity Accounting and Financial Management at Cass Business School in London. Claire has returned to the Board of People for Education after 6 years living in the U.K. and continues to support the ongoing work and expanding reach of the organization and it’s mandate to ensure that public education is a pillar of Canadian society.

Vincent is currently leading revenue strategy and business development for a bespoke digital marketing agency in Toronto, Ontario. Prior to this, Vincent started Canada’s largest financial literacy education organization, which taught tens of thousands of students across the country about the basics of personal finance, and conducted national research on outlying gaps in Ontario’s public education curriculum. In 2017, the company was acquired for its reach across the country and Vincent joined the acquiring firm to support new user acquisition strategy. Vincent chairs the NextGen committee of People for Education’s Board of Directors, which sources feedback and perspective from young professionals on the charity’s vision and initiatives.

Helen Davies is currently Vice President Talent Management for TD Bank. Prior to moving to Canada in 2013, Helen was Vice President, Human Resources, TD Wealth International in the UK, where she led the HR, Learning, Communications, and Corporate and Social Responsibilities programs.

Helen holds a BA in Human Resources from the University of Stirling, Scotland and has a Diploma in Employment Law. She lives with her husband and their two young children in Toronto. Helen is an active contributor with ACCES employment, mentoring professionals who are new to Canada, helping them to find employment in their professional field.

Mirka Macalik says, “We are fortunate to have an independent organization working not only to guide Ontario parents through the issues in the public system, but also one who’s research on education is internationally recognized. Students need a strong foundation, People for Education is helping build it.” Mirka has been a member of the Board of Directors since 2014‎. After several years working in Capital Markets for various financial institutions she has been actively involved in her local community schools and more recently with People for Education.

Scott Nowlan joined the Board in 2015 and did so because he believed that “the work that PFE is doing is critical. As a strong and independent voice that provides invaluable research and priorities for policy makers and citizens, PFE must continue to be a strong advocate for public education – it is a much needed and valued voice for everyone who believes that public education is one of the pillars of our community”. Scott has three children in the public system. He has been a volunteer with other community organizations for many years. Scott is the founder and President of The Saunus Network, an Ottawa-based management consulting firm.

Alexis is Director of Health and Human Services for Sidewalk Labs and is based in the Toronto office. Most recently, Alexis worked at MaRS, North America’s largest urban innovation hub, where she lead the Centre for Impact Investing’s health practice and supported the Health Systems Innovation team.

Born and raised in Toronto, Alexis is an experienced management consultant. Alexis has first-hand experience as an entrepreneur in her role as co-founder of a Canadian employee support and education company. Alexis has also worked as a civil servant in the role of Pricing Strategy Lead for Monitor, the regulators for the National Health Service in England.

Alexis is a graduate of the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario and completed her MBA at London Business School, both with distinction. She is also a proud mother to three awesome kids. In her free time, Alexis enjoys downhill skiing, yoga, and exploring new places and cities.