Board members

  • Denburk Reid

    President and Founder

    “Growing up, I was lucky enough to have met several amazing coach‐mentors who took me under their wings. They didn’t just teach me about sports – they taught me how to live a meaningful life. They guided me and kept me focused and out of trouble. Travelling to tournaments expanded my world and my vision of what was possible in life. I became hooked… on basketball, on learning, on being the best I could be, on the incredible power of mentoring and on giving back to the community.”

  • Toufic Abiad

    Chair

    • President at SDI Canada & SDI Worldwide, MRI design and build experts – international provider of MRI Shielding Systems
    • Founded the company in 2003
    • SDI Worldwide is recognized worldwide for the design and manufacturing of MRI shielding systems. Operating exclusively in the healthcare field, they deliver advanced expertise to clients around the globe.
    • Skills in project planning, project management, construction
    • Consulting & site assessment.
    • Design & build and project management for MRi.
  • Vanessa Tran

    Vice Chair

    • Pharmacy owner Ly Thanh Tran Inc. PROXIM
    • Pharmacist and Owner of 4 pharmacies since 2005
    • Board Member of the Chinese Hospital Foundation
    • Philanthropist
    • Real estate investments
    • Graduated from University of Laval in 1997 in Pharmacy
  • Dr Dexter Johnson

    A native of Nassau, Bahamas and graduate of St. Anne’s (O-Level) and St.John’s (A-Level) High Schools, Dr. Dexter Gregory Johnson graduated from McGill University in 1984 with the Bachelor of Science degree in Anatomy and in 1989, when he earned
    the Doctor of Dental Surgery (D.D.S.) degree. He obtained the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree from New York Medical College in Valhalla in 1995 and then completed 3 years of residency training in General Surgery at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey while also obtaining his medical license in the State of Pennsylvania. Dr. Johnson then trained in
    Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Harvard School of Dental Medicine and the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA, graduating in 2001.

    From 1990 to 1992, Dr. Johnson served as Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Dentistry at the University of Toronto, where he was responsible for the Northern Outreach Dental Program as well as teaching and supervising dental students for The University of Toronto and University of Western Ontario. Dr. Johnson also served as Dental Surgeon-in-Chief at the Moose Factory General Hospital during this period. He has been in private practice in Ottawa since 2001 and also serves as a member of the Faculty of Dentistry’s Admissions Committee at McGill
    University. Dr. Johnson is an active member of the American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons and the Canadian Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.

    Dr. Johnson is a past member of the Mcgill university Board of Governors. He has also recently been appointed by the Government of the Bahamas where he is from as His Excellency, The Bahamian Ambassador to the Federative Republic of Brazil.

  • Ruben Reid

    Ruben Reid has worked in the information technology sector for more than 20 years. He also shares a passion for helping the city’s youth excel at whatever they undertake. Ruben was an enthusiastic soccer coach and is a long-time supporter of Plan Canada’s “Because I am a Girl” program. Having grown up in Little Burgundy, he understands the importance of mentoring youth and guiding them as they make crucial life decisions. He is a dedicated volunteer and Board member of the Montreal Community Cares Foundation which gives him the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of our city’s youth.

  • Paul Donovan

    Mr. Donovan was the President of Loyola since 2015 to 2020. Prior to being President, he served as Principal of Loyola from 2005 until 2014. Before becoming Principal, he was Vice-Principal of Academics (2003 – 2005) and a faculty member, teaching a number of subjects, including Religion, Philosophy and English. Mr. Donovan, currently on sabbatical, has been at Loyola since 1993.

  • Earl Davis

    Co-Founder | Steering Committee

    ·Earl Davis joined BMO Global Asset Management in 2020 and brings over 25 years of fixed income experience
    .Prior to joining BMO, Earl led an investment division responsible for managing over $85 billion of fixed income assets at a best-in-class pension organization where he had oversight over the provincial, nominal, inflation and global bond market portfolios. Notably, he worked closely with the risk management division to rewrite the repo, leverage and liquidity policies and procedures following the GFC.

  • Me Sharon Sandiford

    Avocate criminaliste

    Me Sharon Sandiford, née à Montréal, est titulaire d’un baccalauréat ès lettres en sociologie de l’Université McGill, avec une spécialisation en criminologie et problèmes sociaux. Par la suite, en 1997, elle a complété le programme intégré du baccalauréat en droit civil et common law de l’Université McGill. En 1999, Me Sandiford a passé le barreau de Montréal, et pratique actuellement comme avocate de la défense en droit criminel. Elle est associée-administratrice pour l’étude légale Silver, Sandiford, avocats, un regroupement d’avocats indépendants et autonomes. Elle est également maître de stages pour les étudiants en droit de l’école du Barreau depuis 2005 et membre du Comité des droits de la personne du Barreau du Québec depuis 2016. Depuis 2013, Me Sandiford est conférencière en matière de prévention de la délinquance à Montréal.

