Lenworth Carby, BBA Mgmt (Hons.), BNRC President
Financial Advisor , World Financial Group (WFG) Lenworth (Len) Carby has over 20 years of community leadership and community service experience. Len is currently a Senior Associate at World Financial Group, a leading provider of financial services in the US and Canada. Len was previously Systems Administrator (Information Technology) for Canadian Derivatives Clearing Corporation and has held other high level Systems Administrator positions with organizations such as Cott Beverages and National Bank Financial. With his proud Jamaican heritage, Len has held positions in Technical Services Management and Project Leadership respectively with Star Technologies and Mutual Life Assurance Company in Kingston, Jamaica. Well- versed in 'Roberts Rules of Order' governing board protocols and procedures Len possesses a rich background of democratic, consensus-driven and ethical perspectives on board governance. Len has put his community leadership and board governance skills to practice for over 20 years at community board levels. Len's major leadership roles have included his former position as the Chairman of Board for Kanisa Fellowship Church as well as his current position as Vice-President (Corporate Infrastructure and Communications), responsible for capital acquisitions, information technology, public relations, marketing and communications. Len holds an Honours Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from the University of Technology in Kingston, Jamaica. He has also been a vocalist in the highly acclaimed (Juno-award winning and Grammy-award winning) Faith Chorale Choir. Len currently lives in Brampton, Ontario with his wife Vanessa. He was elected President of BNRC in Oct. 2006.
Dr. Nita David, B.A., B.Ed., M.A., Ph.D., BNRC Vice-President
Sociologist/ Teacher/ Counselor
Rowntree Montesorri School Central Park Campus/ South Asian Welcome Centre Dr. Nita David has over 25 years of community experience, specializing in areas dealing with women and children. Dr. David has organized and attended various seminars, workshops, and international conferences on Empowering of Embattled Masses with special reference to South Asian women. Dr. David participated in Criminology and Forensic Science studies at New Delhi under the Government of India, Ministry for Home Affairs in subjects dealing with child abuse and victimization, as well as studies on the social status and role of women. Dr. David is an active member of the YWCA and has participated in leadership training programs and retreats. She lives with her husband, Sushil and their two children and teaches at Brampton Rowntree Montesorri School.
Vijay Hemanchal, B.Sc., C.A., C.F.P., BNRC Director
Chartered Accountant (CA)/ Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
Calvin Goldenberg, Chartered Accountant Vijay Hemanchal is a Chartered Accountant with Calvin Goldenberg, Chartered Accountant in Brampton. Vijay has worked in public accounting since November 1997 at various mid-size firms, specializing in owner-managed businesses, not-for-profits, condominium corporations, personal and corporate tax planning, and estate planning. Having grown up and lived in Brampton since 1984 Vijay graduated from Turner Fenton High School in 1994. Vijay went on to attend Michigan Technological University on a football scholarship in 1994 and graduated with a B.Sc. in Business Administration (Accounting) in 2000. Vijay completed the UFE examination in 2000 and received his C.A. designation in 2001. In 2006, Vijay received his Certified Financial Planner designation. In July 2003, Vijay married his wife Jackee and they have since had their first child.
Frances Laming-Vancer, CHRP, BNRC Secretary
President, HR Concepts Management Consultants Inc Frances is a seasoned Human Resources/Career Management Professional who moved to Toronto with Canadian Pacific's Telecommunications division in 1980 when the company officially merged with CN Telecommunications. She gained extensive experience as a generalist in H. R. over the years in 13 different industries in both Quebec and Ontario, including Employee Relations, Recruitment/Selection, Talent Management, Change Management, Coaching and Mentoring, and Training and Development, Occupational Health and Safety, WSIB Claims Management, Payroll, Compensation and Benefits. Frances is bilingual in English and French and is a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) with the Human Resources Professional Association of Ontario and a graduate of the George Brown College Career & Work Counsellor Program. Frances is a qualified Administrator of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), and EQ-i inventory, a True-Colours Level 1 Trainer, Personality Dimensions Facilitator, a Certified Interpreter of The McQuaig System, as well as all Psychometric Testing Level "B". In 1996, Frances was hired on contract by Sara Lee Branded Apparel (Division of Sara Lee Corp) as the Human Resources Officer/Change Agent for the major conglomerate; bringing four companies under one roof as Sara Lee Branded Apparel, (Div of Sara Lee Corp). Sara Lee Branded Apparel included Champion, Hanes Canada, and Canadelle (Daisy Fresh, Playtex, Wonderbra) and Sara Lee Hosiery (Cameo, Wonderbra). From 1996 to 2001, Sara Lee Branded Apparel made two acquisitions and underwent restructuring twice. Frances brought the employees of the four different cultural organizations together to work as a team. Frances has been actively involved in the Human Resources Professional Association of Ontario, in the Peel Chapter, where she has served in various capacities on the Board for the past 11 years. She served as President of the Peel Chapter from 2003-2004, and has brought about various programs for the Chapter to provide members with value added services, such as the Focus Group, Connect for Success, and the Government Liaison Committee. Frances is an active member with the Brampton Board of Trade where she serves on various committees (i.e. Public Affairs, Business Development, Youth and Business). Frances was appointed to the Board of Referees for Employment Insurance as an Employer Representative.
