Synopsis:

Panel members will speak to key impacts of the pandemic on their organizations and sectors, their response, and lessons learned as our communities continue to grapple with COVID-19, but with an eye to building back better.

Learning Objectives:

• Hearing about pandemic issues and responses from diverse sectoral perspectives
• Understanding major organizational and community shifts as a result of the pandemic
• Identifying key success factors that contributed to effective actions, and insights to consider going forward

This event is being hosted by the PMI Toronto Government Community.

PDUs:

1.0 (Strategic and Business Management)

Agenda:

6:30 pm - Welcome & Opening
6:40 pm - Panelists discussion
7:40 pm - Q&A from Audience
8:00 pm - Conclude & Wrap Up

Fees: (Subject to HST)
PMI Toronto Members (login prior to registering) - Complimentary
Non-Members and Guests - $10.00

Panelists:

Jerrett Myers

Jerrett leads Davis Pier’s Toronto practice where he is passionate about helping improve the quality and efficiency of public services and government. He is a highly experienced management consultant who has successfully delivered dozens of projects at the municipal, provincial and federal levels of government. He has a particular focus on regulatory and social service reform.

Prior to becoming a consultant, Jerrett worked in the federal government on policy management and program delivery and in research and analysis at the UK’s Institute for Government and Oxford Policy Institute.
Jerrett is a Member of the Board of the Institute of Public Administration’s Toronto Region and holds a Master of Public Administration from the London School of Economics and a Bachelor of Public Affairs and Policy Management from Carleton University.

Denise Occhipinti

Denise Occhipinti is a Senior Project Manager at the Region of Peel with over 20 years of progressive experience within complex public sector business transformations and strategic initiatives. Denise is an influential program and project manager having led and implemented changes of various sizes and scopes, including multi-million-dollar construction and renovation projects, operational optimization, and strategic organization-wide initiatives driving change and continuous improvement for the community.

This experience has most recently culminated in her role as the Program Integration Manager for Peel’s Community COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Program. The COVID-19 Mass Vaccination Program included the development of a comprehensive vaccination program and structure to integrate health system partners across the region, hospitals, primary care, pharmacies, workplaces, and community partners. The Program has delivered more than 2.5M vaccinations in the past 12 months, and successfully reduced the severity of COVID-19 on the Peel Community.

Denise is a certified Project Management Professional and Change Management Professional with demonstrated experience and project success.

Samina Sami

Samina brings over 20 years of leadership experience in government and in the broader public sector. She has worked in diverse sectors, including justice, public safety, human rights, higher education, and community economic development. Her work has largely focused on leading large-scale transformational change, innovation, and public policy.

She is currently the Executive Director of Community Safety at York University, and she is the Emergency Commander for emergency planning and response, including for COVID-19. She has worked with the provincial, federal and municipal governments and in the broader public sector in higher education, skills training and community services. In addition, she is a former Senior Instructor at the Ontario Police College, leading innovations in policing and public safety training for police services across Ontario.

She brings global experience in India, China and Brazil and has established public-private partnerships in research, capital planning and innovation. Holding deep values of transparency, integrity, and inclusion, Samina and her teams have consistently strived for excellence in public service and won awards for innovation, financial administration, service excellence and teamwork.

Samina is a Member of the Board of the Institute of Public Administration’s Toronto Region and holds a Master of Business Administration from the Northwestern Kellogg and Schulich Schools of Business, and a Master of Education from the University of Toronto. She is currently a PhD student, with a focus on leadership, organizational change and inclusion.

Steve Saric

Steve Saric, MA, PMP, is a Director with the Region of Peel, Ontario’s second largest municipality, serving more than 1.3 million people and 88,000 businesses in the cities of Brampton and Mississauga and the town of Caledon.

Steve has 15 years of progressive experience designing and implementing strategy, performance measurement and project management practices in the public sector. His core expertise is helping local government set strategic direction, assess corporate performance as well as execute high profile projects aligned to top corporate and civic priorities. During his career, Steve has also developed and led Project Management Offices (PMO), equipping organizations with methods, standards, and training to deliver better projects.

In his current role, Steve serves the Director for Peel Region's Corporate Strategy Office where he supports an experienced team with the design and delivery of the municipality’s Strategic Plan.

Joseph Silva

Joseph Silva is Director of Strategies & Partnerships in the Community and Health Services Department of The Regional Municipality of York (York Region). His varied and diverse portfolio includes social policy, community development, and communications and engagement.

Joseph and his team are involved in the Region’s health and social service response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes standing up and managing their department’s emergency operations centre; leading community response through the COVID-19 Community Coordination Initiative the Region co-hosts with United Way Greater Toronto; and overseeing critical pandemic response initiatives, such the implementation of the Province’s High Priority Communities Strategy in the Region, and the establishment of a COVID-19 Voluntary Isolation Centre for residents and a Transitional Shelter for those experiencing homelessness.

Prior to his current role, Joseph was Director and Deputy Treasurer in York Region’s Finance Department, where he oversaw the delivery of financial and business services and championed initiatives to modernize the Region’s systems and processes. He had worked in progressively more responsible roles in the Ontario Public Service, at the Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Infrastructure, and started his public service career as an economist at Finance Canada.

Joseph is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and an Ontario Certified Teacher. He holds a Master of Public Administration from Queen’s University, a Master’s degree in economics from McMaster University, and undergraduate degrees in economics, statistics and education from York University. He has been a supporter and volunteer with United Way Greater Toronto, a mentor for those aspiring to obtain their CPA designation, and is currently Acting Chair of the Board of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada – Toronto Region.

This event is in collaboration with the Toronto Regional Chapter of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC Toronto Region)

For over 70 years, the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (IPAC) is a recognized national leader in promoting public administration excellence. We are a respected voice across all orders of government, academia, research, and non-government organizations. We are focused on uniting our members and partners to share knowledge, drive policy innovation and cultivate collaboration. The Toronto Regional Chapter of IPAC (IPAC Toronto Region) supports our members across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Each year IPAC Toronto Region organizes relevant events that address important issues in public policy and administration, and provide a forum for learning, exchanging ideas and networking. The Toronto Region, together with IPAC’s National Capital Region and Southwest Region chapters, also hosts the prestigious Lieutenant Governor's Medal of Distinction in Public Administration.