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Canadian Urban Institute
Senior Management
David Crombie - President and Chief Executive Officer
Jeff Evenson - Director, Centre for the Development of Community Assets (CDCA)
Andrew Farncombe - Director, International Partnerships
Sue Husolo - Director, Finance and Operations
Glenn R. Miller - Director, Education and Research
 
 
International Representatives
Rafael Betancourt - Regional Manager, Caribbean and Latin America
Francis Gentoral - Regional Manager, South-East Asia
Yuri Polianski - Project Manager, Ukraine
Teferra Sileshi - Project Manager, Ethiopia
Canadian Staff
Tamara Balan - Project Coordinator, Centre for the Development of Community Assets
Jamil Bundalli - Project Officer, International Partnerships
Lisa Cavicchia - Program Manager, International Partnerships
Emily Cornies - Program Coordinator, Urban Leadership Awards
Carlene Dempster - Project Assistant
Emese Dombovari - Project Assistant
Christine Frank - Coordinator-Bookkeeper

Brent Gilmour - Project Manager, Education and Research

Shah Hosein - Project Coordinator, Education and Research

Jaclyn Kane - Project Assistant

Elizabeth Mascarenhas - Project Officer, International Partnerships

Robin Mednick - Program Director, Urban Leadership Awards

Jennifer Pavey - Financial Administrator

Andrea Roberts - Project Officer, International Partnerships

Raija Suomela - Senior Program Administrator

Chris VanDooren - Project Manager, International Partnerships


SENIOR MANAGEMENT

DAVID CROMBIE
President and Chief Executive Officer
David Crombie provides leadership to CUI and its programming across Canada and around the world. David served as Mayor of Toronto from 1972 to 1978 and as Member of Parliament from 1978 to 1988, during which time he served in three different federal Cabinet posts - Minister of Health and Welfare, Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs and Secretary of State. He is founding Chair of Toronto's Waterfront Regeneration Trust and has served as Chancellor of Ryerson University in Toronto. In addition to his role at CUI, David is currently Chair of Ontario Place Corporation, Chair of the Advisory Council of the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO), and President of David Crombie & Associates Inc. He has received a Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) from the University of Toronto for his contribution to his native Toronto and a Doctor of Laws (honoris causa) from the University of Waterloo for his contribution to the quality of life of Canadians and the environment. Mr. Crombie became an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2005.

JEFF EVENSON
Director, Centre for the Development of Community Assets (CDCA)
With more than 20 years of experience managing urban issues and public engagement, Jeff Evenson is the founding director of the CDCA, a downstream non-profit organization incorporated by CUI in 2004 with a mandate to bring together people, money and ideas to develop community assets and restore the civic public realm. Acting as a consultant and advisor on private and public sector projects, he specializes in communications, community consultation, partnership building, strategic issue management and process facilitation. Jeff has a strong interest in sustainable urban development, with expertise in issues such as reinvesting in the public realm, culture and heritage, affordable housing, waterfront development, sport and recreation and green buildings. During his career, Jeff has worked at various times as a political advisor to senior politicians at the provincial and municipal levels of government and as a manager of major city-building initiatives. This has included serving as a founding member and managing coordinator of the Toronto 2008 Olympic Bid, director of Toronto's Waterfront Regeneration Trust, executive director of the Toronto Cultural and Heritage Foundation, manager of the Toronto Vital Signs project, lead organizer of the 2002 Toronto City Summit and founding executive director of the North Kingston Community Development Project. During the 1990s, he served as Chief of Staff to two Toronto mayors, Art Eggleton and June Rowlands, and during the 1980s he managed an advocacy group in the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, leading a project to build 35,000 units of urban social housing. Jeff has experience working on international urban cooperation projects in Bosnia & Herzegovina, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. Jeff Evenson was born in Toronto and did his graduate and undergraduate studies at Queen's University in Kingston.

