PROFESSIONAL STAFF |
Guita Movallali
| GUITA MOVALLALI, PhD. is a dedicated advocate and leader in the field of deaf and hard of hearing children's support and inclusion. With over 30 years of global experience, Guita has consistently made a positive impact in both academic and advocacy roles. With a Ph.D. in Psychology, an MSc in Audiology and two decades of experience in the academic sector, she has spearheaded successful initiatives aimed at supporting parents with deaf and hard of hearing children. Guita's commitment to bridging cultural gaps is reflected in her extensive work translating and editing 17 children's narratives and 33 books about deaf children and disability. Guita is the visionary behind Persian Cued Speech for deaf and hard of hearing children and adults, earning her the 2016 Educator Award for Excellence and Innovative Leadership from the National Cued Speech Association. In 2021, Guita joined the Voice organization in Canada as the Early Years Director, where she initiated programs like Parent-Child Mother Goose program (P-CMGP) and Early Years Committee, showcasing her dedication to early intervention and community support. Her relentless advocacy led her to her current role as the Program & Development Manager at VOICE, where she continues to make a profound difference in the lives of deaf and hard of hearing children and their families. Guita's unwavering commitment to building empowering support networks and fostering meaningful relationships underscores her mission of creating a self-sustaining, empowered support network for Canadian Deaf families. Her multi-faceted contributions, from conference committee to social media content creation, fundraising, and grant writing, showcase her dedication to VOICE's mission of empowering the Deaf community. Guita joined VOICE's Board of Directors in 2020 and became its Program and Development Manager in 2023. |
BOARD OF DIRECTORS |
ERIN SPROULE has been an active member of VOICE since his first daughter was diagnosed with hearing loss in 2011. He was a member of the Halton Chapter Executive for several years before his partner took a Board position in 2019. In November 2022 Erin was acclaimed as Chair of VOICE's Board of Directors. Erin holds a Master's degree in Economics from Simon Fraser University, and has worked as an international tax advisor for ArcelorMittal Dofasco for seven years. Prior to his current role he was a tax advisor for KPMG Canada for 11 years. |
RICK BARREIRO has been a member of VOICE since 2010, joining the Board of Directors in November 2022. He is the parent of a child with hearing loss who is aided with cochlear implants. He has been a member of the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC) of the Halton Catholic District School Board since 2016 and is currently serving as the Vice Chair. He also volunteers occasionally at his child’s school. Rick has a B.Sc. in Geography from Wilfrid Laurier University and a certificate in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from Sir Sandford Fleming College. He spent almost 20 years working in the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) field, the majority of those with the City of Brampton. He is an avid sports fan, and also enjoy travelling and reading. Rick hopes to make positive impacts and continue to advocate for children with hearing loss through his efforts at VOICE and SEAC. |
KAREN MACIVER-LUX, M.A., Aud(C), Reg. CASLPO, LSLS Cert. AVT was diagnosed with a bilateral mild (125 Hz) steeply sloping to profound (1000Hz) sensori-neural hearing loss at 3.11 years of age. The otolaryngologist told her parents that the diagnosis of hearing loss meant a lifetime of silence and lost opportunities in spoken communication. However, with the support of a young audiologist, speech-language pathologist, a teacher of the deaf and an auditory-verbal therapist, Karen's mother learned skills and techniques that helped Karen turn a grey world of silence into a colourful world of sound. Karen is now an audiologist, an LSLS certified auditory-verbal therapist, providing auditory learning services to individuals of all ages with hearing loss. She is a highly sought after speaker and makes significant contributions to the literature and professional education programs worldwide. Understanding first hand the profoundly significant impact that the effective and collaborative relationship between her parents and the above mentioned professionals had on her personal and professional life, Karen is passionate about sharing steps for achieving early, collaborative, evidenced based best practices worldwide and raising the bar for professional practice. Karen has been a member of VOICE's Board of Directors since 2020. |
Melanie Bortis