  • Joel Anthony

    • General Manager of the Montreal Allliance
    • A Canadian former professional basketball player
    • He played for the Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, and San Antonio Spurs NBA.
    • He won two championships with the Heat in 2012 and 2013.
    • Graduated from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in 2007
    • Long-time Honorary Board Member
  • Bruce Hills

    (Honorary Board Member)

    • Just For Laughs’ President Bruce Hills has been a driving force behind the world’s biggest comedy festival and most prestigious comedy brand for over 30 years.
    • Beginning his Just For Laughs career as a driver in 1986, Hills has since held countless roles within the organization, including Director of Programming, Vice-President of International Television, COO, and now President. He oversees all of the company’s English business properties across global markets, focusing on growing the business in all divisions.
    • Under his helm, Just For Laughs has significantly expanded its reach by launching festivals in Montréal, Toronto, Vancouver and Sydney, Australia.
    • Over the past three decades, Hills has discovered and cultivated relationships with some of the industry’s most successful and influential artists, including Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart, Trevor Noah, Wanda Sykes, Margaret Cho, Jimmy Fallon, Bill Burr, to name a few.
  • Nicholas Johnson

    (Honorary Board)

    •  Holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Operations Research and Financial Engineering from Princeton University with Minors in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, and Statistics and Machine Learning.
    • He is currently a PhD Candidate in Operations Research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Nicholas is passionate about entrepreneurship, venture capital, technology policy and community engagement.
    • Founding Steering Committee Member of the Black Wealth Club
    • The Black Wealth Club (BWC) is a group of emerging Canadian black prospects focused on supporting each other and their communities in the goals of wealth generation and reinvestment in community in all its forms.
  • Leisa Lee

    (Honorary Board)

    • Managing Partner at The Leisa Lee Group
    • The Leisa Lee Group specializes in PR/Promotions/Marketing and Events and brings a background of over 30 years of experience and a passion for the Entertainment industry to every one of its projects.
    • Former Director of Communications at Just for Laughs
    • Former Marketing and Booking at Donald K Donald
    • Graduated Concordia in Communications in 1987.
  • Khem Birch

    (Honorary Board)

    • Khem Xavier Birch is a Canadian professional basketball player
    • Plays for the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association.
    • He played college basketball for the Pittsburgh Panthers and the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels.

MCCF Team

  • Sheri Elefant

    Advisor

    Her life’s greatest accomplishment are her children. Originally from New York, she began her professional life in advertising where she worked on product launches and media negotiations in a fast-paced multi-million dollar industry. Her decision to leave Madison Avenue was not difficult, as the greatest and most challenging opportunity of her life lay ahead – raising kids. Her non profit career began as a Co- founder of the Trevor Williams Kids Foundation.  Afterwhich she co-founded a 21st Century Non-Profit Sustainability Learning Space called Genvironment. Further, she is a member of the Advisory Board at Clickto, an edtech startup, which was born out of the need to address the pain points of remote learning as virtual became the new in-person. She is passionate about creating social value, putting youth – our future changemakers – at the forefront of social issues, and integrating impact into anything she put her hands on hands on.

     

    EDUCATION

    • Boston University Bachelor of Science
    • University of Fredericton EMBA Social Enterprise Leadership

    ACHIEVEMENTS

    • Martin Luther King Legacy Award

    CERTIFICATES

    • ESG Competent Boards Designation
    • Harvard Business School Certificate in Governance for Non Profit Excellence
    • IDEO U Designing a Business Certificate

     

  • Pat Dubee

    Director of Fundraising and advancement

    Pat was raised in NDG and attended Loyola High School from 1960 to 1964. Upon graduation from Loyola College in 1968, he was invited to return to the high school to teach English and coach football. He remained at Loyola until 2000 serving in a number of capacities, including as Vice-Principal and Principal.
    Upon retirement, he was asked to work in the Development Office as a fundraiser for the school’s Capital Campaign. He continued, as the Director of Development, until he resigned in 2021 to begin work for the Montreal Community Cares Foundation.

    • Director of Development at Loyola High School
    • Over 20 years of fundraisiing expertise
    • Led several major fundraising campaigns
    • Member of the Loyola High School Strategic Board of Director
  • Lori Geddes Reid

    Program Manager

    Lorie Geddes-Reid is a business professional who has over 20 years of experience working as part of a team in a busy office environment.  Self-motivated and adept at managing multiple tasks and meeting tight timelines, she has had a successful career in the Import field and more recently in E-Commerce merchandising.

