4th Annual Municipalities of the Future Symposium
Our 4th annual Municipalities of the Future Symposium took place in virtual format on Wednesday, March 3, 2021 and Dino Basso, Commissioner of Corporate Services for the Regional Municipality of York served as keynote speaker.
Throughout the day there were many guest speakers. Browse all guest bios below. A summary of the event is also available in YFile.
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Alena Kimakova, Director, School of Public Policy & Administration at akimakov@yorku.ca
This event was co-sponsored by IPAC TRG.
Agenda
Last Updated: March 3, 2021
9:00 AM - 9:15 AM
Participants connect
9:15 AM - 9:30 AM
Welcome and introductions
9:30 AM - 10:00 AM
Keynote Address
Dino Basso, Commissioner of Corporate Services for The Regional Municipality of York
10:00 AM - 10:15 AM
Q&A Period
10:15 AM - 10:30 AM
Small group networking session
10:30 AM - 11:15 AM
Panel Discussion | Session I
Session IA - The pandemic and change management: Challenges and opportunities for transformation and innovation in municipal public administration
- Shanon Kalra-Ramjoo, Manager, Enterprise Project and Change Management Office / Strategic Innovation, City of Vaughan, Office of Transformation and Strategy
- Asare Kester-Akrofi, Program Manager, Business Licensing & Regulatory Services, Municipal Licensing & Standards Division, City of Toronto
- Stephen O’Brien, General Manager, City Clerk’s Office, Corporate Services, City of Guelph
Facilitator: Fausto Natarelli, Adjunct Faculty, School of Public Policy & Administration
Session IB – Health and social services: The need for integration and equity
- Stella Danos-Papaconstantinou, Commissioner, Social Services, Regional Municipality of Durham
- John Riches, Deputy Chief, Regulatory Compliance & Administration, Region of Durham Paramedic Services, Durham Region Health Department
- Keddone Dias, Executive Director, LAMP Community Health Centre
- Aseefa Sarang, Executive Director, Across Boundaries
Facilitator: Naomi Couto, Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director, Master of Public Policy, Administration and Law (MPPAL) Program, School of Public Policy & Administration
11:15 AM - 11:30 AM
Break
11:30 AM - 12:15 PM
Panel Discussion | Session II
Municipal communications: An essential service with material impact
- David Arbuckle, Executive Director, Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO)
- Joe Couto, Director of Government Relations and Communications, Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police
- Lisa Duarte, Director of Communications and Marketing, Region of Peel
- Michael Genova, Director, Corporate and Strategic Communications, City of Vaughan
Facilitator: Antoinette Sarpong, Change Management Lead, Ontario Ministry of Government and Consumer Services
12:15 PM - 12:45 PM
Lunch Break
12:45 PM - 1:30 PM
Panel Discussion | Session III
Municipal finance: New realities in times of structural change
- Gary Kent, Commissioner of Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer, City of Mississauga
- Laura Mirabella, Commissioner of Finance, Regional Municipality of York
- Andrew Waters, Senior Financial Planning Analyst, Financial Planning Division, City of Toronto
- Donna Herridge, Executive Director, Municipal Finance Officers' Association
Facilitator: Ken Ogata, Assistant Professor, School of Public Policy & Administration and School of Administrative Studies, York University
1:30 PM - 1:45 PM
Small group networking session
1:45 PM - 2:30 PM
Panel Discussion | Session IV
Session IVA - Economic recovery and intergovernmental relations
- Sarah Klein, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Town of Whitby
- Victor J. Severino, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Office of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction, Regulatory Modernization and Business Relief Division
- Rosemarie Powell, Executive Director, Toronto Community Benefits Network
Facilitator: Jason Reynar, Chief Administrative Officer, Town of Innisfil
Session IVB – Human resources: Remote work, redeployment, leadership and process improvements
- Silvia Fraser, Director of Transformation, Workplace Strategies, City of Toronto
- Dana Johnston, Interim Head of Human Resources, Town of Whitby
- Roy Tran, Director, People Experience, City of Toronto
- Lola Obomighie, Director, People and Culture, Cota
Facilitator: Amuna Baraka-Clarke, Senior Director, People & Culture, LOFT Community Services
Dino Basso, Commissioner of Corporate Services for The Regional Municipality of York
Keynote address by Dino Basso
Dino Basso is the Commissioner of Corporate Services for The Regional Municipality of York, an upper tier municipality comprised of nearly 1.2 million residents. Since March 2020, York Region has been at the forefront of the pandemic response.
Together with his team, Dino has tackled significant – and sometimes unrelenting – challenges to support the organization’s response to COVID-19. His high-performing team of leaders and approximately 400 staff deliver critical internal and external support in the areas of: Planning and Economic Development; Corporate Communications; Human Resources, Property Services; Data, Analytics and Visualization Services; the Office of the Regional Clerk; and Business Services. He is also the Vice President of YorkNet, a York Region owned municipal services corporation that installs and manages an extensive dark fiber network. With the demand for high-speed internet at an all-time high, delivering on YorkNet’s mandate to better connect underserved communities all across York Region has never been more important.
A Registered Professional Engineer (P. Eng), Dino has spent the majority of his 31-year career – 27 in fact – as a public servant. Prior to assuming the Commissioner role in 2014, Dino was the Executive Director for the Region’s Corporate and Strategic Planning department; Director of Capital Delivery, Transportation and Works; and Manager of Corporate Policy and Special Projects in the Office of the CAO. His leadership style is based on a commitment to operating with integrity, empowering trusted employees, seeking first to understand and leading from behind.
Speaker Bios
David Arbuckle
Executive Director, Association of Municipal Managers, Clerks and Treasurers of Ontario (AMCTO)
Leya Barry
Climate Change Supervisor, Community Services Department, Parks, Forestry and Environment Division, City of Mississauga
Raphael Costa
Director, Economic Development, Office of Communications and Economic Development (OCED) | City Manager’s Portfolio
Joe L. Couto
Director of Government Relations and Communications Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police
Hali Farah
Manager, Diversity & Inclusion | People Experience. People & Equity Division, City of Toronto
Zincia Francis
Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer, City of Vaughan
Becky Jamieson
Commissioner of Corporate Services & Town Clerk for the Town of Whitchurch-Stouffville
Shanon Kalra-Ramjoo
Manager, Enterprise Project and Change Management Office/Strategic Innovation, City of Vaughan, Office of Transformation and Strategy
Asare Kester-Akrofi
Manager, Strategic Initiatives, Office of the Deputy City Manager, Infrastructure Services, City of Toronto
Kimberley Kitteringham
City Clerk & Director of Legislative Services and Corporate Communications and Community Engagement, City of Markham
Thomas MacPherson
Manager, Transportation Asset Management, Transportation and Infrastructure Planning, Transportation Services, The Regional Municipality of York
John Mascarin
Partner, Aird & Berlis LLP and Adjunct Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University
Ken Ogata
Assistant Professor, School of Public Policy & Administration and School of Administrative Studies, York University
John Riches
Deputy Chief, Regulatory Compliance & Administration, Region of Durham Paramedic Services, Durham Region Health Department
Ian Stedman
Assistant Professor, Canadian Public Law and Governance in the School of Public Policy and Administration
Sharon Walker
Manager, Emergency Planning, Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service, Emergency Planning, City of Vaughan
Bianca Wylie
Co-founder of Digital Public and Tech Reset Canada; Senior Fellow, Centre for International Governance Innovation