Meet the Team

Jeannette is a passionate believer in the non profit sector, and its ability to move the needle on awareness, opportunities, and education about disabilities and promote the inclusion of all members of our communities. She has 20+ years of demonstrated success providing service, program design, evaluation, and partnership development with educational institutions, service agencies, all levels of government, and private sector stakeholders.

Jeannette’s work in program development and the ability to put them into action has resulted in successful programs that support clients to achieve goals, encourage and enhance wrap around services, and ultimately the success of individuals, organizations, and employers.

Jeannette has also designed projects specifically for youth and people with disabilities in academic settings such as SIFE/Enactus, Rotman Commerce – Student Life department, and the Community Partnership departments at University of Toronto and George Brown College, and has a long history of promoting and supporting programs and services to end users, government, and private sectors.

Most importantly, Jeannette is a firm believer that everyone possesses gifts and talents – and given the opportunity and support we will all shine.

Ingrid is a Licensed Professional Engineer in the Province of Ontario with 20+ years of combined working experience in corporate, entrepreneurial, and not-for-profit settings.

Since 2017, Ingrid has worked with the Ontario Disability Employment Network (ODEN) first as a Diversity & Inclusion Specialist and now as Director of Special Projects & Innovation. As a D&I Specialist, Ingrid was instrumental in moving 250 people who have a disability to into employment and delivered the ODEN Disability Awareness and Confidence Training to over 500 business members. In latest role Ingrid contributes to ODEN’s mission by working alongside a team of professionals who identify and promote innovative and promising practices in both the business and employment service provider sector.

Ingrid is a confident leader with excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills; she’s an experienced trainer, who has effectively delivered content to multicultural and multigenerational audiences locally and internationally; lastly, Ingrid is a professional with strong project management, program, and procedure development skills.

Ingrid’s vision for her son who has Down syndrome is in-line with that of all parents. She has a vision her son will grow up in a society where people with disabilities will participate in formal higher education; that as citizens, they will be engaged in equal and meaningful employment; her vision is that they will access and contribute to decision-making processes, which directly impacts their lives, and they will be recognized as vibrant contributors to their communities.

Amy is a committed connector who is passionate about inclusive employment and using collaboration, relationship development and capacity building as tools to increase employment opportunities for people who have disabilities. She is a strong support professional, skilled in Non-profit Organization Management, Inclusive Employment, Social Enterprise, Community Development and Disabilities. Amy brings a breadth of over 20 years of knowledge and experience to the team working in Management roles in both not for profit Developmental Service Organizations as well as private sector Professional Employment Services.

Amy’s vision for an inclusive Ontario is what guides her to break down barriers and discover people’s gifts and talent.

Sue Dafoe is the Director of Business & Financial Services for the Ontario Disability Employment Network. Sue brings her wealth of knowledge and technical skills to the team.

Sue has worked in the not-for-profit world for over 20 years in various capacities. She has held positions with large and small not-for-profits growing her skills as a communications and event professional.

Sue can also be found lending her expertise to organizations through SD Consulting, providing board training, event management, marketing and consulting services. Sue has worked with organizations such as Kawartha Participation Projects, Industry Canada, Osteoporosis Society of Canada, among others.

In her spare time, Sue can be found in the outdoors with her family and two northern rescue pups.  She can also be found coaching volleyball and cheering for her children at their various sporting activities.

Jennifer holds a Bachelor and Master of Social Work from McMaster University and a Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh. She is a registered Social Worker with over twenty-five years of work professional work experience in child welfare, policy, and research. She has had several key management positions with both non-government and government agencies in Canada and Scotland. Her work has mainly focused on children and young people. She is a part time faculty member with the School of Social Work at McMaster University, where she teaches as a sessional instructor. Jennifer is a strong analytical and critical thinker with a passion for policy development, robust research, program development and excellent teaching.

Jennifer is passionate about the ensuring the rights and recognizing the abilities of people with disabilities. She was the Chair of the Down Syndrome Association of Hamilton from 2012-2021 and guided its exponential growth and key strategic development. She is currently the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Down Syndrome Society and she is the Chair of the Self Advocate Advisory Committee. She also sits on the Advisory Committee for CanChild Centre for Childhood Disability at McMaster University.

Jennifer is guided by a deep personal desire to positively impact the lives of young people who have faced barriers to accessing equitable health care, education, and employment opportunities. She is inspired by the many young people she has worked with, but in particular, by her son who was born with Down syndrome.

Jennifer is committed ODEN’s vision and is excited to join the team in making a positive impact on and with the Disability community.

J.C. Doyle is a University of Guelph Commerce Grad and a Niagara College trained  Red Seal Chef with over 20 years’ experience operating in the service sector as Manager, purchaser,  Chef, Trainer, Entrepreneur , Hospitality Consultant, and Restaurant Owner.

His private sector background and experience bring a unique perspective to the (not for profit) disability employment landscape.  In his most recent role as Manager of Employment Supports at Community Living North Bay, he worked with his team to modernize and transform their Employment Service to be more responsive and address the needs of businesses.  A locally targeted marketing, re-branding and engagement strategy led to the Launch of Employment First Services.

