NEW VISIONS TORONTO is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Our 2022-2023 Board Members are:
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| President | Brian Maslowski |
| Vice President | Michael Ali |
| Treasurer | Liam Everett |
| Secretary | Nicholas Kazan |
| Director | Jason Van Dam |
| Director | Robert Kalanda |
| Director | Murray Milthorpe |
| Director | Maria R. Nebres |
| Director | Ivy Nanayakkara |
| Director | Gigi Bors-Koefoed |
To contact the Board of Directors, please Email the President.
Brian Maslowski: President
Born and raised in Toronto’s west end, Brian Maslowski initially joined the Canadian Armed Forces after high school, completing half of his degree at Royal Roads Military College, and half at the Royal Military College of Canada – Kingston. It was during his time as a cadet that his deeply-held sense of teamwork, loyalty, and duty was solidified. In 1997, a career shift led Brian to the realm of real estate — a line of work he still finds incredibly rewarding and exciting, over twenty years later, client care is still Brian’s top priority. In addition to being a very active realtor, Brian is also a Staff Sergeant with Toronto Police Service. Brian has a wide variety of policing experience including a few years locally at 51 Division where he managed the Community Response Unit. During his time at 51 Division, Brian ensured New Visions was included as part of its annual open house barbeque. As a result NVT received an incredible amount of community support, with many of the afternoon;s attendees stopping by to learn more, chat with staff, pick up a brochure and enter into a fun raffle. Brian is constantly thinking about innovative ways to support NVT through his real estate ventures or personal weight loss challenges to promote health, to live a more active lifestyle while losing unwanted pounds. Brian excels in his role as a realtor and a member of Toronto Police Services and in July of 2016 the Governor General of Ontario David Johnston awarded Brian the Police Exemplary Service Medal. Brian has been a strong supporter of New Visions Toronto for many years and since 2018 has taken 30 of the people we support to a Toronto Blue Jays game for the annual “own it” day with the Jays. He is also a regular supporter of our golf tournament.
Michael Ali: Vice President
Michael is well known to many families, friends and staff of New Visions Toronto as he has been involved with the agency since the agency began. While Michael has been on the Board of New Visions Toronto for over eighteen years in total, he last retired in 2015, he would like to continue to support New Visions Toronto as a Director. Michael on previous Boards has been the President, Vice President and Secretary. For the past six years he has serviced as Treasurer on the Mary Centre Board of Directors. Michael’s daughter Janelle lived at 83 Henry Lane Terrace for thirty years. Sadly Janelle passed away in January 2015. Michael is a Financial Advisor for the past 47 years and holds the designations CFP, CLU, Ch.F.C, EPC and he recently acquired another designation, CEA, (Certified Executor Advisor), in June 2021. He is the owner of E. Michael Ali Insurance and Investments.
Liam Everett: Treasurer
Liam has an MBA, Specialization in Entrepreneurship he also has a BA, Criminology.
Liam has developed a number of skills during his working careers all of which will be beneficial in his role as a Director on the Board of New Visions Toronto.They include the following Financial Modeling, Financial Forecasting, Data Analysis, Analytics, Treasury Management, Relationship Management, Leadership, Strategy, Process Development, Communication, Cross-Functional Engagement.Liam’s current job he is responsible for building the annual revenue forecast for the DBRS Morningstar group of companies – Canada, US, and Europe. Earlier in his career Liam was the Senior Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers led teams of up to 15 Associates through audit engagements for a variety of companies in a range of sectors including mining, forestry, food services- with a market capitalization range Liam has also prepared financial models and financial statements for non-profit organizations and private companies. While Liam does not have a history with New Visions Toronto he quickly became interested and impressed with New Visions Toronto from the feedback he was receiving from his friend Brian Maslowski. Liam felt the time was right for him to offer his skills to what he saw as a very worthwhile agency He is looking forward to getting more involved with developing a successful fundraising model and being an effective member of the Board of Directors
Nicholas Kazan: Secretary
Nicholas Kazan is a driven entrepreneur, with a long-standing passion for problem-solving and a reputation for excellence in the business community. As a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM), Nicholas has been a key member of the real estate industry for over 23 years, priding himself on his exceptional communication skills and task-oriented approach.
