This webinar will feature panelists from anchor institutions in Toronto who will share more on its role in leading and implementing community benefits and social procurement strategies that strengthen local economies

Welcome: Linda Peake, Director - City Institute at York University

Linda Peake is a professor in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change and Director of the City Institute at York University, Toronto, Canada. She is currently PI on the SSHRC Partnership Grant, Urbanization, gender and the global south: a transformative knowledge network (GenUrb), a Trustee of the Urban Studies Foundation and a member of the editorial board ofUrban Geography and the International Advisory Board of Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society. As a feminist geographer her research interests encompass: urban feminist theory; gendered urban insecurities in the global south and specifically in Guyana; and, more recently, mental health. She is co-founder and co-chair of the American Association of Geographers Affinity Group on Mental Health in the Academy. 

Panel speakers: 

Shelley Ditty - Vice President, Campus Development & Support Services, West Park Hospital 

Ms. Ditty currently oversees the design and construction of West Park’s new hospital that will open in 2023. She is also responsible for the non-clinical operations of the hospital including facilities, food services and environmental services. With a master’s degree in Health Science (Health Administration), she has built her planning career in healthcare with extensive leadership experience in Ontario hospital redevelopment projects including Royal Victoria Regional Heath Centre, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, and Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care. She is currently co-chair of the Community Benefits Working Group for the West Park development project.

Lorna Schwartzentruber - Associate Director, Access Programs and Community Engagement, York University 

Lorna is the Associate Director for Access Programs and Community Engagement in the Office of the Vice Provost Academic at York University.  Working on York’s Anchor Framework since its inception in 2017, she coordinates implementation, community engagement and strategic evolution of this work.

Chezlie Alexander, Manager, Racial Equity Office, TTC

Chezlie has worked for almost 25 years alongside marginalized groups to build more inclusive communities. He joins the TTC from the Government of Ontario, where he was a Manager in the Ministry of Children, Community & Social Services, and the Practice Lead for the Ontario Black Youth Action Plan. Previously, he has held positions as the Director of Population Health and Community Initiatives at the Bramalea Community Health Centre, and Community Health Officer at Toronto Public Health.

Chezlie has made significant impacts over the course of his career, securing large capital investments, implementing cross-agency initiatives and creating action plans to bring about more equitable outcomes for those in marginalized groups. 

In his new role as the Manager of the TTC’s Racial Equity Office, Chezlie leads strategies to proactively identify, prevent and address racism at the TTC, consult with internal and external stakeholders, and act as the spokesperson for the Racial Equity Unit in public committees and at all levels of government.

Andrew Arifuzzaman - Chief Administrative Officer, University of Toronto Scarborough Campus 

Over the past 25 years, Andrew has held progressively senior leadership roles across the academic and health sectors in some of Canada’s most prestigious organizations.

Throughout his career, Andrew has led teams in a wide range of business disciplines including operations, finance, marketing and communications, information technology, research, partnerships, government relations, capital development and strategy.

As Chief Administrative Officer at the University of Toronto Scarborough (UTSC), Andrew has spearheaded the development of the Campus’s Strategic and Master Plans and  brand strategy. He has also fostered partnerships across the public and private sectors that have brought together diverse groups and built innovative new programs and opportunities including the creation of the Toronto Pan Am Sports Centre.