Arda Ocal, B.Math/ B.Admin., BNRC Director
Host/ Producer, Rogers Community Television Arda Ocal graduated from the University of Waterloo with a dual degree in Mathematics and Business Administration. An active member of the community for over 10 years, Arda began his volunteer work as a fundraiser for the March of Dimes. He worked his way up to Volunteer Coordinator at the Heart and Stroke Foundation, and assisting with organizing poll stations for provincial elections. After holding a position as a Project Consultant with Dun and Bradstreet Corporation, Arda decided to pursue his passion for media. He spent five years as an on air host/producer for CKMS 100.3 FM in Waterloo, where he actively promoted and co-organized events in the community. He brings that same passion to Rogers Television Peel, where he hosts various programs on air and also heads the Rogers Community Cruiser program, designed to increase awareness of local community events to give them more exposure and success. Arda is also a veteran Disc Jockey (DJ) / Master of Ceremonies (MC), with five years of Wedding, Corporate Party and Charitable Event experience. He also co-owns and operates Blood Swear and Ears (BSE) sports entertainment, which presents exciting events in various communities for kids and adults alike. BSE puts on shows 10 times a year in the Brampton area, as well as quarterly events in Northern Ontario. Every BSE event involves a charitable component, whether it is food donation collection at Christmas or fundraising for local Crime Stoppers chapters.
Dr. Randy Neilson, B.Th., M.A., Ph.D., BNRC Director
(Chair, Programming/ Planning Committee)
Pastor, Bramalea, Christian Fellowship Randy Neilson was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta before serving as an officer in the Canadian Forces, as a civilian air traffic controller. Randy became a small business owner and finally a Religious Minister. After pastoring churches in Alberta and Ontario, Randy became the Executive Director of Open Bible Faith Fellowship of Canada where he travelled extensively supporting pastors across Canada. In 2003 Randy, and his wife Jill, moved to Florida to continue their pastoral work. During this time Randy was called upon to serve as a Board Member of The Shepherd's Way, a not-for-profit organization focused on supplying emergency housing and integration programs to homeless families in Broward County. In January of 2006 Randy was called to Jill's childhood home of Brampton to assume the Senior Pastor position of the Bramalea Christian Fellowship Church where they now minister. Many overseas trips to conduct leadership-training seminars prepared Randy to appreciate the cultural diversity that he now enjoys in Brampton. Dr. Neilson also holds a PhD in Biblical Studies as well as a Clinical Counseling Certificate. Randy and Jill have been married for 38 years and have three grown sons and five grandchildren.
Deborah Morrison-Richards, BNRC Director
Business Owner
Orange Blossom Wedding Services/ Paradise Bay Catering Deborah Morrison-Richards has lived in Brampton for over thirty years. Deborah has been married for over 14 years to her husband David and has four children aged 13, 12, 9, and 7. Deborah attended Gordon Graydon Middle School, Central Peel and J.A. Turner Secondary School, and Sheridan College. Deborah has faithfully attended Bramalea Christian Fellowship Church (BCFC) for over 15 years and has participated in many community-focused initiatives through her church involvement such as helping with BCFC youth sports camps, supporting community barbecues, teaching children's church, supporting the ladies ministry, and contributing to intercessory prayer. Recently Deborah went on a mission trip to Russia. Deborah is presently working on her B.A. in Administrative Studies at York University's Atkinson College. Deboarah loves the City of Brampton and it's residents and is 100% committed to serving the residents and families of Brampton as a BNRC Board Member.
