Board of Directors
Board of Directors
The OMSSA Board of Directors reflects a complimentary mix of skills, knowledge and expertise. OMSSA is committed to recruiting candidates for the Board that reflect the diversity of its membership (the 47 Consolidated Municipal Service Managers (CMSMs) and District Social Services Administration Boards (DSSABs)), as well as the communities they serve.
Members are elected to the 10-member Board at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Association for a two-year term of office.
The following individuals serve on OMSSA’s Board of Directors and lead the strategic direction of our Association over the 2025-2026 year.
Board Executive
Stella Danos-Papaconstantinou
PRESIDENT
Commissioner, Social Services
Regional Municipality of Durham
Stella Danos-Papaconstantinou has more than 25 years of leadership experience in the human services sector. As Commissioner of Durham Region’s Social Services Department, Stella oversees programs and services across six divisions that include; early learning and childcare, social assistance, emergency social services, housing and homelessness, individual & family counselling along with four long-term care homes.
Stella holds a strong vision for helping individuals and families in the community through integrated service delivery of innovative modernized approaches. Stella’s commitment to advancing human services is also demonstrated through her membership on various boards, including the Provincial-Municipal Social Assistance Employment Committee (PMSAEC). She was also the Co-chair of the Employment and Life Stabilization Committee.
Stella recently ended a three-year term as board member of the Housing Services Corporation representing service system management. Formerly, Stella was a board member of the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA) and Co-chair of the Policy and Advocacy Committee.
Sutha Balasingham
VICE PRESIDENT
Interim General Manager, Employment and Social Services
City of Toronto
Sutha Balasingham has over two decades of experience in the human services sector, working with municipal governments and NGOs to drive strategic alignment through a leadership approach centered on partnerships, people, and performance.
Her expertise spans policy development, community engagement, and strategic planning, all guided by a deep commitment to equity and human services integration. Having arrived in Canada as a refugee, her lived experience overcoming marginalization fuels her passion for building inclusive systems that empower individuals and communities.
Sutha currently serves as Interim General Manager of Employment and Social Services at the City of Toronto, shaping policies and programs that enhance social and economic well-being. Previously, as Head of Strategic Initiatives in Community and Health Services at the Region of York, Sutha led an integrated strategic planning process to develop the Human Services Plan, supporting over 2,500 staff delivering housing, homelessness, paramedic, long-term care, social assistance, and public health services. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she served as Planning Chief for the Departmental Emergency Operations Centre, supporting emergency response efforts and recovery planning to address emerging human services needs.
Beyond her government roles, Sutha has made significant contributions to public policy and governance. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Institute of Public Administration Canada (Toronto Region), chaired the United Way York Region’s Community Review Panel, and was a founding member of the Equity Council of York Region. She has also been a Board Member for the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians and an Advisory Board Member for the Canadian Tamil Youth Development Centre. An active member of OMSSA, she has served on the Executive Board Committee and co-chaired the Policy Committee.
A lifelong learner and advocate for collaboration, Sutha earned her Master’s in Public Policy, Administration, and Law as a mature student. She firmly believes in the power of partnerships and collective impact, striving to create policies and programs that drive meaningful change.
Mike Nadeau
TREASURER
Chief Executive Officer
District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Services Administrative Board
Mike has been the Chief Executive Officer for the District of Sault Ste. Marie Social Service Administration Board since 2013. During this time frame, he has been on numerous regional and provincial working groups and strategic planning tables (Homelessness, Early Years and Ontario Works).
He has over 20 years’ experience in both First Nations and municipal human services. Prior to joining the DSSMSSAB Michael was the Executive Director for the Ontario Native Welfare Administrators’ Association for 12 years and was accountable to 108 First Nations across the province.
Mike and his spouse (Kim) have resided in Sault Ste. Marie for 20 years and have three children; Caelen age 21, Kristen age 16 and Tyler age 11. His academic qualifications include a Diploma in Corrections Services, BA in Law and Justice & MBA with a concentration on Community Economic Development.
Mike has extensive knowledge regarding human service delivery, policy and best practices. He has personally visited 87 First Nations in Ontario and is a strong advocate for First Nation community and social development. He is a current Governor for Algoma University and has been on numerous provincial working groups and expert panels.
Andrew Scavarelli
SECRETARY
Housing Network and Sector Leads Chair
Director, Housing & Homelessness Services
County of Simcoe
Known by his colleagues as an influential leader, strong consensus builder and exceptional communicator, Andrew is a visionary leader who continuously demonstrates his commitment to furthering social and human services integration.
