2021 Executive Council Elections

Chris Goethel

Hi, my name is Chris Goethel and I am running for the position of Vice President – Policy.

I am currently the President of the Scarborough Rouge Park Provincial Liberal Association. I have held this position since the founding of this riding in 2015. I am also active in policy development with a policy group including members from Pickering Uxbridge, Ajax, Scarborough North, Scarborough Centre, as well as my own.

I am a retired Senior Policy Advisor and Economist from the Ontario Government. My areas of expertise are taxation policy, small business policy and energy policy.

I began my political involvement in 1972 at the federal level in Peterborough, supporting Hugh Faulkner and Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau. I helped found the Trent University New Liberals, along with Jeff Leal, and under the auspices of the late Dr. Peter Adams, in the late 70s.

I have often used the analogy of steel making when speaking of good policy. One starts with an idea (the iron ore), but one has to add other perspectives and ideas (oxygen and carbon) as well as spirited discussion (heat) to get a good policy (the steel).

With this analogy you will see how I view the role of Vice President of Policy. It is to gather from the riding the ideas and perspectives on issues and to provide a forum for them to discuss these ideas and perspectives.

Policy making is both to find solutions to specific issues as well as to set directions for where we see civil society heading.

Should you have any questions, I can be reached at: [email protected]

416 564 2790 (cell)

Thank you for your consideration of my candidacy.

Chris Goethel

Carol Kim

It has been a real honour to serve as Vice President, Policy for the Ontario Liberal Party.

Over the past 9 months, I’ve had the privilege of working with our platform development team throughout the #TakeTheMic process. This has been a hugely ambitious grassroots policy development effort, with the aim to generate open and meaningful conversations across the province.

Since its launch, we have received tens of thousands of original ideas, and hundreds of thousands of votes cast. During these challenging and isolating times, we have used innovative ways to connect virtually with our members. Many of you participated every week in our #TakeTheMic virtual townhalls to share your ideas, your stories.

We listened, and we heard you. This has been a truly amazing experience. Thank you.

With your support, I look forward to continuing this work as we develop a campaign policy platform that reflects who we are as a party, our values, and our future – something we can all be proud of as we gear up for the 2022 election.

I am a relationship builder, a campaigner, and a mother. Over the last two decades, I have worked in political roles at all three levels of government. During my time as Director of Regional Outreach and Operations, I managed a large team focused on fostering local involvement and input, ensuring large government programs and policies were effectively communicated to local communities. At the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, I advised the Minister on rural economic development policies, working closely with local stakeholders on issues such as broadband connectivity. I have been successful in delivering results by working collaboratively and keeping an open ear to the ground.

This next phase of our policy platform development is about putting ideas and people into motion, as we transform what we heard from you into a vision that will inspire Ontarians. I hope to continue this work – with your continued support.

If you have any questions or would like to connect, please email me at [email protected]

Annamaria Nunziata

Hi, My name is Annamaria Nunziata and I’m running to be your next Regional Vice President for Toronto–Etobicoke, Downtown, East York.

As a seasoned grass roots community organizer, I know that elections are fought and won at the doorstep. I have held several key roles on campaigns at the federal and provincial level. During the 2015 and 2019 campaigns, my focus was on training organizers on innovative community-focused tactics. In 2018, I supported the implementation of data-driven approaches to communications and voter outreach strategies. I worked with teams to find ways to better inform our on-the-ground strategy and how to use insights to make smarter decisions on the campaign trail.

I had the opportunity to work in the Office of the Premier at Queen’s Park supporting stakeholder engagement, project coordination, and organizational development.

As your Regional Vice President, I would work with teams to ensure you have the supports needed to run a successful campaign — from training resources, to field and voter contact strategies and fundraising — I look forward to contributing alongside your efforts to prepare and get down to the hard work ahead, together.

Join me as we champion a better future for Ontario and deliver a strong Liberal government in June.

Let’s keep in touch! You can reach me at: [email protected]

Lauren Souch

Hi, everyone – I’m Lauren. I’m the current Toronto-St. Paul’s Provincial Liberal Association (PLA) president, a decade-long Toronto resident, communications and media relations strategist, community builder, and, with your support: your next OLP Regional Vice President for Toronto – Etobicoke, Downtown & East York.

