Board of Directors

The Rexdale Women's Centre is governed by a dedicated and committed Board of Directors comprised of volunteers who fulfill their fiduciary duties for the good of the organization. This dedicated group of individuals manages the organization's operations through policy development and service planning. The Board of Directors also ensures organizational goals are set and met and adopts and adheres to objectives and standards for effective service delivery and fiscal management.

Their commitment ensures the future success of the organization.

Chairperson-President
Florentina G. Stancu-Soare, Hons. B.A

Florentina is the Director of Public Affairs and Regulatory Standards at the Canadian Marketing Association. She manages the Canadian Marketing Code of Ethics and Standards, supporting compliance and best practice guidance, and is a regulatory lead on issues impacting the marketing profession. An experienced public affairs and communications professional, Florentina is a consensus builder with a proven track record as a public policy influencer, project manager, advocacy campaign designer, and effective volunteer and grassroots mobilizer. Florentina holds a degree from the University of Toronto.

Vice Chair and Secretary
Melanie Davies, Masters in Human Resources Management

Melanie joined the Board of Directors in 2024. Melanie is a Global Human Resources professional and has implemented best practice strategic HR solutions at a number of organizations to deliver business improvements and alignment with organizational objectives. Career highlights to date include the transformation and re-branding of HR functions and leading high-level teams through adopting an innovative thought-leadership approach. Melanie moved from the UK to Canada with her family in 2022 and can attest to the challenges faced by new immigrants to the country. She is really looking forward to bringing both personal and professional experience to Rexdale.

Treasurer
Abby Lee, B.Math, MAcc, CPA

Abby is a Chartered Public Accountant with experience with charities, healthcare and non-profits. She currently works at the Ontario Hospital Association who serves 140 hospital members through thought leadership, data & analytics, and advocacy. Abby focused on empowering others through mentorship, and enriching discussion and decision making with evidence and financial insights. Abby graduated with a Bachelors in Math and Masters in Accounting, both from the University of Waterloo.

Directors

Jessica Bello, LL.M

Jessica is a seasoned legal and financial professional with a distinguished career spanning over two decades. She earned her law degree from Universidad Central de Venezuela in 2008, followed by a Master’s degree in Law at the University of Toronto in 2018. Jessica began her professional journey at the Attorney General’s Office in Venezuela, where she developed her legal expertise over an eight-year tenure. In 2014, she joined Royal Bank of Canada in Toronto, holding various senior management positions during eight years. Since 2022, Jessica has served as the Director, Business Supervisory Management at UBS Canada. Her diverse experience and academic achievements underscore her deep commitment to the fields of law and finance.

Anna Chang

With an empathetic lens and a belief in leading with kindness, Anna Chang has dedicated her career to helping communities overcome barriers and realize their full potential. She has recently guided a seniors’ housing organization through moments of crisis, elevated public safety awareness at Peel Crime Stoppers, and built bridges across cultures as the Founder and Chair of an award-winning DEI start-up. Her work reflects the conviction that the world is more interconnected than we often realize, and that our greatest strength lies in working together with trust, compassion, and equity. Beyond her professional achievements, Anna carries a personal connection to Rexdale, where she began her own immigrant journey. That lived experience fuels her commitment to ensuring others have access to the same opportunities to thrive. Through her expertise in strategic planning, marketing, and nonprofit governance, she is dedicated to supporting the Rexdale Women’s Centre in its mission to empower women and families with the tools, confidence, and dignity to build brighter futures together.

Sabina Filipescu, Honours B.A.

Sabina joined the board of directors of Rexdale Women's Centre in 2015. After moving to Ontario from Romania in 1998, Sabina and her family relied heavily on critical community supports in the first phase of settlement. This experience encouraged her to pursue a career in the Government of Ontario, where she has been working since 2007 on leading the design and implementation of various programs and services to benefit people across Ontario, including seniors groups and social assistance recipients. She is passionate about helping vulnerable communities and individuals thrive, both personally and professionally. Sabina has been in the role of President of the Board at RWC since 2019.

Dinojah Patkunarajah

Dinojah is the Manager of Global Youth Advocacy at Plan International Canada, where she leads programs and advocacy initiatives that elevate youth voices in national and international policy spaces. With more than eight years of experience across the public and non-profit sectors, she has contributed to government, politics, and civil society through roles with Environment and Climate Change Canada, the New Democratic Party of Canada, and Engineers Without Borders.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts and Business from the University of Waterloo and a Master’s in Development Economics from the University of Queensland. At Plan Canada, Dinojah has advanced flagship programs such as The Power Within’s Systemic Change Fellowship and Girls Belong Here, while also supporting Canadian youth to influence global advocacy priorities at the United Nations.

Her connection to the Rexdale Women’s Centre is deeply personal, having grown up in the neighbourhood and relying on the Centre’s services with her family as newcomers to Canada. These early experiences with RWC shaped her commitment to equity and inclusion and inspired her career in the non-profit sector. She is passionate about ensuring that underrepresented voices, particularly those of marginalized youth, are not only heard but actively embedded in the decision-making processes that shape their futures.

Sheba Yusufzai, Hons. B.A

Sheba joins the Rexdale Women’s Centre with over 12 years of experience in a wide range of areas, including Immigration law, Government Relations, Project Management, Policy Development and Research, Managing Stakeholder Relations, and Political Canvassing. She has honed her expertise through her professional engagements with Canada's Federal and Provincial governments, significant non-profit organizations, and prestigious law firms in Toronto. Notably, Sheba facilitated the resettlement of thousands of refugees into Canada, including the Syrian Refugee Arrival project at Pearson International Airport, demonstrating her commitment to humanitarian causes. She has also been instrumental in advocating for governmental actions in Afghanistan as part of the Canadian Campaign for Afghan Peace in 2021. In addition to her professional work, Sheba is committed to legal research and volunteers with organizations that help newcomers integrate into their communities. Outside of her professional and volunteer work, Sheba enjoys spending quality time with her family. Sheba holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) degree in Political Science from York University and a diploma in Canadian Immigration from Herzing College.