Advisory Board
Dr. Lori E. Ross, PhD
Dr. Lori E. Ross is a Research Scientist in the Social Equity & Health Research Section of the Centre for Addiction & Mental Health, and Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry, Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, and Dalla Lana School of Public Health at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on mental health during pregnancy and parenting, with a specific focus on the experience of diverse and marginalized populations. Dr. Ross is supported by a New Investigator Award from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Ontario Women’s Health Council.
Dr. Stuart Shanker
Stuart Shanker is Distinguished Research Professor of Philosophy and Psychology at York University. He was educated at Oxford, where he obtained a First in PPE and won the Marian Buck Fellowship at Christ Church, where he obtained a First in a B Phil in Philosophy and a D Phil with Distinction in Philosophy. Among his awards are a Canada Council Doctoral Fellowship and Postdoctoral Fellowship; a Calgary Institute for the Humanities Fellowship; a University of Alberta Mactaggart Fellowship; an Iszaak Walton Killam Fellowship; and the Walter L. Gordon Fellowship at York University. He has received many grants, among them a $5,000,000 grant from the Harris Steel Foundation to establish the Milton and Ethel Harris Research Initiative (MEHRI), a state-of-the-art cognitive and social neuroscience institute at York University.
In addition to serving as Director of MEHRI, Dr. Shanker is currently Director of the Council for Human Development and Past President of the Council of Early Child Development. He is also Director of the Cuba-Mexico-Canada Research Initiative, an international, multi-disciplinary investigation into preventative mental health (funded by IDRC of Canada).
Ilana Sirkovich, RN (Registered Nurse), BScN, IBCLC
Ilana Sirkovich, RN (Registered Nurse), BScN, IBCLC (International Board Certified Lactation Consultant) is a founder and clinical director of Health for Baby, Childbirth & Newborn Care Consulting in Thornhill, Ontario. She also works part time as a Lactation Coordinator at Mount Sinai Hospital. Ilana is a Vice-President of Ontario Lactation Consultants Association, active member of Multi-Lingual Committee of ILCA (International Lactation Consultant Association) and member of the Board of Directors of Holistic Fertility Network. Ilana has extensive experience in Breastfeeding, Public Health, Reproductive Health, Perinatal, Maternal and Newborn Care. In the past she worked as a Fertility Clinic Coordinator at a Centre for Reproductive Medicine and as a Public Health RN, Lactation & Newborn Care Consultant at a Mother-Baby Well-Being Clinic. Ilana is an author of numerous reviews for the Journal of Human Lactation, Inside Tracks translations for ILCA and breastfeeding education articles for ethnic media. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Nursing Science. Ilana is a mother of two lovely kids.
Carl Rotmann,
Carl Rotmann is an active and certified Advanced Care Level 3 Paramedic with Toronto EMS. Carl specializes in training new moms and dads Infant/Child CPR and Choking. He is the Medical Advisory Board Chair for the Lifesaving Society of Ontario, a Provincial Faculty Member with the Resuscitation Program at the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Ontario and on the Advanced Cardiac Life Support Faculty at Sunnybrook Hospital. He is a Professor of Paramedicine at Centennial College. He holds the Golden Jubilee Medal and Toronto EMS Valour Award.
Sandra Yeung Racco, Councillor, Ward 4, City of Vaughan
Born in Hong Kong, Sandra immigrated to Canada with her family at a young age and grew up in a musically influenced family. She graduated from the Faculty of Music from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Music Education degree and received her A.R.C.T. Diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music.
Sandra’s political career did not begin until 1993 when she met her now husband, Mario G. Racco. She became heavily involved with municipal, provincial and federal issues, gaining invaluable experience. She contributes her success to her hard work, determination, and to listening and understanding residents and businesses in her community. Sandra was first elected to Vaughan Council in November 2003 and was re-elected back in 2006 and 2010.