I moved to Toronto in 2014. As an extrovert, I quickly turned to community organizations and clubs, local coffee shops and bars, and city exploration as a way to immerse myself in the vibrancy of our neighbourhoods and connect with others.

My blossoming love for the city made me want to play an active role in making it a better place to live, for everyone. My first political experience was during the 2014 Mayoral campaign in Toronto. I started volunteering for the Ontario Liberal Party that same year, and went on to work at Queen’s Park up until the 2018 election. Today, I am a communications and media relations strategist within the public affairs space.

I believe in the power of our grassroots voices. Everyone has a story to tell, and I believe more than ever we, as Ontario Liberals, need to spend less time talking and more time listening: to our communities, to our riding associations, to our volunteers, and to our peers as we approach the 2022 election: we are at our best when listening and learning from others lived experiences.

And I understand how our ridings and how our PLAs work: I’ve been President for Toronto-St. Paul’s for three years. I know how to listen, how to build consensus, how to get things done pre-writ, and how to set our ridings up for success, so we can elect Liberals across Toronto next June.

I want to combine those values with my political experience, with my communications, analytical and problem-solving skills, and with my passion for community building at the OLP Executive Table to help our Toronto-area riding associations build strong teams in the lead up to the 2022 election.

As your RVP, I will take an active role in ensuring our PLA’s have the skills, training, information, and resources needed to best support our candidates and set them up for success.

It’s time to come together, and get to work. I hope I can count on your support as your new Regional Vice President, Toronto – Downtown, Etobicoke & East York.

Still not convinced? Have questions? I’d be happy to talk anytime – you can email me at [email protected]

Brian Johns

Brian is the current President of the Ontario Liberal Party and Chair of 2022 Campaign. Alongside his incredible volunteer work in support of the Ontario Liberal Party, Brian is an entrepreneur and is recognized through Deliotte’s Best Managed Companies Program.
He is a past recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal for volunteer work in his community, and the CEO of Water Ambassadors Canada, a national charity that delivers access to clean water in developing countries internationally.

Jackie Choquette

It has been an honour to serve as Executive Vice President for the last two years and I am excited to continue in this role.

I have been a member of the Ontario Liberal Party for over 20 years. I have served as a Riding President, a Regional Vice President and now as Executive Vice President. I am also pleased to be serving as Co-Chair of the Candidate Search Committee, working alongside Sumi Shan and Christine Allenby to recruit a diverse, gender balanced slate of phenomenal candidates for the 2022 election.

We have been through so much together over the last three years. I am proud of how the Ontario Liberal Party came together with courage and honesty to rebuild after the 2018 election. Together, we faced difficult decisions, had tough conversations, and did the heavy lifting. We made bold changes and we are stronger today because of it.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve alongside you. I am truly excited about the year ahead. We have the best team of volunteers, campaigners and candidates that I have ever seen. I cannot wait to see you all again in person very soon. Until then, stay safe and stay in touch! I am always available to listen and to help so reach out anytime.

Sarah Magee

A campaign addict, Sarah Magee is currently working with the international development sector to advance the rights of women and children in low- and middle-income countries, deliver vaccines to vulnerable populations and advance the fight against climate change.

Before coming to this role, Sarah had the pleasure of serving Ontario as Director of Operations to Attorney General Yasir Naqvi in the lead up to the 2018 election. Committed to the success of the Ontario Liberal Party she leads the Ottawa Centre Provincial Liberal Association as President and can’t be kept away from an exciting nomination or by-election.

The opportunity to step up to the role of Secretary will showcase Sarah’s communication, relationship building, and organizational skills, and she is looking forward to working tirelessly for members and candidates as we drive towards the 2022 election.

Tim Shortill

Tim Shortill is the OLP Treasurer and member of the Executive Council. As Treasurer he is responsible for keeping the books of record and financial accounts for OLP, as well as a signing officer for the organization. He is accountable for implementing the Financial Policy of the Executive Council and preparing the annual budget. Prior to his role as Treasurer, Tim held a variety of roles at the riding level, including as a PLA CFO. Between 2002 and 2013, Tim worked at Queens Park, including as chief of staff to two finance ministers. He currently resides in Mississauga-Lakeshore with his wife and daughter.

Ferd Longo

Ferdinando Longo serves as the Vice President- Business Development and Sales for Bellwether Technologies- an approved vendor and leader in voter contact.