JC was a founding member of the North Eastern Employment Network and has led regional projects aligning the goals of stakeholders by delivering awareness campaigns and training to support a consistent school to work approach for people with disabilities across the region.

JC has developed a keen interest and passion around the business case for inclusion and believes in helping business’s access the Disability Employment Market to gain competitive advantages.  His pragmatic approach to systems and service speaks (answers) to the necessity of businesses to increase profits.

Outside of work,  J.C. spends time with his wife and two children enjoying all manner of outdoor opportunities afforded by a Northern Ontario Lifestyle.

Jenny brings a complimentary blend of private and non-profit, senior level management and service provider experience to ODEN. Her proven work is reflected in the areas of policy and compliance, HR, program design and facilitation, individual and group training and low ratio-hard/soft skills job coaching; specifically for people who have developmental disabilities.

She is an alum of the renowned Stratford Chef School and is a Red Seal Certified, Executive Chef (CEC) and former owner/operator of a cooking school, dining room and small inn. Her experience in this field has afforded her the opportunity to work directly with employment service providers who help youth find employment.

Jenny’s unique combination of private and service provider understandings mean that she has lived this from both the employer and, service provider perspectives. “I arrive to the table with an analytical approach on the inclusion of people with disabilities in employment. Since I believe that everyone has something to contribute, it is my desire it to see that all persons with disabilities who want to work, can do so in diverse, inclusive and equitable workplaces where they are recognized by their employer as a vital contributor to the success of their business.”

Stephanie is passionate about equity and learning, and has a career built on making a difference through communications, marketing, and equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) work. She brings to ODEN over twenty-five years’ experience in senior leadership roles in non-profit and business, including expertise in developing and delivering training, event management, and strategic planning. Stephanie loves using her connector skills to build strong relationships with stakeholders.

Outside of work, Stephanie is a Board member for IBBY Canada, a non-profit organization committed to bringing books and children together as a way to foster understanding and friendship between children of different cultures. Stephanie loves spending time with her husband, two teen daughters, and two rescue dogs. She fills her weekends doing puzzles, reading, and sewing—and is happiest near or in lakes and oceans!

Gord brings with him 16 years of supporting people who have a disability, 6 with Community Living and 12 with Hutton House Employment Services in London, Ontario as an Employment Specialist/Case Manager. He believes strongly that everyone regardless of their disability has the right to work if they choose to. He also believes that being an inclusive business is beneficial not only for the employees, but for the business and it’s customers.

Gord believes strongly in the power of connections, networking, and the benefits it has in our lives. He has a variety of experiences in community and business development and has created a diverse range of sector initiatives. Gord enjoys, and takes pride in, being involved with projects that enhance our communities and their economic prosperity.

In his spare time Gord likes to spend time with his family and with friends and enjoys boating and photography.

Lesley is an enthusiastic and innovative administrative professional with over 10 years experience. She has worked for both Corporate and Non-Profit organizations and brings with her extensive knowledge in office administration, event planning, social media and website communications.

Lesley is passionate about helping people and making a difference in the community.

When she is not busy working, Lesley can be found watching her children play sports, or enjoying a good book at the cottage.

Raisa is the Accounting & Human Resource Assistant for the Ontario Disability Employment Network. She is a recent Business Management graduate from the Toronto Metropolitan University. With her diverse knowledge of business administration, Raisa is able to apply her knowledge and skills to the organization and the community.

Raisa has experience in non-profit organizations as she is passionate about making contributions to the community. As a Southeast Asian immigrant herself, Raisa hopes to see more representation of people of color, diversity and inclusion in the workforce.

Outside of work Raisa can be found staying active at the gym and trying out new classes such as yoga and meditation. She also enjoys making desserts for her friends and family to try.

Dean is an award-winning content writer, photographer and communication specialist with three decades of experience. He has a specialized background in B2B and non-profit communications. Dean’s diverse experience includes communication roles in the financial services, customs brokerage/international trade and logistics, and education non-profit sectors. Dean has also been a field editor and writer for national trade magazines in the flooring and secondary wood manufacturing industries. As well, he has written for national trade magazines in the automotive aftermarket sector. He also taught journalism to York Region high-school co-operative education students. Dean began his career in daily radio current affairs and radio documentary production for CBC Radio.

His passion for words developed in the seventh grade. That’s when his first short-story was published in the Oak Park Junior High yearbook. Dean is an alumnus of Ryerson University’s journalism program. That was where he learned to hone the craft of telling engaging stories with words under the guidance of Canada’s master story-teller, the late, great Stuart McLean.

Dean’s an ENFP personality type. That means he’s passionate about words, building great relationships and helping others. In the spring, summer and fall Dean can be spotted cycling around downtown Toronto with his camera hanging from his shoulder. He’s also trying to get back to working on his model railroad. Dean hails from the East York District of Toronto where he was born, raised and still lives.