A highly seasoned board
The leadership and experience to open the doors of Eli’s Place.
Carol Cowan-Levine
BA, MSW, RSW, RP — chair
Carol is a Registered Psychotherapist in private practice, and a passionate advocate for excellence in healthcare. Her investment in community is reflected in her work on the numerous Boards on which she has served: Past President of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), Past Chair and Honorary Member of the Board at Women’s College Hospital, Past Chair and Member of the Advisory Board of the Child Development Institute, Chair of the Advisory Council of Women’s College Hospital Foundation, an elected trustee of the Holland Bloorview Rehabilitation Hospital (Children) and a worker bee invested in making a difference.
Dr. Howard Hamer
MD, FCFP, MSc(A), FCBOM — Vice-Chair
Howard is a Family & Occupational Physician; now semi-retired, he works part-time as an industry consultant in worker health and safety. Past leadership roles include: Board Member of the Humber Memorial Hospital (now Humber River Hospital), past president of the Occupational & Environmental Medicine Association of Canada and the Medical Director of the Function & Pain program at Altum Health, a division of the University Health Network.
Erin Johnston
CA, CPA - BOARD MEMBER & FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIR
Erin is a CA, CPA with over 12 years of experience in both Corporate and Operational finance roles, with the majority of her experience in corporate controllership roles at George Weston Limited and Loblaw Companies Limited. Erin is currently the finance lead for Loblaw Digital.
Dr. Deanne Simms
PHD, C.PSYCH - Board SECRETARY
As a clinical psychologist, Deanne has a wealth of experience in both public and private mental healthcare delivery. As the Clinical Director of CMHA – York South Central, Deanne’s expertise in digital health tools is evidenced in her oversight of two Provincial Mental Health resources – Bounce Back Ontario, and the Bibliotherapy Centre of Excellence. In this role she also manages a number of community health management programs. In private practice, Deanne is the President and CEO of TriveSpace Health & Wellness.
Matt Cappellucci
BSc, MBA – BOARD MEMBER
Matt has over 15 years of corporate experience in both the transportation and financial sectors. Matt has experience working and building relationships with clients across many different industries including CPG, Technology and Automotive. With a passion for data analysis and marketing, he always enjoys working with customers and businesses alike to solve their complex problems. He is currently a Transportation Manager at Walmart Canada.
David L. Cooper
Founding Director
David is a business owner with extensive corporate and non-profit experience. Founder of STUFF Canada, a non-profit created in 1999 to reduce homelessness and poverty in Toronto, David was the 2004 recipient of the New Spirit of Community Award, Canadian Centre for Philanthropy, and the Peter F. Drucker Award for NFP Innovation in 2003. David is the co-author of Bridge over the River Why, a guide for parents who have lost children to suicide, and is currently a volunteer grief facilitator for the Toronto Distress Center
Deborah Cooper
BScN, RN — Ex-Officio Board Member & Fundraising Committee Co-Chair
A community volunteer and advocate for over 45 years, Deborah worked professionally as a bookkeeper. Earlier in her career Deborah worked as a Toronto Public Health Nurse & Nurse Educator at Seneca College with a special interest in maternal and child health. Deborah is the co-author of Bridge over the River Why, a guide for parents who have lost children to suicide. A suicide loss survivor, Deborah is a Founding Board Member of Eli’s Place.
Shannon Craig
BA, MBA — BOARD MEMBER
Shannon is a career marketer who has worked with leading brands and large high-tech disruptors including LEGO, FedEx, WIND Mobile, Kobo and eSight Eyewear. In 2013, Shannon fulfilled a long-time desire to work in the charitable sector joining CanadaHelps where she is currently the Chief Marketing Officer.
Jasmine Godfrey
MA, JD, MBA - BOARD MEMBER
Jasmine is a lawyer at McCarthy Tétrault LLP in their intellectual property litigation group. A fierce advocate for women’s empowerment, she previously served on Lean In Toronto’s sponsorship team. Jasmine’s undergraduate studies were in psychology, and she is passionate about the importance of mental health.
Uzair Jalil
MBA, CTP, CIMC, CPA, CMA, LLM - BOARD MEMBER
Uzair is currently Senior Director, Capital Markets & International, Procurement, Technology, Innovation & Infrastructure at CIBC and has been with the bank since 2005. He brings over 16 years of extensive business and banking experiences. In addition to a Masters in Law (Business Law) degree and an MBA, Uzair is also a Chartered Professional Accountant and Certified Management Accountant.
Uzair is a passionate advocate for the patient community managing auto-immune diseases and is a Director-at-Large with Lupus Ontario. He enjoys spending time with family, travelling, playing squash and has a strong interest in mental health for youth.
Kate Kostandoff
BA, B.ED - BOARD MEMBER & COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE CHAIR
Kate is a retired secondary school teacher with the York Region District School Board. Her leadership experience includes many years as a department head of the library learning commons, leadership roles at the regional level with the teacher-librarian’s association, and committee roles with the Ontario Library Association. She is currently a facilitator with Book Clubs for Inmates at E Fry, Toronto.
Susan Rabkin
BFA, JD — Board Member
Susan is a passionate business leader and lawyer, with broad-based experience across diverse industries in the private sector. Susan also has extensive board leadership roles in the public sector, specifically in the areas of post-secondary education and child welfare.
Dr. Joel Shapiro
MD, FRPC - BOARD MEMBER & Model & Program Evaluation Committee Chair
An outpatient psychiatrist with the Medical Clinic for Person-Centred Psychotherapy in Toronto, Joel has a special interest in long-term psychotherapy and educating physicians about mental health. His interest in psychotherapy motivated Joel to complete specialized training and supervision in Dialectical Behaviour Therapy & Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.
Momar Sourang
MBA, CTP, CIM, CPA, CMA, LLM - BOARD MEMBER
As a manager in various large financial institutions and an army officer in the Royal Canadian armed forces, Momar brings extensive risk, leadership, Investments, and operational management expertise to our team.
Additionally, Momar holds a designation in responsible investments and is a certified scrum master. Momar is involved with several charities. He is a firm believer that responsible & ethical finance will change the world.
Lorne Zon
BA, MES — Ex-Officio Board Member
Lorne is an experienced healthcare executive and consultant with national, provincial, regional, and community health and mental health organizations. Lorne retired as CEO at CMHA – Ontario Division, and is currently an Adjunct Professor in the School of Health Policy and Management at York University.
