Branch Executive

BRANCH PRESIDENT

Elaine Wu, Artsci’98, MIR’00, Law’03

Elaine Wu, Arts’98, MIR’00, Law’03 is President of the Toronto Branch.  The President provides leadership and direction for all Branch activities and events. She works with Committee Chairs and Event Co-ordinators to ensure successful delivery of the planned calendar of events.  This involves working with our VP-Communications to ensure the effective communication of our Branch activities; overseeing, along with the VP-Finance, the Branch financial accounts; liaising with Alumni Relations; and ensuring that the proper reports are completed for Alumni Relations.

She has been involved with the Toronto Branch since 2005 when a good friend invited her to a Branch meeting.  Since then she has been involved with the Speaker Series, the John Orr Award Organizing Committee, eventually co-chairing the event in 2007 and 2008, and on the executive since 2009 before becoming President in 2011.  She has met many wonderful alumni and has made many new friends during her time with the Branch.

 

VICE-PRESIDENT: VOLUNTEERS

Sarah Atkinson, Artsci’00, Law’03

Sarah Atkinson is the Vice-President of Volunteers for the Toronto Branch.  The VP of Volunteers ensures new volunteers are placed with a sub-committee they will be interested in, takes minutes at executive meetings, as well as assists current volunteers for the Toronto Branch with their events and projects as needed.

Sarah graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor of Honours Degree in History and Classical Studies and since she loved Queen’s so much, she stayed on and got her Bachelor of Laws degree in 2003.  Sarah’s favorite times at Queen’s involved playing her oboe in the orchestra, helping out at Queen’s legal aid and grabbing some poutine or pizza at Bubba’s.

 

 

VICE PRESIDENT: SPECIAL PROJECTS

Jennifer Hirano, Comm ’07

Jennifer is currently the VP Special Projects for the Queen’s Toronto Branch. This is a new position and can be anything you make of it! It involves supporting the President with any special project that isn’t part of another exec member’s portfolio. After Jennifer’s term ends in May 2012, she will not running again so it’s up for grabs & we encourage anyone to run for it!

Jennifer has been volunteering for Queen’s since she graduated – she was on the John Orr committee for 5 years, is an elected member of University Council, and helped out at GTA Countdown to Queen’s events. She’s also very involved with the Queen’s School of Business – on the Commerce Admissions Committee, QSB mentor program, and a 5-time QMAC sponsor. Among Jennifer’s (many) favourite Queen’s memories are living with her housemates in the “student village”, spending a summer in Kingston & and working long nights at Walkhome.

 

VICE PRESIDENT: FINANCE

Ryan Shoemaker, ArtSci’08

Ryan Shoemaker is the Vice-President of Finance for the Toronto Branch. The VP of Finance ensures that events run by the Toronto Alumni Branch are budgeted, ensures the branches funds are invested properly, and produces the financial statements for the branch each year.

Ryan graduated from Queen’s in 2008 with a Bachelor of Honours Degree in BIology. Ryan went on to study at the Queen’s International Study Centre in Herstmonceux, England in 2008 returning to Toronto for work. Ryan’s favourite memories of Queen’s include the time he spent on OC’ 06, Alfies, and jumping off the pier in to Lake Ontario.

 

VICE PRESIDENT: COMMUNICATIONS

Alissa Sokolski, Artsci’09

Alissa Sokolski is the Vice-President of Communications of the Toronto Branch. The VP of Communications works with the Communications team to ensure that the Branch and its members stay up-to-date. Whether it’s e-blasts, Facebook updates, Tweets, the website, or print material, the team works hard to keep everyone in the loop of Branch and Queen’s-related happenings.

Alissa has been volunteering as a designer for the Branch right after graduating with her Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies in 2009. Even before graduating, she was strongly involved with Alumni relations through her work with the Queen’s Student Alumni Association, so joining the Toronto Branch was a natural next step. Some of Alissa’s best memories of Queen’s are of organizing QSAA events, camping out at the Common Ground, and Kingston summers.

 

 

CHAIR: JOHN ORR DINNER & DANCE

Beth Ireland, Artsci’96, MBA

Beth Ireland is 2011 and 2012 Chair of the John Orr Dinner & Dance. The John Orr is an annual black-tie event and the highest tribute to an individual given by the Toronto Branch of the QUAA. This role involves managing a Committee of volunteers, acting as a liaison with the Toronto Branch and suppliers, and ongoing communication with the Queen’s Advancement office. Beth was Vice-Chair of the Committee in 2010 and an event volunteer in 2009.

Beth graduated from Queen’s in 1996 with Bachelor of Arts with Honours in History. She also has an MBA and her Certification in Public Relations. Beth remembers her times at Queen’s fondly – including being a docent at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre, attending formals and chatting over hot chocolate with her housemates.

 

CHAIR: YOUNG ALUMNI COMMITTEE

Zhaodi Culbreath, Sci’08

Zhaodi Culbreath is the Chair of the Young Alumni Committee. Zhaodi graduated from Queen’s back in 2008, where he studied Civil Engineering. He spent a year teaching overseas and when Zhaodi returned to Toronto, he really wanted to stay connected with the Queen’s Community he had been so actively a part of in university.

Zhaodi works with some incredibly talented young grads as part of the YAC, as we call it, to create opportunities for recent grads to stay connected with each other and Queen’s as they move to Toronto and embrace the “real world”! If you’re interested in what the YAC does, check out the YAC page for upcoming events or drop him an email at queensyac@gmail.com if you’d like to get involved.

 

To contact any of the above individuals please email torontobranch@tricolour.queensu.ca