Meet our Board of Directors
At Feed The Need In Durham we are tremendously grateful for the guidance provided by our Board of Directors, as they continuously lead our collective pursuit to serve Durham Region.
Gail is the retired as the Executive Director of the Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto and was in that been role for over 12 years.
In 2018 Gail was invested into the Order of Ontario for her work both in Breakfast Programs and in Food Banks.
In December 2009 she was asked to chair a provincial Social Assistance Review Advisory group made up of anti-poverty advocates who were charged with examining the Social Assistance System. The final report was submitted to government in June 2010 and it led to a complete review of the Social Assistance System in Ontario.
Prior to her work in food banks, Gail was an elected school trustee for 15 years and the first chair of the newly amalgamated Toronto District School Board.
Always passionate about her fight against hunger and poverty, she helped to create school breakfast programs in Toronto schools that, to this day, continue to make a positive impact on students’ education.
Gail is happy to give back to her community now as a volunteer.
Terry is retired after 37 years in the Information Technology sector working for a number of firms whose customers range from automotive manufactures and parts suppliers, financial and retail institutions as well as both provincial and federal governments.
His last position was that of a Global Alliance Executive responsible for HP Canada’s strategic partnerships with many of the world’s largest technology companies.
Since retiring Terry has been actively volunteering in the community including with the Toronto 2015 organizing committee, as a Venue Operations Manager in Ajax and Whitby for both the Pan Am and ParaPan Am games as well as other non-profit organizations. Terry is currently a member of the Board at Simcoe Hall Settlement House.
In his spare time, Terry likes to travel with his wife and particularly enjoys cruising. He especially loves the time spent with his three grandchildren.
Terry is currently retired after many years serving in the Financial / Information Technology industries.
Previous experiences include auditing and tax services with a large public accounting firm, and global financial support for a large IT services firm in the roles of VP Finance/ CFO / Finance Director.
Terry has worked and lived in Canada, the U.S., and Europe, has a B.A. (Economics), B. Comm. (Accounting), and is a CPA CA in good standing.
He spends time travelling with his wife and family, is involved in a number of sports and enjoys cottaging.
Mary Anne’s work experience includes 35 plus years in the Information Technology field within the industries of manufacturing, wireless and land line telecommunications, and media. She has a BMath from the University of Waterloo.
Mary Anne is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) with the Project Management Institute (PMI) and currently teaches experienced Project Managers how to prepare for the PMP certification exam.
She also volunteers with a number of other local organizations.
Dave has held numerous roles within Feed the Need since 2014.
Dave brings a strategic approach when it comes to fostering and maintaining relationships with community leaders. With a growing demand on Food Banks across Ontario and Canada as a whole, he appreciates the need to tackle the problem of hunger in our communities.
Dave hopes to grow our current donor base, as well as develop new revenue streams in order to secure Feed the Need’s position as a flag ship Food Hub across Canada.
Eli Brooks offers a wealth of project management and problem solving skills to our organization. She studied Computer Science at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, specializing in mainframe programming. She developed as a programmer and troubleshooter for the University and resolved issues for both students and professors.
The majority of Eli‘s work career was in Facilities Management and Project Management while working with Architects and Engineers of all disciplines. During her 15 year career at General Motors of Canada, she worked in the Facilities Department fulfilling roles that included project coordination, preparation of bid documents for construction projects, documentation and financial analysis. She returned to the GTA to work with an international engineering/architectural firm performing similar duties on larger, more complicated projects.
After retiring in 2016, Eli joined the Rotary Club of Bowmanville and has been a Director for the last three years. Eli wants to give back and pay forward her lifetime of good fortune in ways that can benefit others.
Karen is a long-time friend and supporter of Feed the Need in Durham. In Karen’s corporate life, the need for extra resources frequently focused on the larger GTA cities. The pandemic has emphasized the need to help others in her local community and Durham Region. In her personal life, Karen’s desire to support continues to grow. Karen’s passion for helping children, alleviating hunger, and initiating change where she lives closely aligns with the primary mission at Feed the Need in Durham
Karen is currently Vice President, Head of Investment Solutions and leads the product strategy team for the individual investor business whose goal is to develop, manage and support a wide range of investment solutions for private clients globally through multiple distribution channels. She has lead this team for almost 4 years. Prior to her current role, she spent 8 years as Vice President and Head of Advisor Channel Sales, where she was responsible for national sales strategy and overall business development of solutions in the advisor channel.
Karen began her career as an Investment Advisor for over five years at CIBC Wood Gundy in Calgary. In 2000, Karen joined RBC where she has held multiple roles. She spent three years as a Regional Managed Products Specialist for the Prairie Region. In early 2004, she moved to Toronto to accept the role of Program Manager for Guided Portfolios, Parameters and Focus Funds. Later, she assumed responsibility for the Estate and Financial Planning Services team.
A native of Alberta, Karen graduated from the University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Commerce degree focused in Finance. She has a strong passion for leadership, investor education and mentorship centered on how women can grow and thrive in the asset management world. Karen enjoys spending time with her family downhill skiing and doing water sports.