PVAN Executive
PVAN Executive Members are dedicated individuals who work in the volunteer sector in the Region of Peel. We strive to provide our members with networking opportunities and professional development that will guide and inspire you to achieve your personal best and instigate best practices in the professional management of volunteer resources.
Please feel free to contact us through our website or at an upcoming workshop; we look forward to meeting you and we are eager to receive your feedback. So that you may know us better, please read our bios.
Please feel free to contact us through our website or at an upcoming workshop; we look forward to meeting you and we are eager to receive your feedback. So that you may know us better, please read our bios.
Chair: Joanne O'Connor
Joanne currently works as Manager of Volunteer Services for Community Living Mississauga. In this role Joanne is responsible for a comprehensive volunteer program which includes recruitment, pre-screening, screening, training, orientation, placement, supervision, recognition, and evaluation. Joanne also ensures that the organization limits liability through a risk management strategy. Develops, receives organizational approval, and communicates volunteer policies. Joanne is also responsible for the Student Practicum interns. Community Living Mississauga supports student placements from Secondary Schools, Colleges and Universities.
Joanne has devoted her life to working in the not for profit sector. She worked for 14 years with Community Living Toronto. While working for Community Living Toronto she obtained her Volunteer Management Diploma from Humber College’s Fundamentals of Volunteer Management and worked for three years as Coordinator of Volunteer Services for the Etobicoke Region. Joanne continues to volunteer with Community Living Toronto.
She is an active member of PVAN, PAVRO and CAVR and is delighted to serve as Chair of Programming for PVAN for 2009 to 2011.
Joanne has devoted her life to working in the not for profit sector. She worked for 14 years with Community Living Toronto. While working for Community Living Toronto she obtained her Volunteer Management Diploma from Humber College’s Fundamentals of Volunteer Management and worked for three years as Coordinator of Volunteer Services for the Etobicoke Region. Joanne continues to volunteer with Community Living Toronto.
She is an active member of PVAN, PAVRO and CAVR and is delighted to serve as Chair of Programming for PVAN for 2009 to 2011.
Communications Coordinator: Berkha Gupta
Berkha is the Coordinator of Volunteer Services for the Peel HIV/AIDS Network. In this role, she is responsible for the recruitment, screening, training, orientation, placement, supervision, recognition, and evaluation. Berkha ensures that every new volunteer opportunity that is created has appropriate screening and training mechanisms in place, along with the boundaries to protect the Agency and each volunteer. She is also responsible for assisting staff by finding appropriate student placements for their programs. She has a diploma in Marketing from Sheridan College along with a strong grasp of Social Media Marketing. She continues to utilize these skills in reaching out to new communities, especially youth, for volunteering.
Berkha brings with her a diverse background in the non for profit sector. As a past student of the University of Toronto at Mississauga , she was an active student leader. Her leadership experience includes budgeting, program/event planning, marketing, policy writing, and governance. She has also worked with Earth Day Canada as a Program Accessibility Coordinator. Her combined work experience has given her a strong understanding of working within diverse environments and creating accessible spaces.
She is an active member of PVAN, Volunteer MBC, PAVR-O, CAVR and is excited to be a part of PVAN as Treasurer for 2010 – 2012.
Berkha brings with her a diverse background in the non for profit sector. As a past student of the University of Toronto at Mississauga , she was an active student leader. Her leadership experience includes budgeting, program/event planning, marketing, policy writing, and governance. She has also worked with Earth Day Canada as a Program Accessibility Coordinator. Her combined work experience has given her a strong understanding of working within diverse environments and creating accessible spaces.
She is an active member of PVAN, Volunteer MBC, PAVR-O, CAVR and is excited to be a part of PVAN as Treasurer for 2010 – 2012.
Member-at-large: Margaret Smith
Coming soon...
Member-at-large: Julie DiGirolamo
Coming soon...
Membership Coordinator: Lou-Anne Peroff
Lou-Anne Peroff has been employed in the human service field for over 30 years. She has had the privilege of working for a variety of different non-profit organizations over the years servicing a vast array of clientele throughout Ontario. She has worked in the Peel region for the past 15 years. In many of the management positions she held, Lou-Anne identified, initiated, implemented and monitored the operation of an internal volunteer program to meet the agency and client needs. She is committed to the power of volunteerism.