ANDREW FARNCOMBE
Director, International Partnerships
Andrew Farncombe, an urban geographer and planner, directs CUI's portfolio of international projects undertaken in partnership with cities and communities around the world. He has over 20 years of work experience in the public, private, non-profit and academic sectors in Canada and internationally. His areas of expertise include local government, urban planning, environmental management, local economic development, civic engagement and urban partnership building. Since the mid 1990s, he has worked as a senior manager and consultant on CUI's local government capacity building and urban management programs in South-East Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, Eastern Europe and the Balkans. Mr. Farncombe has demonstrated skills in the leadership and management of large international cooperation projects, on-site identification and design of urban capacity development programs, multi-year project implementation of urban management and civic engagement initiatives, project financial planning and management, performance monitoring and evaluation, results-based management and gender mainstreaming. He has managed projects funded by CIDA and served as a consultant on initiatives funded by the World Bank and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Earlier in his career, Andrew served as a CUI researcher on urban issues in Canada and internationally, as a land use planner with the Town of Ajax (ON), as a teacher of urban studies at York University, as a public affairs specialist with Sun Life Financial Canada and as an Ottawa-based legislative assistant to a Canadian Member of Parliament (St-Boniface). Born in Vancouver, Andrew holds two degrees, a Masters in Environmental Studies (urban planning) from York University (Toronto) and a Bachelor of Arts (geography) from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver). He is a member (provisional) of the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) and the Ontario Professional Planners Institute (OPPI). Mr. Farncombe has a working knowledge of French and Spanish.

SUE HUSOLO
Director, Finance and Operations
Sue Husolo has provided oversight to the accounting and corporate operations functions of CUI since 1993. She has over 15 years of experience in financial management, accounting, business planning and NGO management. Ms. Husolo serves as an officer of the organization in the capacity of Secretary and Treasurer, and is responsible for the direction of all financial operations of CUI, including accounting, budget, purchasing, insurance, tax, treasury and audit. She monitors corporate and project budgets, disbursements and financial reporting to management, government and funders. She oversees corporate operations and administration, including human resource management, and systems implementation and staff training both in CUI's head office and in field offices worldwide. She is integral to the development of grant applications and project proposals in cooperation with project managers and teams. In addition to her work in the non-profit sector, Ms. Husolo has experience providing consulting services in accounting, administration and human resource management to private sector clientele, particularly in the fields of real property development and media. Ms. Husolo was educated at the University of Toronto and subsequently at Ryerson Polytechnic University in Public Accounting and Administration.

GLENN R. MILLER, FCIP, RPP
Director, Education and Research
Glenn Miller directs CUI's applied research, conference, urban leadership and education programs. Glenn is a registered professional planner who brings more than 25 years of experience providing advice to the private sector, governments and the non-profit sector. Since 1996, Glenn has helped build CUI's Canadian programs by undertaking applied research, convening conferences, contributing objective commentary on critical urban issues and providing consulting services to a range of clients. With an emphasis on generating new ideas and thinking for cities and their regions, he is actively involved in research and communication initiatives related to land use, regional growth management, municipal practice, transportation, competitiveness, economic development, brownfields redevelopment and sustainable buildings. In 1986, he established the Ontario Planning Journal , the professional practice magazine of the Ontario Professional Planners Institute, and has served as the publication's editor since inception. Glenn is a graduate of McGill's School of Urban Planning (Masters of Urban Planning) and Concordia University (Honours BA in Urban Studies). In 2005, he was elected as a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Planners in recognition for his contribution to planning in Canada.

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CANADIAN STAFF

TAMARA BALAN
Project Coordinator, Centre for the Development of Community Assets
Tamara Balan is primarily responsible for coordinating the public engagement and consultation programs of the CDCA. This includes undertaking components of the consultation process, including stakeholder identification, distributing consultation materials, assisting with meeting facilitation, tracking issues, preparing summary records and writing web updates. She has worked on a variety of projects, including CDCA's support to consultation work for Toronto World Expo 2015 and to Parc Downsview Park Urban Development Plan and Sustainable Community Development Guidelines. Tamara holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in urban studies and political science from the University of Toronto. She is fluent in Ukrainian.

