OJEN welcomed 6 new directors at the first board of director’s meeting of 2021.
OJEN’s board consists of representatives from all three levels of court in Ontario, as well as leading justice and education sector institutions. With an additional 5 at-large director positions, the OJEN board of directors brings a wide range of expertise to the organization.
Joining the OJEN Board of Directors in 2021 are:
- Marc Boissonneault, appointee of the Ministry of the Attorney General. Marc is the Manager of Court Operations with the Ministry of the Attorney General in Sault Ste. Marie, and a proud Franco-Ontarian. He volunteers with a number of local organizations and has over 30 years of experience working with youth in the Army, Sea and Air Cadets in local, regional and national training centres.
- Justice Breese Davies, appointee of the Superior Court of Justice. Breese was appointed to the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto in August 2018. Before her appointment, she practiced criminal, constitutional and administrative law, and served as vice-president of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association for five years. In that role, she worked on initiatives to retain women in the private practice of criminal law and to improve diversity and inclusion in the criminal bar. Throughout her career, she has been dedicated to legal education. She is currently an adjunct professor in legal ethics at the University of Toronto.
- Luis Filipe, appointee of OJEN. Luis has been a teacher with the TDSB for thirteen years. He currently serves as Department Head of Social Science at Bloor Collegiate Institute, where he has taught Canadian and international law for the last four years. He also is a Digital Lead Learner Mentor for the TDSB, and has been president of the Toronto History, Humanities, and Social Science Subject Council for the last four years. He is passionate about legal education and providing students with learning experiences that challenge them to examine fundamental questions of law and justice.
- Justice Ferhan Javed, appointee of the Ontario Court of Justice. Ferhan was appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice in 2014. He is chambered in Oshawa, Ontario where he presides over all types of criminal cases. Prior to his appointment as a judge, he was a frequent speaker at continuing legal education programs for the legal profession, law enforcement and the judiciary. He also volunteered his time with organizations such as OJEN and the Muslim Lawyers Association. Currently, he sits on the Durham “Lunch and Learn” education committee and is co-chair of the Durham Mental Health Committee.
- Geoff Pollock, appointee of the Law Society of Ontario. Geoff was elected as a bencher of the Law Society of Ontario for the Toronto Region. He is the founder of Geoff Pollock & Associates Professional Corporation, where his practice focuses on real estate, civil litigation, wills & estates and corporate/commercial matters. While studying for his law degree, Geoff joined the Canadian Army Reserves, where he spent almost five years as a Commissioned Officer. Geoff volunteers regularly with Pro Bono Ontario and was a founding member of the Haven Toronto’s Fortunate 500. He recently received an Order In Council appointment to the Board of Governors of the University of Western Ontario.
- Diane Vautour, appointee of OJEN. Diane is currently a Department Head for Canadian and World Studies in the Toronto Catholic District School Board. She also works with provincial and national organizations to advance history and civic education. She is the recipient of the Governor General’s Award for Excellence in Teaching Canadian History, and recently completed a secondment with the Ontario Ministry of Education in the Curriculum Assessment & Student Success Policy Branch.
OJEN has two co-chairs, one from the justice sector and one from the education sector. At OJEN’s Annual General Meeting in November 2020, Justice Katrina Mulligan completed her second term on the board and stepped down as OJEN’s co-chair. She is succeeded in this role by Justice Breese Davies. Leigh MacDonald continues as co-chair, representing the Ontario History and Social Science Teachers’ Association.
The current OJEN board is its most geographically diverse board, with directors hailing from London, Oshawa, Barrie, Sault Ste. Marie and Toronto. Since moving to Zoom video conferencing, it is easier for directors to meet virtually to address their governance responsibilities.
“I am delighted to join the OJEN board on behalf of the Ontario Court of Justice (OCJ). Bringing the law into the classroom during my high school years fueled my love for the law and legal education. It rewarded me with a calling, not just a career. As a Judge of the OCJ, I’m delighted to ‘pay it forward’, to the next generation of students who benefit from OJEN’s rewarding learning opportunities.”
– Justice Ferhan Javed
Visit our website for a complete and current list of OJEN’s Board of Directors.