Leadership Team
Chief Executive Officer
Lorris Herenda
Lorris Herenda is the Chief Executive Officer of Yellow Brick House. She joined Yellow Brick House in 2004 and has doubled the agency scope in delivery of shelter services, community counselling and supportive services. Lorris is the co-chair of the York Region Violence Against Women Coordinating Committee and Treasurer of the board of Ontario Association Interval and Transitional Housing (OAITH). She is the 2013 recipient of the Attorney General Victim Services Award of Distinction. 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 2021, she has been nominated for the RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award in 2021.
Lorris Herenda
Board of Directors
Stephanie Kremer
Stephanie Kremer is Vice President Sales & Marketing at RISE Properties Trust. Stephanie has extensive experience in sales and marketing in the investment industry. She has worked in the financial industry for over 25 years and has held several progressive roles, always focused on improving institutional and individual investors’ experiences and striving to provide the best-in-class service. She was previously involved in several industry related organizations as an active member of working committees or board, with the primary goal of educating investors.
Stephanie enjoys spending time with her husband and two children. The family is very active and loves the outdoor and travelling together. She is a big Blue Jays and Raptors fan. Stephanie believes that every person has the right to live a life free of abuse and violence and is honoured to share her business and fund-raising experience as a member of the Yellow Brick House Board of Directors.
Stephanie Kremer
President
Dharmesh Morjaria
Dharmesh is the VP of Finance at The Byng Group Inc, a multi-family interior renovation general contractor. Prior to joining Byng, he has served in various senior roles in Fintech and technology companies, building and scaling companies, driving financial profitability, and managing risk. He holds a CPA, CGA designation along with an MBA from Laurentian university and is a professor at Seneca College where he teaches aspiring students on the fundamentals of accounting.
In his spare time, Dharmesh along with his wife, enjoys travelling, hiking, binge watching, and experimenting with new cooking recipes. As Treasurer and Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee, Dharmesh manages the financial stewardship of the organization and is honoured to be a member of the Board of Directors of Yellow Brick House and believes that all persons should be free from violence.
Dharmesh Morjaria
Treasurer
Zak Bhamani
Zak Bhamani is Director of Corporate Development for TELUS Health where he is responsible for supporting M&A activities, strategic investments and partnerships to advance the TELUS strategy to contribute to the transformation of healthcare delivery in Canada.
Zak holds a BA in Economics, and a Graduate Diploma in Management Studies from Wilfrid Laurier University. He also has an MBA from the University of Victoria’s Gustavson School of Business.
Zak has been an active volunteer in the community, having served on the Boards of community-based and national charities. Zak joined the Board of Yellow Brick House in September of 2019, and currently holds the position of Secretary on the executive committee.
Zak is a devoted father to two young boys, is a recreational hockey player, and a coach for his son’s house league hockey team. Zak, his wife Shelly, and their boys live in Markham, Ontario.
Zak Bhamani
Carolyn Skinner
Carolyn Skinner is a strategic communications professional with more than 10 years of experience in public relations. She currently works in the Corporate Communications department at Canadian Tire Corporation.
Carolyn holds a Bachelor of Journalism, Major in Broadcasting degree from Toronto Metropolitan University and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Public Relations from Simon Fraser University. Prior to joining Canadian Tire, she spent 7 years on the management team at the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, creating content and delivering impactful print, digital, social and experiential campaigns.
She also lived in Vancouver, where she worked in the mining sector and in BC’s largest TV and radio newsrooms. Her most memorable position was as a camera assistant at the hockey arena during the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Carolyn lives in York Region with her husband and two little girls, and is committed to supporting Yellow Brick House so that domestic violence will become a thing of the past within her children’s lifetime.
Carolyn Skinner
KC Shendelman
KC Shendelman is a Marketing Executive with over 20 years of progressive Marketing and Innovation experience across multiple industries and organizations. She has worked in Consumer-Packaged Goods, Telecommunications, Not-For-Profit, Financial Services and Grocery Retail.
Currently, she is the VP of Marketing at Longo’s, responsible for strategy and execution for all consumer communications, including advertising, media, loyalty, community and in-store activities. KC achieved a Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Marketing from the Schulich School of Business. She has been a professor and guest speaker for Brand Management MBA classes at McMaster’s DeGroote Business School and is a mentor for the American Marketing Association. She also has an Honours Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.
KC is married and has twins, a boy and girl, who all enjoy hiking, travelling and cooking together. She proudly serves on the Board of Directors for Yellow Brick House.
KC Shendelman
Mary Elias
Mary Elias is a Health Services Researcher and Analytics Specialist, with over 10 years’ experience in the public sector and not-for-profit organizations. She holds a Bachelor of Science with Honours from York University and a Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Toronto.
She is a strategic thinker and skilled in the areas of performance measurement, program evaluation and data science. Mary’s ability to think of the big picture, in conjunction with her attention to details, has been instrumental to her leadership roles.
In her spare time, Mary enjoys travelling, spending time with family and friends, and trying out local cafés. Being a strong believer in giving back to her community, Mary actively dedicates several hours a week for volunteer work. She has a keen interest in initiatives that empower children and women and the importance of health in enhancing the lives of children and women.