JAMIL BUNDALLI
Project Officer, International Partnerships
Jamil Bundalli, an urban planner and mechanical engineer, coordinates CUI's International Urban Partnerships (I-UP) program as well as the Institute's international youth internship program. He provides support to planning, implementation, results monitoring, research and communications for CUI's urban programming in the south, with an emphasis on the Philippines, Jamaica, Cuba and Ethiopia. Jamil's other international experience includes working in Kenya as a rural energy-planning consultant and in the Philippines supporting local government capacity building. Earlier in his career, he worked for two years as an engineer with Vancouver-based Kamengo Technology Inc. Born in Vancouver, Mr. Bundalli holds two degrees from the University of British Columbia (Vancouver) - a Masters in Science (Planning) from the School of Community and Regional Planning, and a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering.

LISA CAVICCHIA
Program Manager, International Partnerships
Lisa Cavicchia manages CUI's International Urban Partnerships (I-UP) program and oversees the Institute's international youth internship program, both of which receive funding from the Canadian Partnership Branch of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). She is trained as an urban and regional planner and has taken other post-graduate training related to local government, strategic planning, participatory practices in local governance, negotiation and group facilitation. Ms. Cavicchia has over a decade of international development experience acting as manager, coordinator or technical expert on a range of projects funded by CIDA, the World Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Slovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Cuba, Jamaica, Paraguay, the Philippines, Indonesia and Ethiopia. Ms. Cavicchia is an accomplished manager and team leader, with solid competencies related to local government capacity development, civic engagement, decentralization and the delivery of international development cooperation. She has demonstrated skills related to the design, results-based management, financial coordination and performance monitoring of international development programs. Prior to joining CUI, Ms. Cavicchia worked as consultant with a Toronto-based planning consultancy. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts (Urban and Regional Planning) from Toronto's Ryerson University. Lisa speaks French and has a working knowledge of Spanish.

EMILY CORNIES
Program Coordinator, Urban Leadership Awards
Emily Cornies coordinates CUI's annual Urban Leadership Awards program. Emily has worked with CUI over several years in a number of different roles for both international and Canada-based programs. She brings unique ideas and leadership strength gained from her earlier management position with Hospitality Services at the University of Guelph, as well as experience in event production. As Coordinator of the Urban Leadership Awards, Emily is involved in all facets of program production including acquiring sponsorship, facilitating the nomination process, liaising with award recipients, recruiting and managing volunteers and overall event production. Ms. Cornies holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in International Development from the University of Guelph.

CARLENE DEMPSTER
Project Assistant
Carlene Dempster provides administrative support and financial coordination for the Regional Government and Development (RGD) project in Ukraine. Carlene holds a Diploma in Accounting and Finance from Centennial College and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in International Relations and Development Studies from the University of Windsor. She has four years of experience working in finance in the private sector and is soon to pursue her Masters in the area of Public Policy Administration.

EMESE DOMBOVARI
Project Assistant
Emese Dombovari provides logistical and administrative support to professional staff working on international partnership projects and assists with maintaining the project management information systems of CUI's international operations. Emese holds a Diploma in Travel and Tourism from the International Institute of Travel and is currently attending Sheridan College to pursue a Business Certificate. She speaks English and Hungarian.