Honourable Mr. Justice Marvin G. Morten, B.A., LL.B., BNRC Director
Ontario Court Judge (Provincial Division)
Province of Ontario, Ministry of the Attorney General The Honourable Mr. Justice Marvin G. Morten has been an Ontario Court Judge (Provincial Division) since 1993. After graduating from Oakwood Collegiate in 1964, where he was a standout MVP basketball player, Mr. Morten went on to complete his B.A. at the University of Western Ontario (1968) and his LL.B. at Osgoode Hall Law School at York University (1972). While at the University of Western Ontario (UWO), Mr. Morten was designated an Ontario all-star basketball player. For twenty years Mr. Morten was a Crown Attorney with the Province of Ontario (from 1973 through 1993) in Toronto and Peel Courts. In 1993, the same year that Mr. Morten was appointed a Provincial Court Judge he assisted in Development and Presentation of Diversion Court in Peel. Judge Morten is an avid reader, cyclist and holds a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo. He was President of Cheung's Taekwondo in Brampton from 1993 to 1997 and was a participant and judge in United Achievers Celebrity Cooking Event from 1995 to 2000. He was recognized as Brampton's Citizen of the Year in 2002 and the Marvin Morten Centre for Children, Youth and Families in Etobicoke is named after him. Judge Morten has been a guest speaker at many local events, given talks in schools, and has been interviewed on numerous occasions on radio, television, and by journalists for the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail. Judge Morten has been married to his wife Judy, a retired Brampton teacher.
Susan DiMarco, BNRC Director
Former Regional Councilor, City of Brampton, Region of Peel Susan DiMarco has served the citizens of Brampton for more than 20 years and has concentrated her community commitment to the rejuvenation of the City's downtown core. Susan began her career in 1985 when she was elected Alderman in Ward 5. Over the next six years, she served as Chair of the Queen Street Corridor Plan and Chair of the City's By-law Committee. Susan's commitment to the community is reflected in her active involvement in a wide range of key, community-focused committees including: the Seniors' Council, the Brampton Arts Council, the Downtown Business Area Board, the City's Planning, Design and Development Committee, Community Services Committee, and the Works and Transportation Committee. Her commitment to broader city issues is evident in her participation on Brampton's inaugural Strategic Planning Committee; her input was instrumental in developing the first strategic municipal plan in Canada. In 1991, Councillor DiMarco stepped down as Alderman to pursue her personal interest in the City's downtown redevelopment opportunities as she accepted the position of Executive Director with the Brampton Downtown Business Association (BDBA). Under her leadership, the BDBA introduced a number of innovative initiatives including: the Thursday night Concert Series in Gage Park, downtown carriage rides and the very successful evening Santa Claus parade. Her efforts relocated the Farmers' Market to Main Street, introduced decorative downtown banners and brought the DuMaurier Jazz Festival to Brampton for a brief period of time making downtown Brampton a venue of choice for city wide events and a preferred location for family entertainment. During her tenure as Executive Director, the BDBA regained its financial viability through sound, forward thinking financial planning and prudent, effective management, developing many of the programs downtown Brampton enjoys today. At the urging of her community, Susan re-entered municipal politics in 1997, being elected as a City Councillor to represent the 45,000 people who live in Ward 4. In 2000, Councillor DiMarco was elected to serve on Peel Regional Council and currently represents approximately 87,000 constituents in Wards 3 and 4. This is her second term as a Regional Councillor and her constituency continues to include a major part of the downtown commercial core combining large areas of heritage buildings with new, and developing residential neighbourhoods and industrial areas. Her focus is presently on the redevelopment of Steeles Avenue from Dixie through to Mavis Road including extensive widening and streetscape improvements, as well as making improvements to Dixie and Kennedy Roads in an effort to redirect heavy commercial traffic from local residential roads and the downtown core. Councillor DiMarco brings her previous Council and BDBA experience to the re-development of the old fairgrounds adjacent to Brampton's downtown core. She is spearheading several citywide historical preservation advocacy programs and is committed to an expanded live theatre development program. Susan actively advocates for significant changes to safety innovations and enhancement for pedestrians by diverting truck traffic and delivery routes in the commercial downtown area to ensure Brampton's core remains the 'people friendly' place her efforts with the BDBA instigated. She continues to pursue and advocate for the construction of the new Brampton Campus of the William Osler Health Centre and redevelopment of the Lynch Street facility as a key anchor to the city's downtown core. Susan is committed to establishing an efficient, destination-driven public transit system for Brampton and the preservation of the City's green space through an $8 million naturalization project. The City's four major valley lands and tree protection legislation are a testament to her commitment to environmental stewardship. As Regional Councillor, Susan chairs the Human Services Committee and is an active member of the Peel Housing Corporation Board of Directors and Peel's Long-Term Care Subcommittee exemplifying her commitment to ensuring Brampton's quality of life remains amongst the highest in Canada. Her interests are varied and she lends her expertise to the Peel Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Committee and the Peel Heritage Complex Advisory Board. In addition to her work on City and Regional Councils, Susan has been an active volunteer over the years chairing the Brampton Heart and Stoke Foundation. She has been a Canvass Chair for the Salvation Army's Red Shield Campaign, and has offered her time as Vice Chair of the Citizens' Advisory Committee. Councillor DiMarco was actively involved in the City of Brampton's Sesquicentennial Celebration as a member of the Education/Reference Historical Working Group leading the Great Brampton Sesqui Search, which assembled a collection of historical artifacts donated by the public. Susan has raised three children in Brampton and continues to live in the downtown core of the community that she has served and lived in for over 30 years.
