BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Lori Morgan joined the Eva Rothwell Centre Board in 2013 and is currently the Board Chair. She was born and raised in Hamilton and is a proud graduate of Mohawk College. After a 22 year career primarily in the newspaper industry, most recently as Vice-President of Marketing for the National Post, she joined the Senior Leadership Team at Mohawk College in 2011 as Chief Marketing and Recruitment Officer. In 2021, Lori was recognized as a Mohawk Alumni of Distinction (employee category).

Lori's involvement with the good work that Mohawk’s College in Motion team does to help at-risk youth and those that would not otherwise have the opportunity to have access to a post-secondary education, inspired her to get involved with the Centre.

In addition to her Mohawk College advanced diploma in advertising, Lori holds a certificate in human resources management from Ryerson University and has completed the Ivey Business School executive program. She is currently working on her psychology degree through Queen’s University.

Elizabeth Merolli joined the Eva Rothwell Board in 2018. She was born and raised in Hamilton and is a Commerce graduate of McMaster University. She has spent much of her career in Finance and Accounting within the manufacturing sector, primarily at ArcelorMittal Dofasco where she specializes in forecasting and financial planning. Elizabeth is passionate about the Hamilton community in addition to equity, inclusion and access to education. She is a strong believer in the power of the Eva Rothwell Centre to change lives.

As the Founding President of Eva Rothwell, Rev. Donald MacVicar has been a part of the North End Community for over 50 years. He attended West Ave School back in 1964, then Bennetto and Sir John A. MacDonald Secondary. While pursuing higher education at McMaster University and Mohawk College, Don never lost sight of where he wanted to work and volunteer. As an employee of ArcelorMittal Dofasco for the past 40 years, now retired he had worked in multiple departments and then finished in the sales department. He and his wife Carole have also celebrated 35 years of volunteering as the co-directors of the InnerCity Outreach Ministry. Their love of children is their number one passion in their lives, and in those 35 years, over 2,500 smiling children have come through the doors of Inner City Outreach Ministry.

Don was voted Hamilton Distinguished Citizen of the Year in 2006 and received the Governor General’s Caring Award that same year. He was also awarded the Queen's Jubilee and the Governor General's Sovereign Medal. A member of the Mohawk Alumni of Distinction in addition to being awarded a Distinguished Fellow of the Mohawk College.

Shofali Agarwal joined the Eva Rothwell Board in 2016. She graduated from McMaster University with an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree and an MBA. Shofali is a Chartered Professional Accountant and joined ArcelorMittal Dofasco in Hamilton in 2001. Her 17 year career has spanned various roles in the Finance area including Cost Accounting and Forecasting & Budgeting and most recently in Marketing Strategy.

Shofali’s interest in helping children achieve their maximum potential drew her to the Eva Rothwell Centre. She is particularly passionate about contributing to the Health and Wellness of children and encouraging them to develop a passion for reading.

Tyler W. Iorio began to serve the community of Hamilton at a young age— as he grew, these values have been instilled within him and he always seeks the opportunity to give back to his beloved community. With a professional background in logistics and operations, Tyler began working extensively with non-profit organizations since 2015. Taking command of an operation or project, then guiding it to new performance levels, is Tyler’s greatest strength. He is extremely enthusiastic about safety, innovation, and commitment to our community. He thrives on all kinds of challenges, especially those that expand Eva Rothwell Centre's reach.  He began his journey with the Eva Rothwell Centre in 2018. Tyler’s proven leadership skills, strong commitment to Hamilton, and high ethical and professional standards allow him to be a responsible and active citizen. In addition to the Eva Rothwell Centre, Tyler is a member of the Knights of Columbus, volunteering annually with several events, a coach for Bishop Ryan’s youth basketball, and annually organizes a team for the MS walk-a-thon. 

Tyler graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration.  He also holds a Master in Business, Entrepreneurship and Technology from the University of Waterloo, which provides him with the interdisciplinary experiences that can benefit the Eva Rothwell Centre. He lives in Hamilton with his wife, Nicole and their dog, Rocky.

Julie Farnand joined the Eva Rothwell Board in 2017. She is a Co-op Specialist for Mohawk College’s School of Engineering Technology providing support to students through their co-op employment journey. Julie possesses a diverse background in Recreation Therapy, Employment, and Education; specializing in working with individuals with disabilities. She is a McMaster University graduate of Sociology and completed her Masters of Education at Wilfrid Laurier University in 2019.

Julie joined Mohawk College in 2013 where she has served in various roles related to student success in education, career development, and employment. Julie is proud of her legacy as one of the pilot Instructors for Mohawk’s City School initiative, which started at the Eva Rothwell Centre in 2016. Passionate about breaking down barriers and allowing all to have access to education and employment, Julie is looking forward to contributing fully towards the Eva Rothwell Centre board’s success.

Liane joined the Board in 2017. She was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1992 and has practiced law exclusively in the area of Family Law since that time. She has appeared at all levels of court in Ontario, including the Court of Appeal. Liane was appointed as a Dispute Resolution Officer of the Superior Court of Justice, Family Court in 2012. Since 2006, Liane has been a member of the Legal Panel for the Office of the Children's Lawyer, representing children in legal matters.