Mr. Longo is a former Senior Political Advisor to numerous Federal and Provincial Cabinet Ministers. Mr. Longo has served in senior capacities within the Federal Departments of Citizenship and Immigration, Environment and International Trade. Mr. Longo also served in a senior capacity in the Office of the Premier- Ontario and as the Chief of Staff to numerous Ministers in the Provincial ministries of Citizenship and Immigration, the Pan-Am and Pan-Parapan Games and the Ministry responsible for Seniors Affairs.

Mr. Longo has been involved with the Liberal Party of Canada and the Ontario Liberal Party since the late 1980s. A lifelong Liberal, Mr. Longo continues to serve in volunteer capacities at the local and provincial level of the Liberal Party. In the early 1990s- he was President of the Ontario Young Liberals. He currently is the Vice President- Organization for the Ontario Liberal Party. Ferd has been recognized by then Premier and OLP Leader, the Hon. Kathleen Wynne, as a past winner and recipient of the OLP Evans-Portch Memorial Volunteer of the Year for his past involvement in the ridings of Davenport, Durham and York West. He has been recognized multiple times as the Durham PLA Volunteer of the Year — a badge of honour and major sense of pride for a man who’s twitter handle is @ferdfromdurham. Ferd is both the immediate Past President and the current EVP for the Durham PLA …. Ferd is known to answer the question/greeting: “Ferd, How are things going? ” with his famous catchphrase — “BestEver!!” He regards the Liberal Party as a member of his family. He will be the first to volunteer his time and efforts to turning/painting the Province Liberal Red. He will answer every call and perform nearly every Liberal task asked of him — has never run for office!!!

At the local community level, Mr. Longo is a founding Chair and Member of the Courtice Area Ratepayers Association. A committed community builder, Mr. Longo has served as President for both the Rotary Club of Courtice and the Courtice Lions Club. He has been recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow, a Melvin Jones Fellow and is a recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. He is also a former Board Member of the Clarington Board of Trade and a long-time advocate for the GO Train to Bowmanville (with a stop in Courtice).

Ferd was born in Oshawa, is a life-long resident of Durham Region and currently resides in Courtice.

Kenzie McKeegan

I look forward to joining the Executive Council team and to serving fellow OLP members as Vice President (Communications).

In my professional life I am a Senior Consultant at a government relations and strategic communication firm. I support clients with communication, government relations, policy development and research. Prior to my current role, I worked at the University of Toronto in its government relations office.

From 2016-2018, I had the opportunity to serve at Queen’s Park in the offices of the Deputy Premier, the Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Development, the President of the Treasury Board, the Minister Responsible for Digital Government and the Minister Responsible for Small Business.

I live in Spadina—Fort York and have Durham region roots. I entered the world of politics in Pickering—Uxbridge during the 2015 federal election, and have not looked back since. I was previously a member of the Pickering—Uxbridge PLA’s Executive team, and managed the general campaign there in 2018. Since then, I have used a variety of communication strategies and tactics on federal campaigns, as well as for OLP organizing and nominations.

I am so excited to see what is in store for our party and continuing to rebuild, together.

Li Koo

Li is excited to serve as the Vice President of Engagement. A community builder, educator and a successful realtor with experience from the non-profit, government, corporate and culture sectors, she is passionate about making positive change in her communities through grassroots advocacy.

Having served as the Regional VP for Toronto and as a former Provincial Liberal Candidate in 2018 for Toronto-Danforth, Li has a unique perspective on the engagement needs of the party and the importance of increased diversity and inclusivity.

She has been an advocate for increased access to justice for vulnerable and newcomer communities as a Senior Advisor at the Government of Ontario in the Ministries of Municipal Affairs & Housing, Indigenous Affairs, the Attorney General and as a Director at Legal Aid Ontario.

She has continually championed greater access to education through her work with the Smithsonian Institution, World Literacy Canada and is a professor at George Brown.

She is currently a member of the Ontario Real Estate Association’s Presidential Advisory Group on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Vito Totino

Vito Totino has been an active member of the Ontario Liberal Party for more than 20 years. He lives in Vaughan and is a special education teacher in Markham. He has been a strong advocate for quality public education in this province and is active on the labour front as well. He was the founding president of the King-Vaughan PLA and has been serving as the Regional Vice President for the Central North region for the past two years.

