ONYX TEAM
Simone Rennie
Director of Outreach
Simone is a proud graduate of Toronto Metropolitan University where she obtained her degree in Business Management with a major in marketing, law minor. In 1999, she joined a market research-based consulting start up ...where she led marketing efforts to create predictable revenue streams for North America. In 2009, she migrated to enterprise sales, helping NA grocery suppliers collaborate more effectively with their retail partners. When the world went virtual in 2020, Simone moved into a technology sales role, selling supply chain management software to manufacturers to help balance demand and supply during disruption. Her professional journey marches on as she lends her expertise to Onyx Initiative, where she is currently growing the relationships with existing corporate, educational, and community partners, as well cultivating new ones.
Andy Francis
Outreach Coordinator
Andy brings years of experience advising and supporting organizations the capacity building of organizations in the social venture space. He absolutely enjoys the simple and practical application of strategy, innovation, and problem-solving to address business challenges. ... Leveraging his consulting and project management experience, Andy has worked with various District Schools Boards throughout Ontario, non-profit organizations and small business clients in Canada, US and Brazil.
Nicole Chrysostom-Murray
Communications Specialist
After beginning her career in PR at an influential non-profit organization in Washington, D.C., Nicole moved to Canada and landed a position at The Urban Alliance on Race Relations where she assisted with key advocacy initiatives ... before transitioning to a senior marketing role at Sony Music Entertainment Canada, launching and building the careers of superstars including, P!nk, P.Diddy, Usher, and Keshia Chanté. Always eager for new opportunities, Nicole moved into TV and film and served as the Director, Marketing at Entertainment One Television (eOne), spearheading integrated, global marketing and PR campaigns to promote top-rated series like The Walking Dead, Designated Survivor, The Book of Negroes, Rookie Blue, and many more. Although Nicole’s creative calling led to her becoming a screenwriter, her commitment to highlighting and supporting the critical work of the Onyx Initiative via strategic communication tactics is rooted in an immense passion for human rights and the elimination of systemic barriers that impede progress.
Marcia Dunbar
Program Manager, Career Success
As a member of Onyx’s Career Success Team, Marcia brings a wealth of experience guiding post-secondary students at various stages of their personal and professional development. Marcia also draws on her background in ... Human Resources in the private sector, internship development in the not for profit sector, and most recently, her career centre and co-op roles helping students at various Canadian colleges and universities navigate their job search journey.
Reginald Oblitey
Lead Career Success Coach
As an experienced executive coach, Reginald Oblitey has helped countless top executives and entrepreneurs reach their full potential and achieve their goals. His personalized approach and his expertise in developing human performance ... have made him a sought-after coach for executives in various sectors, including healthcare, finance and technology.
Reginald is a graduate of Dalhousie University and has over 15 years of coaching and consulting experience, specifically helping high-potential talent develop leadership skills, build high-performing teams and improve their overall effectiveness. At Onyx, Reginald works closely with scholarship recipients to understand their unique strengths and areas for improvement, then collaborates with them on a personalized personal and professional development plan.
Reginald is a member of the International Coach Federation and holds the title of Professional Certified Coach (PCC). He regularly attends events and conferences on the subject to keep abreast of the latest techniques.
Heather Driedger
Career Success Coach
Whether they want to change their psychological perspective or their physical well-being, Heather is dedicated to helping individuals navigate change. As an Occupational Therapist, she supports her clients in finding the motivation to use the tools that ...will help create health, healing, and independence in their lives.
Having worked with individuals in a variety of mental health inpatient and outpatient hospital programs, including acute adult and adolescent treatment and adult outpatient and seniors’ community mental health programs, Heather has amassed extensive experience assisting groups with building resilience, anxiety management, assertiveness training, and overall healthy living. Additionally, she has mentored interns at various stages of their educational journey and is passionate about ensuring students feel confident and prepared when entering the field of Occupational Therapy. Heather is currently completing a business coaching certification.
Lisa Lamoureux
HR Recruiter
Lisa graduated with a Bachelor of Art degree in Developmental Psychology with a minor in Social Anthropology - a focus on how people develop into adulthood while building family, community and purpose. ... Beginning her career as a career transition counsellor where she guided individuals through the stress of job loss to the joy of landing in a new organization, Lisa became a Certified Human Resources Professional in 2014 and joined a rapidly growing global business based in Toronto. There, Lisa fostered the pillars of fairness and equality while building the HR capacity of the business from the ground up, and established the recruitment and retention of skilled Canadian youth and foreign student workers for their summer internship program. Lisa believes all people thrive at work when they feel their skills and abilities are appreciated, their voices are heard, their opinions matter, and they have opportunities to grow and develop. Which is just one of the reasons why she's excited to be joining Onyx as the HR Recruiter, and welcomes the opportunity to leverage her experience and expertise to help match Onyx scholars with available roles from the organization's founding and premier employer partners.
