Our Board

2019-2020 Board of Directors

Currently the Executive Director of the RQOH (Réseau québécois des OSBL d’habitation), the Québec non-profit housing network, Stéphan has worked for thirty years promoting social justice generally and the right to housing in particular. His varied involvements have extended to include activities at the local, regional, national and international levels. Among the many issues on which he has worked, one can cite his work in South Africa building and rebuilding communities torn asunder by social evils like apartheid, civil strife and natural disasters. He was the coordinator of Montréal’s Rosemount Housing Committee and also worked for the tenants’ organization within the Québec Habitation à loyer modique (low income housing) Tenants’ Federation. He was the instigator behind the founding of Loggia, a several hundred unit non-profit housing development. 

The network that he currently leads regroups eight regional non-profit housing federations. More than 800 non-profit housing organizations are affiliated with the RQOH, which acts as a spokesperson for and a defender of these organizations and their tenants. As the Executive Director of the RQOH network, Stéphan sits on the board of the Québec Community Housing Fund. He holds a Master’s degree in political science and a Master’s degree in law.

VICE PRESIDENT
Hugh Lawson
Regional Director, Ontario
Director, Strategic Planning & Stakeholder Relations, Toronto Community Housing
Hugh.Lawson@torontohousing.ca

Hugh joined Toronto Community Housing in 2002 and is responsible for Toronto Community Housing’s strategic planning, performance reporting, policy management, stakeholder and inter-governmental relations. 

He has worked in housing for over 30 years and has been involved in property and tenancy management, housing development, sector agencies, and policy and legislative development. Before joining Toronto Community Housing, he worked as the Manager of Policy in the Social Housing section at the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing in Ontario. Hugh has also worked at the Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association and the Co-operative Housing Federation of Toronto, where he was responsible for developing over 2,000 co-operative housing units. He is a board member at Rooftops Canada.

Hugh is currently working on supporting the City of Toronto’s implementation of their Tenants First report on transforming Toronto Community Housing. He also works on ways to ensure the operating and capital sustainability of Toronto Community Housing so that it can fulfill its mandate to provide decent and affordable housing to low and moderate income Torontonians.

TREASURER
Pamela Hine
Regional Director, Northern Territories
President, Yukon Housing Corporation
pamela.hine@gov.yk.ca

Pamela returned to our board to pursue her passion for social housing and shaping housing policy, having served previously on the board as Director, Northern Territories, from 2003 to 2007. Over the last 17 years, Pamela has held Deputy Minister positions in both Nunavut and Yukon, including; President of the Nunavut Housing Corporation (2000-2003), Deputy Minister of Education, Nunavut (2003-2006), Deputy Minister of Community and Government Services, Nunavut (2006-2007) and Deputy Minister of Education, Yukon (2007-2012), President of the Yukon Liquor Corporation, President of Yukon Housing Corporation and Yukon Lotteries Commission (2012-2016). Pamela currently holds the position of President of the Yukon Housing Corporation.

Pamela represents the association as a Director with Rooftops Canada/Abri International and is a Director for Little Footprints Big Steps. Pamela received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 through a nomination by Habitat for Humanity Canada for her dedication to improved housing in the Northern Territories. 

SECRETARY
Robert Byers
Director, Aboriginal Community
Chief Executive Officer, Namerind Housing Corporation
rbyers@namerind.com

Beginning employment with Namerind in July 2005, Robert focuses on developing partnerships with community groups that share a common goal: a better community for those in need. Robert’s approach is inclusion of a national voice and broad participation in the community to advance authentic community reconciliation. Joining Regina’s Chamber of Commerce several years ago, Robert gained recognition, holding a board position for 6 years, recently Namerind was a Paragon Awards finalist for Business of the Year. He serves as a trustee with the MacKenzie Art Gallery Board and a member of Regina’s Mayor’s Housing Commission. 

Since 2013 Robert participates as a member on Regina’s Community Advisory Board under the Housing Partnership Strategy, working to plan and implement strategies to end homelessness and review funding proposals. Recently he was elected Chair to the Executive Leadership Council for Regina’s Plan to End Homelessness. Additionally, as a member of the National Advisory Committee on Homelessness, Robert provided input to preventing and reducing homelessness and how to redesign the Homelessness Partnering Strategy post-2019.

As the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association Director of Indigenous Communities, Robert chairs the association’s Indigenous Housing Advisory Caucus. 

Margaret Pfoh
Regional Director, British Columbia
Chief Executive Officer, Aboriginal Housing Management Association
mpfoh@ahma-bc.org

Margaret Pfoh is Tsimshian from the Eagle Clan of the Gitga’at First Nation. She bring more than 22 years of housing management experience and is currently the Chief Executive Officer for the Aboriginal Housing Management Association. 

