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Tag: Board of Justice Journeymakers

It’s Time to Say Goodbye

It’s Time.

As a Founder, you never really know when it’s time to move on. But every founder tries hard to avoid founder’s syndrome and sticking around too long. After 10 years, I realized this past spring that my time had come.

It’s time for me to move on.

We’ve already started a search for a new CEO and have several promising candidates.

I’m not leaving the organization entirely. I will remain on the board for a time to help guide the new President & CEO, but most of all, to assist with the myriad tasks I handled as CEO.

We may not be exactly where I’d like us to be, but we’ve grown and prospered. The amount of content on our website is a testament to that.

Over the decade that I’ve been running J2DW, we’ve had many volunteers and summer students who have contributed immensely.

Now, the time has come for me to pass the baton to someone else who can help clarify our goals, implement our strategic plan, and take the organization to new heights.

Meanwhile, I plan to return to my roots and volunteer once more in my community, likely in healthcare, but who knows? I will still actively volunteer with Living Green Barrie.

Beyond that, I plan to see where life takes me and what opportunities arise. But it’s time for me to move on so that J2DW can flourish.

My formal last day is 15 October 2024.

I remain,

Peter V. Tretter

Join Our Magical Journey: Seeking Volunteer Board Members & CEO to Create Enchanting Change!

Are you passionate about making a difference in your community? We’re seeking dedicated individuals to join our team as a Volunteer Board Member and Volunteer CEO. These roles offer a unique opportunity to lead and shape the future of our organization, driving impactful initiatives and fostering positive change. If you have a vision for community development and a commitment to volunteerism, we want to hear from you! Join us in our mission to create a better tomorrow. Apply today and be a part of something truly meaningful!

* Seeking Guardians of Diversity: Volunteer Board Member Role Available
* Lead the Quest: Volunteer President & CEO – Architect of Inclusive Excellence

Profiles of Diversity -:- Peter V. Tretter

Peter V. Tretter Founder & CEO Meet Peter V. Tretter, a financial professional by profession and a tenacious advocate for diversity and inclusion in the workplace. Peter’s journey is one of perseverance and dedication, marked by his ability to overcome great obstacles with a belief that the odds are always in his favour.

His life outside work is rich with activities that feed his soul and contribute to his community. He is an avid reader, a volunteer, an advocate for change, an arts enthusiast, and a movie lover. His organizational skills are impeccable, thanks to his trusty Google Calendar, which keeps him on task and organized.

Peter’s colleagues from his previous roles would likely highlight his exceptional ability to maintain customer satisfaction. Even when faced with the most challenging customers, Peter managed to keep a smile and resolve conflicts with grace.

In his last position within the banking industry, Peter felt a sense of empowerment, being able to perform his duties effectively within the constraints of a large corporate structure. This experience has shaped his management style, which is characterized by trust and autonomy. As a leader of a virtual organization, he values regular check-ins via email and virtual meetings, particularly with summer students, to ensure productivity while respecting their independence.

When it comes to fundraising, Peter views it as an essential aspect of non-profit work, akin to sales. Although not his strongest suit, he appreciates the zen-like quality of crafting social media posts or emails that contribute to a cause greater than oneself. He acknowledges the significant impact that even a few minutes of volunteering can have on an organization’s success.

Peter’s choice of entrance music would be “Hakuna Matatta” from The Lion King, a song that encapsulates his approach to life—no worries, and a focus on the positive.

As the Founder, President & CEO of Journey to Diversity Workplaces1, Peter is committed to transforming workplaces into spaces where diversity, respect, and harmony are not just ideals but realities. His vision for the future is clear: winning in all the right ways, with several businesses under his wing, all while treating everyone right.

Peter’s narrative is one of resilience, community service, and a relentless pursuit of creating an inclusive society. His story is a testament to the power of diversity and the impact one individual can have on the world around them. Thank you to all who volunteer and make a difference every day.

Profiles of Diversity -:- Curtis Herle

Curtis Herle is an Audit Director specializing in Cloud Security and Enterprise Architecture, within the Emerging Risk and Cyber Security Audit Department at Scotiabank.

Curtis Herle’s greatest strength is his passion for Pride and Diversity. He is an active member of Pride at Work, and has participated in several events and initiatives to support the 2SLGBTQ+ community. He also enjoys gaming, traveling, reading, and spending time with his friends in his downtime. He keeps himself organized by using technology, phone, to-do lists, and planning ahead.

