Board of Directors

JESSIE STIRLING – PRESIDENT AND CHAIR OF THE BOARD

Elected to the Board: November 21, 2018

Jessie Stirling is a Kwakwaka’wakw woman of the Wei Wai Kum First Nation in Campbell River, BC and currently resides in Toronto on the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. She holds a Juris Doctor (JD) and Certificate in Aboriginal Legal Studies from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.

Jessie is an associate lawyer at Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP (OKT Law) in Toronto, Ontario. Her practice areas include child welfare, negotiation, and litigation. In the child welfare space, Jessie is honoured to work with First Nations to support their exercise of inherent jurisdiction and to defend and assert their rights in court. Before OKT Law, Jessie represented minors involved in complicated family and child protection matters and protected minors’ interests in wills and estates, trusts, and civil litigation.

Jessie has worked and volunteered with several organizations in BC and Ontario to advance social justice for Indigenous peoples, including Pivot Legal Society, Justice for Children and Youth, and Pro Bono Students Canada’s Indigenous Human Rights Program.

PAUL-EMILE MCNAB – VICE-PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD

Elected to the Board: December 1, 2020

Paul-Emile is the current Vice-President of Business Development and Member Experience with the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. He has been active in the field of Research, Consulting, Fundraising and Business Development for the past fifteen years. In 2007, he completed his honours degree in History, Political Science and Canadian Studies at the University of Toronto. In 2010, he completed his Masters in Environmental Studies at York University with a focus on Indigenous knowledge and a Major Research Paper titled The Traditional Rights of Ways on the Walpole Island First Nation. He has served as a Member of the Research Advisory Committee with Canadian Energy Research Institute and the Chair of the National Advisory Committee with ORIGIN Inc. He currently resides in Toronto and is an avid fan of sports and business.

BASIMA ROSHAN – TREASURER OF THE BOARD

Elected to the Board: December 1, 2010

Basima Roshan is a management consultant with a focus on Finance, Change Management, and Business Transformation. She has an extensive background in working with Fortune-500 companies to plan and manage cross-functional business operations and complex internal integration projects, increasing their effectiveness and profit. Basima guides her clients through the changes in structure, processes, and people they need to meet business and market challenges. Outside of consulting, she teaches Financial Management for the Ontario Architects Association and Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (RAIC). She also serves as a member of the Audit Committee of YMCA GTA. Basima has a Queen’s MBA, holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Finance), and is a Chartered Public Accountant (CPA).

KARLIE NORDSTROM - SECRETARY
Elected to the Board: June 6, 2022

Karlie Nordstrom is of mixed Métis and Swedish ancestry from Treaty 6 territory and is a member of the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan. She is slated to attain her JD from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in June 2022. Karlie also holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Human Resources from the University of Saskatchewan, where she graduated with great distinction. During law school, Karlie volunteered with Pro Bono Students Canada for two years, working in partnership with the Metropolitan Action Committee on Violence Against Women to develop and deliver legal education presentations at women’s shelters. She was co-president of the Indigenous Law Students’ Association at the Faculty for three years, sat on the Dean’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission Implementation Committee for two, and was an executive member of the Peer Mental Health Support Program. Karlie completed the Rotman OnBoard Fellowship Program in 2022, where she worked with the board of directors at Casey House, a sub-acute specialty hospital for people living with and at risk of HIV, to complete governance projects relevant to the needs of the organization. Karlie is an incoming articling student at Aird & Berlis LLP. She loves beading, travelling, and spending time with her cats Mick and Jagger.

SINÉAD CHARBONNEAU – DIRECTOR

Elected to the Board: April 30, 2018

Sinéad is a guest on Songhees and Esquimalt Nation territories. She is an associate at OKT. Her focus is on promoting and protecting the rights of Indigenous children, youth, and families. Her goal is to work alongside Indigenous communities to realize their visions for family and community well-being Sinéad is co-counsel to Chiefs of Ontario in the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society et al. v Canada case. She works alongside Indigenous communities to build child welfare and family well-being programming, exercise jurisdiction, strengthen Indigenous laws, and defend and assert their rights in child welfare court. Her heart is in ceremonial responses to ending violence against women and she has volunteered in this area for 15 years.

LESLIE ANNE ST.AMOUR – DIRECTOR

Elected to the Board: November 21, 2018

Leslie Anne St. Amour is of mixed Indigenous and settler ancestry and is a member of the Bonnechere Algonquin First Nation. She graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in 2020. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University in political science and Indigenous studies and was a 2016-2017OceanPathFellow at the University of St. Francis Xavier. Leslie Anne has worked as a Project Assistant for the Algonquins of Ontario Consultation Office, held various positions within the Student’s Society of McGill University and McGill’s Social Equity and Diversity Education Office, and worked as a research assistant for U of T Law’s Indigenous Initiatives Office. She has previously sat on the Advisory Council of the non-profit Young Women’s Leadership Network which seeks to provide opportunities for diverse young women and non-binary folks to develop civic leadership skills. Leslie Anne works in the field of environmental and Aboriginal law.