CHRISTINE FRANK
Coordinator-Bookkeeper
Christine Frank coordinates and provides bookkeeping services to CUI's International Partnership Program for Good Urban Governance. She is responsible for maintaining the project management information system. Christine works alongside the corporate Treasurer and international project professional staff in providing support for financial record-keeping, accounts management and financial monitoring. She has considerable experience in the maintenance of project-specific financial ledgers, coordination of accounts payable and receivable, preparation of international funds transfer and coordination of complex, multi-project and multi-currency financial information systems. She has set up financial reporting systems in overseas project offices and trained local staff in financial management systems. Prior to joining CUI, Ms. Frank was a math teacher. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Education, Math and Physics) from Teachers' College, Eger, Hungary and a Certificate in Quality Management and Organization from Mohawk College in Hamilton. Christine speaks English and Hungarian.

BRENT GILMOUR
Project Manager, Education and Research
Brent Gilmour manages a range of projects with CUI's Education and Research centre. He has a strong focus on the Institute's urban energy issues and programs, undertaking research for government and private sector clients, assisting with the development of conferences and providing commentary and presentations on emerging urban issues, such as greening municipal infrastructure and the application of large-scale community carbon reduction. Brent is CUI's lead investigator on district energy and green building issues, as part of the secretariat services provided by CUI to the Canadian District Energy Association and the Green Building Alliance. He also manages CUI's Canadian-based internship and volunteer programs. Prior to joining CUI, Mr. Gilmour was the Strategic Coordinator responsible for the establishment of the University of Toronto's Sustainability Office (USO) and was an independent research consultant specializing in community energy innovation. Mr. Gilmour holds a Masters of Science in Planning from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Toronto.

SHAH HOSEIN
Project Coordinator, Education and Research
Shah Hosein works on a range of Canadian-based research and education initiatives. One of his major portfolios is to coordinate CUI's brownfields redevelopment program, including the organization of the Annual Canadian Brownfields Conference and Brownie Awards programs. He also supports the design and organization of CUI's Roundtable Breakfast Seminars and Urban Leadership symposia. Shah is a former employee of the British Urban Regeneration Association (BURA), where he held the position of Best Practice Manager and was responsible for the planning and delivery of various annual award schemes, conferences and research projects, including the Deputy Prime Minister's Award for Sustainable Communities, as well as BURA's own awards for Best Practice in Regeneration and Best Practice in Community Regeneration. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in geography from Middlesex University (London, UK).

JACLYN KANE
Project Assistant
Jaclyn Kane provides financial, administrative and logistical support to the International Urban Partnerships program of CUI. She is primarily responsible for maintaining various project financial records, providing hands-on support to the project team and coordinating logistical arrangements for overseas missions of staff and consultants. She also acts as Coordinator to the Canadian District Energy Association (CDEA) - for which CUI acts as secretariat - providing financial and administrative support to the operations of the Association and supporting the organization of its annual conference. Jaclyn holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) in Management Economics in Industry and Finance from the University of Guelph.

ELIZABETH MASCARENHAS
Project Officer, International Partnerships
Elizabeth Mascarenhas supports the coordination of CUI's international partnership programming in the south. She has over 10 years' experience in the field of international development, having worked in administrative, coordination and communication roles on projects in Southeast Asia, South Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. Throughout her decade with CUI, she has developed extensive experience in the coordination of international development projects and in organizing study tours, workshops, internships, training sessions and consultancy assignments in Canada and abroad. Elizabeth holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Advanced Accounting and Auditing) from the University of Pune, India, and a Diploma in Business Management from Xavier's Centre for Management Studies, Pune, India. Elizabeth speaks English and Hindi.

ROBIN MEDNICK
Program Director, Urban Leadership Awards
Robin Mednick directs CUI's annual Urban Leadership Awards, and has responsibility for other special projects. Ms. Mednick has her LLB from Osgoode Hall, her Masters degree in Economics and Politics from Oxford University and her Teacher's Diploma in Speech and Drama from Trinity College, London, England. She worked with the Toronto 2008 Olympic Bid Corporation and continues to be involved with the Commonwealth Games Association of Canada. She was the creator and co-editor of the national bestseller 'Heroes in Our Midst', a compilation of 110 personal stories from Canada's top Canadian athletes, and was the author of the children's book, Mr. LikeUmYouKnow. A dedicated advocate and volunteer in many community organizations, Ms. Mednick was one of the founding Board members of the Community Care Access Centre of York Region in 1996, and is an advisor to the Rolling Rampage, Toronto's first wheelchair marathon.

