Meet five long-serving TMU community members recognized for their years of service

Every year, TMU honours employees who have reached major career milestones through the Long Service Milestone recognition.

This year, employees celebrating 25 to 40 years at TMU were recognized at the Toronto Met Awards Gala on April 28, 2026. From supporting students and strengthening academic programs to helping keep campus safe and connected, these community members have played an important role in the university’s growth and evolution.

Five long-term employees reflected on what shaped their careers and the impact their work has had on students, colleagues and the broader TMU community.

• Keith Christie, Interim executive director, Community Safety and Security
• Heather Gardiner, FEAS engineering admissions and liaison officer
• Hossein Rahnama, Professor, RTA School of Media
• Anya Sooknanan, Financial systems administrator, Financial Services
• David Amborski, Professor emeritus, School of Urban and Regional Planning

Keith Christie joined TMU in 1993 as an operations supervisor. Over three decades, he worked his way through a series of increasingly senior roles – ending up as the interim executive director of community safety and security, where he oversees campus-wide safety operations and strategy.

Early in his career, he proposed and built TMU’s dedicated investigations unit. One of its first major cases was the resolution of the university’s first hate crime case under new legislation – a moment he describes as defining for both the unit and university’s approach to hate-related incidents.

Christie also developed TMU’s event risk management structure and introduced a university-wide event assessment and briefing process to improve coordination across departments. Monthly briefings he put in place now support data-informed decisions across the security portfolio.

As he prepares for retirement, Christie credits his long tenure to the university’s culture. 

“I think the biggest thing I’ll leave behind is a really cohesive unit that understands how to work together, share information and support each other,” he says.

For Christie, campus safety has always been about people, especially during difficult moments. 

“You see the impact of your work most clearly in difficult situations,” Christie says. “Being able to support people through those moments is what stays with you.” 

His connection to TMU is personal, too. His daughter is a TMU graduate, having completed the psychology program and taken part in an international exchange in Australia before graduating in 2018.

“TMU gave me everything,” he said. “It gave me opportunities, a career and a community I care deeply about.”

Heather Gardiner’s TMU story didn’t start with a job offer. It started in a mascot suit.

Gardiner arrived at TMU in 2000 as a student in what is now the performance production program. Already a high school mascot, she auditioned to become Eggy, TMU’s former mascot, and landed her first on-campus role.

“When I say TMU family is family, I mean it,” she said. “I met my husband through someone I worked with in residence, and my staff partner in residence was my Man of Honour at my wedding.”

After graduating in 2004, she returned to TMU through a role in the Registrar’s Office, beginning a long career in admissions, recruitment and student outreach.

Today, she works in the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science (FEAS) as an engineering admissions and liaison officer, guiding students from the admissions process through to graduation.

One moment stands out most: while supporting admissions for TMU’s competitive midwifery program,  she called an applicant – someone who had reapplied several times over the years – to offer her a spot. 

“She was driving when I called,” she recalled. “We both ended up crying. I told her to pull over.”

Years later, now a practising midwife, the former student returned to campus with flowers and a handwritten note to thank Gardiner for her "kindness, help and guidance" throughout the application and acceptance process.

“It was the most beautiful reminder of why I do this work,” Gardiner said.

After more than 25 years, Gardiner says receiving the Long Service Milestone recognition is deeply meaningful.

“It’s not just the years - it’s the life I’ve lived in those years,” she said. “I’ve known many of my colleagues longer than most people in my life. It really is my work family.”

Hossein Rahnama arrived at TMU in 1999 as a computer science student curious about AI and mobile computing. Twenty-five years later, he’s one of the university’s leading voices in AI, innovation and entrepreneurship – and a visiting professor at the MIT Media Lab. 

After completing his undergraduate degree, master’s degree in artificial intelligence and PhD at TMU, Rahnama co-founded the Digital Media Zone (DMZ) alongside former TMU President Sheldon Levy and Valerie Fox, former executive director. 

“It really gave a voice to our entrepreneurial students and faculty members,” he said. “They didn’t have to choose between academia and their entrepreneurial ambitions, they converged the two.”

The DMZ has since grown into one of the world’s top-ranked university incubators, sparking a broader network of innovation zones across campus.

In addition to his work at TMU and MIT, Rahnama secured major research funding and launched cross-faculty programs connecting students from engineering, business, fashion and media on industry-driven projects.

Rahnama also served as a council member for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). An MIT TR35 honoree and a distinguished member of the American Society for AI, he currently serves on the board of Havergal College.

Through it all, students have remained his focus.

“Almost every single one of them has a genius hidden in them,” he said. “Our role is to bring it out and give them confidence.”

Anya Sooknanan’s TMU story began in 2000 as a student commuting from Scarborough, learning her way around campus and studying Information Technology Management (ITM).

In her fourth year, she began working part-time on campus – a move that launched a 25-year career at the university.

Today, Sooknanan works as a financial systems administrator in TMU’s Financial Services department, where she supports training, system access and day-to-day troubleshooting for staff across the university. 

“A lot of the work is behind the scenes, but we’re also front-facing,” she said. “We’re the ones that help the community with any issues they have within the financial system.”

Over the years, Sooknanan has helped support major service improvements within Financial Services, including financial system upgrades and the ServiceNow project, launched in July 2025 in collaboration with Computing and Communications Services (CCS). She says the work requires careful testing, coordination and strong relationships across departments.

Sooknanan credits much of that success to the strength of her team, including Mary Anne Rait, director, Financial Systems and Operations, and her other colleagues including Jennifer Chang, Heng Lee and Jane Yoo.

“The people make the job,” said Sooknanan. “You get to work with people who make the university feel like a community.” 

While building her career at TMU, Sooknanan also completed her MBA in community economic development from Cape Breton University in 2025. 

Sooknanan says that receiving the Long Service Milestone recognition has given her a chance to reflect on the career and community she has built at TMU.

“It means a lot to me,” she said. “I’ve been here at the university for some time, and it’s meaningful to know that my contributions matter.”

When David Amborski joined TMU in 1974, he helped build a program from the ground up. Over five decades, he’s taught nearly every graduating class in the School of Urban and Regional Planning – supporting roughly 4,000 students through courses, studios and research supervision.

“The students are the focus,” he says. “Continuing to learn, keeping fresh with what’s going on and staying current is the important thing.”

Amborski developed core courses in municipal finance, urban economics and public policy. He introduced client-based studios linked to real municipal projects and helped build early access pathways like the PLAD program. He also founded the Centre for Urban Research and Land Development, bringing in significant funding for research and policy work. 

His reach extended far beyond campus. He has advised the World Bank, the OECD and Lincoln Institute of Land Policy on housing, land use and urban governance policy in multiple countries.

Amborski built partnerships with industry, including early collaboration with the Urban Development Institute (now BILD), to connect students with real-world planning practice.

As former president of the Faculty Association (1996–2000), he also helped shape TMU’s academic structures – including helping to introduce Scholarly, Research and Creative Activity (SRC) requirements for faculty. He also served on the Board of Governors and several university committees supporting TMU’s transition into a more research-focused institution. 

Many of his former students now hold senior roles in government, education and the public sector.

“I feel like a proud parent,” he says. “Many have done so well. I can’t take credit for what they’ve done, but I like to think I had a hand in their education.”

Most recently, he has served as a special advisor to President & Vice-Chancellor Mohamed Lachemi on real estate matters. He was also recently a recipient of the 2025 Faculty Association Career Achievement Award. 

“It’s been teaching, research, governance and working to improve the university,” he says. “It all connects.”