Andrew has over 15 years experience in the successful and integrated delivery of municipal social services. Andrew brings breadth and depth in his experience, having began his career with the District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board (TBDSSAB) in 2009, where he held progressive leadership roles, and played a key-role in TBDSSAB’s commitment and transition to an integrated service delivery model.
Andrew is known for his business leadership and acumen, his commitment to leading practices, continuous improvement, and service delivery excellence. Andrew holds an Honours Bachelor of Commerce Degree (Finance), along with a Masters Certificate in Public Sector Leadership.
In 2018, Andrew relocated from Northwestern to Central Ontario, accepting a role with the County of Simcoe, where he currently serves as Director, Housing & Homelessness Services. Prior to transitioning to the Housing & Homelessness portfolio in late 2024, Andrew spent time as the Director in both the Ontario Works, and Community Support & Wellbeing portfolios. Having served in leadership roles at both the DSSAB and CMSM levels, Andrew possesses a strong awareness of the many unique needs and challenges present within the suburban, rural and northern communities in Ontario.
Previous affiliations include the United Way, where Andrew spent numerous years as the employee campaign chair, along with spending several years on the admissions committee for the Northern Ontario School of Medicine. Currently Andrew serves on numerous committees including Chair of OMSSA’s Emergency Social Services Network, the Ontario Disaster & Emergency Management Planning Committee, and the Western Ontario Warden’s Caucus Social Services Committee.
Cathy Cousins
PAST PRESIDENT
Awards Committee Chair
Director of Homelessness and Community Engagement, Community Services
Region of Niagara
Cathy has previous experience on the OMSSA Board and is currently part of the OMSSA Executive Committee as Past-President. She holds an Honors Commerce Degree, CPA, CA, and worked for the Region of Niagara in Corporate Services for 10 years until 2005, when she began to hold a variety of roles in Community Services including Director of Support Services, Acting Commissioner, and Director of Homelessness Services and Community Engagement. She has experience with labour negotiations and job evaluation, and involvement in a variety of committees with OFMEM for emergency management and emergency social services. She is skilled in budget preparation and management, financial reporting and committee presentations.
Prior to joining the OMSSA Board, Cathy participated in various OMSSA networks and assisted with special projects for OMSSA, such as the funding formula changes for social assistance. The areas of OMSSA’s board work that are of particular interest to Cathy are housing and homelessness, financial stability of the human services sector, human services integration, emergency social services, and integration opportunities with MOH, in particular mental health and addictions supports for clients.
Members At Large
Stephanie Bordage
Emergency Social Services Network Chair
Director, Employment and Social Services
City of Ottawa
Stephanie Bordage has dedicated her career to the social services sector, specifically at the municipal level, believing strongly that the work done, and the services provided through municipal government has the greatest impact on every day lives of residents in the city of Ottawa.
Stephanie has over 20 years of experience working in both frontline and leadership roles within the Community and Social Services (CSS) department including various roles in Housing Services, Children’s Services and Employment and Social Services.
Since 2023, Stephanie has been the Director of Employment and Social Services at the City of Ottawa, managing a multi-disciplinary team of over 500 staff in the delivery of employment and financial assistance programs and services. Stephanie is recognized for her strategic leadership and her results-oriented approach; in 2016 Stephanie was the recipient of a City of Ottawa’s City Manager’s Award of Distinction for “Turning Intention into Results.”
Stephanie is passionate about developing and implementing innovative solutions to complex social challenges and to breaking down barriers in the delivery of services to residents. She is a champion of staff engagement through periods of change and transformation.
Stephanie is fluently bilingual in English and French, holds several degrees from the University of Ottawa, and has completed the Masters Certificate of Municipal Leadership with York University. She is a member of several groups including the Provincial-Municipal Social Assistance Employment Committee, Director’s Administrator’s Reference Group, and United Way of Easter Ontario Indigenous Employment Leadership Table.
Tyler Campbell
Homelessness Network and Sector Leads Chair
General Manager of Community Well-Being
City of Greater Sudbury
Tyler is an accomplished senior manager with progressive career growth and proven abilities in finance, human resources and general business management in the Municipal and social services field.
He has been in progressive roles with the City of Greater Sudbury in various human service roles over the past 12 years starting as the Manager of Children Services, Director of Leisure Services, Director of Social Services, Director of Children and Social Services, and now the General Manager of Community Well-Being. Have represented the municipality on various Ministry tables including the Social Services Modernization Committee, Ontario Works Directors Administrators Reference Group (DARG) and the AMO-TOCCA Regulatory Working Group (Child Care).