Natalie Hart

It has been an incredible journey for our Central West team, and as your Regional Vice President, I’m excited to see what the upcoming term will bring. I wanted to highlight some of the amazing progress that we have seen across Peel & Halton.

We gathered at events from the in-person Super Forum, LEM’s to Virtual meetings that brought the region together on diverse topics such as policy, free membership, nomination procedures, International Women’s Day, training and so much more.

As an RVP I’m particularly proud of the progress we have made in completing 14 out of 15 nominations. More important is the incredible strength of this team. Central West has exceeded expectations when it comes to Ready to Lead with 4 under 30 candidates. Our progress on Ask Her to Run has seen us select 11 women looking to restore a caring government in Ontario. We have a team of candidates that reflects the diversity of our community with 11 BIPOC voices ensuring we reflect the needs of our community.

Working with PLA’s is a key part of the role of RVP. I’m pleased to have working relationships with volunteer Presidents and their teams. I strive to be accessible by phone, email & at virtual meetings to make sure that our ridings have the information and training they need to help their candidates. Moving into the campaign, my primary focus as RVP is on how I can assist in the field work we all need to do in order to elect out candidates. It’s crucial we be ready to fight that election, from fundraising to volunteer recruitment. From chairing AGM’s (as many as 3 in a night!) to going over how virtual nominations work I’m committed to being there to rebuild our teams every step of the way.

If you are new to the region Central West, I am eager to get to know you. You can reach me by email at [email protected]. I grew up in Mississauga and call Mississauga Lakeshore my home. My professional life has spanned several decades in corporate finance, community work with Chambers of Commerce and my current role sees me involved in the community of Malton. Building teams is a part of every role I’ve ever held, and I believe it’s an integral part of being an RVP.

Jordan Hudyma

I’m incredibly excited to take on this opportunity and continue to serve the Party and Ontario liberals in the north. Our Party does its best work when we have active PLAs that are engaged with their communities and this role has the potential to be instrumental in supporting their hard work.

I consider myself lucky to have been born and raised in Thunder Bay as growing up in a smaller city has kept me grounded and I continue to keep strong ties with the city as a son, nephew, friend, and property owner. I add to this my experience at Queen’s Park and work as the region’s sole regional coordinator, all of which I believe has helped me acquire the necessary experience for this role and an understanding of the current challenges facing our region.

My priorities over the next seven to eight months are to help ensure that we have strong candidates in all our ridings who represent regional priorities; that our regional team is fully staffed with three regional coordinators; and, that our PLAs have a consistent and open line of communication and support when it comes to campaign readiness from the central party.

Finally, a personal commitment that I want to make – I will always make myself available. You will always get a response regardless of the day or time and if I don’t have an answer readily available, I will find it. I’m looking forward to the opportunities and challenges this role will bring and all the hard work ahead of us in turning as much of the region as red as possible.

Doug Varley

I’m pleased to be returning for another term as Regional Vice-President for the South Central region. South Central was formed as a new region in 2019. It brings together 17 ridings from dynamic urban and rural communities that are drivers of the Ontario economy across the Niagara, Hamilton, Brant, Waterloo, Wellington, and Halton regions.

Prior to 2018, Liberals held 6 of the 15 ridings in what is now the South Central region (2 ridings were added through redistribution in the 2018 election). In the most recent federal election, federal Liberals won 10 of the 17 ridings in South Central. In the coming months, I look forward to working with candidates, riding Presidents, members, and volunteers across South Central to earn the trust of voters and maximize our opportunity to win as many of these ridings as we can in June 2022.

Ontario can’t afford four more years of the damage wrought by the current government. With the help of Liberals in South Central, we can ensure that Steven Del Duca is the next Premier of Ontario and that he will be leading a government focused on delivering a better future for all Ontarians.

Lawrence Dawkins

My name is Lawrence Dawkins. I am a long time Liberal, former Riding Association President and a former multi-term Toronto Region Area Coordinator. First, I would like to thank my friend Mr. Abhi Shah for his leadership in this Region at such a critical time of rebuilding. I am looking forward to meeting and working with all of you as we work towards the next general election and to once again bring a Liberal government back to Queens Park. Thank you.