Liane is a life long and proud resident of Hamilton. Prior to her legal career, she worked for many years with the Hamilton Recreation Department, placed at rec centers throughout the city, including Bennetto and Scott Park. Liane is looking forward to working with the Board and the Community of the Eva Rothwell Centre.

Michael is the creator and founder of Soul House Live, an event and celebration company of soulful Canadian music culture. He has 14 combined years of management and operational experience as a team leader for various corporations. 15 years experience as a disc jockey and music producer. He is the creator and founder of Airbandz for Cancer, a charity that launched in 2003 which raises funds for the Northern Cancer Foundation by holding an annual lip sync performance competition for and by the student body of Laurentian University. The charity is notable for raising approximately $17,000 within 60 days and to date has now raised over $185,000 through participation and community engagement.

Ryan Diodati is a member of the Board of Directors of the Eva Rothwell Centre since July 2021.

With twenty-five years of continuous community service and volunteer citizen involvement, Ryan is known for his collaboration and advocacy in developing opportunities that build and unify resilience and trust. His career in policing is blended with progressive leadership, career advancement, and management experience at the corporate and executive levels. Ryan champions shared dialogue and create a positive example with values of bridging relationships, celebrating and honouring community builders, good citizenship, fairness, and respect for all.

He currently serves on the Board of Directors with the John Howard Society of Hamilton, Burlington & Area since 2019 with a shared commitment to building healthy, safe, and informed communities. Recently, he completed a six-year term of membership on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Aid Society of Hamilton.

Ryan Diodati is Deputy Chief of Operations with Hamilton Police Service. Ryan is a graduate of the University of Toronto Joseph L. Rotman School of Management Police Leadership Program and the FBI National Academy United States Department of Justice, University of Virginia. He also has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Niagara University.

Anastasia has been a member of the Eva Rothwell Centre’s Board of Directors since 2019.

She is an undergraduate student studying Health Sciences at McMaster University. In 2014, Anastasia founded Pass It On, a charity that collects and distributes gently used clothing for children and teens in need in the Hamilton-Wentworth and Halton regions.

Pass It On is a regular contributor to the Eva Rothwell Centre’s Clothing Room and Anastasia has organized several initiatives to collect food in support of our Emergency Food Pantry.

Anastasia is honoured to serve as a Board member. The Eva Rothwell Centre makes a positive impact on its members every day and Anastasia is honoured to be a part of this journey and to be able to contribute to this work as a Board member.

Sue is recently appointed to the Eva Rothwell Board of Directors as of June 2023.

Sue is a proud Mohawk College graduate from the Early Childhood Education program, class of 91. After graduating from Mohawk College, Sue spent 18 years in the field of ECE, working with families and children. 

Sue is currently in year four of a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Disability Studies at Toronto Metropolitan University and on the dean’s honour roll. 

Sue has taught in various programs at Mohawk College for the past 16 years and is a full-time Professor in the Community Integration Through Co-operative Education Program. 

Sue is the past co-founder and co-chair of Opening Hearts, a registered Canadian charity in Hamilton supporting families with children with disabilities in the Hamilton Community. 

Sue recently received the Order of Hamilton Award for her volunteer work in Hamilton. Previously, Sue received a Provincial award from the Council for Exceptional Children for advocating for children with special needs and their families.

Sue is trained in Mindfulness and Mental Health First Aid. Sue resides in Hamilton with her husband, two cats, and a Basset Hound of course. 

Kate Dunn joined the Eva Rothwell board in January 2024. Recognizing early on that not all students have the same opportunities to thrive academically, this realization ignited a passion to become an educator and advocate for those who are marginalized and underrepresented in education with a goal to help bridge the gaps that perpetuate inequality. She is currently a Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies where she teaches a wide range of courses focused on social inequality, EDI principles, positive psychology and gender, and a City School instructor at Mohawk College. Kate believes that education encompasses more than books and classrooms; it also involves nurturing holistic growth to ensure individuals feel seen, valued, and supported.

She earned her M.A. in Sociology from Western University and an Hons. B.A. in Sociology and Women's Studies from McMaster University. She is the former Vice-Chair of the Burlington Inclusivity Advisory Committee, which provides an inclusive lens to service and program delivery in the City of Burlington. Kate is trained in Unified Mindfulness (UM), positive space, and mental health first aid.

The Eva Rothwell Center's overarching goal of empowering individuals to maximize their potential, cultivate essential life skills, and create a safe, inclusive space is fostering transformative change within our community and Kate is honoured to be a part of this committee.

Paul joined the Eva Rothwell Centre’s Board of Directors in 2021. He is an undergraduate student at McMaster University working towards his Honours Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology degree. From a young age, Paul has dedicated much of his time to helping members of the Hamilton community through the organization of food drives, collecting toys during the holiday season, tutoring refugee high school students, and a buddy program matching high school students with elementary students to promote leadership skills and positive self-esteem. Paul is a contributor to our Learn@Home program providing educational videos for students to help them develop their skills in a variety of sports.

The Eva Rothwell Centre provides the opportunity for all its members to reach their full potential and Paul is honoured to serve as a member of the Board for this amazing organization.