Tyler previously served 13 years as an elected school board Trustee with the Rainbow District School Board. He served terms as Vice-Chair and Chair of the Board, Vice Chair and Chair of the Policy and Finance Committee, and member of the Audit Committee. The Board oversaw an annual school board budget of over $250 million. He also served as the Board elected delegate to the Ontario Public School Boards Association (OPSBA).
Tyler has also completed a certificate in Principles and Practices of Effective School Board Governance with the Schulich School of Business at York University. He currently holds a Master Degree in Public Administration (MPA) (Management) from Dalhousie University, and an undergraduate degree in Sports Administration (HB Comm) from Laurentian University.
Jessica Chase
Education Committee Chair
Director, Children’s & Community Services
City of Hamilton
Jessica Chase is the Director of Children’s & Community Services with the City of Hamilton. She has approximately 20 years of experience in the human services sector at both the provincial and municipal levels.
In her role as Director, she is responsible for overseeing child care and early years services for the City of Hamilton, as well as the City’s Youth Strategy, Community Safety & Well-being Plan, and Home Management program. Jessica has provided leadership to several significant City initiatives and transformational projects including the development of the City’s first Urban Indigenous Strategy, the implementation of the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care initiative, and the City’s Community Safety and Well-being Plan. She is known for her collaborative and creative approach, and for working tirelessly within the sector and in her community to strengthen partnerships and build capacity.
Recently, Jessica completed a secondment with the City Manager’s Office where she led the City of Hamilton’s Communications & Engagement division, and the Government Relations division at the Director level. During this time, she developed strong understanding of city operations, including municipal programs and services beyond children’s and community services, and the role of advocacy to advance municipal priorities.
Jessica holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Waterloo and a Masters of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business. She has a passion for working with community partners and teams to develop collaborative strategies and approaches that enhance the lives of children, families, youth and residents. In her spare time, she enjoys running and volunteering with her children’s local baseball little league.
Satinder Klair
Children’s Services Network and Sector Leads Chair
Director, Children’s Services
Regional Municipality of Niagara
Satinder Klair is an experienced public sector leader with extensive experience in municipal and provincial governments. Currently, he is the Director of Children’s Services with Niagara Region.
Prior to joining Niagara Region, he held leadership positions with Halton Region, Peel Region, the City of Toronto, and the Ontario provincial government, where he led and managed strategic and transformational files and projects. Satinder’s diverse background allows him to bring a unique perspective to social services that is grounded in strong public service, evidence- based policy analysis, and strategic thinking. Satinder is passionate about human services and making a meaningful impact on complex issues impacting our society through policy, strategic thinking, and service integration.
Satinder Klair brings extensive Board experience from having served on the OMSSA Board of Directors for the past two years. He also Chair’s the Children’s Services Lead Table for OMSSA. He has also served on the Board of Directors with the Peal Leadership Council supporting local not for profit organizations with governance and leadership capacity.
Satinder holds a Hons. Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Public Administration and certificates in Business, Project Management, and Lean Six Sigma.
Jabari Lindsay
Social Assistance Network and Sector Leads Chair
Director, Income and Social Supports
Regional Municipality of Peel
Jabari Lindsay has been working at the municipal level for over 15 years. As a leader in Human Services program delivery, Jabari has had an opportunity to work in complex legislative and unionized environments which allowed him to develop and enhance his skills around change managing complex assignments and policy and program development from inception through to implementation while balancing political, community and other stakeholder interests.
He has provided strategic leadership in large public and non-profit organizations with a focus on creating strong, safe and engaged communities and neighbourhoods, while empowering those most vulnerable. Jabari has a high level of understanding of current issues and best practices in diversity, equity, human rights, inclusion, accessibility, reconciliation, and cultural competence.
Jabari has led various strategic initiatives to provide policy and direction to the City of Toronto in the areas of working with youth, at-risk communities, health and social services. He has been a co-lead for committees such as Indigenous Affairs Divisional Committee and development of a support system for Black staff that contributed towards the creation of the Confronting Anti-Black Racism Action Plan. And, he chaired an inter-governmental committee that worked on addressing specific employment and support needs of multi-barriered youth within the City.
OMSSA 47 Leads
OMSSA’s Leadership Table (47 Leads) are comprised of senior human services leaders of all 47 Service System Managers delivering human services. This group is consulted by OMSSA as a collective and their local communities as it relates to human services issues. They participate in policy, program planning, and funding consultations, and in planned human services announcements. OMSSA’s 47 Leads meet several times a year.