JENNIFER PAVEY
Financial Administrator
Jennifer Pavey is responsible for processing accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll and government remittances. She works alongside the Director, Finance and Operations as well as project staff in providing support for all aspects of financial record-keeping and budgeting. She also assists with the provision of space and resources, and supports human resource management. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Mathematics (Honours) from the University of Waterloo.

ANDREA ROBERTS
Project Officer, International Partnerships
Andrea Roberts is responsible for coordinating CUI's Regional Governance and Development (RGD) Project in Ukraine on the Canadian side. Prior to joining CUI, Andrea was a Policy Research Assistant with the World Bank in Ukraine, where she worked on the People's Voice Project and the TB and HIV/AIDS Control Project. She also served as a policy intern with the EastWest Institute in New York, where she assisted with the US-Russia Working Group on HIV/AIDS. Ms. Roberts holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from Columbia University (New York), with a focus on Eastern Europe and economic and political development. She has a working knowledge of French and an intermediate knowledge of Russian.

RAIJA SUOMELA
Senior Program Administrator
Raija Suomela is responsible for providing organizational and administrative services for CUI's Canadian-based programming, pertaining to event planning and implementation, executive support and membership services. She is in charge of the web updates, email marketing and online registrations of CUI events. She compiles researched information to produce various deliverables and promotional materials and oversees the administration and development of CUI's database. Raija brings an array of organizational and knowledge-based skills from her previous employment with senior executives and professionals. She has an Honours BA in Linguistics from the University of Helsinki (Finland). Raija speaks Finnish and has a good knowledge of Swedish, German and French.

CHRIS VANDOOREN
Project Manager, International Partnerships
Chris VanDooren is the Canadian-based manager of CUI's Regional Governance and Development (RGD) Project in Ukraine, funded by the Europe, Middle East & Maghreb Branch of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Chris also serves as technical advisor on the Ethiopia-Canada Urban Management Programme, a component of the International Urban Partnerships program. His earlier work with CUI included serving as the Contract/Financial Manager on the World Bank-financed Poland Institutional Development Program and as an advisor on various local government support programs throughout Central and Eastern Europe. Before joining CUI in 2000, Chris served as a consultant on a local government reform project in Jamaica, where he was resident for one year, and on community development projects in Ecuador and Mexico. Mr. VanDooren is an economic development practitioner who holds a Masters in Applied Environmental Studies in Local Economic Development from the University of Waterloo and a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from McMaster University in Hamilton.

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INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATIVES

RAFAEL BETANCOURT
Regional Manager, Caribbean and Latin America
Rafael Betancourt manages CUI's projects in Cuba and has responsibilities for other initiatives in Spanish-speaking countries of the Americas. He is an urban economist and specialist in Latin American studies with over 25 years of employment and academic experience in program development and management, business administration and economic research. Resident in Havana, Rafael has extensive on-site experience managing, coordinating and implementing international development and local capacity building projects including local administrative and financial management, organization and delivery of workshops and trainings, and research. He understands how to effectively build cross-cultural relationships and partner with multi-lateral agencies. In 2005 Rafael initiated a partnership with UNDP and UN-HABITAT in Cuba, where CUI has expanded its programming to support the CIDA-funded Program for Local Human Development (PDHL) in the Eastern provinces of Cuba and UN-HABITAT's Localising Agenda 21 Program. Rafael also facilitated a promising new partnership for applied research between the Environmental Health Unit of Cuba's Ministry of Public Health and the Canadian Public Health Agency. In addition to managing CUI projects in Cuba, Rafael also teaches postgraduate courses in Urban Economics for local government officials in Cuba. He was born in Cuba and holds a Masters in International and Urban-Regional Economics and a Bachelor of Economics (Honours) from the University of Florida (USA). Mr. Betancourt is fluent in English and Spanish.