However, Nicholas’s dedication to making a difference extends far beyond his professional accomplishments. As a father and grandfather, he is committed to setting a positive example by giving back to his community. In particular, Nicholas is a champion of New Visions, an organization that has been an integral part of his family for decades.
Nicholas’s twin sister, Sabrina, has been a resident at New Visions for over 40 years, and Nicholas is proud of the quality of life, assistance, and advocacy that the organization provides. He believes that all residents, including his sister, deserve the highest levels of dignity and respect, and he is dedicated to ensuring that New Visions can continue to offer community integration and an active lifestyle for years to come. With his collaborative spirit and unwavering dedication, Nicholas is honored to serve and support New Visions as they work to make a difference in the lives of their residents.
Jason Van Dam: Director
Jason first became aware of New Visions Toronto (NVT) through Brian Maslowski and has been following the agency for a few years now. As Jason’s children are now a little older, the time is right for him to give back to the community and being on the Board of an agency like NVT is just what Jason has been looking for. Jason has a nephew who has autism and has seen the impact this has had on his family and how important it is to have agencies like NVT to provide support not only to people with disabilities but also to their families.
Currently Jason is employed with Rogers Communications as the Managing Counsel for Commercial & Securities. Jason’s responsibilities at Rogers have included corporate governance which involved preparing documents for the annual report and organizing the shareholders annual meeting. Jason has also contributed to the preparation and review of the quarterly financial documents and various commercial contracts. Jason is familiar with risk management and working with various levels of the company to implement key strategic business objectives.
We believe that these and other skills Jason has will make him a great addition to NVT’s Board of Directors.
Robert Kalanda: Director
Rob was born and raised in Toronto, Ontario, where he practices as a civil litigator since being called to the Bar in Ontario in 2012. Rob holds a Bachelor of Arts in Media Studies and a Juris Doctor from Western University.
Rob’s legal experience is varied, including litigation, corporate, commercial, and intellectual property work. Rob’s not-for-profit support during his education includes working with Western’s university legal services clinic and briefly assisting a local London, Ontario not-for-profit with grant applications and related duties. As a lawyer, Rob has helped set up a number of not-for-profit corporations, and assisted not-for-profits with seeking judicial intervention when the need arose.
Rob’s personal interests are equally varied, from music and the outdoors to video games and television. Rob is excited about the opportunity to work with the other directors and staff of New Visions Toronto as a member of the Board of Directors.
Murray Milthorpe: Director
Murray Milthorpe is a seasoned marketing strategist with more than 30 years’ experience the CPG, Retail, QSR and Experiential sectors. He has had great success in developing smart, creative and dynamic brand campaigns in both Canada and the United States. Milthorpe has an extensive depth and breadth of experience in leadership, brand strategy, media communications, innovation, promotions and brand activation.
Murray has the unique ability to create winning campaign solutions integrating empirical and intuitive insights that disrupts the industry to connect, engage and influence consumers – physically, digitally, socially, promotionally and experientially. Murray’s principles are: Imagination, Creativity, Growth and Results!
Murray has been passionately volunteering his time and expertise in the development of “New Visions” Rebranding & Repositioning project over the past 1 1/2. This provided Murray the opportunity to gain an understanding of the great work that New Visions’ does in caring for people with complex physical and development disabilities. It also sparked his interest in our agency and Murray would like to continue to be a supporter of our agency. By the amount of time and energy Murray gave to the rebranding project it is clear that he has tremendous passion, energy, and conviction towards New Vision Toronto. Murray will be a real asset to the Board as he has had extensive leadership skills, knowledge and experience in Business Strategy, Brand Marketing & Planning.
