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Board Members
Executive Team Members
Group Living Managers

Louie Surdi

Louie Surdi has over 35 years of finance and accounting experience and is currently Director, Finance Operations at Alludo (formerly Corel) a software company since 2021. Previously Louie held senior roles with Finastra, Deloitte Consulting, Connolly Canada and Toronto Argonauts and prior to that spent 10 years with HBC as Vice President, Shared Services Finance Louie sits on the Boards of SurexCARE and White Ribbon, is a graduate of the University of Toronto and lives in East York with his wife and has two sons.

Karen Ayres

Karen has worked in the bereavements sector for over 20 years in various rolls in both the corporate and independent settings. Her current positions as Executive Director, Ontario Funeral Service Association, she is responsible for overseeing the association’s operations, as well as implementing initiatives which support the organization’s mission, vision, and are aligned with the Boards strategic direction. In her previous position as Manager, Community Giving and Partnerships, Karen was successful at building relationships, developing community community programs, as well as creating a positive culture within her organization.
Karen has a degree in Communications from Ryerson University and has volunteered and fundraised for many not-for-profit events. She previously sat on the Bereaved Families of Ontario Board and brings to the SurexCARE family her extensive experiences with not-for-profit organizations, along with her strong work ethic and high degree of energy.

David Stein

David Stein has over 37 years experience as a practicing lawyer, developing practical know-how required to give you informed, well-researched and sound advise and to represent you in a polished, professional manner. David has a first class honours degree in economics and political science from McGill University, a Master of Arts in Economics from University of Michigan, and both a Bachelor of Common Law and Civil Law from McGill University’s national law program.

Jaymie Daunt

Jaymie Daunt joined the SurexCARE Board of Directors in 2021. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Women and Gender Studies from the University of Toronto and a Social Service Worker diploma from George Brown College. For over five years, Jaymie has worked for non-profits, providing equitable and anti-oppression based support to community members. She is currently the Executive Director a not-for-profit charity providing senior services in west-end Toronto.

Steve Lurie

Steve Lurie recently retired as the Executive Director of the Canadian Mental Health Association Toronto Branch, a post he held since 1979. Steve has written and lectured extensively on mental health policy issues. He was a principal author of the Graham Report, Building Community Support for People, and conducted the 1992 snapshot of community mental health programs for the Ontario Ministry of Health and the Minimum Data Set Pilot Project (1998), which established a common data set for the reporting of client characteristics and outcomes in community and hospital based mental health services. He served as guest editor of the Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health special issue, Innovation in Community Mental Health: International Perspectives and their recent special issues on Canada’s Mental Health Strategy. He recently co-chaired the HQO Quality Standard on Schizophrenia Care in the Community, and currently is the co-chair of the Toronto Police Service Mental Health and Addictions Advisory Panel. Steve is an executive lead on the Toronto Supportive Housing Growth Plan, a project of the Wellesley Institute, CMHA Toronto, Toronto Alliance to End Homelessness and the Toronto Supportive Housing Network. He has an appointment as a Senior Fellow at the Wellesley Institute. He was recently appointed as co- chair of the Toronto Crisis Pilot Community Advisory Table.

Since 2004 Steve has had a collaborative relationship with SCARF, a community mental health and research organization in Chennai, India. In 2007 Steve provided technical assistance to the development of a national mental health plan in Kyrgyzstan, through a project funded by the Soros Foundation. As well Steve and CMHA Toronto have hosted organizations from China, India, US, New Zealand, Australia, the UK and Japan. In 2008 Steve lectured in Japan about community mental health systems, hosted by the Matsubara Psychiatric Hospital.

In 2005 he provided technical assistance to the Senate Committee Report Out of the Shadows At Last: Transforming Mental Health and Addiction Services in Canada.
In August 2007 he was appointed to chair the Service Systems Advisory Committee for the newly established Mental Health Commission of Canada. He was awarded the Canadian Mental Health Association’s CM Hincks award for national leadership in mental health and the President’s Award for outstanding contributions, by Addictions and Mental Health Ontario and recently was named to the Order of Canada for his contributions as leader, scholar and advocate in 2016. In November 2017 he was honoured by CAMH as one of Canada’s Difference Makers in mental health and addictions.