DARIAN BASKATAWANG - DIRECTOR

Darian Baskatawang is an articling student at OKT. Darian is a two-spirit Anishinaabe man from Whitesand First Nation. He is the community's first home-grown JD candidate and the youngest to perform advisory roles for Chief and Council at the age of 16. Darian spent the last year on the reserve teaching remote high-school students, volunteering for the COVID-19 community relief, and doing classwork for his JD. Darian has dedicated his professional life to building stronger Nations from coast to coast. He is guided by values and principles his great-grandmother taught him, which knit Indigenous nations together: kindness, humbleness, respect, collaboration, and laughter. Darian has served as an advisor to various federal and provincial cabinet ministers, and leaders of both orders of government. He has worked in the Prime Minister's Office, advised Premier Wynne, and served as Primary Advocate for Youth for the Chiefs of Ontario. At the Chiefs of Ontario, Darian sat on the Political Confederacy and maintained roles in Education, Child Welfare, and Justice. In these roles, Darian worked extensively on the revamped Children, Youth and Family Services Act, and the Anishinaabe Nation Education Agreement/Master Education Agreement for sectoral self-governance, amongst others. Darian enjoys sailing, cycling, hiking, watching RuPaul's Drag Race, and playing Halo or Star Wars.

CHEYENNE LATIMER - DIRECTOR

Cheyenne Latimer is a Kespu’twitk Metis woman, mother, and business owner. Cheyenne holds a Paralegal licence and is in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario. After graduating from Mohawk College with her Paralegal Diploma, Justice Studies Certificate, and a Legal Cannabis Certificate, Cheyenne attended Wilfred Laurier University where she is currently completing her BA in Criminology and Policing. Cheyenne opened her own legal practice in January 2022. She is the Founder, Owner, and Operator of Latimer Legal Services. Her firm focuses on tenant rights and is devoted to meeting its client’s needs while ensuring full transparency. Cheyenne is very involved in her community. Being a young mother herself, she strives to share her story, education, and resources with other young parents. Cheyenne regularly attends Young Parent Resource Centres where she shares her knowledge and experience. Cheyenne also speaks at the St. Martin’s Manor Graduation Ceremonies. Cheyenne enjoys being immersed in nature as much as possible. She loves camping, hiking, and gardening.

DEREK JAMES MASTIN - SHADOW DIRECTOR

Derek James Mastin is in the final year of his Juris Doctor degree. With Anishinaabe heritage from Nigigoonsiminikaaning First Nation, Derek chose to complete his law degree at Bora Laskin Faculty of Law (Lakehead) to focus on Aboriginal issues and development. Derek’s first year of legal training was at the University of Sydney. He developed an interest to travel after he completed an exchange semester in Australia during his undergraduate studies. Derek graduated with distinction from Carleton University where he obtained degrees in legal studies and sociology.

During law school, Derek was elected Vice President (Careers) of the law society and participated in mooting competitions. He has also been a tutor and mentor to first-year students. Motived to advocate for justice, Derek left his two-year plumbing apprenticeship to pursue a legal career. A diverse range of experiences and travel has taught Derek the value of being open-minded, building relationships, and being of service to others. Derek is particularly interested to engage companies to work with Aboriginal communities and improve stakeholder relationships in a fiduciary manner.

As an Investor Services Associate, Derek worked for a global M&A advisory firm where he developed financial literacy, engagement, and reporting skills. Derek has acted on behalf of several multinational companies by engaging and soliciting institutional shareholders during contentious general meetings, hostile takeovers, and capital raising campaigns. He is interested to serve Aboriginal communities by building relationships with private and public industry through ESG initiatives. Derek currently provides consulting and advisory services for the Chief and Council of his First Nation.

HUGH O'REILLY - DIRECTOR

Hugh O’Reilly is the President and CEO of Acuity Global, a boutique consulting firm that provides advice on strategy to insurance companies, investment managers, real estate developers, scale-ups, and startups. Hugh is the Executive Director of Innovate Cities, an Executive-in-Residence at the Global Risk Institute, and a Senior Fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute. Hugh serves on the Board of a number of organizations including Aboriginal Legal Services, Namerind (a not-for-profit indigenous housing corporation), and Orbis Canada (a registered charity). Hugh is the former President and CEO of OPTrust where he led an organizational transformation. Key achievements at OPTrust during his tenure included the implementation of a new investment strategy and the launch of a new defined benefit pension plan for not-for-profit organizations. Hugh practiced law for over three decades. Hugh is recognized for his risk, innovation, pension, and governance expertise. Hugh has spoken at numerous conferences and has published many articles.

STEPHEN KNIGHT- DIRECTOR

Stephen Knight (he/him) is Director of Marketing and Communications at Ronald McDonald House Charities Toronto, one of the country's best-known not-for-profit organizations. Stephen brings more than 20 years of experience in journalism, communications, government and media relations, and marketing to the ALS Board. A graduate of the University of Toronto and Ryerson University, Stephen has extensive communications experience across both the private and public sectors, including in financial services, healthcare, institutional investing, innovation, consumer packaged goods, and fundraising. He lives in Toronto with his wife and stepson.