Mary Elias
Meeta Gandhi
Meeta Gandhi is the Director of Communications, Customer Service, and Diversity and Inclusion with the Town of East Gwillimbury. Prior to joining the Town she worked for the City of Richmond Hill where she oversaw communications, customer service, economic development, innovation and government relations, Before moving to municipal government, Meeta worked with the federal government for 20 years including communications, administration and program delivery. She has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Toronto, a Public Relations Certificate from Ryerson University and a Diploma in Public Administration from Western University.
Credentials aside, Meeta and her husband have a blended family of four adult children and their dog Leo. Together, they enjoy travelling, skiing, hiking and Sunday family dinners. A survivor of domestic abuse and a past recipient of YBH services, Meeta is honoured to be a member of the Yellow Brick House Board of Directors.
Meeta Gandhi
Nicole DeKort
Nicole DeKort is the President & CEO of Medtech Canada – the industry association representing Canada’s Medical Technology Companies.
She previously served for 10 years as the Vice-President of Ontario & Marketing for Medtech Canada, overseeing Ontario government relations and national marketing programs for the association. During COVID-19 – among other initiatives – Nicole worked with her colleagues to launch www.medtechinnovation.ca which highlights the vast impact the medical technology has had in response to the pandemic.
Prior to joining Medtech Canada, Nicole has a 15-year background in politics and government in a diverse portfolio of roles. Nicole’s last role in government prior to joining Medtech Canada was serving as the Executive Director of Strategic Planning for the then Minister of Health and Long-Term Care.
Nicole serves on the Board of Directors for Yellow Brick House, which provides shelter and support services for abused families and victims of gender-based violence in York Region. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Life Sciences Ontario.
Nicole DeKort
Tami Brisland
Tami Brisland is a Client Partner with Kyndryl, formerly a services division in IBM, managing IT infrastructure and operational programs. In her 30-year career, Tami has held a variety of professional and managerial positions. Tami’s expertise lies in program and operational management, process transformation and continuous improvement. She has a reputation for fostering strong collaborative relationships at all levels in order to deliver results in rapidly changing and complex environments.
Tami and her family have been residents of Markham Village for over 25 years. With values rooted in family and community engagement, Tami has a long history of volunteering in Markham. Prior to being accepted to the Yellow Brick House board in 2017, Tami was a volunteer for six years and is particularly passionate about the amazing work that Yellow Brick House does to empower women in need and in breaking the cycle of domestic violence through education and awareness.
Tami Brisland
Nancy Pavao
Nancy Pavao is a CPA, CGA currently working as a Senior Finance Manager at AstraZeneca Canada. She leads and coordinates the financial resources and activities for the Oncology Franchise. She manages the overall financial stewardship including financial reporting and compliance, financial forecasts, resource optimization and business investment opportunities. Other industries she has worked at include Canadian Tire Financial Services, The Globe and Mail and Deloitte.
Nancy, her husband and two boys, spend a lot of time in hockey rinks. She is a cheerleader and taxi driver for her two boys. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends, taking time for self-care with yoga and the gym, and travelling to warm and sunny destinations.
Nancy has a strong passion to empower women and providing pathways of success for both women and children. She is honoured to be a member of the Yellow Brick House Board of Directors.
Nancy Pavao
Inna Koldorf
Inna Koldorf is a lawyer and a partner with KPMG Law LLP’s Labour and Employment Law group, where she focuses on Employment Law, Labour Law, Human Rights Law, and Workplace Investigations. Having advised and represented unions and employees earlier in her career, Inna brings a unique perspective to the counsel and representation that she now provides exclusively to employers. Inna is also an accredited workplace investigator, and investigates harassment, violence, health and safety, fraud and conflict of interest allegations raised in the workplace.
Inna has served on Boards of Directors of various not-for-profit organizations, The Ontario Labour Relations Board Advisory Committee, as well as the Executive of the Ontario Bar Association Labour and Employment Law Section, where she still serves as a Member-At-Large. She is also an active member of the Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers and the Association of Workplace Investigators. She regularly contributes to Continuing Professional Development programs for lawyers, and has been quoted in several news publications on current issues in employment law.
Inna Koldorf
Rehana Doobay
Rehana Doobay is the Head of HR for Baxter Corporation, a healthcare organization with a mission to save and sustain lives. Her career spans over 30 years in multiple industries where she held leadership roles in global organizations. Rehana has a Bachelors Degree in Behavioural Sciences from the University of Wales and a Graduate Certificate in Executive Coaching from Royal Roads University.
Outside of work, Rehana enjoys spending time with her family, pets and staying active. Having raised three daughters, she is an advocate for women and children and passionate about serving her community. Yellow Brick House holds a special place in her heart as she referred employees and friends to the YBH team, she is proud to serve as Board member.
Rehana Doobay
Past President
Privacy Overview
| Cookie | Duration | Description |
|---|---|---|
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional | 11 months | The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-others | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. |
| cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance | 11 months | This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". |
| viewed_cookie_policy | 11 months | The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data. |