Staff
Alena Ziuleva
Director
Alena is passionate about collaborative community development, which she believes is the most effective and efficient approach to the improvement of the quality of life and poverty reduction. With her wisdom and guidance, she exerts a positive influence far and wide. Alena holds a master’s degree in Social Work from McGill University.
Valérie Laramée
Executive Assistant
As an active West Island community member, Valérie has invested herself in many resident-led projects and activities throughout the years. She hopes to help achieve and preserve social equality and opportunity for all West Island residents.
Ryan Simonyik
Program Manager, Housing
Ryan has been involved in defending tenants’ rights in the Greater Montreal area for the last few years. He has experience in building community capacity and organizing in pursuit of giving tenants’ the tools to exercise their housing rights to the fullest. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Concordia University in Political Science and a graduate diploma in Community Economic Development.
Roxana Stoleru
Project Manager, Poverty Reduction & Social Inclusion
Roxana Stoleru has been involved in supporting West Island art community for over ten years and is an advocate for sustainable living. Roxana has a Business Administration degree from the Academy of Economic Studies (Bucharest, Romania) and a Master of Science degree in Environmental Assessment from McGill University.
Piotr Boruslawski
Project coordinator, Collective Impact Project
Piotr has been working in the West Island community sector since 2017 and has wealth of knowledge and expertise in the fields of housing and communications. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning from Concordia University.
Alicia Diaz-Pappas
Project Coordinator, Solidarity Market Initiative
Alicia is passionate about food, gardening, and community and has brought her drive for a sustainable and just food system to her roles in food security. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural and Environmental Science from McGill University and is on a lifelong learning journey.
Alexander Lutchman
Tenant Support Coordinator, Comité logement Establishment Project
Alex’s mission is to mobilize and help deliver tools to vulnerable community members to help in the defense of their rights. He has earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from McGill University and is currently working on a Master’s degree in the same field at the University of Montréal.
Aïda Louafi
Project Coordinator, Comité logement Establishment Project
For several years, Aïda has been involved in many causes: accessibility to health and social care services, illiteracy, homelessness. She is enthusiastic to be able to work on the project of establishing a housing committee in the West Island, a cause close to her heart. She holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of Montreal.
Brenagh Rapoport
Mobilization Agent, Collective Impact Project
Brenagh is passionate about equity, affordability, and accessibility in urban spaces. She is committed to advancing a collective vision for housing affordability in the West Island. They hold a bachelor’s degree with a double major in Political Science and Community, Public Affairs and Policy Studies from Concordia University.
Board of Directors
Isabelle-Anne Bisson, President
Dr. Isabelle-Anne Bisson is an expert in environmental impact and community needs assessment, helping communities and organizations achieve sustainability. Dr. Bisson has over 20 years of experience as a scientific consultant, coordinator and manager of science and conservation projects globally. She has led projects for the United States’ Department of Defense and headed a program in Uganda for a United States Agency for International Development initiative. She completed a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Science at McGill University and a Ph.D. at York University. She went on to conduct post-doctoral research at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and at Princeton University. In 2014, she co-founded and is now solely running TerraHumana Solutions, which offers expert services in science and sustainability. Recently, she worked closely with northern Indigenous communities on the environmental challenges they face with ongoing development and she presently works with the Mohawk communities of Kanesatake and Kahnawà:ke in Quebec on various environmental and community projects.
Electra Daria Nardozza Tomiuk, Vice-President
Daria grew up in Beaconsfield and currently resides in Vaudreuil-Dorion with her family. In 2005, she graduated with a Bachelor of Religious Education in Counselling and in 2010, she completed her M.A in Global Urban Ministry, studying the social effects of globalization and urbanization and how churches could better meet the needs of changing cities.
Daria began working part-time with the West Island Network in 2017 with a hope to see more unity among West Island churches and greater community impact through church collaboration, both with each other and the community. She has been involved with the TQSOI for a couple of years, specifically with the Poverty Reduction and Food Security Committees.
When not working, she gets to enjoy toddler life with her son, playing soccer and volunteering at his co-op pre-school being some of the best parts. She also enjoys all things food, running and hiking mountains with her husband Matthew.