She was the longstanding CEO of Mamele’awt Qweesome/To’o Housing Society (MQHS). During Margaret’s tenure in housing, her team spearheaded the creation of an Urban Village concept at MQHS—a full-spectrum rental housing concept, rooted in indigenous culture and welcoming to the whole community. 

Through innovation and tenacity, she increased the MQHS portfolio fivefold and implemented many support programs to help Indigenous families on the road to self-sufficiency. Margaret also served as President and Director of the Aboriginal Housing Management Association for nearly 20 of these years, supporting both the organization’s evolution and successful devolution of provincial Aboriginal housing programs and services to the association. The first of its kind in Canada to do so, second in the world. 

Christina Maes Nino
Regional Director, Manitoba
Executive Director, Manitoba Non-Profit Housing Association
execdir@mnpha.com

Christina Maes Nino has spent her career working to support, organize and collaborate with people living in poverty, often focused on improving housing circumstances. After working as a frontline support staff with people who were previously homeless in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside and as a community development worker in social housing in Calgary, Christina decided to pursue policy and research.

Christina was the coordinator and co-author of “Here and Now: The Winnipeg Plan to End Youth Homelessness” (2017), and Winnipeg’s Street Census projects, conducted in 2015 and 2018. She is the co-author of the Winnipeg Street Health Report (2011) and has published two chapters in edited books, “Decolonizing Planning” (2014) and “Poor Housing” (2015). She has also partnered with resident associations, planners, and Neighbourhood Renewal Corporations in Winnipeg’s inner city to develop three neighbourhood housing plans.

Currently Executive Director of the Manitoba Non-Profit Housing Association, Christina supports non-profit housing providers to build a thriving, sustainable non-profit housing sector in Manitoba through advocacy, professional development, and partnership building. She is an active member of the Winnipeg Right to Housing Coalition.

George Cormier
Regional Director, New Brunswick
Executive Director, New Brunswick Non Profit Housing Association
george@nbnpha-alsblnb.ca

George recently jointed the New Brunswick Non Profit Housing Association (NBNPHA) as Executive Director. He comes to that role after having held leadership roles in the long-term care and affordable housing sectors in rural New Brunswick for the past several years. He also currently holds a municipal councillor seat in Memramcook and is engaged in initiatives with seniors and the age-friendly community.

He is a former Francophone Special Care Home Association Board Member and has served for a number of years as the Moncton Region Director for the NBNPHA. George sits on the Provincial Roundtable that advises the Department of Social Development on the new Aging Strategy. In addition to his extensive background in the housing sector, he also holds an MBA and is a candidate for the Chartered Professional in Human Resources designation.

Timothy Crooks
Regional Director, Nova Scotia
Executive Director, Phoenix Youth Programs
tcrooks@phoenixyouth.ca

Timothy is the Executive Director of Phoenix Youth Programs (Phoenix) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. In addition to his work with Phoenix, he has served on a variety of boards and steering committees within the extended community and continues to be active with several provincial and national initiatives. He has been involved with the School of Health and Human Performance at Dalhousie University as a sessional instructor teaching on issues relating to counselling and youth at risk. Timothy has served as Chair of the Advisory Committee for the Department of Child and Youth Study at Mount St. Vincent University. Presently, he is on the Advisory Board for the Centre for Employment Innovation and is also on the Board of the Nova Scotia Community Sector Council.

He is a graduate of the School of Social Work at Dalhousie University and prior to his years in this field, has a background in teaching having graduated from Acadia University. During his career, Timothy has been honored to receive recognition for his efforts:

• The Canadian Society of Association Executives – Community/Association Leadership Award. 
• Gordon Foundation – recognition of his impact on the field of Child and Youth Care work.
• Acadia University identified Timothy as an Outstanding Alumnus. 
• Business Person of the Year- Silver Award – Halifax Chamber of Commerce Business Awards. 
• Honorable Mayann E. Francis, Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia – recognizing his work on social justice issues within the extended community.

Ayon Shahed
Regional Director, Newfoundland and Labrador
Director of Strategic Development, Choices for Youth
ashahed@choicesforyouth.ca

Currently the Director of Strategic Development at Choices for Youth, Ayon Shahed is passionate about exploring the intersection between social justice, community organizations and public policy. Ayon is actively involved with efforts provincially and nationally to prevent and end youth homelessness.

As a strategist and communications professional, Ayon has been a key player on numerous initiatives in negotiating effective partnerships to maximize organizational and sector-wide impact. In 2015, Ayon was named one of 21Inc’s Top 50 Under 40 in Atlantic Canada.

Previous to his role with Choices for Youth, Ayon worked at Engineers Without Borders Canada as a fundraiser, project manager and community leader. He holds a Masters in Engineering from Queen’s University with a focus on renewable technologies.

Ayon believes that organizations lead and succeed based on the growth and wellness of their people, and enjoys building communities that enable both. He is excited by powerful communication pieces, people with big ideas and enjoys learning on his feet.