ADVISORY BOARD
Donette Chin-Loy Chang
Donette Chin-Loy Chang is a communications leader, entrepreneur and philanthropist. She holds a BA in Journalism - Toronto Metropolitan University and was bestowed honorary degrees from the Toronto Metropolitan University and the University ... of the West Indies. She sits on the board of the BlackNorth Initiative, is co-patron of the University of the West Indies Benefit Gala and former co-chair of Food For the Poor Canada.
Gervan Fearon
Gervan Fearon began his term as President and Vice-Chancellor in August 2017. Before joining Brock, he served at Brandon University as President and Vice-Chancellor, and as Provost and Vice-President ...
Academic.
Prior to his time at Brandon, Fearon served several other academic positions, including as Dean of The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Toronto Metropolitan University; as Associate Dean at York University’s Atkinson Faculty of Liberal & Professional Studies; as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Washington; and as an Associate Professor at York University.
Fearon received his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Western Ontario, after having received his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Agricultural Economics at the University of Guelph. He also holds a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA) designation and an ICD.D designation. He is also the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and several other awards.
His research has been published in journals such as the Journal of Public Economics and the Canadian Journal of Economics and Industrial Relations-Relations Industrielles Quarterly Review.
Besides academic achievements, his career includes several years in the Ontario government in roles as a senior analyst at Treasury Board Division, Ontario Ministry of Finance, and as an executive assistant to Deputy Minister and Policy Advisor at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
He is passionate about the role of post-secondary education in supporting regional development and has served on numerous community boards and helped champion significant community development initiatives.
He currently serves on the Governance Committee of Universities Canada, the Executive Committee of the Council of Ontario Universities (COU), the Board of United Way Niagara, the Chinese Cultural Centre of Greater Toronto, and as Chair of the Education Committee of the BlackNorth Initiative. Previous activities include serving as Chair of COU’s Budget and Audit Committee, President of Tropicana Community Services and as a member of Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples’ Council.
Sharon Chung
Sharon Chung leads the Diversity Talent Strategy at TD Bank, with a team focused exclusively on sourcing top talent within our diverse communities: Visible Minorities, People with Disabilities, ... Indigenous People, LGBTQ2+ and Women in Leadership. TD has had a Black Talent Strategy in place since 2016 and is excited to partner with ONYX on shared goals.
Vanessa Lewerentz
Vanessa Lewerentz is a resolute human resource professional with a passion for advancing business
objectives. She is a data driven leader who throughout her career of more than 25 years, ... has
developed deep expertise in governance, analytics, compensation, inclusion, and strategy development to impact change and drive innovation.
As Chief Inclusion Officer, Vanessa champions the Bank's diversity, equity and inclusion strategy, Zero Barriers to Inclusion. With a strategic mindset, she navigates the intersection of culture and business driven initiatives that cultivate an environment of belonging. Her passion lies in shaping a
work environment where every voice is valued, and inclusion is a source of strength. Vanessa is leading a team that drives change by enhancing workplace culture, fostering innovation, and contributing to long-term business success by leveraging inclusive perspectives and talents.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Vanessa actively volunteers her time and skills to various charitable organizations, focusing on initiatives that support mental health, education, and empowerment.
Vanessa holds a BA, Psychology and Dipl. Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University, Certificate in Human Resource Administration from Seneca College. She is a Certified Human Resources Leader from the Human Resources Professionals Association and is a Certified Compensation Professional and Certified Benefits Professional with WorldatWork.
Jennifer Palov
Jennifer Palov is Senior Vice President, Human Resources at Bell Canada. She leads a national team of HR professionals providing support to leaders and team members across the country, including in talent ... acquisition, talent management, learning and diversity, equity and inclusion. Bell’s purpose is to advance how Canadians connect with each other and the world, and as one of Canada’s largest employers, Bell is committed to creating a workplace where team members can make an impact, learn and grow. Jennifer is also a practising member of the Nova Scotia Barristers Society and prior to Bell, had a long career with the Nova Scotia Department of Justice.
Bridget Frantz
Bridget Frantz is the Campus Talent Acquisition leader at PwC Canada. Bridget has worked with PwC for over 12 years, spanning across the US, New Zealand and now Canada. Starting her career in Audit, Bridget developed ... an in-depth understanding for the inner workings of a corporation. Her transition to recruiting in 2018 created an opportunity to broaden her network and skillsets while strategizing on new ways to attract and retain talent. As a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion, her experience as a recruiter fuels her commitment to fostering equitable opportunities. Bridget is excited to leverage her skills and insights to drive positive change within the recruitment and advancement of underrepresented communities.