Steve has a Masters in Management (MM) from the McGill McConnell Voluntary Sector Leadership program (2002) and has a BA (1971) and MSW (1973) from the University of Toronto Faculty of Social Work where he is now an adjunct professor.

Chandra Colbear

Chandra is excited to join the SurexCARE board of directors. She brings over 20 years of business management experience, having worked at Procter & Gamble, McDonald’s Restaurants, and currently in her role as Sr Director of Marketing at Dyson Canada.
Chandra has previously served on the board at Bereaved Families of Ontario-Toronto, and volunteers with Dreams Take Flight, and local school, church and neighbourhood organizations. She lives in Toronto with her husband and 3 children.
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Bob Engel

Bob Engel graduated from the School of Social Work in 1971. Subsequently he was employed by Jewish Family Service in Montreal as a front line family therapist and by North York General Hospital in the Children’s Mental Health Department. In 1977 he became the Administrator of a social service department for Durham Region where he stayed for twelve years. In 1988 he became the Executive Director of Oolagen Community Services, a Children’s Mental Centre in downtown Toronto. He stayed there until 2013 at which time he retired.
Bob is married with two children and five grandchildren.

Alison Hunt

Executive Director

Alison has extensive experience working in Toronto’s Mental Health and Addiction sector. She started her career over 30 years ago working directly with individuals experiencing mental health and addiction issues, moving to progressively more senior leadership roles over the past 20 years. She oversaw the implementation of Community Treatment Orders across the city while at Canadian Mental Health Association Toronto Branch; led numerous outpatient Early Intervention Psychosis teams at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health; and facilitated the integration of two access hubs (Coordinated Access to Supportive Housing and Access 1) to form The Access Point, a coordinated access centre for all mental health and addiction supportive housing and support services throughout the city. She also spent time as the Senior Mental Health and Addiction Planner with the Central LHIN before moving to Executive Director at Regeneration Community Services for 5 years. Her most current role is Executive Director at SurexCare.
Alison has an M.Ed in Psychology from the University of Toronto and a certificate in Advanced Health System Leadership from the Rotman School of Management. She is registered as a Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. She is trained in Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) and practices directly with clients on a part-time basis. She is also an instructor in DBT to Masters of Psychology students at Adler Graduate Professional School.

Lily Smith

Director of HR

Lily Smith serves as Director of Human Resources, bringing over 20 years of human resource experience to the team. Prior to serving Surex, she held human resource positions in the automotive industries and in non-profits. Her overall goal is to ensure adequate human resources, to meet the strategic goals and operational plans of the organization, to value, encourage, and support a diverse workforce, and to continually improve organizational effectiveness. It has been most personally rewarding for her to work with a team of employees who has a desire and passion to make a positive impact in helping people with developmental and intellectual challenges.

Edna Ramos

Controller

Edna is a CPA, CGA with a degree in Business Administration, and a major in Accounting. She has been working in the not-for-profit sector since 2006. She started in this industry as an Accounting Assistant, gradually moving to more senior roles as she acquired more experience. She served charities like the Junior Achievement of Central Ontario, the Centralized Finance of the Alzheimer Societies of Ontario, Toronto and Canada and the Women’s Habitat of Etobicoke. She joined SurexCARE in September of 2021 as the Senior Manager of Finance responsible for taking care of all the essential financial functions of the agency and managing its financial operations.
Edna loves going outdoors and seeing the beautiful nature attractions of Ontario in the summer and enjoys watching films (Conspiracy/Crime/Spy Thrillers) in the colder months of the year. She is married with two daughters and two lovable grandkids.