| MELANIE BORTIS has been a member of VOICE since 2012, joining the Board of Directors as Treasurer in January 2024. She was previously an executive member of one of the VOICE chapters for a few years. VOICE has been a tremendous help and support to Melanie's family. Her son has bilateral hearing loss since birth and wears hearing aids. The challenges the family faced were easier to deal with because of the support from VOICE and the many families that are a part of the organization. Melanie has a B.Comm from Laurentian University and has been working for TD Bank for 27 years. She has been a member of Toastmasters since 2017 and volunteers frequently at her church and her son's school. Melanie loves to travel and spend time with family. |
JONATHAN SAMSON, a long-standing member, and former "poster child" for VOICE had his role usurped when his own children took the spotlight! Diagnosed with a bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss at just 11 months old, Jonathan, along with his family, has maintained a deep connection with various organizations, including VOICE, Auditory Verbal International, A.G. Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and the Learning to Listen Foundation. Jonathan learned to listen and talk with a body-worn hearing aid (later, powerful behind-the-ear hearing aids) and Auditory-Verbal Therapy (AVT) at The Auditory Verbal Program of The Hospital for Sick Children with Louise Crawford and The Learning to Listen Foundation with Warren Estabrooks. He attended his neighbourhood school with weekly support from an itinerant teacher of the deaf and the use of an assisted listening device (now known as hearing assistive technology) provided by the Toronto District School Board. Jonathan graduated from high school and went on to The University of Western Ontario, where he pursued and received a B.A. in Political Science. While in University, Jonathan served as Commissioner for Students with Disabilities at the University of Western Ontario and Vice President of Finance for the University of Western Ontario Student Council. Jonathan also served as a board member of VOICE for Hearing Impaired Children (as it was then known) and was a representative on the Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC). Jonathan represented VOICE on the Ontario Minister of Education's Advisory Task Force on Deaf Education in Ontario. He was also a representative on the Department of Education Advisory Board at York University (Teacher of the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Program) and was a board member of Auditory Verbal International, Inc. Jonathan started a career in investment and wealth management following graduation from university, and he now holds the position of the Chief Executive Officer of Arisa Capital Management. Throughout his career, Jonathan continued to engage in an impressive array of philanthropic endeavours such as serving as a consultant to Nefesh Dovid Yeshiva and The Learning to Listen Foundation; as Communications Director (past) and President (current) of his synagogue; and as the Lottery Chair for his children's school. Jonathan has served on many fundraising committees for various non-profit organizations such as the Learning to Listen Foundation and VOICE. Jonathan is also well-known as an inspirational speaker, author, and star of a documentary film produced by Cochlear Corporation “Jacob’s Journey.” Jonathan is proud to be a board member and Treasurer for VOICE (since 2021). Jonathan is happily married to Tania Lambert Samson and is a proud parent to two children, Jacob and Eliana, both recipients of bilateral cochlear implants. In his leisure time, he indulges in his passions for tennis, pickleball, and occasionally, assembling jigsaw puzzles. |
LEANNE SCHIRA is a teacher for the Toronto District School Board and enjoys going to the cottage, boating, fishing and being in nature. As a person with a mild to moderate bilateral hearing loss, who wears devices, Leanne is proud to be a member and volunteer her time to an organization that supports children and their families who are deaf and hard of hearing. |
SUNITA DOOBAY is a tax partner at Blaney McMurtry LLP, a law-firm based in Toronto. She is a prolific writer and speaker. Her written work has been published by the Canadian Tax Foundation, Tax Notes International, the IBFD, the American Bar Association and CALU – INFO exchange. She is a co-author of the Annotated Partnership Act of Ontario published by Carswell, Thomson Reuters. She is a sessional lecturer at Queens Law School and has taught the taxation of trust and estates course, the trust law course and the taxation course. She has guest-lectured at the NYU Master in International Taxation Program She is an active member of the American Bar Association, the International Fiscal Association and the Canadian Tax Foundation. She sits on the Practice Council of New York University Master in International Taxation Program. She sits on the drafting committee on Conflict of Laws in Trusts and Estates Act of the U.S. Uniform Law Commission as the ABA SIL section advisor. Her contribution to the law was recognized by the American Bar Foundation and she was elected a Fellow of the Foundation. She is a licensed member of the Ontario Bar and of the New York State Bar. Sunita has had bilateral hearing loss since birth with an approximate loss of 60% on each side. |
