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Our Board of Directors

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Christian Rugel, CIM®

Chairperson

Chris has been working with the professional community, charitable foundations, pensions and municipalities, and select institutions, helping them to achieve their capital preservation objectives since 1994. Leveraging the expertise gained as a former fixed income trader in the institutional bond market, he has developed investment plans for clients to help them achieve their goals.

His focus on the public sector and charitable causes led him to join Conoser initially as a general member of the board.  He then took over the financial reporting duties as Treasurer and most recently as the Chairperson of the Board.  His goal is to make Conoser sustainable and impactful in the Hispanic-Canadian community by establishing mutually beneficial and durable relationships within the community.

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Angie Barreno

Vice Chairperson

Angie has dedicated over seven years to empowering and supporting the youth community through her impactful contributions. Currently serving as a Youth Settlement Worker at the YMCA and having previously been the Community Liaison at Dukes Heights BIA, Angie brings a wealth of experience in financial management, program planning, grant writing, and relationship management to her roles.


Beyond her professional journey, Angie has founded various youth initiatives, making a remarkable impact by helping more than 200 youths each year. Her commitment to community development is further underscored by the completion of an advanced certificate as a Child and Youth Practitioner and a diploma in Local Economic Development. Angie's passion for social services and continuous learning shines through, reinforcing her dedication to making a positive and lasting impact on the well-being of children, youth, and the broader community.
 

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Juliana Galvis

Secretary

Juliana is originally from Colombia.  She graduated with a Bachelor’s of Applied Science in Psychology from the University of Guelph-Humber.  She is currently a Talent Acquisition Specialist. She previously worked as a Researcher and Early Childhood Educator.  She loves to play chess, play the piano and sing during her free time.  Juliana is new to Conoser and is looking forward to bringing a fresh perspective, with a focus on growth and innovation.

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Martha Blandon

Board Member at Large

Martha has always been interested in promoting the social inclusion and safety of the Latin American community in Toronto, providing information and access to community services offered by the federal, provincial and municipal governments. In particular, she likes to collaborate with the identification of educational and employment opportunities for Latin American youth. Her participation as a member of the Board of Directors of the Center for Spanish-Speaking People in recent years allowed her to understand the need to develop research activities related to the review of governance and leadership processes that allow developing more strategic visions for the organizations that offer community services at the local level. Always thinking about the organization of services related to the well-being of our Latin American community, She was a founding member of the "Latino-Hispanic Coalition for Mental Health" in Toronto. She has also collaborated with the Canadian Council for Refugees (Montreal), and in Toronto, Common Borders, Latin American Solidarity Network and Colombian Solidarity Action.

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Victor Gomez

Board Member

Victor is a Colombian-Canadian artist educator with experience in North and Latin America. He has an MFA in Drama from York University; studied Film, at Ryerson University; Creative Writing, at Humber College; has an HBA in Media Communications and Journalism, from Medellin’s Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana; and a Diploma from The Royal Conservatory of Canada, as an Artist Educator. During the last two decades, along with his artistic career as an award winning theatre, film and tv actor, writer and filmmaker, he has taught drama, creative writing, photography, film and video in institutions such as York University, The Players Academy, Equity Showcase Theatre, the Liaison of Independent Filmmakers of Toronto, Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, and the program Learning Through the Arts, run by The Royal Conservatory of Canada, with presence in more than 500 primary and elementary schools in the world.

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Freddy Velez

Board Member

Freddy is a passionate, well- rounded communicator with successful experience in public relations, media, Internet / social media content production and event planning in Canada, who loves supporting immigrants by walking with them through their settlement path, sharing all the resources available so they can find their place and role here.


Freddy is Colombian born and I came to Canada in the year 2000. A journalist graduated from Universidad del Valle, he has a postgraduate diploma in Marketing and has experience as a journalist, PR person and community/ event organizer.  Freddy graduated with Honours from the Canadian Journalism for Internationally Trained Writers program at Sheridan College. He finished both BESIP program, a professional development training for individuals moving into social services; BEMCI -Bridging to Employment in Media & Communications program -delivered by the Mennonite New Life Centre in partnership with Ryerson University and Seneca College.

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Veronica Viteri

Board Member at Large

Originally from Ecuador, Veronica is a professional dedicated to the care and education of young children. Verónica holds a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education from the Central University of Ecuador. Additionally, she has completed a variety of training programs and certifications in Canada. Throughout her career, Verónica has worked as an Early Childhood Education Assistant, Pedagogical Coordinator, and Early Childhood Educator in various settings, including childcare centers and community programs. In addition to her professional experience, Verónica has also volunteered in projects related to art and education in her Canadian community. Verónica is committed to her continuous professional growth and strives to keep learning and improving in her field. Currently, she is pursuing studies in early childhood education with the goal of expanding her knowledge and skills to continue making a positive impact in the lives of children and their families.

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