Announcing Changes to OMSSA's Board of Directors


Effective March 5, 2021, Shelley Van Buskirk has stepped down from her position on OMSSA’s Board of Directors, as she accepted a new temporary assignment with the City of Ottawa as the Associate General Manager of Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services as part of the City’s succession management plan. 
 
Shelley shared the following thoughts as she transitions to this new role:
 

“I have enjoyed my time on OMSSA’s Board and the connections and relationships I have created with others across the province who are invested in creating an inclusive, responsive, and sustainable human services system that meets the needs of people in our communities. The OMSSA team has been an incredible source of support, working tirelessly on behalf of members. I will miss being part of the Board and thank all of you for the opportunity to have served in this capacity. I will be back in my former role as Director, Housing Services in 2022, but will keep my eye on OMSSA’s accomplishments over this year.”

OMSSA’s Board and staff would like to congratulate Shelley on this appointment and express our sincerest appreciation for Shelley’s leadership as a Board Member and Chair of OMSSA’s Housing and Homelessness Network for the past three years.

Appointment of James Lapierre to OMSSA’s Board

As per OMSSA’s by-laws, a mid-term vacancy on the Board of Directors “shall be filled for the balance of the term by the person receiving a majority vote of the Board of Directors, as long as a quorum of the Board of Directors remain in office.”
 
We are pleased to announce that at its meeting on March 5, 2021, OMSSA’s Board has appointed James Lapierre, Director of Employment and Social Services with the City of Toronto, to fill the remainder of Shelley’s 2020-2022 term on OMSSA’s Board of Directors, effective immediately.
 
As part of his progressive career at the City of Toronto, James has led a number of key City workforce development and human services projects that have resulted in innovative programs and services, financial and resource efficiencies, and government and community stakeholder partnerships, ultimately leading to improved social and economic outcomes for city residents and businesses. James also plays a lead role in the City of Toronto's Human Services Integration work and is co-leading the implementation of Centralized Intake in Toronto.
 
James possesses a Specialized Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a focus on organizational behaviour from York University, as well as a Certificate in Project Management from the University of Toronto in Mississauga. In 2019, he achieved a Graduate Diploma in Public Administration (GDPA) from the University of Western Ontario where he received the Ron Farrow Academic Award for achieving the highest grade in the program. He is also a Metcalf Foundation Toronto Sector Skills Academy Fellow.
 
With James’ appointment, we are pleased to maintain representation of a large urban municipality on OMSSA’s Board of Directors. OMSSA’s Board and staff welcome James to the position and look forward to working with him for the 2021-2022 term.

2021-2023 Board Nominations

OMSSA continues to solicit nominations to fill six (6) vacancies on its 2021-2023 Board of Directors via online election following our 2021 Virtual Annual General Meeting scheduled for Thursday, June 24, 2021. You can find more information on our Board nomination criteria, deadline and how to submit here on our website.