Curtis Herle is a professional and innovative worker, who has created a professional practice area inside of audit at Scotiabank. He is a breath of fresh air in his role, not sticking to the status quo and always looking for new ways to improve and optimize. He is also a reliable and helpful coworker, who often acts as a middle man between his boss and his colleagues. He is comfortable in his current job, but also wants to better the world around him. He has volunteered at Covenant House, a charity that provides shelter and support to homeless youth. He also enjoys fundraising, and was on Scotia’s social committee, where he built a membership program.

Profiles of Diversity -:- Frank Tuzi

Frank Tuzi is a Canadian mortgage professional and a trainer. He has over 20 years of experience in the mortgage industry, working as a broker, lender, and trainer. His greatest strength is his people skills. He enjoys interacting with people, coaching them, and helping them achieve their goals. He is also an avid reader, especially of books on philosophy, linguistics, and religion. He has three children, whom he loves spending time with.

Frank Tuzi is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion, and has been involved in several initiatives to promote these values in his professional settings. He was introduced to the topic of diversity at a breakfast he attended, and was inspired to join a local charity that provides scholarships and antiracist, character-building, and leadership programming to youth in the Greater Toronto/Hamilton Area. He hopes to see more awareness and action on DEI issues in the next five years, and is eager to contribute his skills and expertise to this cause. He also understands the importance of fundraising for organizations, and has experience in securing grants and donations for his projects.

Mr. Tuzi is on a current leave of absence.

Profiles of Diversity -:- Dr. Leland Harper

Dr. Leland Harper is a Canadian philosopher and a professor of philosophy and race, justice, and equity studies at Siena Heights University in Michigan. He is also the founder of Leland Harper Consulting, a company that offers diversity, equity, and inclusion services to the Canadian hospitality industry. He has over 20 years of experience in the nightclub, restaurant, bar and hotel industries, and has received numerous awards and funding for his research on philosophy of religion and philosophy of race. He is the co-author of the book Racist, Not Racist, Antiracist: Language and the Dynamic Disaster of American Racism, and the editor of the Philosophy of Race book series at Vernon Press.
Leland’s greatest strength is his ability to see things from different perspectives and apply logical reasoning to various situations. He enjoys playing basketball in men’s leagues, reading books, and watching Netflix shows in his spare time. He keeps himself organized by using a series of dry erase boards and calendars to keep track of his tasks and deadlines. He is a little old school in this sense.
Leland is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion, and has been involved in several initiatives to promote these values in his academic and professional settings. He recently secured a grant from the Endowment for Humanities to conduct a feasibility study on whether it would be possible to bring a humanities DEI certificate program to his university. He hopes to see more collaboration and community engagement on DEI issues in the next five years, and is eager to contribute his skills and expertise to this cause.

Dr. Harper is no longer a board member. J2DW thanks him for his amazing time with us.

Profiles of Diversity -:- Deniz Toker

Deniz Toker, an educator at Northeastern University, brings a wealth of experience and a passion for community engagement to his role. As the Assistant Director of Community and Academic Partnerships, Deniz spearheads collaborations with post-secondary institutions and community organizations. His greatest strengths lie in communication, empathy, and the ability to connect with people through their lived experiences. Deniz has a remarkable track record of working with refugees and immigrants, addressing their needs with compassion and understanding.

In his free time, Deniz finds solace in nature, exploring new trails and connecting with the outdoors. His love for the natural world is complemented by a passion for cooking—a creative outlet that allows him to unwind and experiment with flavors. Deniz’s commitment to fostering meaningful connections extends beyond his professional life, as he actively engages with the community and academic partners to create impactful collaborations.

Deniz’s colleagues from previous positions would undoubtedly highlight his empathetic approach as his greatest accomplishment. Deniz’s ability to listen, understand, and address people’s needs has left a lasting impact. Moreover, the culture of diversity and unique perspectives at his last company empowered him, especially considering that the dean herself is the daughter of an immigrant.

If Deniz could choose a song to play every time he walked into a room, it would be Queen’s iconic anthem, We Are the Champions. The choice reflects his belief in celebrating victories, both big and small, and setting a positive tone wherever he goes. As for fundraising, Deniz acknowledges that it’s not his forte, but he recognizes the need to develop those skills.

Profiles of Diversity -:- Khushi Bhatnagar

Khushi Bhatnagar Deputy Speaker Khushi Bhatnagar is a Canadian recent grad who completed a Postgraduate certificate in Project Management at Sheridan College. She is a talented singer of classical Indian music, a badminton player, and a fitness enthusiast. She is also a time management expert, having juggled four jobs while maintaining a 3.5 GPA. She uses a notebook and Google Keep to organize her tasks and goals.

