Our Board

After a successful 13-year tenure as executive vice president at two large organizations, Mona Mitchell founded ACHIEVEBLUE Corporation in 2007 with a mission to help leaders create high-performance organizations that are also great places to work.

Over the course of her career, Mona has worked with hundreds of CEOs and senior corporate officers to create high performing environments that allow employees to thrive and excel, and management teams to lead and execute to strategy.

In 2018, Mona released her book, “7 Elements of Strategy Execution”, an Amazon Bestseller, to bring together all of her insights gleaned over the years in cultural transformation, leadership development and fostering high-performance corporate environments.

Michael is an award-winning Senior Equity & Inclusion Leader with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit social services sector.

He has over 20 years of experience as an equity and community engagement specialist. Most of those years were spent in the Jane and Finch community, in Toronto, where he lived and worked with immigrant and refugee groups, ethno-racial and low-income families, and survivors of family violence.

As the Equity Senior Leader at Simcoe Muskoka Family Connexions, he accelerated the agency’s equity journey by informing its governing statements and priorities. Michael has a Masters in Social Work degree from York University and has worked in the field of child welfare for over 18 years.

Louie Surdi has over 30 years of finance and accounting experience and is currently the Group Leader; Shared Services Finance at Finastra (formerly D+H) a financial technology company since 2016.

Previously Louie held senior roles with Deloitte Consulting, Connolly Canada and Toronto Argonauts and prior to that spent 10 years with HBC as Vice President, Shared Services Finance. Louie sits on the Board of Surex (non-profit organization), is a graduate of University of Toronto and lives in East York with his wife and two sons.

Jeffrey is a founding partner of Corman Feiner LLP, a well-known litigation boutique focusing on commercial litigation, health law, professional liability and regulation, and administrative law. Jeffrey was named one of “Toronto’s Top Lawyers” in a recent Post City Magazines survey. He mentors new lawyers and law students, assists Law Faculty mooting teams, and speaks and writes on a variety of litigation topics. Jeffrey is actively involved in various political, charitable, and pro bono activities, including providing litigation services to local community organizations.

Jeffrey graduated from McGill University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy and Linguistics and a Bachelor of Civil Law and Bachelor of Laws. Jeffrey’s connection to White Ribbon is long lived, having been involved in aspects of the movement in high school, university and as a strong supporter. He previously served on the White Ribbon board from 2014 to 2021 and served as Secretary, Chair, and Past Chair.

Sarah is an associate at Olthuis, Kleer, Townshend LLP, practicing in the firm’s corporate law group and advising on a range of matters for First Nations communities and their organizations as a solicitor

Sarah holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Lazaridis School of Business and Economics at Wilfrid Laurier University with a minor in Political Science and a Juris Doctor from Osgoode Hall Law School. She volunteers with the McCarthy Tetrault Indigenous Mentoring Program to support Indigenous youth education and is a member of the Mohawk Nation from Six Nations of the Grand River.

CeeCee is many things but above all a connector and people person. There is nothing she loves more than helping people succeed in what they are passionate about. She believes in the power of community and for over 14 years has volunteered her skills across organizations in Halifax and Toronto.

She is creative by nature and lives to maximize her skillsets at every opportunity as a Fashion Entrepreneur, as Founder of Dapper Style Mint, lending her expertise as a Brand Consultant and an avid community volunteer. CeeCee is a graduate of Saint Mary's University.

In 2012, Jim Devoe became the Chief Executive Officer for the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP). CAP is the National Indigenous Organization that represents and advocates for the rights and interests of off-reserve status and non-status, Southern Inuit and Métis Indigenous Peoples living in urban, rural, remote and isolated areas throughout Canada. Under his leadership, CAP has enhanced its advocacy, expanded business operations, community, and government partnerships.

Mr. Devoe holds a Master of Business Administration from St. Mary’s University, a Bachelor of Social Work from Saint Thomas University, and a Bachelor of Arts from St. Francis Xavier University.

Jim and his husband reside in Ottawa (Westboro) and are the proud parents of three children, a daughter attending Concordia University in Montreal and twin sons in high school.

​Ari Elkouby is a VP, Executive Creative Director at Wunderman Thompson Canada where he creatively oversees a diverse portfolio of clients across North America. His two decades of industry experience has seen him work across a broad spectrum of clients on both sides of the border.

He helps his client’s messages breakthrough with omni-channel thinking and integration of innovative technology. Ari is fiercely collaborative and regularly contributes thought leadership pieces to various publications on industry trends as well as sits on numerous jury panels to help recognize the best work being produced across Canada and beyond.

Brendan Shanahan is the President and Alternate Governor for the Toronto Maple Leafs Hockey Team. In his role, Brendan oversees all team operations. He served in the National Hockey League for three decades as a player and later as an executive and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in his hometown of Toronto in November 2013.

Over the course of his playing career, Brendan captured three Stanley Cup Championships in addition to an Olympic gold medal, a World Championship gold medal and a Canada Cup title as a member of Team Canada.

As a player, Brendan was also the recipient of the 2003 King Clancy Memorial Trophy, an annual award to the player who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice while making a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community. He has been an advocate for ending domestic violence and sexual assault dating back to his playing days, including a longstanding relationship with Sanctuary for Families in New York.

Will is a senior consultant at Counsel PA, advising clients in BC and across Canada on government relations strategies with a focus on intersectionality, community based support, and a data driven approach. He honed his knowledge of political systems through working at UBC’s student society, supporting students and their families on issues of affordability and access to post-secondary education at all levels of government. Will has also sat on various committees for UBC on topics of EDI, affordability, and climate issues, bringing together stakeholders across Vancouver to support equitable outcomes.

He is also involved in his community, with the City of Vancouver’s Climate Equity Working Group. He holds a BA in Political Science, with a minor in International Relations from the University of British Columbia, and an MA in Public Policy and Global Affairs (MPPGA), specializing in human rights and social change at the University of British Columbia.

Nadira Singh has over 25 years of relevant experience as an innovative and passionate academic leader and professor in the college and university system. Nadira’s background in Human Resources and Training and Development along with her entrepreneurial success, demonstrate an appropriate blend of skills and expertise to successfully lead in the academic arena.

She is a strategic visionary, a creative problem-solver and change agent with the ability to work collaboratively building sustainable education solutions for learners. Nadira values transparency, inclusion, authenticity, collaboration, and communication. Nadira holds Doctor of Business Administration and Master of Business Administration Degrees. She also holds Certifications in Human Resources Management and Training and Development