Leadership

Saira Salman is an accomplished education professional with over two decades of diverse experience. Throughout her career, she has held numerous roles within three prominent school districts: Toronto District School Board, Peel District School Board, and most recently, the York Region. Saira’s extensive background includes positions as a classroom teacher, instructional coach, Vice Principal, and Principal, spanning both individual schools and broader system-level leadership. Driven by a passion for fostering inclusive learning environments, Saira is deeply committed to ensuring that every child feels a sense of belonging and has their voice heard. Her dedication to excellence in education extends beyond her immediate roles; she actively promotes the public school system and collaborates with educators across the province to enhance student well-being and empower teachers to champion inclusivity.

Saira joined the Board of Directors of the York Region Children’s Aid Society in February 2024 and is the Chair of the Board of Directors.

Feria Bacchus – As an international healthcare executive, Feria brings over 25 years of healthcare leadership experience and a diverse perspective to the York Region CAS Board of Directors.  Feria has an impressive track record of driving transformational change and fostering strong partnerships between business and government stakeholders in Canada and internationally. Her extensive background includes executive roles at TELUS Health, Health Standards Organization & Accreditation Canada, National Research Corporation Canada, Sodexo Canada and ARAMARK USA.

Feria holds a Master of Health Science from the University of Toronto, Bachelor of Applied Science from the University of Guelph, and has completed the Executive Leadership Program at Harvard Business School.

Feria joined the Board of Directors of York Region Children’s Aid Society in June 2024.

Rod Engeland recently retired from Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI), a not-for-profit healthcare research entity owned by Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. Rod was the Executive Director of Research Operations and Finance for the past twelve years. In this role he oversaw all financial and operational aspects of the Research Institute. Prior to working at SRI he held various financial management positions in the for-profit sector for almost thirty years. These financial management positions included oversight of various administrative departments such as purchasing, information technology and payroll.

On a part time basis Rod continues to be the Chief Financial Officer of a startup company that uses intellectual property developed at SRI.

Rod has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto and is a Chartered Professional Accountant/C.G.A.

Rod has been involved with boards and finance committees throughout the later part of his career.

Rod joined the Board of Directors of the York Region Children’s Aid Society in June 2024.

Jill Moore is a nurse with 29 years of experience in healthcare, with the last 12 years spent in Labour Relations. She is currently a Labour Relations Officer with the Ontario Nurses’ Association.

As past Board Chair of both the York Region Children’s Aid Society (YRCAS) and the York Region Children’s Fund, Jill brings extensive governance experience and leadership to the YRCAS Board of Directors.

A staunch advocate, Jill has also sat on the Board at 360Kids and Marquee Theatrical Productions and is currently an Advisory Board Member at STEMMinds.

Jill holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Ryerson University and has completed course work in the Master of Science program at McMaster University.

Jill rejoined the Board of Directors of the York Region Children’s Aid Society in February 2024.

Riyaz Abdulrasul is a finance leader with over 25 years of experience working in the non-profit and for-profit sectors. Riyaz is a Chartered Professional Accountant/C.M.A. and currently holds the position of V.P. Finance & Technology at Canadian Mental Health Association York and South Simcoe. Other most recent positions were held at Southlake Regional Health Centre and Mackenzie Health. Riyaz previously held a position in the Board of Directors at Southlake Academic Family Health Team. His executive interests include strategic planning, performance improvement, corporate governance, fiscal accountability, change management, and the impact of social determinants of health.

Riyaz joined the Board of Directors of the York Region Children’s Aid Society in September 2022.

Claudette Banks is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) and accomplished HR executive with over 20 years of experience leading strategic workforce initiatives across municipal government, public sector organizations, and global corporations. Currently serving as Director of Human Resources for the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville, Claudette is a key member of the senior leadership team, responsible for shaping and executing people strategies that foster a culture of engagement, equity, and operational excellence.

Her leadership has been instrumental in the Town’s recognition by HRDC as one of the Best Places to Work in 2024. She has led the development of the Town’s Employer of Choice Strategy, implemented flexible work arrangements, and launched wellness and mental health programs that support a resilient workforce. Claudette also spearheaded the Town’s competencies framework and modernized HR policies to align with evolving organizational needs.

Prior to her current role, Claudette served as Director of Workforce Strategy at the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), where she led a team of HR professionals supporting 1,700 employees. There, she designed and implemented succession planning, executive leadership development, and performance management systems that supported MPAC’s transformation agenda.

Her earlier roles include senior HR leadership positions at Global Payments Canada, SMTC Manufacturing Corporation, Sobeys Ontario, and Maple Leaf Foods. Across these organizations, Claudette consistently delivered results in employee relations, talent acquisition, organizational design, and global HR operations. She has supported teams across Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and China, and is known for her ability to lead through complexity with empathy and strategic clarity.

