Annual General Meeting

The Toronto Vegetarian Association's 2011 Annual General Meeting will occur on Sunday, November 20 at the Miles Nadal JCC at 750 Spadina Avenue, room 300. The meeting will take place from 3:30 to 6:30 pm.

This meeting is your chance to get an update on our 2011-2013 Strategic Plan, and elect our 2011-2012 board of directors.

This year there are 8 candidates for the 7 open positions on our board of directors.

The Toronto Vegetarian Association Annual General Meeting is a private function open to TVA members only. Non-members who wish to attend will be required to join as members of the TVA.

Please note: Statements have been submitted by each candidate and do not reflect the views of the Toronto Vegetarian Association.

Erica Bach

Erica is enthusiastic about the prospect of sitting on the TVA board of directors. A lawyer by profession, Erica has lived all over Canada as well as overseas in Southern Africa and South-East Asia. In the last seven years, her focus has been on international development issues as well as human rights legal work. She has worked for overseas national NGOs, an international organization and the Canadian government. In her professional development Erica has acquired strong advocacy and communications skills, as well as significant experience in policy development and implementation. In her current work, Erica has gained expertise in dispute resolution and interest-based negotiation. 

A vegetarian since age nine and vegan for close to 15 years, Erica has lived a plant-based diet in many parts of the globe. Both in Canada and abroad, she has been struck time and again by peoples’ lack of awareness of the connection between their food choices and social and environmental impacts. Erica moved to Toronto in July of 2010 and has been a TVA member since that time. She is deeply committed to the mission and values of the TVA, and would welcome the opportunity to be more actively involved at the strategic level. As a board member, Erica seeks to promote innovative ways for the organization to support people to adopt and maintain veg diets, and work creatively with the board team to promote initiatives that would broaden the membership base as well as and celebrate the work of the existing TVA community.  

Arden Beddoes

I have been vegan for almost two years. My inspiration to make this step came from my exceptionally persuasive partner, who was already vegan. When she forced me to confront the ethics of consuming animal products, I realized the practice is impossible to justify. As I learned more about the benefits of veganism - for the animals, for the environment, and for my health - I only became more certain that it was the right choice for me.

I became a member of the TVA shortly after I made this decision, and I have found the resources it provides to be immensely valuable in supporting my transition. I think the TVA does an excellent job of promoting the benefits of a lifestyle free of animal products in a safe and open manner, and of providing supportive resources to people who choose to live free of those products. I have been on the TVA's Nominating and Governance Committee since last spring. I want to join the Board of Directors to help the organization manage the governance issues it faces as a charitable organization and hone its strategy in promoting a healthier, greener, and more peaceful lifestyle. I am particularly interested in advancing and considering strategies to help increase the TVA's membership.  

I hold an undergraduate degree in economics and political science from Brown University, and I completed my law degree at the University of Toronto last April. My professional experience includes work in business law, investment banking, and sales. My experience has honed my communications and strategic-thinking skills, and I am excited to have the opportunity to put those skills to work in advancing the mission of the TVA.

Braven Corby

Braven Corby has been Vegan for 1 year. After thinking about it for 3 years, he made the drastic change to his diet from eating the S.A.D. diet. Braven has had his share or health problems including digestive issues, low energy, sleep disorders. After careful research and contemplating he decided to make the switch over night after attending a 3 day yoga / mediation retreat on the 2010 / 2011 new year’s eve weekend. Braven was also disgusted at the way animals have been treated on farms for many years. After attending this yoga retreat that his heart and soul took over and at that very point in time he felt it was time. He wanted to start of the New Year right and be a new and improved human being giving to the environment as well as helping his health.
 
Braven is a very avid chef in his spare time. He is preparing his own meals almost every day in his kitchen. He is in transition between careers from a career in acting to going back to school and training to be a professional chef, specializing in vegan and raw vegan type of diet after his completion of his program in a culinary institute. He has not yet determined which one he will attend.

