National Office

Paulette Senior

Chief Executive Officer

Paulette Senior has been a passionate advocate for women’s issues for more than two decades. Her rich background and experience in community development, access and social justice has been brought to bear on her role as CEO of the country’s oldest and largest women’s multi-service organization, the YWCA Canada. As CEO, she works tirelessly to raise awareness of issues affecting women and girls and leads the development of programs and services that bolster their economic and social empowerment.

A role-model and sought-after public speaker, Ms. Senior worked her way up through the ranks of community based organizations, gaining first-hand insight into the challenges that affect women, children and families. She served as a community development and family support worker with the Lawrence Heights Health Centre, Macaulay Child Development Centre and Central Neighbourhood House. She later joined the management of the YWCA Toronto, managing a complex range of portfolios, including, equity, shelter and housing, and employment programs. Her leadership and advocacy skills were soon recognized by the YWCA’s world headquarters, where she was able to influence policy on an international basis.

In addition to her leadership role at YWCA Canada, Ms. Senior has also found time to volunteer. She is on the Board of Directors for the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund Canada. Previously, she chaired several committees and was part of the Executive Board leadership for Rouge Valley Health System, a multi-site hospital in East Scarborough and West Durham. The York University graduate has served as Vice-President for the Black Business and Professional Association (BBPA), Treasurer of the Centre for Social justice, Chair of the Malvern Family Resource Centre; and a Member of the Police Race Relations Monitoring Board, the Scarborough Black Education Organization and the College of Occupational Therapists.

Ms. Senior’s commitment and contribution to her community have been widely recognized. She is the recipient of the African Canadian Achievement Award, receiving the Matilda Van Cooten Award for Excellence in Single Parenting in 2004. She was the first recipient of the Microskills Canada Margo Franssen Leadership Award, which recognizes a woman who combines outstanding leadership in the private or public sector with a passionate commitment to the advancement of women and girls. In 2009, she received the Black Women’s Civic Engagement Network Champion Award.

Ann Decter

Director of Advocacy & Public Policy

Director of Advocacy and Public Policy, Ann Decter leads national action campaigns, issue advocacy, research and policy development for YWCA Canada. A passionate feminist and equity advocate, Ann wrote Broad Investments: Counting Women in to the Federal Budget and lead the Life Beyond Shelter Project, working with violence survivor advocates on a national lobby and advocacy videos. Her previous advocacy roles include anti-poverty work at Sistering, an award-winning women’s agency, and Campaign 2000, Canada’s national coalition to end child and family poverty. She is co-author of Work Isn’t Working for Ontario Families, which helped lay the foundation for Toronto’s Good Green Jobs Coalition, and author of Lost in the Shuffle: The Impact of Homelessness on Children’s Education. Ann has deep roots in feminist publishing, developing ground-breaking titles and representing Canada internationally. The author of four books, she is a member of the Toronto Public Library Board and The Writers Union of Canada.

Karen Buddle-Martin

Finance Manager

In her role as Finance Manager, Karen is responsible for managing the financial resources and the financial reporting. She also has oversight for the administration of the office. Karen has over 10 years experience in Accounting and Finance both locally and internationally. With extensive experience implementing new programs, facilities and IT systems, Karen has worked at Dundee Wealth Management, Price Waterhouse and YWCA Toronto, where she contributed to the REACH and LINC programs, which directly support women entering and re-entering the workforce. She holds a Masters of Business Administration.

Laura Tilley

Communications & Marketing Manager

Laura Tilley is the Manager of Communications and Marketing at YWCA Canada, where she coordinates all matters relating to YWCA Canada communications, web and marketing projects.  Prior to joining the National Office, Laura was the Marketing Specialist for Hasbro Canada and the Communications Coordinator for Canada NewsWire.  She holds an Honours degree in Political Science and has been active in several volunteer initiatives regarding children with special needs, adult and child literacy, and youth advocacy.

Ambar Aleman

Coordinator, Programs and Projects

Ambar Aleman provides support to national initiatives including Turning Point Programs for Women and Girls™ including YWCA GirlSpace, Power of Being a Girl™ and Week Without Violence™. Ambar also works on advocacy and public policy projects at YWCA Canada. Ambar has a longstanding commitment to social justice, having worked with Oxfam Canada and LetStopAIDS on building opportunities and resources oriented for young people to build leadership capacity and engage in youth activism for social change. She holds an Honours degree in Political Science and French Studies and is continuing her education at Ryerson University.

Liliane Najm

Executive Assistant

Liliane Najm is Executive Assistant at the YWCA Canada where she oversees the infrastructure of the National Office including the office of the Chief Executive Officer, along with the administrative functioning of the Board of Directors and its committees. Liliane has over 10 years of experience providing overall administrative support to senior executives in both the non-profit and the corporate sectors. She has an undergraduate degree in Administrative Studies from York University and is fluent in English, French, and Arabic and has a basic knowledge of Spanish. Liliane’s employment history with a number of non-profit organizations includes:  TV Ontario, Girl Guides of Canada, Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, and the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario.

Tamara Akopcan

Administrative Assistant

Tamara Akopcan is the bilingual Administrative Assistant for YWCA Canada. She is in responsible for supporting the Executive and Finance offices. Her role also involves coordinating information with board members, YWCA Member Associations and other organizations. Previously she worked with Tourism Québec/Destination Québec, acting as office manager where she was in charge of media relations for six years. She holds a BA in English philology, a diploma in psychology/social work, a certificate in mediation and was trained with ACFO-Toronto in leadership for volunteer work in French communities in Ontario. Tamara has a keen interest in issues related to women and over two years of volunteer experience in a non-profit organization, mentoring newcomer women in transition to economic and emotional independence.

Nicole Gutowski

Research Coordinator

Nicole Gutowski is a Researcher Coordinator with the department of Advocacy and Public Policy at YWCA Canada. Nicole is with YWCA Canada for 9 months as part of the Youth Eco Internship Program. She works on projects related to violence against women, women’s street homelessness, sustainability, and gender and climate change. Nicole holds an Honour’s BA in Mass Communications with a minor in Psychology from Carleton University.  Most recently, Nicole has worked with newcomer families in East Toronto with the Ready for School Connects Program. Nicole is on the national executive of Students Offering Support and is an active volunteer with youth. Nicole looks forward to continuing to advocate for change with YWCA Canada and its member associations.

Danielle Pearson

Communications Coordinator

Danielle Pearson is a Communications Coordinator at YWCA Canada, supporting the communications department though ongoing projects and campaigns, including the Rose Campaign and Fresh Start.  She comes to YWCA Canada through a field placement in the final year of her Bachelor of Social Work at Ryerson University.  In addition to her education at Ryerson, Danielle brings experiences as a peer educator in Women’s Programming with Planned Parenthood Toronto, a volunteer birthing coach at St. Joseph’s Health Centre, and a student in the Ontario NDP caucus.

Deborah Barretto

Fund Development Manager

Deborah Barretto joined the YWCA Canada team in June 2010. Previously, she worked at Sistering, a Drop-In Centre for homeless women in downtown Toronto, where she was Manager of Communications and Special Events. She has worked for many community and women’s organizations over the years including The South Asian Women’s Group (SAWG), Women’s Press, United Way of Greater Toronto, Media Watch and the Ontario Nurses’ Association.

She has served on the boards of Rasik Arts and Small World Music Festival, and is a member of the Masala Trois editorial collective. They have previously anthologized two collections of writings by South Asians in the diaspora, and are currently working on a third, Adventures in Desiland.