She currently is operating in the capacity of a Program Development Manager on a Voluntary basis for a fledgling organization –Cameron Helps on a part time basis and volunteers the remainder of her time with two other organizations.
Lou-Anne has been a member with PVAN for the past year and recognizes the importance and professional benefits this forum offers her and her colleagues and is committed to supporting its existence. She enters her second year with PVAN as the Membership Chair.
Lou-Anne enjoys running, working out, dragon boating, reading, laughter and people!!!
She currently is operating in the capacity of a Program Development Manager on a Voluntary basis for a fledgling organization –Cameron Helps on a part time basis and volunteers the remainder of her time with two other organizations.
Lou-Anne has been a member with PVAN for the past year and recognizes the importance and professional benefits this forum offers her and her colleagues and is committed to supporting its existence. She enters her second year with PVAN as the Membership Chair.
Lou-Anne enjoys running, working out, dragon boating, reading, laughter and people!!!
Past Chair: Robin Haley-Gillin
Robin’s background is somewhat eclectic. Hailing from the beautiful southwest Virginia, she moved to Ontario in 1992. She has an undergraduate degree in sociology from the College of William and Mary and a masters degree in gerontology from Virginia Commonwealth University. Robin has worked as manager of videoconferencing in geriatric education, as National Director of the ABCs of Fraud and as Provincial Coordinator of the Ontario Strategy to Prevent Elder Abuse. She is currently Volunteer & Stewardship Coordinator at The Riverwood Conservancy, a small non-profit organization working in Riverwood park in Mississauga.
Program Coordinator: Francine Savelson
Coming soon...
Secretary: Tammy Rideout
Tammy presently manages the Volunteer Services Department at Victim Services of Peel. Her role includes targeted recruitment, screening, orientation, training, supervision, evaluation and recognition of all agency volunteers. She is also responsible for the strategic planning, development and implementation of new programs, training tools, policies and risk management strategies for her department. Her portfolio consists of over 20 years of experience managing volunteers within both the corporate and not for profit sectors.
After graduating from the business program at Sheridan College early in her career, she worked exclusively within the fields of marketing, fundraising and development with an ever increasing focus on event planning and management which required utilizing volunteers.
During this time, she came to the realization that the volunteer management portion of her role was more suited to her and as such she returned to school and obtained her Volunteer Management Diploma from Humber College’s Fundamentals of Volunteer Management.
She is an active member of PVAN and PAVR-0 and is presently working towards her professional certification.
Tammy believes that the best way to lead volunteers is first and foremost by example. For this reason, she has also been an active volunteer for most of her adult life serving in a multitude of volunteer roles within the local community as well as on special outreach teams.
After graduating from the business program at Sheridan College early in her career, she worked exclusively within the fields of marketing, fundraising and development with an ever increasing focus on event planning and management which required utilizing volunteers.
During this time, she came to the realization that the volunteer management portion of her role was more suited to her and as such she returned to school and obtained her Volunteer Management Diploma from Humber College’s Fundamentals of Volunteer Management.
She is an active member of PVAN and PAVR-0 and is presently working towards her professional certification.
Tammy believes that the best way to lead volunteers is first and foremost by example. For this reason, she has also been an active volunteer for most of her adult life serving in a multitude of volunteer roles within the local community as well as on special outreach teams.
Treasurer: Amanda Dwyer
Amanda is new to the Volunteer Sector. She is currently the Volunteer Services Coordinator at the Living Arts Centre, coming from a background in theatre. Amanda studied Drama at the University of Windsor specializing in Technical Theatre as a Stage Manager. She spent four seasons working at Canada’s Wonderland in various positions within the Entertainment Department followed by two years at Ontario Place in their Events and Entertainment Department. She joined the Living Arts Centre team in February 2010 covering a maternity leave and when the Volunteer Services Coordinator position opened up and she saw it as an opportunity to learn and take on a new challenge. She is pleased to be apart of PVAN, meeting and learning from others in this field.