    For the past 13 years, Lorie has been working with the Red Rush Basketball Leadership Program. During this time, she has helped develop internal processes to improve program delivery as well as expanding the program to include international travel.  Involved in most areas of program and organizational development, first as Program Co-Ordinator and now as Program Manager, Lorie has used her strong organizational and administrative skills to provide leadership in planning, directing, coordinating, and managing program activities and key projects.

    As wife of MCCF founder Denburk Reid, they share a common vision of empowering youth and uplifting the community. Since MCCF’s inception, Lorie has worked behind the scenes to help develop and spearhead many of the existing programs, activities, and events, like EmpowerUS, the Honour Roll Breakfast and the MCCF Toy Drive.

    Lorie has a Certificate in Family Life Education from Concordia University and is dedicated to continuing to improve organizational performance to better serve our youth and our community.

MCCF Mentors

  • Jade Parkinson-Gayle

    Hi, I’m Jade and I am so honoured to become a member of the MCCF community. My life’s mission is to support adolescents to live an authentic life saturated with passion and joy. I have had the privilege to embody this through my academic and professional journey. I studied English Literature and Journalism at Concordia University before completing a collegiate degree in Special Care Counseling. In my professional life, I am an educator in schools, community programs, residential services and currently working towards becoming a professional counselor specializing in Black women and families.

    Through my journey, I am inspired to help unpack the lives of Black women and girls through the Black Girl Like Me initiative, an online community and podcast that represents our community and our stories.
    This initiative through the MCCF, is an opportunity for me to merge two of my first loves – writing and youth development. I have been a youth and community worker for the past ten years and have a passion for literature and creative writing. I am so excited for this project and the young writers we will influence.

  • Roen Higgins

    Hello, I’m Roen and it’s always a pleasure to be involved in MCCF initiatives. I am a Concordia University graduate where I completed a Specialization in Human Relations and a certificate in Family Life Education.

    I am a Spoken Word poet, educator, speaker, and coach. My style, flow, and delivery are bridged with my background in education & counseling. I believe creative wiring and poetry is the therapy of a lifetime and creativity should be the blueprint to our education as creativity is linked to our very existence. From entertainment, architecture, technology, Creativity is the most sought-after skill yet least fostered. I celebrate imagination & creativity in an interactive way.

    I engage youth and young adults in a very dynamic way by having them explore where they are creative. The goal is for them to understand that creativity is the foundation of solutions and innovation. I also do activities that reveal how easy it is to write, create and connect with others through the power of words. I do word association in an interactive way and we co-create a piece together. The participants then write or create individually and they are invited to share. I also use sound and movement to anchor and inspire them. Guide them on how to ground themselves which is very key especially for those who have attention, anxiety, or processing challenges. These can result in zines, recordings, video projects. My mission is for participants to know that they are created to create. I am dedicated to raising others to get unstuck, tap into their genius zone, and have made it my mission to empower others through creative literacy and well-being.

  • Brent Bodkin

    My name is Brent. I am thankful and honored to be a part of the team. I have a passion for writing, education, and sports.

    I have and continue to write for different publications, on topics ranging from sports, race, music, politics, and culture. I love digging for knowledge and facts, and I take pride in educating my audience. I also work as a broadcast journalist. When I call games, I take the same approach to my work.

    For the past 13 years I have worked as an Integration Aid for children with special needs. Before that, I worked as an animator at sports camps, and as a tutor.

    As an athlete, as well as both an education and travel enthusiast, I believe in pushing my body and mind past the limits, while also being receptive to new ideas, ways of thinking, and challenges.

    I have bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism, with a minor in sociology from Concordia University. I am currently in my second year of the Early Childhood Elementary Education (ECEE) program at Concordia.

  • Sabi K. Hinkson

    Sabi Kamilah Hinkson was born, and raised, in Montreal, Canada, to her Trinidadian parents, who migrated to Canada over 45 years ago. Ms. Hinkson is the proud mother of two beautiful daughters, Kiara (21 years old) and Taneia (12 years old).

    Ms. Hinkson holds a Bachelor of Science from Concordia University (double-majored in Biochemistry and Theology with a minor in Multidisciplinary Studies in Science: Scientific Research) and recently completed her Master of Arts in Teaching and Learning Science & Technology at McGill University. In Winter 2022 she returned to Concordia University to complete her Master of Arts in Theology.

    At a young age, Hinkson fell in love with science because she realized that everything around her involved science, and she became fascinated with understanding the ‘science’ behind everything. After completing her scientific studies at Concordia she began working in the lab, but she quickly realized that her true calling was to share her passion for science with others, especially youths and those who “don’t like science”, so she ended up becoming a science teacher, and this has been her most rewarding job. Hinkson is currently a Science & Technology teacher at Loyola High School and their Family Outreach Coordinator and in this capacity she works towards increasing equity, diversity and inclusion.

    Hinkson considers herself “an advocate for equity, diversity & inclusion (EDI)” and enjoys doing EDI work outside of her job.