Melissa Pateras

Senior Manager of Operations

As the saying goes, “Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine;” and that is how Melissa’s journey began in 1997. After graduating from studying Law Enforcement, Melissa embraced the call of becoming better and developing her craft, in various fields over the years. Her career started briefly in Federal Corrections and moved on to work with Durham Children’s Aid Society as a Program Director of residential youth programs for assessment and treatment, where she stayed for 7 years. After this period of time Melissa felt it was time once again to embrace change and find another craft where she can learn, grow and most importantly share her wealth of knowledge and skills. That is when in 2004 Melissa joined the management team at SurexCARE. Over this time period Melissa has had the opportunity to manage 5 of the 9 residential programs at SurexCARE, and most recently Melissa is a Senior Manager overseeing the operations of the Community Supports Program. Melissa has a passion and drive for wherever life’s journey will take her and is dedicated to see others succeed and thrive. Besides being a natural comedian, Melissa is a proud mom of 3 children.

Michelle Floyd

Director of Group Living

In order to work in our field and succeed, you need passion, commitment, humility most importantly, humour. Well maybe not as important as hard work. This is where Michelle’s journey started in 1991 after graduating from the Child and Youth Worker Program. Her first employment opportunity came at Brantwood Community Services, where Michelle worked for 2 years, before eventually joining the Surex team as a Primary Counsellor at our Military Trail location. In her 8 years working frontline it was during these years when it was evident it was time for Michelle to join the Surex Management team in 1999. From this point on Michelle has managed 4 of our residential locations and also managed our community supports program. Recently Michelle has become a Senior Manager, overseeing the overall operations of our residential programs.
If you were wondering where to find Michelle, you can find her often behind her camera taking photos at Surex events and when she is not working, Michelle is an avid dog lover and enjoys looking after her friends’ pets, and travelling.

Carrie Gomes

Administration Manager

Carrie has been with Surex for over three years.

Johnny Morales

Payroll and Accounting Manager

Johnny started at Surex in 2021.

Sarah John-Baptiste

Manager, Group Living

Sarah began her career with Big Sisters Youth Services in Hamilton, gaining unparalleled experience in the social service field while also establishing herself as a respected Youth Counsellor.
Currently working as a Program Manager with SurexCARE since 2010, Sarah is widely known for her passion for caring for others, advocacy, life skills, mentoring and coaching skills, and a passion for growth and development of others.
Sarah enjoys a good challenge and does not shy from work. Sarah is a devoted single mother of twin teen girls. Sarah is proud to call Toronto home.

Karen Andrew

Manager, Group Living

TBD

Jason Ebrahim

Manager, Group Living

During Jason’s early college years, he was at a crossroads, not sure what he was passionate about and what his purpose in life was. It was during the winter of 2008 where, after a lengthy conversation with his family, his answer was in front of him this whole time. What Jason got passionate about, what drove him and what motivated and inspired him was his sister, whom at birth was diagnosed with Down Syndrome. In the fall of 2009 Jason enrolled in the Social Service Worker program at Centennial College and never looked back. After a successful run briefly working and volunteering at Springboard, in May of 2012 Jason was hired by SurexCARE. Over his 8 years with SurexCARE Jason worked as a Part-Time Counsellor, Primary Counsellor and Team Leader with always having a mindset of being compassionate, hardworking, passionate and driven. Now on to the next step of the journey, Jason is a Residential Supports Manager committed to lead, empower, listen and enhance those around him. When Jason isn’t working, he enjoys video games, exercising and loves to cook.

Tammy Dill

Manager of Community Programs and Group Living

TBD

Shanta McKellar

Manager of Community Programs and Group Living/p>

TBD.

About Us

The Team

Louie Surdi

Karen Ayres

David Stein

Jaymie Daunt

Steve Lurie

Chandra Colbear

Bob Engel

Alison Hunt

Lily Smith

Edna Ramos

Melissa Pateras

Michelle Floyd

Carrie Gomes

Johnny Morales

Sarah John-Baptiste

Karen Andrew

Jason Ebrahim

Tammy Dill

Shanta McKellar

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