Mark Walford, Treasurer
Mark Walford has been on board of several West Island non-profits over the years, this includes Community Perspective in Mental Health (PCSM), the Table de Concertation en Santé Mentale, les Porte-voix du rétablissement and the Block Parents Pointe-Claire. Mark also has a large amount of experience working with, assisting and volunteering with a number of community organizations. This includes PCSM, as a peer support worker, as well as for the Pairs Aidants J’Écoute helpline. Mark is a leader and spokesperson of the West Island Citizens Group (WICG). Finally, he is no stranger to our local schools, where he’s helped run events and has been part of associations. Mark’s previous career was in banking, accounting and finance.
Sheila Laursen, Secretary
Sheila was a registered nurse before becoming a mother, homemaker, and community volunteer for many years before returning to work. When she did, it was in the field of community development.
Sheila was the first Co-ordinator of the West Island Community Resource Centre before beginning a 23 year career with the YMCA of Montreal, working as the Director of Community Programs for the YMCAs of NDG, West Island and Centreville before expanding her scope as Director of International Programs for the YMCAs of Quebec up until her retirement in 2010.
Since then, she has returned to West Island volunteer roles with her church, Child Haven International, the YMCA, Meals on Wheels, TQSOI, Corbeille de pain, and helping refugees and asylum-seekers. Now she sometimes misses the “free time” when she was working full-time!
Howard Nadler, Secretary
Howard is passionate about community development. With a long history of working in the area of child welfare and with seniors, he believes that strong communities support families, children and vulnerable citizens. Howard holds a Bachelor’s degree in Science, a Master’s degree in Social Work and a Certificate in Health and Social Services Management. He has made a commitment to devote a good part of his retirement years to contributing to and strengthening West Island community organizations.
Kathleen Greenfield, Officer
Writer, editor, professor, program coordinator, and volunteer, Kathleen has occupied frontline and administrative positions in health and social services, academia, and in the community sector over many years. As Faculty Lecturer at McGill teaching academic and professional communication since the late 1990s, coupled with her dual roles of Community Relations Coordinator and Corporate Volunteer Program Coordinator at Volunteer West Island, as well as through her extensive volunteer involvement in the community, she recognizes the crucial importance of resource facilitation and advocacy. Throughout her remunerative and non- remunerative work, she makes knowledge of and accessibility to resources a priority.
Joan Lee, Officer
Joan is a community leader and youth mentor. Her excellent work ethic and passion for community work has been a guiding force in the West Island. Joan is the President of the West Island Black Community Association (WIBCA), a volunteer-led community organization. The recipient of the CBC BLACK Changemaker 2021 award, she also volunteers as a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of West Island who presented her with a Certificate of Recognition for being an outstanding Big Sister and demonstrating the values of the organization. She was also presented with a Certificate of Appreciation in December 2020 by Partageaction (West Island Community Shares) for her commitment to helping the West Island community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Joan does the work she does to inspire the community and believes that Together we are stronger!
Campbell Stuart, Officer
Campbell Stuart is a partner with the law firm Colby Monet and former mayor of Montreal West. He is an environmental and community activist with Les Amis du parc Meadowbrook, Green Coalition, CRE Montréal, Santropol Roulant, L’Abri en Ville, Little Red Playhouse and others. He is the former ED of the Bukasa Island Community Development Project in Uganda and President and Director of the Legacy Fund for the Environment.
Mehmet Deger, Officer
President DORVAL Mosque.
Geoffrey Kelley, Officer
Geoffrey Kelley is a longtime resident of Beaconsfield, and a graduate of BHS, John Abbott and McGill. Most of his professional life was spent in the political arena, first as an assistant to Minister Claude Ryan, then for 24 years as Member of the National Assembly for the riding of Jacques-Cartier. He had the honour of serving as Minister for Indigenous Affairs for 8 years.
Since his retirement from politics, he has accepted a number of challenges, lecturing at McGill’s Max Bell School of Public Policy, serving as Quebec’s negotiator with Kahnawake, and volunteering with Projets Autochtones du Québec, the Teresa Dellar Palliative Care Residence, the Mouvement pour Mettre Fin à l’itinérance à Montréal, and The Saint Patrick’s Society.
Married to Judy Kelley, he is the proud father of five and grandfather to six marvellous grandchildren.