Khushi has a passion for academic integrity and innovation. She worked as a strategist for the Academic Integrity Office at Sheridan, where she created a project management system using Teams Planner. She was part of the most diverse team in the office, with eight members from different backgrounds and skill levels. She received positive feedback from her coworkers and manager for her contribution and performance.

Khushi is a fan of BTS, a popular Korean pop group. She chose their song Love Myself as her personal anthem, because she wants to spread happiness and confidence to everyone. She has a collaborative and transparent management style, and values listening to her team members and finding the best solutions for them. She is interested in working in the non-profit sector, and has some experience in fundraising from her previous projects in India.

Profiles of Diversity -:- Harneet Barmy

Harneet Barmy - Chief Privacy Officer Harneet Barmy is a Canadian IT professional and a computer science professor at Durham College. He worked as a senior systems analyst for the Government of Canada, where he helped with adopting cloud infrastructure and minimizing disruption to the business. He has over 20 years of experience in the IT industry, working as an Architect, consultant, and trainer. He is also the co-founder and editor of the Journal of Computer-Assisted Language Learning and Teaching.

Harneet Barmy’s greatest strength is his humility and willingness to help others. He loves to answer Technical questions on websites like Google, Quora and to teach and mentor his former students. He is also an organized and efficient worker, who uses calendars, SharePoint, Teams, Zoom, Google Meet, Azure and Microsoft 365 to manage his tasks and meetings. He is easy to work with, reliable, and self-sufficient, as his coworkers and managers would attest.

Harneet Barmy is passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion, and has been involved in several initiatives to promote these values in his professional and personal settings. He was inspired by a message he received from a local charity that provides scholarships and antiracist, character-building, and leadership programming to youth in the Greater Toronto/Hamilton Area. He joined J2DW as a board member, hoping to make a difference and support his wife, who faces challenges in her workplace due to the lack of diversity. He hopes to see more progress and impact from this organization in the next five years, and is eager to contribute his skills and expertise to this cause. He has never tried fundraising before, but is willing to learn and help.

Journey to Diversity Workplaces: A New Year, A New Structure

Introducing our Changes

As we welcome the new year, we are excited to announce some changes to our structure that reflect our values and vision as an organization. Journey to Diversity Workplaces is a non-profit organization that aims to foster inclusive and equitable workplaces for people of all backgrounds and identities. We believe that diversity is not only a moral imperative but also a source of strength and innovation.

Introducing the Board of Justice Journeymakers

One of the changes we have made is to rename our Board of Directors to the Board of Justice Journeymakers. This name change reflects our recognition that our board members are not just directors, but also active participants and leaders in the journey towards social justice and diversity. They not only oversee the governance and strategic direction of our organization but also contribute their skills, experiences, and perspectives to our programs and initiatives.

The Speaker

Another change we have made is to rename the Chair of the Board to the Speaker. This title change reflects our commitment to democratic and collaborative decision-making, where the Speaker is not the sole authority but rather a facilitator and representative of the collective voice of the board. The Speaker is responsible for ensuring that the board operates in accordance with our bylaws and policies, as well as communicating with our stakeholders and partners.

Our New Bylaws and Governance Section

In addition to these name changes, we have also updated our bylaws and policies to align with our mission and values. Our new bylaws include a reference to our board’s code of conduct, which outlines the expectations and responsibilities of our board members, as well as our commitment to anti-oppression and equity. Our new bylaws also clarify the roles and duties of the board, the staff, and the members of our organization, as well as the processes for elections, meetings, and amendments.

To increase our transparency and accountability, we have also created a new governance section on our website, where you can find our current bylaws and select policies. We invite you to visit our website and learn more about how we operate and what we stand for.

We’ve made changes to our structure to reinforce our commitment to diversity and to anti-oppression.

~ Peter V. Tretter, President & CEO

Join Us on Our Journey

We are proud of the changes we have made, and we hope that they will help us achieve our vision of a more diverse and inclusive society. We are grateful for the support and feedback of our community, and we look forward to working with you in the new year and beyond.

If you are interested in joining us on our journey, we have various opportunities for you to get involved. Whether you want to become a member, a volunteer, a donor, a partner, or a participant in our programs and events, we would love to hear from you. Please contact us for more information.

Thank you for being part of our journey. We wish you a happy and healthy new year!

This article was written by J2DW CEO Peter V. Tretter.