Board of Directors
Larry Hebb
President
- Larry joined UNACTO as a member in 2006 because of interests in international affairs, communications and greater world unity. He has been a Director since 2007. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Toronto in 1959 and a law degree from Dalhousie University in 1962, and was appointed by Ontario as a Queen’s Counsel in 1983. He practiced law with Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt in Toronto from 1964 until retirement in 2001. Over the years, he has been associated with a number of business and community organizations; including the Toronto Social Planning Council, the Canadian Centre for Ethics & Corporate Policy, the United Way, East General Hospital, and the Canadian Bar Association.
Ali Khachan
Vice President, Governance
- Ali joined the UNACTO Board of Directors in 2009 and has been a volunteer with the Youth and Education committee since 2008. He is a Manager at a leading enterprise software provider for the financial and health-care industries. He gained extensive engineering experience while working at Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) in Toronto. His volunteer work includes co-founding and presiding over the Lebanese Student Society at the University of Toronto and chairing the Youth & Education Committee at UNACTO. Ali holds a Master of Applied Science and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto and the American University of Beirut, respectively.
Melinda Rooke
Vice President, Programs
Chair, Communications Committee
- Melinda started volunteering with UNACTO in 2004. She was actively involved in the pro tem committee and joined the board of directors in 2005. From 2006 to 2007 she served as Vice President of Community Outreach and Programs. After studying psychology at York University, Melinda Rooke worked in the non-profit and corporate sector in unique challenges: Communications Officer at the Social Planning Council of Peel; Systems & Finance Manager at the Toronto Humane Society to name a few. From 2002-2004 Melinda worked as a technical communications subcontractor for the Organization of American States Gender Mainstreaming Training Project, funded by CIDA which was nominated for an Export Canada Award in 2003. Currently for the past decade, Ms. Rooke has pursued her entrepreneurial goals running both a technical communications agency and a private property management/development company also involved in future urban retail/condominium development here in Toronto. In her other volunteer work, Ms. Rooke has been a board member of various nonprofits: Arts Interface, Robin Vocce Cooperative Apts, Homeward Family Shelter, and the United Way Action for Neighbourhood Change Pilot Project in Scarborough Village, as well as community working groups.
Georgina Bencsik
Chair of Environment Committee
Vice President
- Georgina’s career spans advocacy, consulting and senior management roles. She has spent most of her career as an advocate and director for various organizations and issues concerning business, environment, finance, taxation, health, education, transportation, infrastructure and human rights with a strong voice for Canada’s diversity. She has served as executive assistant and senior Government Caucus staff to a Member of Provincial Parliament in the Office of the Minister of Health and Long-Term Care. She has a proven track record of developing business solutions for all aspects of talent, stakeholder relations and leadership management. She enjoys challenges and thinking “out of the box” in promoting novel and creative approaches to increasingly complex organizational and societal problems. As a testament to her dedication she was voted the runner-up in Equal Voice’s “Greatest Ontario Female Premier” 2007 and was selected for her commitment to the environment to become a Certified Presenter for Al Gore’s The Climate Project in 2008. Georgina brings a vast network, experience and insight to the challenges and opportunities in support of the mission and mandate of the United Nations Association in Canada (UNAC) . She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Envionment Committee and Chair of the Communications Committee for the Toronto Region Branch of UNAC. Georgina is a graduate of the University of Toronto and Seneca College. In her spare time Georgina loves to volunteer for various causes and charities, engage in sports and travelling to view historic places, music, art and cultural pursuits.
Kaziwa A.K. Salih
Vice President
- Kaziwa joined UNACTO as a member of the board in 2010, and has served on the Refugee Committee, as volunteer, since 2008. She was a member of UN organizations and other professional organizations related to human rights, women and children’s rights, genocide issues, and some other professional associations. She is the author of ten published books in the Kurdish language, and an experienced journalist, founder and an Editor in Chief of two theoretical magazines (Nevar and Newekar). She has traveled extensively to deliver her messages on the Kurdish issue and on her belief in greater world unity. She holds degrees in journalism, sociology and office administration. She also has a certificate in Refugee and Forced Migration, and has more recently begun studies in Communication at York University.
Brent Saunders
Treasurer
cbs AT 295.ca
Maher Sharawi
Associate Treasurer
- Maher joined the UNACTO Board of Directors in 2009 because of his strong appreciation for United Nations programs and his believe that everyone has a role to play in bringing an end to human suffering. He has over eight years of accounting experience and currently works as the accountant for the Arab Community Centre of Toronto (ACCT). Maher earned his bachelor of Commerce degree from Amman University in Jordan and is working toward his professional designation as a Chartered Accountant in Canada.
Youel Y. Serkis
Past President, Chair of Refugee Committee
Senior Board Member, Only UNACTO Honorary UNA Member
- Youel Serkis is an experienced bank manager who worked in Iraq before moving his family to Canada and joining UNACTO in 1996-1997 as a volunteer. At UNACTO, he worked with president George Kotislus and was elected to the board as Treasurer, Chair of Fund-Raising Committee and Office Manager. During intervening years, Youel was elected as Vice-President to the Presidents- Shirley Farlinger, George Katislus, David Warner, Jonathan Papalidus, Gerry O’Pray, Jerrery Lam, and Firoz Shroff. In 2005-2006 he was elected President for two terms, and now serves on the board as an active Past President. Youel is the only UNACTO member honored as Honorary UNA member for his outstanding years of volunteer dedication to UNACTO. In his other volunteer work in Canada, Youel has been elected as Vice-President and as President for five years to the Assyrian Society of Canada in Mississauga. Youel has also served as Vice-President for four years at R.J. Smith Senior Social Club and Centre. As a youth, Youel represented Iraq as an international Olympic soccer and volleyball player, manager, and member of the Iraqi Olympic Committee. He is currently the senior board member and the chair of UNACTO Refugee Committee helping Canadian families.
Firoz Shroff
Past President
- Firoz has been a member of UNACTO since 2004 and served as President of the organization from 2005 to 2006. He is a philanthropist and social entrepreneur with over 35 years experience in the private and non- profit sectors. Firoz serves as a remote coach in Tulane University’s social entrepreneurship MBA program. He operates a socially drive private equity fund called Ibere as well as a social entrepreneurial turnaround firm, Seconsortium. His charitable work includes serving as the president of Homeland International Inc and as the founder, trustee and chairman of the Sasi Foundation.
international AT sasifoundation.org
Helen Kavouras Lopes
Chair of Human Rights Committee
- Helen joined UNACTO due to an interest in human rights and has served as chair of the Human Rights Committee since 2006. She is a criminal lawyer who used to run her own defence practise. She now works as defence duty counsel for the provincial government working with young offenders in Toronto. Her interest in human rights issues extends to her other volunteer work including that with organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. She graduated with an honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto in 2000 and from Osgoode Hall Law School in 2005. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 2006.
