• Governing Board
• Advisory Board

Governing Board

Mireille has worked in the not-for-profit sector for fifteen years. Since 2006, she has lead fundraising, parent relations and volunteerism projects as the Associate Director of Advancement at The Sterling Hall School in Toronto. She has also fundraised and managed projects in the Arts and Culture sector. Mireille holds a BA from the University of Waterloo and her CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive) designation. She is the Mom of two active boys and volunteers regularly both with her professional associations and in her community.

Joyce is a Chartered Accountant and received her BBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University. She brings over 15 years experience to the role and is currently the VP of Corporate Tax at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. As a mom of two toddler boys, she discovered LWAB with her first son and found the program to provide a wonderfully supportive environment and a great resource for a new mom. Joyce is excited to be a part of this organization. Her strong financial background and governance-focused approach to the role will be an asset to Healthy Start, Healthy Future in achieving its growth objectives.

Susan currently works full time as a project manager at a not for profit organization and holds a B.A.Sc. degree in engineering. She has gained exceptional project management skills along with negotiation, organization and problem solving techniques in her career.

She is mom to an energetic and adorable toddler, and has found motherhood to be a truly amazing and rewarding experience.

Bisma holds a BA in Public Policy and Management from York University and is now completing her Professional Human Resource Management Certificate and progressing towards her CHRP. She currently is managing a great team of Customer Service Representatives at TD Canada Trust. She is involved in volunteering for many community events and is proud to be a member of Life with a Baby. She has an active daughter and is looking forward to growing her family in the near future

Anna holds a Business Commerce degree from Ryerson University along with her CMA designation. She has held various roles in accounting and is currently working for Pioneer Electronics as an Accounting Manager. She is proud to be serving on the Healthy Start Healthy Future board and is also an active member of Life with a Baby and Life with a Preschooler. Anna is married with two small children.

Shawndra is mom to an active and happy little boy. She brings to the board over 10 years of progressive HR experience. She contributes her success to working in such challenging and ever changing industries such as Automotive, Legal and Retail. She currently holds the position of Manager, Human Resources for a leading Women's Health Company within the Medical Device world. She is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English and History. She is currently working towards attaining her CHRP designation as well as her Masters of Human Resources Management. In her spare time she enjoys running, traveling and spending time with her husband, dog and son.

Ilana Sirkovich, RN (Registered Nurse), BScN, IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) is a founder and clinical director of Health for Baby, Childbirth & Newborn Care Consulting in Thornhill, Ontario. She also works part time as a Lactation Coordinator at Mount Sinai Hospital. Ilana is a Vice-President of Ontario Lactation Consultants Association, active member of Multi-Lingual Committee of ILCA (International Lactation Consultant Association) and member of the Board of Directors of Holistic Fertility Network. Ilana has extensive experience in Breastfeeding, Public Health, Reproductive Health, Perinatal, Maternal and Newborn Care. In the past she worked as a Fertility Clinic Coordinator at a Centre for Reproductive Medicine and as a Public Health RN, Lactation & Newborn Care Consultant at a Mother-Baby Well-Being Clinic. Ilana is an author of numerous reviews for the Journal of Human Lactation, Inside Tracks translations for ILCA and breastfeeding education articles for ethnic media. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing Science. Ilana is a mother of two lovely kids.

Advisory Board

Stuart Shanker is Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy and Psychology at York University. He was educated at Oxford, where he obtained a First in PPE and won the Marian Buck Fellowship at Christ Church, where he obtained a First in a B Phil in Philosophy and a D Phil with Distinction in Philosophy. Among his awards are a Canada Council Doctoral Fellowship and Postdoctoral Fellowship; a Calgary Institute for the Humanities Fellowship; a University of Alberta Mactaggart Fellowship; an Iszaak Walton Killam Fellowship; and the Walter L. Gordon Fellowship at York University. He has received many grants, among them a $5,000,000 grant from the Harris Steel Foundation to establish the Milton and Ethel Harris Research Initiative (MEHRI), a state-of-the-art cognitive and social neuroscience institute at York University. In addition to serving as Director of MEHRI, Dr. Shanker is currently Director of the Council for Human Development and Past President of the Council of Early Child Development. He is also Director of the Cuba-Mexico-Canada Research Initiative, an international, multi-disciplinary investigation into preventative mental health (funded by IDRC of Canada).

Beginning as a volunteer with York Child Development & Family Services Inc. in 1984, Mary

has been employed with the agency since 1997 and is currently Manager for the Ontario Early

Years, York North (OEYC YN). They provide services and programs to families and caregivers

With children prenatal to six years of age throughout Georgina, East Gwillimbury, Newmarket and Schomberg. OEYC YN also supports and partners with a wide range of organizations and

agencies.

 

Mary is involved with a number of program and event committees as well as planning tables.

These include the position of Linking Georgina co-chair, as well as being a member of the York

Region OEYC Co-ordinators, Triple P Supervisory Group, Triple P North Quadrant, Character

Community Council and Early Years working groups.

 

Her passion and commitment remain strong as OEYC YN seeks to ensure families, staff and

communities understand the importance of continuous learning in their lives, their children’s

lives and the impact this can have on all of their interactions at home, at school and in the world

at large.

Born in Hong Kong, Sandra immigrated to Canada with her family at a young age and grew up in a musically influenced family. She graduated from the Faculty of Music from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Music Education degree and received her A.R.C.T. Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music. Sandra’s political career did not begin until 1993 when she met her now husband, Mario G. Racco. She became heavily involved with municipal, provincial and federal issues, gaining invaluable experience. She contributes her success to her hard work, determination, and to listening and understanding residents and businesses in her community. Sandra was first elected to Vaughan Council in November 2003 and was re-elected back in 2006 and 2010. Outside of her political career, Sandra has been an active participant in many not-for-profit organizations, sitting as a member of many diverse boards and committees, including North York General Hospital, Mon Sheong Foundation, Vaughan Community Health Centre, and act as an honorary advisor to the Canadian Multicultural Council (Asians) in Ontario and the Toronto Overseas Business Network Association (TOBNA)/Chinese Business Council of Vaughan (CBCV). Most recently, she was appointed as the President of the Federation of the Chinese Canadians in York Region (Vaughan Chapter).

John MacMillan, M.S.W., M.Ed, C.F.L.E., developed and led many workshops in family transitions, parenting, couple relationships, anger, stress and life management. He was the coordinator of a major family service agency’s program in Family Life Education for twenty-three years, before going into private practice. He is married, and the father of three children. He has a strong interest in father-child relationships, and is also a member of the steering committee of Father Involvement – Ontario.