Claudette holds a Bachelor of Human Resources and Labour Relations from Athabasca University and a Business Administration Diploma in Human Resource Management from Humber College. She is certified in Diversity & Inclusion, PROSCI Change Management, Strategic Workforce Planning, and Workplace Investigations.

Claudette joined the Board of Directors of York Region Children’s Aid Society in June 2025.

Connie Chung is a talent strategist with proven experience driving global, enterprise-wide, people & culture initiatives from ideation to activation. She has a demonstrated history of working in the banking and consulting industry with expertise in strategy development, change management and enterprise transformations. In her current role, she is accountable to align business strategy to talent needs while identifying unique solutions to attract, develop and retain top talent.

Connie holds a Master’s in Industrial Relations and Human Resources from the University of Toronto and a Bachelors of Psychology from the University of Waterloo. She is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL), a certified PROSCI change management practitioner and was recognized by The Peak’s Emerging Leaders in 2023 as a top 40 under 40 leader in the category of People & Culture.

Connie joined the Board of Directors of York Region Children’s Aid Society in June 2025.

Francesca Loffreda is a Peer Mentor for Blue Door Support Services’ INNclusion Program – a program providing supportive housing for up to 4 2SLGBTQ+ youth at risk of or experiencing homelessness in York Region. Francesca has 5years’ experience working with homeless children, youth and families at Blue Door. They moved to Canada from Italy in 2015 to study Child and Youth Care at Georgian College, specializing on human rights issues pertaining to the 2SLGBTQ+ community. Francesca is now attending York University to attain their bachelor degree in Social Work. In 2017, Francesca co-created GenderLens, the first and only Italian association aimed at supporting families to better support their gender variant and nonbinary children from a positive, person-centered approach.  Francesca continues to support this project, advocating and educating about gender diversity and fluidity.

Francesca joined the Board of Directors of York Region Children’s Aid Society in October 2022.

Jenany Rameswaran, MBA, CPA, CMA, is an accomplished Finance Director with over a decade of experience leading financial strategy, operational improvements, and organizational transformation. Currently Sr. Director of Finance & Operations at Inmar Intelligence, she has held leadership roles at Enghouse Systems, CGI, and Decision Resources Group (now Clarivate). Jenany excels at turning data into actionable insights, with expertise in financial management, process optimization, and strategic planning. She holds certifications in Change Leadership and Strategic Analytics.

Jenany joined the Board of Directors of the York Region Children’s Aid Society in June 2024.

Lauren Lé Blanc is a non-profit operations director and a high-conflict family mediator, primarily supporting families and youth involved with child welfare. Child protection is dear to her heart, as she is a former Crown ward of the Toronto Children’s Aid Society. She is a resilient, passionate individual with a strong background in understanding child, youth, and family complexities, and she brings the ability to pair current best practices with meaningful lived experience to better guide desired individual, community, and organizational outcomes.

Lauren is the co-founder of Generation Seven Community Support Services, a not-for-profit organization that delivers long-term educational and transitional support to youth exiting the child welfare system, as well as those impacted by sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and the criminal justice system. She formerly served as a director at the Ontario Association of Child & Youth Care, advocating for provincial legislative changes for children and youth. She continues to amplify the voices of children and youth within the Canadian child welfare system to ensure they have better outcomes.

At the Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies, Lauren sits on the provincial roundtable for 2SLGBTQ youth involved with the child welfare system. She also serves on the Youth Action Committee with One Vision One Voice, which addresses the overrepresentation and experiences of disparities faced by African Canadians involved with the child welfare system.

Lauren joined the African Canadian Child Welfare Ushauri (ACCWU) as a professional member of the child welfare community, bringing with her the valuable perspective of lived experience as a former Crown ward. The ACCWU is a collaborative rooted in the principles of Ubuntu and African-centered leadership, dedicated to supporting the health, well-being, and sense of belonging of children and youth of African Canadian, Caribbean, or Black heritage in York Region. The group works collectively to promote, advocate for, and strengthen the cultural identity, community connections, and overall success of Black children, youth, and young adults.

Lauren attended Queen’s University Smith School of Business, York University, and the University of Toronto, studying family mediation, project management, risk management, and strategic planning. She is a highly certified individual in non-profit operations, mental health, human trafficking, Lean Six Sigma, crisis resolution, Agile, change management, and policy development and evaluation. Lauren is currently enrolled at the University of Calgary, pursuing a part-time two-year certificate in professional management specializing in strategic management.

In April, Lauren graduated from the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) Directors Education Program through the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, further strengthening her expertise in board governance and strategic leadership.

Lauren joined the Board of Directors of the York Region Children’s Aid Society in June 2023.