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Our Board of Directors help us find solutions and guide our strategic direction to ensures financial accountability transparency in reporting to the public.
Don SmithPresident
Cris SmithExecutive Director
As the Founder and Executive Director of Blue Veil Charity, Cris Smith brings forth not only her vision and passion of running a day program for young adults with special needs but her extensive knowledge in marketing. Cris graduated from Ryerson University in 1978 in Business Administration & Marketing Management. She has been an active member of her faith community St. Benedict’s Parish since l982 and continues to minister to youth and adults as a Salesian Cooperator. In l990, Cris was one of the first members of the Salesian Cooperators in Toronto and held the position of Coordinator for six years where she produced and edited a quarterly magazine called, the Salesian Cooperator Magazine. In 2000, Cris was involved with the start-up of a support group called, Sara’s Corner, named in tribute to her baby Sara and facilitated the workshops for parents with babies who had special needs. In 2006 Cris founded her own charity under the name Blue Veil Charity and later opened the doors to its umbrella organization called the Sara Elizabeth Centre. Her educational background along with 45 years of practical experience in various jobs in the marketing and advertising industry, has allowed Cris to carry forth her duties as the Executive Director and Treasurer of this organization. As an approved retreat facilitator, Cris dedicates her time in preparing and planning, all the various programs and retreats held at the Sara Elizabeth Centre for the youth and adults with exceptionalities. She ensures that these programs are inclusive arts based educational and socially integrated programs. One of her greatest career achievements is the founding of Blue Veil Charity/Sara Elizabeth Centre along with becoming a published author of two books entitled, “Let the Spirit Fly Wherever it Takes You”, and “The Heart of Listening”.
Dino DiMatteoChair of the Board
Dino brings forth extensive fundraising and foundation experience from his work as Sales Manager with various corporations since 1995 . He has served as Chair of the Board for the Sara Elizabeth Centre for the past 13 years. In addition to committing his time to Sara Elizabeth Centre, Dino helps support our fundraising events by using his negotiating and customer service skills to obtain numerous donations and prizes for our charity.
Cathy TurcoVice Chair of the Board
Cathy works for the Dufferin Peel Catholic District School Board as the Executive Assistant to the Associate Director of Education. She has been an integral part of numerous committees at both school and board level and within the community of Caledon. She is an active parishioner at St. Patrick’s Church in Wildfield for 31 years. She is able to bring her Christian values to her work days, her charitable works and social outreach projects such as Hope for Haiti. Cathy is an Executive Board member and Vice Chair of the Sara Elizabeth Centre. The Centre is a registered charity that was designed to support the social inclusion of children, youth and young adults who have developmental and/or physical disabilities by offering educational arts based programs. Following the birth of her daughter with developmental disabilities, Cathy and her husband soon realized the importance of advocating for their child and later, equally important, to teach their son the values and attitudes towards inclusion and acceptance.
Entrusted with one of God’s most precious gifts, a child with special needs, Cathy’s daughter has shaped her faith in a most beautiful and profound way. She is often a keynote speaker at local events advocating for all parents raising children with special needs.
Mary RinaldiBoard of Director / Secretary
Mary brings to our charity over 25 years of knowledge and experience as a Graphic Designer . Having graduated from Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology, Mary worked for 10 years as a Freelance Graphic Designer and later with the York Catholic District School Board for over 18 years. She offers a creative and systematic plan to solve a problem or achieve certain objectives, with the use of images, symbols or even words. As a creative professional, Mary volunteers her knowledge and skill to create original digital pieces of design for SEC using various elements . Mary has sat on the Board of Directors for SEC since its inception in 2006. Over the past 30 years, Mary has also held various roles as an active member of her community in Richmond Hill. For 6 years, she held the position of Treasurer and Faith Committee Chair of the Parent Council Committee at her children’s school. She continues to be an active parishioner at Our Lady Queen of the World, volunteering as a facilitator for various Ministry groups and offering her talent as a graphic designer to help with capital fundraising campaign. As a Graphic Designer, Mary plays a key role in the development and implementation of SEC’s advertising fundraising campaigns, social media, and brand identity. Mary uses her experience and knowledge as a graphic designer to create and design all of the marketing material for SEC’s programs, helping to organization and communicate with SEC clients more effectively.
Anarita GrecoBoard Member
Anarita Greco has been an SEC board Member for the past last 6 years. Active member of the Catholic Women’s League of Canada for over 14 years. She is a YCDSB educational assistant with more than a 15 years of experience. She was inspired to pursue this career path through her experience raising her two sons, both of whom are on the autism spectrum. Anarita is a hardworking, resilient and empathetic woman who puts family at the centre of her life, and extends those values to the world around her.
Lucy DiFedeBoard Member
Sandra LiarosBoard Member
Sandra works as a Store Front Manager with Shoppers Drug Mart in Stouffville. For over 20 years as Manager, she has overseen the responsibilities for the day to day operations of the store and staff. She is an active member of her community and currently sits on the board of trustees for the Whitchurch-Stouffville Public Library as human resource committee member and fundraising committee member. She volunteers during federal and municipal elections gaining much experience in dealing with municipal Councillors. Sandra not only brings to our charity her managerial skills and processing procedures but her experience in strategic planning, project management, human resource, finance/budgeting, public relations and advocacy, fundraising and governance to help ensure that our objectives are achieved. Her goal is to have a positive impact on the lives of the young adults that attend SEC by sharing the broad base of experience she bring with her.
Rosina Di FeliceBoard Member
As a newly appointed Member of the Board, Rosina brings to SEC her years of experience in marketing and social media.
Born in Toronto 54 years ago, and raised in Montreal, Rosina studied at McGill University BCom ’87 (Double Concentration in Marketing and Finance). She has worked for large media advertising agencies (McCann Erickson, Initiative Media, Saatchi + Saatchi, Starcom) in media planning, as a Senior Planning Manager for 20 years until moving to Salt + Light Catholic Media Foundation where she presently works as a Ambassador/Administration utilizing her experience in marketing and social media.
Rosina has been a parishioner at St. Benedict Parish since 1999. She was inducted as a Salesian Cooperator on December 9, 2018. Rosina has a long parish volunteer history, as a Catechist for Confirmation and has sat on various committees such as, Golf Committee, Fundraising/Finance and Synergy Committee. Currently Rosina continues to be an active member of her parish as a Lector and Liturgy of the Word for Children Leader while also volunteering her talent and experience as the Parish Facebook and Instagram Page Administrator and Parish Photographer.
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