Board of Directors

Toronto Wildlife Centre is governed by a volunteer board of directors that truly believes in helping wildlife and the community through education, rehabilitation, and conservation.

Garry Gibbs

BA, LLB – Chair

Gary Gibbs is the founding partner of boutique law firm Gibbs & Associates. A graduate of the Osgoode Hall Faculty of Law, Gary is recognized as a leader in the fields of construction law and insurance and has been on The National Post’s “The Best Lawyers in Canada: Construction Law and Insurance” list since 2007. Brought up surrounded by pets, Gary now has a home full of happy rescue cats and dogs. A Toronto Wildlife Centre volunteer since 1997 (including many years as board chairman), Gary was re-elected to the board in 2015.

Kevin Empey

CPA (CA), CHE, AMP – Vice-Chair and Treasurer

Kevin Empey is currently providing advisory services to the Ministry of Health, Hospitals and Long-Term Care homes.

Kevin retired from being President and CEO of Lakeridge Health (hospitals in Durham Region) for 8 years and earlier was Vice President Finance and EVP at University Health Network for 10 years. He had prior executive roles at Peel Memorial Hospital and St. Michael’s Hospital. Kevin worked in Northern Telecom before switching to health care.

Kevin is a Chartered Accountant (now CPA) and graduate of Harvard’s Advanced Management Program.

Kevin’s personal interest is nature and the environment, and he is an active birdwatcher. He joined TWC’s Board of Directors in 2016.

Lisa Gibbens

BA, MISt – Secretary

Lisa has almost three decades of communications and marketing experience in the private, non-profit and public sectors, including more than 15 years with the Ontario government. Previously Board Secretary at the Toronto Humane Society, Lisa joined TWC’s Board of Directors in 2016. When not hiking through Toronto’s ravines with her dog or listening to jazz with her cat (both THS alumni), you’ll find Lisa gardening or avidly consuming the latest political, local, and international news.

Nabila Tisha

BA, CFRE

Nabila has rescued animals for as long as she can remember, and everything she seeks to do in animal welfare is in dedication to them.

With a decade of fund development and progressive sales leadership roles across Fortune 500 and social enterprise spaces, she never strayed far from working with non-profits. As the Senior Vice President of Sales and Operations at Globalfaces Direct, Nabila oversees multimillion-dollar donor acquisition portfolios for numerous non-profits. Her experience will support TWC in sustainably diversifying its revenue streams to remain a first-class organization for staff, volunteers, and most importantly, the animals in its care.

Nabila joined TWC as a volunteer Nursery Assistant in 2017 and TWC’s Board of Directors in 2021. She also serves on the Board of Toronto Humane Society and cherishes spending time with her rescue pup, Lemon.

Selene Hur

BA, MISt

Selene Hur is the Manager of Prospect Development & Research at the YMCA of Greater Toronto. With a background in fine arts, nonprofit management and information systems, she has worked in the fundraising sector for over 20 years. Aside from work, Selene currently serves on the boards of Apra International and Kappa Kappa Gamma Toronto Alumnae Association. Selene adores and spoils her 3 rescue cats. Selene joined TWC’s Board of Directors in 2016.

Derrick Araneda

Derrick is a Partner at Stosic & Associates (a government relations firm based in Toronto) and has been a member of TWC’s Board of Directors since 2023. From 2016-2018 he served as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Health & Long-Term Care of Ontario. Prior to his public service roles, Derrick worked in both Japan and Spain for high-growth start-ups in the education and technology spaces. He holds a BA in Political Science from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver as well as a MBA from IE Business School in Madrid, Spain. Derrick enjoys spending time with his two rescued rabbits.

Diana Turchin

MD, FRCS(C)

Diana Turchin has a medical degree from the University of Toronto and practiced orthopaedic surgery for more than 15 years. Her interests in birding and bird photography led to a passion for protecting nature and wildlife. She has extensive advocacy and volunteer experience with nature and wildlife organizations. A lifelong animal lover, Diana shares her home with two indoor cats. Her other interests include hiking, travel, playing the violin and classical guitar. A volunteer with TWC since 2021, Diana joined TWC’s Board of Directors in 2023.

Monika Joslin

Monika Joslin brings over 30 years of experience in private and non-profit sectors, specializing in strategic planning, business planning, fundraising and branding/marketing. Currently the Community & Philanthropy Lead at Cadillac Fairview, Monika held prior roles at Canada’s National Ballet School, Berry Management Consulting, and Knightsbridge Human Capital Management (now LHH). Having had the privilege of adopting and caring for four rescue dogs over the years, she is passionate about animal welfare and rescue and joined TWC’s Board of Directors in 2024. Monika lives in Toronto with her husband, daughter and rescue dog, Thor.

Allison McManus

CPA, CA

Allison McManus is a CPA, CA and a Partner at KPMG. Allison is deeply committed to environmental causes, including wildlife habitat conservation and fostering a harmonious relationship between people and nature. She loves animals and is a proud parent to a rescue cat who likes to be the centre of attention. Allison joined TWC’s Board of Directors in 2024.