Aya Wang – President

Biography coming soon!

Nicole Noble – Vice President

Javier Cacheiro – Secretary

Biography coming soon!

Andrew Mindszenthy – Treasurer

Andrew Mindszenthy is a hearing community worker from Toronto. He attended York University, focusing on language and social change. After a few years, he left school to do human rights research and advocacy at a law office supporting LGBT and HIV+ refugees to stay in Canada – an experience that changed how he wanted to make use of literacy. Since then, he has been doing front-line community work at homeless shelters and drop-in centres, and doing outreach. He has also worked as a political organizer including as a campaign coordinator at Toronto Disaster Relief Committee. By doing activism in many grassroots social justice organizations, he has learned how different communities use education and advocacy to fight discrimination and win more rights.

Andrew is very honoured to contribute and learn as ORAD continues to build accessibility and social change, and simply enjoys hanging out with the wonderful people who make ORAD what it is. He considers himself very fortunate to have started his formal ASL education with ORAD’s first 101 class in 2011. He is now studying at George Brown College to become an ASL-English interpreter.

Will Beck – Director-at-Large (DATP)

Will Beck holds the position of a Director-at-Large for the Ontario Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf (ORAD), and this is his fourth year on the Board of Directors. He acted as Chair for ORAD’s Pride committee in 2009, which included kicking off an annual drag show fundraiser: Drag’ing ASL to Pride. He also acted as ORAD’s Director-at-Large: Pride in 2010 and organized ORAD’s involvement in Toronto Pride which included the second annual Drag’ing ASL to Pride show that took place in June 2010. This year, his duties will include coordinating special events for ORAD and support the other board members in their activities and projects.

Will currently lives in Toronto after spending five years in Montreal. Originally born in Prince Edward Island, he moved to Toronto to begin the ASL/English Interpreter program at George Brown College. He has been learning ASL for over three years and is grateful to be welcomed into the Deaf community and onto the Board of ORAD.

Tamyka Bullen – Director-at-Large (Outreach)

Tammy came from a diverse background with different nationalities. She was born and raised in the Indian Guyanese family as the only Black Deaf daughter of all daughters. She studied Sociology for three years at Gallaudet University. Then she attended George Brown College to become a Community Worker and graduated on the Dean’s List.

She acquired knowledge about violence against women when she was involved with some organizations such as Springtide Inc and other workshops. Presently, she is volunteering at the Deaf Culture Centre, and she is looking forward to working with ORAD to enhance her knowledge of the Deaf Queer community.

VACANT – Director-at-Large (Pride)

Biography coming soon!

Nick Chilton – Director-at-Large (Web)

Nick is the Director-at-Large (Web). This is his second year on the Board. This year, he will be primarily responsible for the website, including posting updates, vlogs, and the photo gallery.

Nick was born and raised in downtown Toronto. He sees diversity as a strength, and loves that “the world is on his doorstep”. He is a second-year ASL-English interpreter student at George Brown College. He graduated from Glendon College, York University, in 2010, with an honours degree in International Relations, Philosophy and French.

When he is not working, Nick loves to travel and see as many places and experience as many new cultures as he can.

Kylie Brooks – Director-at-Large (Events)

Biography coming soon!

Michelle Bourgeois – Acting Vice-President

Michelle Bourgeois was born in Montreal, Quebec, but grew up in Mississauga, Ontario, where she currently resides. Michelle obtained her Bachelor of Arts at Nipissing University, North Bay, her Bachelor of Education and Deaf Education Diploma at York University, and then started her teaching career in 2002. Later on, Michelle completed her Masters in Education at York University in Toronto in 2008.

She is in her 10th year as an itinerant teacher for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students for the Peel District School Board. Just recently, Michelle returned from a one year teacher exchange to New South Wales, Australia, where she worked with Deaf and Hard of Hearing students and got to know a bit about the Deaf Community in Australia, including the Deaf Gay and Lesbian Association based in Sydney and was thrilled to join their group in the Sydney Mardi Gras (their Gay Pride) in February 2010.
Michelle is looking forward to working with ORAD again as a Special Agent. Michelle is honoured to be working amongst dedicated members of the Deaf & Queer community. Here’s to another successful year ahead!

Ellen Hibbard – Special Agent (Outreach)

Ellen Hibbard is a student in the PhD programme at Ryerson University in Communications and Culture. Her research and interests are how web-based technology can be used by Deaf people and Sign Language interpreters as well on learning about how to create good ASL videos for vlogging. Her interests also include building and strengthening communication and resources for Deaf and LGBTTIQQ2S communities.

She is profoundly Deaf and graduated from Rochester Institute of Technology/National Technology Institute of Technology for the Deaf in U.S. in 1997 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Biotechnology. She also taught science for few years at a Deaf residential school prior to moving to US.

Ellen is also passionate and advocates about cross-cultural understanding for both Hearing and Deaf people. She joined ORAD because she wants to be active in the LGBTTIQQ2S community.

Melannie Gayle – Special Agent (Events/Accessibility)

Biography coming soon!