Our Leadership
Lorris Herenda - Executive Director
Lorris Herenda, M.Sc. is the Executive Director of Yellow Brick House operating in its 34rd year. She joined Yellow Brick House in 2004 and has led the agency through an expansion of services almost doubling the number of women and children served on yearly basis. She is responsible for overseeing forty plus employees, ensuring smooth operation of the two shelters, second stage housing project (Reta’s Place) and the community based counseling services, serving over 5500 women and children in 2011. In addition to the operational aspect, Lorris is the co-chair of the York Region Violence Against Women Coordinating Committee and is a tremendous advocate for the rights of women and children.
In 2012 and 2008, she won the Province of Ontario award “Leading Women, Building Communities” for her exceptional community leadership to improve the lives of women and girls in Ontario. In 2009 she won the award from the Town of Aurora for her outstanding contribution as an individual in the community. In 2011 Yellow Brick House won the Richmond Hill Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Achievement Award for non profit organization.
Board of Directors
The Yellow Brick House Board of Directors significantly impacts the work of the organization. The Board is deeply committed to the effectiveness of the organization and to making a contribution towards its goals.
Nora Priestly – Co-Chair
Chair of the Executive Committee. Nora has more than 15 years management experience working in student services at York University.
Norine Graham-Robinson – Co-Chair
Norine is a licensed pharmacist with over twenty year’s professional experience including community, residential and long term care pharmacy as well as corporate management.
Glenna Stelzer – Secretary
Chair of the Human Resources Committee. Glenna is a Certified Human Resources Professional with over 25 years experience in human resources, commercial banking and property management. She is self employed as a Human Resources Consultant.
Charles Scott – Treasurer
Member of the Board Operations Committee. Charles is a Principal at Grant Thornton LLP, a national accounting and business advisory firm that he has been with for almost 20 years.
Christine Brezina
Christine is a Director and Senior Project Executive at IBM Canada. She has over 25 years experience in IT outsourcing, where her primary focus has been on customer, financial, contract and people management.
Dylan Marando
Dylan is a consultant at StrategyCorp with considerable experience in health policy and financial management. Dylan has worked at the Ontario Office of the Provincial Controller, the Mowat Centre for Policy Innovation, and in the Partnering for Patients Office at The Credit Valley Hospital and Trillium Health Centre.
Dylan is active in the Richmond Hill community, having previously served as a Director and Chair of SCW Canada and as a committee member for the York Central Hospital Foundation. Dylan is also a former candidate for Member of Parliament.
Dylan holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Toronto, where he received the C.L Burton Scholarship, the Knowlton-Mercier Prize, the W.B Dunphy Medal, the Master of Public Policy Fellowship, and the Cadario Fellowship. Dylan has also undertaken Executive Education at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Jackie Wilson
Jackie Wilson is a Detective Sergeant with York Regional Police. She is currently assigned to the Integrated Domestic Violence Unit where she leads a team of specialty trained Domestic Violence investigators.
Jennifer Gleitman
Jennifer Gleitman is an Assistant Crown Attorney in York Region. She is a member of the Operations Committee.
Mark Hart
Member of the Fundraising Committee. Mark Hart has been in financial services for over 20 years and operates a boutique firm as Principal of NCompass Financial Inc. Prior to this, Mark held executive roles at major financial institutions in both Canada and the US.
Become a Board Member
For information on our Board of Directors or to inquire about how to be nominated as a member, call 905-709-0900 or 1-800-263-2231, ext. 2233 or e-mail us at info@yellowbrickhouse.org