TTCxTMU Social Policy Challenge

Dr. Areej Al-Hamad

Assistant Professor, Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing

Dr. Areej Al-Hamad is an assistant professor at the Daphne Cockwell School of Nursing at TMU. She specializes in health policy and healthcare for vulnerable populations focusing on women’s health, food, housing insecurities, and marginalized communities.

Renowned for her participatory action and community-based research, she has contributed significantly to social justice and health equity discussions. She is an ethics board reviewer, has a substantial publication record, and has secured significant grants. She also holds affiliate positions with the University of Calgary and several programs at TMU. Al-Hamad mentors many students and actively participates in international research projects. 

Dr. Usha George

Professor, School of Social Work

Dr. Usha George is a professor in the School of Social Work at TMU. She is the immediate past director of the Toronto Centre for Immigration and Settlement. From 2006-2017, she served as the interim vice president of research and innovation and dean of the Faculty of Community Services at TMU. Dr. George is also the former associate dean, interim dean and the Royal Bank Chair in Applied Social Work Research at the University of Toronto. 

Dr. George is a distinguished scholar and researcher in the areas of newcomer settlement and integration, diversity and organizational change. She is frequently quoted in the Canadian media on immigration and multicultural issues.

Asare Kester-Akrofi

Manager, Strategic Initiatives, Office of the Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure Services, City of Toronto

Asare Kester-Akrofi has over a decade of municipal public sector experience with five years of tenure at the City of Toronto. As the manager of strategic initiatives for the Office of the Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure Services, Kester-Akrofi provides and oversees complex organizational change initiatives related to multi-billion-dollar city infrastructure projects, public policy development, customer experience, diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging, and stakeholder relations. 

Kester-Akrofi is also a professor and course director at York University’s School of Public Policy and Administration, as well as at Seneca Polytechnic’s School of Public Safety, where he teaches within the honours bachelor of crime intelligence analysis, and the police foundations program.

Eunice K. Yeboah

Anti-Racism Policy Consultant, Racial Equity Office, Diversity, TTC

Eunice K. Yeboah is a wife, mother, public speaker, and the TTC’s first Anti-Racism Policy Consultant. She is the co-founder and co-executive director of the Canadian Black Policy Network and co-founder of the Toronto Black Policy Conference.

Yeboah is dedicated to addressing racism and discrimination through public policy and has spent over 10 years working for various municipalities and the Province of Ontario.

Recognized for outstanding early career success and impactful volunteerism, Yeboah was selected as part of York University’s inaugural Top 30 Changemakers Under 30 list, received the inaugural IPAC Toronto Region Emerging New Professional Award, and has been featured in Seneca Polytechnic’s award-winning Challenge Accepted campaigns.

She holds a liberal arts diploma, professional certificate in public administration and law, honours bachelor’s degree in business and society, and a master’s degree in public policy.

Marlon Merraro

Director, Diversity, TTC

As a best practice leader and strategist on building social infrastructure systems, Merraro has held executive leadership roles in major interconnecting systems including healthcare, justice, education, child welfare, housing, community development, and transit. 

His leadership is visionary and practical in the development of strategic initiatives and equity-focused approaches to increasing institutional and systemic capacity to best meet the needs of Canada’s diverse communities. 

Merraro’s educational background includes a master’s degree in critical disability studies and a bachelor’s degree in social work and public administration from Toronto Metropolitan University. He is a graduate of Schulich School of Business’ non-profit management program.