DECA Board

Board Members

Your DECA Board 2026 (Voted in at our February 23, 2026 Annual General Meeting)

Our Board Member Election Policy can be viewed here:

DECA-Board-Member-Nomination-and-Election-Policy-

 Here are the Board Member bios for the 2026 year:

Alexander Marsolais (returning)

My family and I have lived in the Danforth East neighbourhood since 2015. I have been volunteering for DECA for several years and joined the board for the first time last year. I have really enjoyed the opportunity to get involved in various DECA events and initiatives over that time. It has been a great way to be reminded of everything that makes our neighbourhood great, and the ways that an organization like DECA can contribute to a community. I am a big believer in being involved with your community, and also believe the work DECA does has a positive impact on our neighbourhood.

I am keen to help continue and support DECA’s work in the Danforth East neighbourhood in the coming year!

Alida Minchella (returning)

Community is important. I want to be a community builder. That's it, in a nutshell. It may sound trite but it's so true. Those are the ties that give us a sense of safety, happiness and belonging. Big cities - Toronto in particular - have a reputation for being unwelcoming. Our East York community (and I'm
sure there are many others around the city) is proof that this is not the case. But this takes effort on the part of its citizens. I would like to be a part of the community building.

Alisa Metcalfe (returning)

The thirty years that I have now lived in this neighbourhood have given me a
strong sense of community and created connections that really are the fabric of who I am as a person. Growing up in small town Windsor, Ontario, I remember feeling lost when I first moved to the “big city” of Toronto for grad school. I slowly came to love the sights and sounds of Toronto but it was not until I moved into this neighbourhood that I finally found a space that became home. This little east end hub of ours is unique with DECA having, in my experience, always played such an instrumental role in creating, building and fostering this sense of community – that sense of belonging. The efforts of this committed group of volunteers have, over the years, done so much to create a vibrant, connected and beautifully diverse community where people want to put down roots and where you feel like you are part of something bigger than yourself. For so many years, I benefitted from what DECA has contributed to this neighbourhood. Volunteering for the Board now allows me to play a more active role in continuing to build this community of ours and an opportunity to give back in whatever way I can to this place that I now consider to be my home.

Andrea Nichols Egan (returning)

I have lived in the neighbourhood since 2001 and have also owned a business on the Danforth for 4 years now. I started volunteering with DECA about 7 years ago doing some of the social media for the East Lynn Park Farmers’ Market and have been an active volunteer since then - including being on the Board and the Treasurer for the past 4 years. I love working with such an enthusiastic, community minded group of people. I would be happy to continue my work on the board for the next year.

Gulnigar Baham (returning)

Hi, I'm Gulnigar, a nonprofit leader with a passion for community development and education. With experience in program delivery, partnership building, and newcomer support, I enjoy creating inclusive spaces where people can connect and grow. Living in the Danforth East area with my family, I'd love to support DECA's initiatives in local engagement, community connections, and newcomer inclusion to highlight the incredible vibrance and warmth of our community.

Jennifer Scott (returning)

My family and I moved to the Danforth East neighbourhood nearly 10 years ago, just before I had my son. During my parental leave I spent time learning about the Danforth East area and was introduced to DECA, a group of fabulous volunteers and community members who had been working since 2007 to build a vibrant community.
In 2015, DECA’s “Pop-Up Shop” program supported myself and a group of local volunteers to run a Hub on the Danforth that provided household necessities to newly arrived Syrian refugees; a truly life-changing experience. Once the Hub wrapped up operations, I joined the DECA Board, eventually serving as Co-Chair. After taking a break from volunteering for a few years, I returned to serve as Chair of the Board last year.
I deeply believe that community involvement provides a sense of belonging and social connectedness, can foster and support inclusion, and creates space for empathy and accountability. This belief, and the joy I’ve received from being involved with DECA, is why I hope to continue to serve on the Board. In the coming year — DECA’s 18th (!) — I hope to work with the incoming Board and community to help build awareness around DECA’s activities, and refine its mandate to meet the needs of our neighbourhood.

Rafael Pascual-Leone

Rafael studied architecture in Canada and has worked in Canada, Spain, and Malta on community-driven projects focused on the co-design of shared spaces that foster creativity and connection. He was part of the founding team of the Valletta Design Cluster, a creative community hub in Malta, and a founding member of the Design Justice Network’s Mediterranean chapter. In Danforth East, he started and stewards a local community orchard, and also co-founded Neighbours for a Noise-Smart Railway, engaging with residents and public agencies to advocate for better noise and vibration mitigation along the Lakeshore East GO railway corridor, which marks the southern edge of DECA’s catchment area. Rafael has also served for the past two years on DECA’s Visioning Committee, contributing to neighbourhood planning conversations and long-term community priorities. He is passionate about enhancing public space through community-driven reinvention of obsolete and neglected spaces. 

Alexandra Kelly

Rebecca Green (returning)

I’ve been a part of DECA in a variety of roles since the beginning. My particular joy is the farmers’ market, where I have painted faces, co-ordinated volunteers, planned kids’ activities, and made a general nuisance of myself. I have also worked on the Danforth East Yard Sale and the clothing and home goods donations to New Circles and Kennedy House Youth Shelter. This initiative  combines a lot of my favourite things – textile reuse, mutual aid, thrifting and chatting!
I also have been writing the blog and updating website and social media with Jenn and Andrea N-E this year. If I’m elected to the board again this year, I look forward to whatever we come up with next!