Board of Directors

The Mississauga Food Bank Board of Directors provides volunteer oversight and leadership to operations and strategy for the organization.

Current Directors are:

Graham Walsh, B.A., J.D., C.D. – President and Chair
Graham currently serves as Labour & Employment Counsel for the City of Mississauga.  Previously, Graham worked in Toronto for one of Canada’s largest law firms before moving to the legal department of Waterloo, Ontario based BlackBerry (formerly Research In Motion).  Graham is also a Major in the Canadian Forces Primary Reserve currently serving as Deputy Commanding Officer of the Toronto Scottish Regiment, Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother’s Own, based in Mississauga.  In 2010, Graham deployed to Afghanistan with the Army as part of Canada’s mission to rebuild Kandahar Province. Graham grew up in Meadowvale and volunteered with The Mississauga Food Bank while attending Our Lady of Mount Carmel Secondary School. Graham joined our Board in 2013.

Shawn McMurter – Vice-President
Shawn started his career in the grocery industry while he was still a student and received a Bachelor of Business Administration from Brock University. With nearly 30 years’ experience in grocery focused in merchandising and procurement for meat and seafood, he works with Sobeys as the Director, National Procurement, Fresh where he is responsible for Meat, Seafood, Deli, Home Meal Replacement, and Bakery. Shawn joined The Mississauga Food Bank Board in 2013.

Karen DeGiobbi, CPA, CA – Treasurer
Karen works as a Principal in the Auditing and Assurance Standards group at CPA Canada. Prior to that, Karen was a Senior Audit Manager for KPMG LLP in their Toronto office and has served a number of clients, both private and public, in the financial services, mining, industrial, and consumer markets industry sectors. She has an Honours Bachelor of Business Administration from Wilfrid Laurier University, and was admitted to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (now the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario) in 2008. She joined The Mississauga Food Bank’s Board of Directors in September 2011.

Kathy May – Secretary
Kathy brings 25 years of experience and breakthrough achievements in executive level sales, marketing, business development, and management in the Telecom industry.  Kathy possesses an entrepreneurial spirit with two successful online companies.  She has a strong commitment to the community and is an active Board member for the Rotary Club of Mississauga-Meadowvale, responsible for youth, senior and various community projects. In 2013, Kathy was honoured with a Paul Harris Fellowship Award in recognition of outstanding commitment to her community. Kathy joined the board of directors in 2014.

Murray Etherington
Murray is a Professional Mechanical Engineer with 40 years experience in the manufacturing sector in the design and development of new products and processes for mining, construction, warehousing and automation. He currently consults regarding safety of storage equipment and is the volunteer Chair of the Mississauga Chapter of CARP, the Canadian Association of Retired Persons. He joined the Food Bank Board to help improve the connection with seniors in need of better nutrition and give back to this great City.

Christopher (Chris) Hatch, Executive Director (Ex-Officio)

Sonia Gandhi, CPA, CA
Sonia joined The Mississauga Food Bank’s Board of Directors in 2013. She is a tax partner with KPMG in their Toronto office, specializing in corporate income tax planning and compliance for clients in the consumer markets industry, including clients in the food and beverage sector. Sonia is also a member of the Retail Council of Canada, the Canadian Tax Foundation and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Concordia University.

Quyen Pham
Quyen is a Senior Financial Analyst for Loblaw Companies where she has worked since 2012. A results-driven individual with a record of accomplishment for leading strategic initiatives, Quyen has also worked in business development for a diagnostic radiology facility and is a director of a corporate event marketing company. Quyen has a Bachelor of Commerce in Information Technology Management, Business Administration and Information Technology from Ryerson University and was designated a Project Management Professional in 2014. Volunteering in hospital environments and with President’s Choice Children’s Charity, Quyen is passionate about causes including arts and culture, children, education and health.

David Irwin
After graduating from the Ivey Business School at Western, David joined Deloitte where he spent over 40 years in various roles as audit partner, national HR Partner, managing partner of the Mississauga office and the national leader of the audit practice learning programs. He has lived in Mississauga for over 40 years and has been involved in various community organizations in Mississauga including the Treasurer of the Board of Trade, campaign chair of United Way of Peel and chair of the Board of the Living Arts Centre for 6 years. David joined The Mississauga Food Bank Board in 2011.

Louis Carre
Louis Carre is Director of Sales at Smucker Foods of Canada. He graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 1988 from Hautes Etudes Commerciales (H.E.C. at the University of Montreal). He has 25 years of experience in the Consumer Packaged Goods industry including time at Best Foods, Mars and Robin Hood. Louis believes everyone can make a difference, and continually strives to do the right thing and do things right. He moved to Brampton in 1998 from Montreal where he still resides with his wife Caroline. Louis has two children, his son currently at Western University in London, Ontario and his daughter at McGill University in Montreal.

Michael Stefanos
Michael is a practiced MD and radiologist, and fellowship-trained specialist in women’s imaging at the Headwaters Healthcare Centre. He is also Vice President of the Medical Association and a Member of the Hospital Board. Michael has a postgraduate degree from the University of Toronto and is a passionate philanthropist who enjoys giving back to those less fortunate. Since 1998, he has volunteered at St. Mary and St. Athanasius Coptic Orthodox Church, and has been a Board Member of the Anba Abraam’s Coptic Charity since 2010.

John McEwen, CD, B.A., CCLP
John is the former Fleet Manager for Pepsi Beverages Ontario, based in Mississauga. He is an active volunteer with charities and as a minor hockey coach and trainer in Oakville, where he resides with his wife Patty and their three children. John is also a Canadian Forces Reservist with the 32 Canadian Brigade Group in Toronto. He has a BA in Economics and is a graduate of the Military Staff College in Toronto.

Michelle Penman
Michelle serves as the Regional Vice President for the West 401 Market comprised of Personal Banking, Small Business and Financial Planning client business for RBC. Michelle has enjoyed a career spanning 27 years with RBC Royal Bank, holding a variety of roles across Canadian Banking Sales and Operations. She is also a Licensed Personal Financial Planner and a Specialist, Trust Institute both from the Institute of Canadian Bankers. Michelle lives in Oakville with her husband and three children and joined The Mississauga Food Bank Board of Directors in September 2015.

Joanne Singh, CPA, CA
Joanne is the Manager, Financial Reporting at The Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. Joanne previously worked as a Senior Accountant in Assurance and Advisory at BDO Canada LLP and BDO (WA) Pty Ltd where she served both private and public clients within a wide range of industries. She holds an Honours Bachelors of Arts in Honours Economics and Accounting from Wilfrid Laurier University and was admitted to the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (now the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario) in 2010. Joanne grew up in Malton and is actively involved in community groups within the area. Joanne joined The Mississauga Food Bank’s Board of Directors in 2016.

Christine Lowry, M.Sc., R.D.
Christine currently serves as the Executive Director of the Healthy Grains Institute’s (HGI), a not for profit organization whose mission is to inform and enhance Canadians’ knowledge and understanding of the health benefits of grains. Christine is responsible for leading the execution of the Institute’s work by managing the Scientific Advisory Council, Communications Agencies, and acting as the spokesperson for the Institute. As a recognized thought leader and change agent in Nutrition Policy and Public Affairs, Christine has over with 30 years’ experience in the Canadian food industry and globally, most recently as the Vice President of Global Nutrition Marketing, Kellogg Company, Battle Creek, Michigan. Ms. Lowry received a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Human Nutrition from the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario, and a Master’s Degree in Community Nutrition from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Ms. Lowry is a Registered Dietitian and a member of the Ontario College of Dietitians, the Dietitians of Canada and the Canadian Nutrition Society.