Ron Cunningham, BA, BAS, AICB, CIM, BNRC Director
Founder/President
Citizens Advancement Community Development (CACD) Ron Cunningham is a successful finance/accounting consultant who assists small and medium-sized organizations by providing financial solutions through his company, R.S. Cunningham Consulting. For over twenty years he has worked in the financial sector, in the Chief Accountant and Corporate Finance Divisions of the Bank of Montreal (BMO), Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), Bank of Nova Scotia (BNS), Banca Commerciale Italiana of Canada (BCI) and Royal Trust, a subsidiary of Royal Bank (RBC). Ron has a strong interest in corporate social responsibility and is using his highly developed leadership, organization, and relationship building skills to get results in the N-F-P sector. Ron has experience working with volunteers, developed and implemented funding plans, managed community-based initiatives, both domestic and overseas. He has experience in community program development, participated in policy-setting forums and community relations activities. Ron is the founder and president of Citizens for the Advancement of Community Development (CACD): a community development organization, which addresses the needs and concerns of the citizenry in a holistic manner. Ron and his organization serve the community here in Ontario (non-culture specific) and in Jamaica. Ron has since being recognized by the Mayor of Mississauga for his exemplary work in community development and in November 2005 was awarded a Peace Medallion by the YMCA of the Greater Toronto Area for his work on Peace and Development. Ron holds degrees in Economics and in Accounting/Finance from York University and Professional Designations in Banking/Finance (AICB) and Management (CIM).
Gary Bernard, CGA, FCI, BNRC Director
Manager, National Accounts and Integration, The Pepsi-Bottling Group (Canada) Co Gary Bernard is a Certified General Accountant and Certified Credit Professional and has been a proud resident of the Region of Peel for over 25 years. He has over 15 years of accounting, finance, information technology, project management and leadership experience. Gary presently works for The Pepsi-Bottling Group in Mississauga and was the recent recipient of the CEO Award for demonstrating outstanding business and leadership proficiency. Gary earned his Certified General Accounting Designation in 2004 and Fellow Credit Institute Designation in 2005. He is a member of Solid Rock Christian Assembly and is actively engaged in developing members financial and tax competencies. Gary is also involved with co-coordinating men's fellowship meetings and youth events. Gary has a 14 year old daughter and presently resides in the City of Brampton.
Christina Lynch, Honours B.Sc (Toronto), LL.B. (Queen's), BNRC Director
Assistant Crown Attorney, Brampton Courts, Peel Crown Attorney's Office Christina Lynch grew up in Brampton leaving only for a brief period to complete her law degree at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. She graduated with distinction and in the top fifteen percent of the Arts and Science Faculty from the University of Toronto (Mississauga) having specialized in Psychology and majored in Criminology. While attending law school at Queen's she spent a semester working with the Youth Diversion Program, a program intended to hold youth accountable for their actions by giving them the opportunity to make amends with their community through the use of the Youth Court Committee. In addition, she volunteered with the John Howard Society and met with inmates incarcerated at Collins Bay Institution on a weekly basis. She assisted in the organization and planning of the Queen's 7th Annual Business Law Symposium and was the Director of Marketing for the Queen's 8th Annual Business Law Symposium. Since her call to the bar in the summer of 2003 she has been practising law as an Assistant Crown Attorney. She regularly participates in community events and fundraisers for various charitable events.
