Pita-Garth affectionately known as PG has resided in Durham for 25 years and has been actively serving in his community for the last 15. He has sat on various committees such as Ethno-Cultural and Diversity Advisory Committee, Durham District School Board: Afro-Centric Parent Committee and Durham Regional Police Service: Diversity Advisory Committee. His passion and vision are to bring people together to work towards programs and initiatives that will grow and strengthen communities within the Durham Region. This passion for community development motivated him to establish DurhamONE. He is a husband and a father and is passionate about work that promotes a healthy and involved family. He is a firm believer that if change is to occur, meeting people where they are at, provides a different perspective and voice to what we are a custom to.
Dane Record first moved to Durham Region as the eldest of eventually 4 w his parents. Both parents have settled in Durham during that time, while Dane charted his own path to volunteerism. He is born and raised in Ontario. His parents and grandparents voluntarily arrived to Canada from Jamaica in the early 1970's and built careers in community social services and media. Dane currently resides in Ajax w his own family.
Gail Wilson-Beier is an immigrant to Canada with Caribbean parents. She has resided within the Durham Region for most of her life. Gail has been working in the social service and education sectors for almost 30 years. She has taught at both the university and college levels and shares her main interests lies in cultural pluralism, research, and counselling. One of her more recent projects involved the conception and implementation of an Identity and Culture event, which celebrated the United Nations milestone anniversaries (60-40-30) of the “Declaration on the Rights of the Child”, “The International Year of the Child”, and the “UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child”. Presently, Gail is working on the completion of her doctorate degree exploring cultural diversity.
Lana Wehbeh is a community member residing in Durham Region currently serving as Secretary for the DurhamOne Board of Directors. As a Middle Eastern female who is passionate about amplifying the voices of underrepresented youth, she uses her work in DurhamOne to continue to make an impact in the youth community.
Kagiso “Kay” Puso migrated to Canada in 2010 from Botswana. Before moving to Durham, she studied at Trent University Peterborough where she received her Masters in African History. She is dedicated to her family and as such is passionate about positively impacting families throughout Durham through various initiatives.
Genelle Pollydore is a passionate and ambitious Health Equity Specialist. She has the pleasure of living and serving in Durham Region. Genelle supports the facilitation of culturally relevant programs that enhance health in the community. Contributing to programs that strengthen and empower communities is where her passion lies. She has a comprehensive understanding of how racism is perpetuated throughout the health and social service system. Genelle is devoted to advancing inclusive care and promoting health equity in health and social services. Genelle is the Founder of Swen Equity, a social enterprise, with a mission to improve health outcomes and rectify health disparities in racialized communities.
Debbie Kumoi currently resides in Durham Region, born in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, with a proud Trinidadian and Jamaican heritage. Her background in Business, Communications and Finance Currently working as a children’s Director at a local Pentecostal Church. Debbie is also the owner of Kumoi's Baskets a Love, a small business that specializes in creating custom branded clothing, creating unique gift baskets, organizing events, and being highly involved in charitable causes. She is extremely committed to giving back to the community in the GTA , Peel & Durham and spending quality time with her family.
Erica Babad is a community development worker, and she loves working with people from all walks of life. She was an international student from the Philippines who studied in Canada and completed her internship with DurhamONE. She served the Durham community through the Know Your Rights program and several vaccination engagement activities in collaboration with CAREA. She enjoys giving back to the community. For her, that includes ensuring that each person in the community is included, providing access to their needs, and assisting in becoming sustainable so they can make their own decisions regarding their future. As a teacher back home, she loves working with youth and children because they are so full of possibilities! They remind her to keep things simple, enjoy life, and make the most of it—they're the best teachers.
DurhamONE’s vision extends beyond ‘celebrating diversity’ and culture throughout the Region of Durham. We look to empower individuals and groups, increase voice and recognition, bridge community gaps, increase and improve community engagement.
