Our Board | Saskatoon Open Door Society

The Call for Nominations for Board Members is open until May 24, 2019. Click here for the Board Member application and click here for more information.

The Saskatoon Open Door Society is governed by a Board of Directors with a maximum of 12 members and is led by an Executive Director appointed by the Board. Board members are elected by the SODS membership.

The Board meets at least six times annually and is responsible for the oversight of the organization’s policies, programs, budgets and grant decisions. As stewards of the membership’s trust, the Board oversees the organization’s governance. The Board is accountable to the membership.

Board decisions are guided by our Mission, Governance Policy and Strategic Framework.

Ranjan Datta Board Member

Ranjan Datta is an immigrant Canadian from Bangladesh. Ranjan has been involved in and introduced to a larger community through participation in social well-being and justice movements, such as Saskatoon Open Door Society, the Aboriginal Friendship Centre, the Idle No More Movement, First Nations Land Rights, Saskatoon Community Radio (CFCR 90.5), the Indigenous Language movement, the Saskatoon Food Bank and Learning Centre, and the Friendship Inn. Currently he sits on the boards of several community organizations, including the Multicultural Council of SK, U of S Residence Community Garden, and Saskatoon Car Share Cooperative. Through all these past and ongoing roles, he has learned a range of leadership skills, including networking, collaborative decision-making, management, and, perhaps most importantly, how to transform ideas into practice through commitment and collaborative engagement. Ranjan is a self-motivated individual.

Diego Monteiro Board Member (Resigned)

We would like to thank Diego Monteiro for his hard work, dedication and contributions to the Board of Directors.

Diego Monteiro immigrated to Canada in 1988 from Goa, India. He holds an MBA in Information Technology Management and is a Chartered Professional Accountant. He has worked in leadership positions at the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority and Indigenous Gaming Regulators and was instrumental in the development of both organizations. Diego is married to Maria (Ameeta) and has two daughters, Meagan and Kaitlyn. The family has a mini-poodle, Ojo, that they all dote on. Diego is passionate about social justice. He has been on the Board of the Rotary Club (Nutana), is a member of the Executive Committee for the Knights of Columbus Council 8215, and serves on the Board of the Catholic Family Services. He believes in giving back to the community that he enjoys being a part of, and hopes that through his work and life experiences, he can make a meaningful contribution to SODS as a Board member.

Jeremy Morgan President

Jeremy Morgan has been actively involved with the cultural communities in Saskatchewan for 30 years as founding CEO of Wanuskewin Heritage Park; CEO of the Saskatchewan Arts Board; Executive Director of the MacKenzie Art Gallery; and, currently, Managing Director of the University of Saskatchewan Art Galleries. Mr. Morgan has served as a member of various volunteer boards and committees, including the Citizen’s Advisory Council for the Province’s Centennial and Chair of both the Minister’s Heritage Council and the Saskatchewan Tourism Authority. He is a recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal and the Centennial Medal, a lifetime membership in the Museums Association of Saskatchewan, a Premier’s Public Service Award and the Mayor of Regina’s 2014 Business and the Arts award for Management Excellence and Service. He served as a Diefenbaker Policy Fellow at the Johnson Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy and is currently chair of the City of Saskatoon’s Public Art Advisory Committee.

Tracy Muggli Governance Committee Chair

Tracy Muggli, BA, BSW, MSW, is a Registered Social Worker with 30 years of experience in the health and social services sectors. She is currently the Director of Mental Health and Addiction Services (MHAS) of the Saskatchewan Health Authority. She also sits on the board of the Saskatoon Community Foundation and St. Peter's College in Muenster, Saskatchewan, and edits the newsletter of the Canadian Federation of University Women - Saskatoon. She has served her community through the community councils for Aden Bowman and Georges Vanier Schools, as a past board member of the Saskatchewan Intercultural Association, and as the founding Coordinator of the Newcomer Information Centre. Tracy received the Chief of Police Award for Community Service in 2014, recognition for Distinguished Service in 2015 from the Saskatchewan Psychiatric Association and the Badge Award from Saskatoon Police Services in 2017.

Amjad Murabit Treasurer and Audit Committee Chair

Amjad Murabit is an investigator with the Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission. Amjad's parents immigrated to Canada from Libya and raised him and his ten siblings in Saskatoon. Prior to graduating from the University of Saskatchewan College of Law in 2016, Amjad completed a Master's degree in Sociology. Amjad is a long-time volunteer in the Saskatoon community. He is a member of the Kinsmen Club of Saskatoon and the Canadian Bar Association BarNotes editorial board and regularly volunteers with Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan and the Children's Wish Foundation. Amjad is enthusiastic about Saskatoon Open Door Society's mission and believes that people can do great things if they are supported, empowered and given the proper tools to succeed. Amjad is eager to contribute as a member of Saskatoon Open Door Society's Board of Directors and hopes that, through his work, he can positively influence the lives of many newcomers to Saskatoon.