He feels that he could be of great benefit to the TVA board of directors with his knowledge of the vegetarian/ vegan lifestyle and his great enthusiasm and passion for health and helping save animals from being killed.
 
He wants to be more involved and have direct input as to changes made in the future with regards to the TVA. Furthermore, he feels would be a great board member because he is very enthusiastic, ambitious, a great team player and possesses excellent communications skills and is a great listener.

Fraser Gibson

I have been a member of TVA’s Board for five years, President since 2008, on the Nominating & Governance Committee and leading strategic planning since 2007.  I have volunteered for the Vegetarian Food Festival for over 10 years and have been actively involved in various Outreach events for TVA. I have also been a coordinator for Veggies of Halton & Peel (a TVA social group) although I now reside in Toronto.    

I have previous board experience with non-profit arts organizations. In the workplace I’m a Vice-President at a national distributor of industrial fire, safety and environmental monitoring equipment and my responsibilities include facilitation of project teams and strategic planning.  My specialty is supply chain management and I’m a professional member of the Logistics Institute.    

My journey to become a vegetarian started more than 30 years ago and approximately 10 years ago I adopted a vegan diet.  Early inspiration was from an environmental/political perspective, then health, and I finally awoke to the ethical perspective a little over 10 years ago, assisted significantly by presentations at the TVA Vegetarian Food Festival that highlighted the importance of compassion for animals.    

TVA programs have had a significant positive impact on my approach to food.  It is an honour to be able to give back, help support the organisation and build on its success. I’m encouraged by how our organisation has recently worked well with other organisations and members of the community at large, as well as volunteers and members of TVA, to present exciting initiatives and new events.  As a member of the Board of Directors I will continue to encourage this strategic direction.  I will work at further strengthening the organisation, enhancing the effectiveness of our programs, the message we deliver and our ability to enable good ideas to become good activity. 

Rajanthi Manivannan

My extensive work experience and educational background makes me the ideal candidate to join the Board of Directors at the Toronto Vegetarian Association. I earned my undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Waterloo and have attained my professional designation as a Certified Management Accountant (CMA).  I have worked in a variety of industries (banking, telecommunications, and retail) in the finance department supporting various sales organizations. Over the years, I have had experience managing operating budgets, producing monthly reporting packages, financially supporting multiple large-scale strategic initiatives, and building revenue projection models in order to optimize sales performance.  

Over ten years ago, I came across an undercover video produced by PETA highlighting the cruelties of factory farming.  After viewing the disturbing images, I vowed to give up meat and haven’t looked back since.  I have been vegan for the past three years and every day I find myself more committed to the cause and passionate about advocating the importance of a vegetarian lifestyle.  I have been volunteering with the Toronto Vegetarian Association for the past three years at the Annual Food Festival and multiple events throughout the year.  I have recently joined TVA’s fundraising committee and hope to bring my grant-writing experience to the team.  I have volunteered with Impact First International, a microfinance NGO, as a grant writer and am currently the lead Finance Officer with the recently launched non-profit, Networks for Change.  I expect that my contribution will help fulfill TVA’s core initiatives outlined in the three-year strategic plan.  Most notably, I hope to develop forecast models to optimize self-sustaining events and include measurement of their impact.  

Clive McFarlane

Been Vegetarian most of my life. In the past 10 years have taken part in Volunteer staffing of the Seventh-day Adventist Church booth at the Toronto Vegetarian Shows. In fact it was me over 10 years ago that actually promoted the venture. My academic background is Business Administration. For the past five years I have been involved in Wellness Centre Management with Trigenics Institute as Manager. Website is: www.trigenicsinstitute.ca. Have been involved in promotion of Toronto Vegetarian Association for many years. Also currently involved in promoting products from It Works, www.itworks.net, my website address there is: CliveMcFarlane@itworks.net. The products are natural vegetarian based. Currently utilize my Vegetarian background in volunteer cooperative with the White House initiative in getting rid of Obesity. Currently in cooperation with the White House, Washington D.C. and in relation with the Clinton Foundation it has been recommended that people exercise more and eat plant food where permissible. This goes along with the Health Care message promoted by Vegetarianism.