FRANCIS GENTORAL
Regional Manager, South-East Asia
Francis Gentoral manages CUI's projects in the Philippines and has responsibilities for other initiatives in the South-East Asia region. He has close to 20 years experience working in the public, private and non-profit sectors in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. He has extensive experience in participatory program design, project implementation, performance monitoring and evaluation of local environmental, economic and governance initiatives, as well as social service delivery enhancement activities. Francis has been successful at promoting CUI project experiences in the Philippines as national best-practice models, initiating knowledge networking activities with the Department of Local and Interior Government (Philippines), UN Habitat (Philippines), USAID Making Cities Work Project, UNEP and CIDA. Prior to joining CUI, Mr. Gentoral supported a CIDA-funded bilateral project entitled Philippines-Canada Local Government Support Project Phase I, providing technical assistance in project assessment, design, coordination, monitoring and impact evaluation. He has also completed evaluation and impact studies on environmental, economic and health services delivery for USAID and the Government of the Philippines. During the early 1990s, Francis served as Program Officer for Philippines Business for Social Progress, a Philippines-based non-profit foundation dedicated to promoting business sector commitment to social development. Living in Iloilo City, Mr. Gentoral holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of San Agustin (Philippines) and Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from Western Visayas State University (Philippines). He is fluent in English, Tagalog and Ilonggo.

YURI POLIANSKI
Project Manager, Ukraine
Yuri Polianski manages CUI's Regional Governance and Development project on the Ukrainian side. Prior to joining CUI in early 2006, Mr. Polianski served as UNDP's Regional Development Advisor on their "Integrity in Action: Governance Program" in Ukraine. He has expertise in international project management, governance, public administration and public service, the development and international accreditation of training programs, monitoring and evaluation and results-based management. Yuri was previously the Deputy Vice Rector and Head of the International Relations Department of the National Academy of Public Administration, which operates out of the Office of the President of Ukraine, where he coordinated and contributed to numerous technical assistance projects in Ukraine. Mr. Polianski has also served in the Chernihiv Regional State Administration and Regional Council in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He is the author of many books and articles on performance evaluation, policy implementation, governance issues and the public service. Yuri received a Specialist Degree with Distinction in English Language and Literature from the Chernihiv State Pedagogical Institute (Ukraine) and a Masters of Public Administration from the Institute of Public Administration and Local Government, Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. Mr. Polianski speaks Ukrainian, Russian and English.

TEFERRA SILESHI
Project Manager, Ethiopia
Teferra Sileshi manages CUI's activities in Ethiopia. He is an urban planner and urban management specialist living in Addis Ababa. Prior to joining CUI, Mr. Sileshi was General Manager of the Urban Management Institute, an institution established by the City of Addis Ababa to provide need-driven urban management training, research and consultancy services to the City as well as municipal and non-municipal offices, non-governmental agencies and private sector organizations. Teferra has engaged in several multi-lateral agency-funded projects including Public Sector Capacity Building Program (PSCAP), a five-year, World Bank-funded program, and a UN-Habitat project assessing capacity gaps of professionals supporting urban development/planning in Ethiopia. He has extensive experience designing and managing capacity building projects including performing training/capacity assessments, producing training manuals and conducting training workshops. Prior to joining the Urban Management Institute, Mr. Sileshi was lecturer and Deputy Dean of the College of Urban Planning and the Ethiopian Civil Service College, Addis Ababa. Mr. Sileshi holds a Master of Science (GIS) from the International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Science, the Netherlands, and Bachelor of Science Urban Planning (Honours) from the College of Urban Planning, Addis Ababa. Teferra is fluent in English, French and Amharic.

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