Our Board

Luka Amona

Board Chair

Luka is an accomplished Business & Human Resources Executive with over 20 years multi-jurisdictional experience acquired from working in various organizationsin the private, not-for-profit and public sectors. He brings diverse skills, knowledge and abilities that include: community outreach & engagement, strategic planning, board leadership & development, advocacy, stakeholder & government relations, change management, enterprise-wide governance, financial oversight, fundraising and strategic communications. Luka studied Human Resources Management at the London Metropolitan University and has been awarded the Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE) designation by the Human Resources Professional Association. A community building enthusiast with a passion for social justice, he has led and partnered on award-winning initiatives that have raised funds for community causes. In addition, he has previously served as a Board member of several community organizations. An ardent soccer enthusiast (he calls it football), Luka’stime outside of workand volunteering is spent with family & friends, supporting Arsenal FC, reading and travelling. Luka can be reached at board@black-cap.com

Rose-Ann Bailey

Vice Chair

Rose-Ann M. Bailey is a graduate of York University. She holds Bachelor degrees in Fine Arts and Education, and Masters degree in Education. As an academic, visual artist and health educator, Ms. Bailey explores the intersections between racism, urban education, social determinants of health, and how arts-based interventions can meet culturally relevant and responsive health education mandates for urban Canadian youth.

With over twenty years’ experience as a front-line community health educator, community engagement lead and researcher, Ms. Bailey has contributed to the work of Community Health Centres, Family Health Teams, Toronto and Peel Boards of Education, and most recently, the City of Toronto’s Community Crisis Response Program. She has also designed and developed a number of culturally appropriate, responsive curricula and strategies to support individual youth capacity building.

Her published studies include: ‘Towards Transformative Practice in Working with Youth: Learning about Structures, Possibilities & Hope’ (2012-2014), ‘From the Margins: Building Curriculum for Youth in Transition’ (2014), ‘Perspectives of Black Male Students in Secondary School: Understanding the Successes and Challenges – We Rise Together Action Plan’ (Peel District School Board 2016) and The Black Experience Project (2016). This body of research explored the challenges faced by the Black community and exposes the need for responsive curricula and anti-Black racism discrimination strategies, youth criminal justice advocacy, health, systemic and infrastructural reform.

In addition, Ms. Bailey is an award-winning producer and campaign coordinator, combining her artistic abilities with her passion for community development. Her work includes ACCHO’s HIV/AIDS ‘Keep It Alive’ Campaign, the ‘Just Think 1st’ anti-violence youth initiative, and two short films, “Tuition”, about human trafficking and “A Close Eye” about mental health and the criminal justice system. Rose-Ann is currently working with the Toronto Police Service engaging communities around the Race-Based Data Collection Strategy.

Uchenna Nwachukwu

Treasurer

Uchenna is an experienced financial services professional who has worked in multi-cultural, multi-functional teams in multinational organisations for over two decades.  He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Banking & Finance from University of Nigeria, an MBA from Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC and an M.Sc. in Economic Policy and International Business from the University of Birmingham, United Kingdom. He is also a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accounts (ACCA), United Kingdom.  Uchenna has lived, studied and/or worked on four continents. He has a passion for diversity and inclusion, community service, travel and tennis.

Mary Achebe

Mary Achebe is a fifth year student studying at the University of Toronto Scarborough. Mary has experience planning and organising both in person and online events. During the fall/winter 2019/2020 academic year, Mary assisted with planning two in person conferences; Lead with Pride and Metamorphosis. Her role in organising both conferences included reaching to guest speakers and potential workshop hosts, advertising the conference to both students and staff and compiling an email list to promote the event. In her work, Mary intentionally endeavours to include the voices of marginalised people. During the Metamorphosis conference Mary reached out to NishDish, an indigenous owned restaurant, to host a workshop on Indigenous food sovereignty as part of the conference. And for Lead Pride conference she reached to Halco to host a workshop on LGBQT2S+ legal aid into to keep LGHBQT2S+ students informed about their rights. Mary also organised two virtual pride events during this present 2020 summer, she recruited panelists who were members of the black LGBQT+ community to share their experience with regards to the work they do, their support system coming out and policies they want to see change inorder to ensure safe spaces for LGBQT2S+ people particularly for black members of the this very vulnerable community. Mary enjoys creating and planning community work that centres the voices of marginalised people particularly Indigenous people and Black trans women. Mary also was BOD at the UTSC Women and Trans Centre, where she planned events for the semester and designed posters for organised events. Mary enjoys learning and constantly challenging herself as means to grow and broaden her horizon. In her free time Mary enjoys reading, cooking, practising her computer design and dancing.

Anson Sobers

Anson Sobers is an Audit Project Manager with the Ontario Internal Audit Division. He has over 10 years experience in Audit and Accounting working in Barbados, Bermuda and the USA prior to migrating to Canada. He is a health and wellness advocate and owner of kFIT based in Hamilton Ontario. He has a passion for maximizing output with minimal input through continuous improvement and has worked with other charities or volunteer events to achieve such.  At Black Cap he is hoping to share his expertise to help strengthen the financial and operational aspects of the organization.

Chantelle Vernon

Chantelle Vernon is currently a Health System Planning Lead at Ontario Health, Central Region, and has over ten years of progressive leadership accountabilities across various health care sectors, including HIV/AIDS, community, hospital and government. She has a solid foundation and experience leading large projects, providing strategic advice and applying evidence-based methodologies to program planning and decision-making processes. Currently, her work involves managing a diverse portfolio including: COVID-19 community and school testing response, health equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism. She is passionate about, reducing health disparities and addressing anti-racism, to improve health outcomes for racialized and marginalized populations.  Chantelle is excited to bring her passion for helping her community, knowledge of the sector and proactive approach to the Black-CAP Board. Her driving values are empathy, compassion, humility and Integrity, and strives to build authentic relationships that create opportunities for change.Chantelle holds a Master of Public Health with a focus in Epidemiology, and a Bachelor of Science with a focus in Health Administration from East Tennessee State University.