In joining the Board of Directors would like to utilize my professional skills in the Health Ministry. One of things I would like to see accomplished is for the International Vegetarian Association to get involved more in advising Health food manufactures to be more truthful in statements of products. It is not ethical to say the product is “Vegetarian” and have products such as eggs and or dairy included. It should be 100% if you going to say “Vegetarian.” Yes, what is currently being done is very good and should continue.

For the General meeting on November 20, 2011, will not be there. I am taking a four-day intensive course in “Non-Profit Leadership Administration Certification” will be four hours from Toronto, thank you for your understanding. My internet address is: CliveMcFarlane@care2.com, it would be well if we all looked at the website of Care2, they are a health, vegetarian and environmental based website that gives donations to agencies such as Toronto Vegetarian Association for website email usage.

Anna Pippus

I have been a vegetarian for most of my life. I have always loved animals, and as a child dreamed of growing up to become a veterinarian. I wound up taking a different path in life, and now hold a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from UBC and a Juris Doctor in law from U of T. I find this background quite useful as an activist: ultimately we are trying to inspire change at both the individual and societal levels. I am now pursuing a career as an animal rights lawyer.

I began volunteering with the TVA in 2009, writing letters, tabling at events, and distributing directories. I have also been actively involved in the animal rights community in Toronto, working with various groups doing everything from event planning to legal research. Previously, I worked as a rape crisis counsellor, during which time I gained insight into the operation of a charitable organization, including fundraising, community outreach, volunteer training, and communications strategizing. 

I think the Toronto Vegetarian Association is an exemplary organization. With limited staff and budget, it manages to have an enormous impact and reach many vegetarians and aspiring vegetarians. Winning people over to adopting a healthier, greener, more peaceful lifestyle depends on showing them how delicious and accessible vegetarian food is in a non-threatening way. The TVA does this well, and I want to assist in carrying out this mission. At the same time, I know I will continue learn a lot from the other intelligent, compassionate, and dedicated volunteers who contribute their skills and time to the TVA.

JP Richards

Co-Founder of Booty Camp Fitness Inc. (BCFI), JP helped grow BCFI from 1 to over 100 locations making it “the most women’s only fitness boot camps in Canada” in just over 2 years. Recently, BCFI earned a 2011 “HOT 50” award from Profit Magazine as one of Canada’s fastest growing companies. His latest start-up is MettaMeals.com, a revolutionary online software that creates highly personalized plant-based meal plans.  Previously the founder of Toronto SEO Company, an Internet marketing firm where he fine-tuned his craft in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Conversion Optimization (CO).   In addition, JP’s work history includes 2+ years as a Communications Manager for a boutique public relations firm and 1 year as a Marketing Director for an experiential learning company.  

His skills include: Marketing - Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Conversion Optimization (CO) & User-Friendliness, Web-Site Analytics, Social Media Marketing, Corporate Design & Branding, Sale Copywriting, Media Relations, Demographic Analysis, Leadership & Added Value - Business Start-Ups & Aggressive Growth Strategies, Sales & Profit Forecasting, Corporate Image Development, Goal Setting & Incentive Planning, Company Mission, Vision, & Values Articulation, Cross-Departmental Supervision & Management, Human Resources - High-Impact Presentations, Employee Pre-Screening, Recruiting, On-Line Want Ad & Job Posting Creation, “True Colours” Training, Employee Coaching & Empowerment, Performance Appraisals & Disciplinary Action 

I’m pumped about joining the TVA Board of Directors (BOD)! When I first became a vegetarian in 2005, the TVA Directory was my go to resource. Joining the TVA BOD is a way to give back and pay it forward.  JP would like to be actively involved in the Communications Commmittee, and is committed to conversion optimizing Veg.ca to be more user-friendly and convert more web visitors to TVA members. Also, he hopes to refocus overall TVA communications to increase TVA membership.