Leadership

Introduction of Charity Board

Governance by volunteer citizens desiring to provide life-ability opportunities for their fellow citizens is the foundation for a civil society. The following introduces the citizens who have chosen to provide their time and expertise to energize the Sionito missions.

The Board of Directors

John Hamer

John Hamer is the Pastor of Community of Christ’s downtown Toronto Congregation, established in 1891. The injustices… of under-housing and homelessness are felt everywhere but are especially evident in the city’s heart. In accord with the church’s mission of abolishing poverty and promoting peace and justice, John is committed to Sionito’s successful community-building model as an effective way to address housing injustice in Canada systematically.

John Morgan

“Working with Sionito feels great because we provide housing for people who really need it, …but what really grabs me is that we intentionally work to foster a community for everyone who stays with us. That’s where the tire meets the road.” John Morgan has worked in business management for most of his career. He is an ordained lay minister with the Community of Christ, is currently Pastor of the Willow congregation and a youth minister. He has always had a passion for helping people wherever and whenever he can. He is a regular blood donor
with over 100 donations to date. He has been strongly connected with the Sionito group of Charities in various capacities for close to forty years.

Brian Shantz

As a Strategic Leader and Relationship Builder, I feel it is my civic responsibility to join with Sionito… to provide housing for those unable to do so on their own. I am proud of our accomplishments thus far.

Shaun Withrow

Shaun Withrow works for TELUS, where he has enjoyed a 14-year career and is currently… the manager of a large team of systems testers. As the population of unhoused people grows, Shaun is proud and excited to be working with Sionito to contribute to a movement of ending the homelessness crisis by providing housing to our city’s most in need and advocating for every person’s rights to be housed.

Alfredo Zelaya

A passionate community builder. Over the past 30 years, Alfredo has served as a Principal of a private school, a… full-time Ordained Minister, a Personal Care Worker with developmentally delayed adults, and as the Inter-school Sports Director for a group of private elementary schools. Alfredo co-founded Community Place+. This intergenerational program is designed to bring a community-building experience to those individuals looking for deep and meaningful connections.
Using his native language, Spanish, Alfredo has volunteered with World Accord as a translator and group leader for Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador projects. His first love, however, has been directing youth camps for the past 30 years.
Sionito’s focus and strategic plan to build community with the most marginalized citizens in the city is a natural extension of his community-building ventures.
Alfredo’s personal motto is “Get busy living….”

Dr. Ivan Joseph

Ivan is an internationally renowned speaker, bestselling author, award-winning performance coach, …coach, in-demand consultant, prominent educator and accomplished leader. His TEDx talk, “The Skill of Self-Confidence,” has over 28 million views and was named by Forbes as one of the 10 Best TED Talks for Graduates on the Meaning of Life. Dr. Joseph holds a PhD in Psychology and has served as Vice President, Director of Athletics and faculty at four North American universities. During his 25-year career in academia, Ivan led cultural transformation, inspired people to believe in themselves and created cohesive teams. While serving as a professor and coach at Graceland University, Ivan developed the soccer program from the ground up, leading both the men’s and women’s teams to #1 national rankings. He also guided the men’s team to the first national championship in Graceland’s history—in just five years. For this accomplishment, he was chosen by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics to be named National Coach of the Year. Ivan spent a decade as Director of Athletics at Toronto Metropolitan University, where he helped lead his department—and the university—to national prominence. Among his many accomplishments at TMU, Ivan spearheaded the landmark $100M renovation of the historic Maple Leaf Gardens. Under his leadership, TMU teams won the first provincial and national championships in the university’s history. Ivan has coached World Champions and Olympians. His research and leadership have focused on understanding how self-confidence and cohesion drive performance. Ivan now uses these skills to lead high-performing businesses, organization and individuals from around the world.