Maria R. Nebres: Director
Maria R. Nebres is a two-time best-selling author on the topic of translating Love and Engagement in personal and professional relationship settings calling on high engagement. She has owned her own consulting and coaching business for over 15 years, delivering on her founding program, The FACTOR OF – Realizing Potential. She leverages on her human resources expertise blended with personal leadership coaching for relationship structures to help those she serves. Her passion and purpose for heart-centred leadership are what drive her to serve from the promotion of wellbeing for all.
Born in the Philippines and raised in the Greater Toronto Area since the age of 6, Maria received a 4-year BA majoring in Sociology and English at the University of Western Ontario. Subsequently, she has devoted her professional life to cultivating 25+ years as a strategic and tactical human resources leader, focused on business and people relations in high-change climates, for both the public and private sectors. Maria refers to her services as a “Co-Creative for work and life brilliance through wellbeing”. Over the past 5 years, she has evolved her coaching and consulting practice to include her personal mastery skills as a mindfulness meditation practitioner, teacher of mindfulness at work and life, also offering opt-in services as a Master Consulting Hypnotist for strategic self-care and performance enhancement (internationally accredited through The National Guild of Hypnotists), a certified international speaker, and a certified trainer of The Success Principles with the Canfield Training Group.
Maria has and continues to serve within the spaces of employment, business expansions and transformations, entrepreneurial and life leadership growth. She brings deep experience and transferable skill sets from her professional background in human resources / relations, transition management, authentic engagement and resources solutions for transformative human and business alignment within growth/start-ups, large, diverse and complex organizations. Her background in helping cultivate intuitive wisdom fueling brilliant outcomes within relationship settings calling on aligned engagement has taken her to her next level of gratitude to be able to help others tap into their source of truth in vitality, empowerment, genius.
Aside from her technical skills, she offers guidance to heal, strive, thrive, nurture Love’s virtues personally and professionally, for better, moment by moment. Maria feels honoured to give back to her community and to continue to grow, learn, collaborate and share Love’s brilliance. She is excited to contribute to NVT’s noble Vision, Mission and Values for continued momentum with community growth and development, through her passion to co-create with others for the soulful mission to raise the collective consciousness to taking care of and relating with self and others for thriving within optimal humanistic structures and supports. Maria is new to NVT and became interested in helping our agency through her like-minded-hearted friend Brian Maslowski. She looks forward to your support in electing her to the Board of Directors for NVT, with her deep thanks and gratitude.
Ivy Nanayakkara: Director
Ivy has a keen interest to join the Board of Directors as she feels she will bring passion, innovation and experience to the Board. For twenty years she has been a health, safety and wellbeing professional at a local and national level. In her job she is responsible for ensuring that people are supported during periods of illness and recovery including those that are permanently disabled and those that require accommodations in the workplace.
Currently Ivy is the Head of Wellness at the Toronto Police Service. Her skills in policy development and governance, strategic planning and operational management makes her an ideal candidate for our Board.
Ivy is a team player and she likes to bring a strong leadership profile to everything she does. She has a high degree of compassion and empathy and looking forward to joining g our Board.
Gigi Bors-Koefoed: Director
Gigi, originally from Eastern Europe, called Toronto home for 24 years. She holds a B.A. from York University in Classical Studies. Gigi worked in higher education for over 14 years, at York University and Ryerson University.
Her favorite Toronto moment is enjoying the Harbourfront on a sunny day. Currently, she is a Writer/Editor at Southern Bride Magazine and resides in Memphis Tennessee with her husband Bram, daughter Liliana and three dogs.
Gigi learned about New Visions Toronto from a social worker at Holland Bloorview Children’s Rehabilitation Hospital. A year later, it became a permanent loving home for her son Dylan O’Connor who was born with a global developmental delay. To date, Gigi visits her son with the confidence and security that his “home away from home” not only provides the quality care and support he needs, but that New Visions is part of a community where Dylan can thrive. It is through this connection and gratitude that Gigi looks forward to contributing and enriching the NVT community.