Outside of her political career, Sandra has been an active participant in many not-for-profit organizations, sitting as a member of many diverse boards and committees, including North York General Hospital, Mon Sheong Foundation, Vaughan Community Health Centre, and act as an honorary advisor to the Canadian Multicultural Council (Asians) in Ontario and the Toronto Overseas Business Network Association (TOBNA)/Chinese Business Council of Vaughan (CBCV). Most recently, she was appointed as the President of the Federation of the Chinese Canadians in York Region (Vaughan Chapter).
Governing Board
Caroline Sawtell, President
Caroline Sawtell is a mom to one busy toddler boy. Having recently returned to work outside the home, amongst her current goals is the pursuit of work / life balance. Her passions include family, friends and supporting her community. She is looking forward to assisting LWAB to grow and develop.
Victoria Shekhar, Treasurer
Victoria has successfully completed her CGA school of studies. Victoria currently specializes in various Financial Reporting standards (including IFRS (International Financial Reporting Standards), PE GAAP, current GAAP).
Susan Oh, Secretary
Susan Oh is a wife and mother to an energetic and adorable one year old boy. She encountered numerous challenges a typical first time mom faces, but thanks in part to peer support (networking with other moms), has survived the first year, and most importantly, found motherhood to be a truly amazing and rewarding experience. Susan currently works full time as a project manager at a not for profit organization and has a B.A.Sc. degree in engineering. She hopes that her project management skills, along with negotiation, organization and problem solving techniques will not only come in handy when raising her son but help strengthen and support the program
John MacMillan,
John MacMillan, M.S.W., M.Ed, C.F.L.E., developed and led many workshops in family transitions, parenting, couple relationships, anger, stress and life management. He was the coordinator of a major family service agency’s program in Family Life Education for twenty-three years, before going into private practice. He is married, and the father of three children. He has a strong interest in father-child relationships, and is also a member of the steering committee of Father Involvement – Ontario.
Mireille Millette, CFRE
Mireille joined The Sterling Hall School in August 2006. Her portfolio includes the Annual Giving program and the Parents Association. Prior to SHS, she spent three years as the Annual Fund Officer at Havergal College and has fundraised in the Arts and Culture sector. Mireille holds a BA from the University of Waterloo and her CFRE (Certified Fundraising Executive) designation.
She is the Mom of a busy toddler and her volunteer commitments include being Communications Director for the Canadian Association of Independent Schools Advancement Professionals, and she is an alumnae volunteer for the Brown Ledge Camp Foundation and Board member of Healthy Start Healthy Future.
Fran Chodak
Fran Chodak, M.S.W. is the supervisor of The Family Resource Centre, a position she has held since 2005. In addition to over-seeing the daily operations of this busy drop-in program for parents/caregivers and children 0-6, Fran is responsible for grant acquisitions, program planning, monitoring and evaluation, workshop facilitation, outreach and marketing. She has a Certificate in Infant Mental Health and is a trained facilitator in Nobody’s Perfect, Triple P Parenting and Make the Connection. Fran brings her passion for parent education to LWAB. She is the proud mom of three young adults.
Anna Raitsinis
Anna is a busy working mother of an energetic little boy. She has a B.Comm degree with a CMA designation and is currently working for an electronics company as an accounting manager. Anna discovered LWAB while a maternity last year and enjoyed all the activities and programs the organization had to offer. She firmly believes in the organizations philosophy and in return she hopes to help LWAB continue to grow and meet its strategic directions.
Bisma Lodhikawala
Bisma is a mother to a beautiful 9 month old! This is her first baby girl and she loves all the new experiences she is bringing to her. She has completed her BA in Public Policy and Management at York University and is now completing her Professional Human Resource Management Certificate and progressing towards her CHRP. She would like to bring her experiences and her ideas as well as helping the organization grow while simultaneously assisting in developing more opportunities for the members of Life with a Baby! J “A new baby is like the beginning of all things-wonder, hope, a dream of possibilities”- Eda J. Le Shan