Athanasia Perdikaris Board Member

Athanasia Perdikaris holds two Bachelor's degrees from the University of Saskatchewan (U of S), in History and Education. Recently she has applied to complete a Master's for the Department of Educational Foundations with a primary focus on the inclusivity of the public education sector. She has been both an employee and a student at the U of S and has obtained a well-rounded experience, attributing broad depths of understanding and keen interests in knowledge acquisition. She was born and raised in Saskatchewan, living in various rural towns across the province. Growing up with dual ancestry, she was immersed in two varying backgrounds and was influenced by her family's experience in rural communities. This provided her with an understanding of one’s role within society and coinciding personal and public identities that greatly shape the way in which we view our local communities and subsequently national inclusivity.

Patricia Prowse Secretary

Patricia Prowse is the Associate Director of the Saskatchewan Educational Leadership Unit, College of Education, University of Saskatchewan. During her educational career, Patricia was a teacher, vice principal, principal, and superintendent of education for Saskatoon Public Schools. As a superintendent of education, Patricia had strategic responsibility for First Nations, Inuit and Métis Education; Safe, Caring and Accepting Schools; and English as an Additional Language (EAL). She was part of the interagency team that established the Settlement Support Worker in Schools (SSWIS) program and the development of a supporting MOU. Patricia has received provincial and national recognition for her educational leadership. Her commitment to community partnerships and interagency cooperation was acknowledged in 2013 when she received the YWCA Women of Distinction Leadership and Management Award and the Saskatoon Fire and Protective Services’ Shield Award for community service.

George Rathwell Board Member

George Rathwell is from Regina and area. He attended both of the province’s universities where he earned three degrees. Mr. Rathwell had a successful 34-year career in education. George was a teacher and administrator at a number of schools in Saskatoon prior to becoming a senior administrator with Saskatoon Public Schools. During his time in and out of the classroom, George helped lead major educational initiatives including advocacy for First Nations and Métis education and responding to the rapidly emerging multicultural education needs in Saskatoon Public Schools. He has been and is a member of a number of community boards, including SaskSport, Wanuskewin, the Trades and Skills Centre, READ Saskatoon, and the Children’s Discovery Museum. George is married to Shammi and they have two daughters, Nikita and Mika. Shammi’s family immigrated to Saskatchewan 50 years ago, so the experience of New Canadians is very important to the Rathwell family.

Zehra Rizvi Board Member

Zehra Rizvi is Pakistani-Canadian and immigrated as a child to rural Saskatchewan in the early 1980s. She obtained a BA in International Studies from the University of Saskatchewan and an MSc in Integrated Water Resource Management from McGill University. She currently works at the University of Saskatchewan, and in her current role researches donors and partners for fundraising initiatives. She is an avid traveler and has lived in Japan, Guatemala and the Philippines. As a photographer, she enjoys the visual arts medium to tell people's stories. Zehra has previously volunteered with SODS for the Youth Study Group program and English conversational circles for adults. She is a volunteer member of Work Green, an environmental sustainability group, and leads a project on waste reduction at the University of Saskatchewan. She hopes her contribution through SODS helps newcomers in Saskatchewan feel empowered to realize their dreams, particularly women who face greater challenges in their new homeland.

Lily Sammak Board Member

Lily Sammak was born in Tehran, Iran and moved to Canada as an adult. After working for some time at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, she moved to Saskatoon and obtained her DMD from U of S. She is a member of the Canadian Dental Association and the College of Dental Surgeons of Saskatchewan. She opened her private practice in an inner-city location so that she can give back to the community. Lily has participated in and worked with several not-for-profit organizations, with KIA (Kindness In Action), providing dental-health services to the underprivileged abroad; with Ronald McDonald House in Saskatoon; and with the SUM theatre group, providing free theatre for children in the low-income neighbourhoods of Saskatoon. She hopes that through SODS, she will continue to contribute to her community and build bridges between new immigrants, especially female newcomers, and help them to navigate the education system and find a career in their new country.

Rokhan Sarwar Vice-President

Rokhan Sarwar holds two Bachelor's degrees in Economics and Business from the University of Saskatchewan, and is currently enrolled in the Business Administration Master's Program at the Edwards School of Business. Rokhan has an extensive background in Management, and he loves to serve others and as such, joined the Saskatoon Open Door Society Board, to offer his expertise and to help others. He has a strong knowledge of business environments, current technology, leadership and finance.