our staff

David Pell, HBES, MSc

David joined our team as Executive Director in January 2006. His introduction to Street Kids International was as a volunteer on the Fund Development Committee in 2004. David brings 25 years of experience as Executive Director and CEO of three voluntary sector organizations to our work. His solid fit with Street Kids is built upon his interest in how organizations can become self sufficient by developing an ‘enterprise’ culture within their organization.

Before joining Street Kids International, David operated his own business, worked for the government, universities, colleges and of course the voluntary sector. David was a partner in Development Initiatives Inc. a consulting firm that worked throughout Canada and internationally. He was the founder and President of the Community Business Resource Centre in Toronto a highly successful entrepreneurship training centre and consulting organization in economic development. As the CEO of the Canadian Youth Business Foundation(CYBF) and the Canadian Youth Foundation, David expanded the organization’s lending, mentor support and career planning programs for young people across Canada. His work throughout Canada, the United States, the European Community as well as several developing countries has provided him with opportunities to learn from many experienced community practitioners and community leaders.

Meredith Gabrielle Lee, B.A., MPA

Meredith is the Director of Programs and leads the partnership development and delivery of Street Kids International’s work. Meredith has worked extensively with youth and youth serving agencies in various capacities throughout Canada, Nepal, Vanuatu, East and Southern Africa, and Latin America. She also has experience in the field of documentary production, working both domestically and abroad. She has a passion for finding creative ways to use media for messaging and educational purposes. Meredith speaks Spanish and French fluently, holds a degree in International Development and has recently completed her Master’s in Public Administration from Queen’s University. Meredith is currently on maternity leave and we wish her all the best.

Heather Nelson, B.A., MBA

Heather is the Director of Communications and Fund Development and executes a wide variety of communication and fundraising initiatives of Street Kids International. A member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and Canadian Association of Gift Planners, Heather continues to develop her expertise in connecting Canadians with international development. Heather has worked in program management and local capacity building with youth serving agencies in Canada, Costa Rica, and Guyana as well as several years in management of several small businesses. In 2004, Heather completed her MBA in Nonprofit Management and has brought this mix of skills to Street Kids International. Heather is currently on maternity leave and we wish her all the best.

Natasha Cassinath, B.A., MBA

Natasha is the Senior Programme Manager responsible for developing partnerships and programs, supporting local partnerships and facilitating the delivery of our workshops in the field. Her development experience as program manager in Central America and Southern Africa spans community water management, life skills for youth, HIV/AIDS prevention and care, and social entrepreneurship. Natasha brings her special interest in corporate responsibility and the link between business and greater social development to Street Kids International. She speaks functional French, Portuguese and Spanish - but can get by with her Japanese and bahasa Indonesia. Natasha completed the post graduate Asia Pacific management program at the McRae Institute of International Management in Vancouver and completed her MBA at l'Institut National Superieur d'Etudes Economiques et Commerciales in Paris.

Garrett Maxfield

As the Manager of Business Operations, Garrett is responsible for ensuring the finances of Street Kids International are managed with both prudence and reliability, within the financial frameworks of the applicable legislation and the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Garrett provides financial advice and guidance as well as performing the operational accounting and internal and external reporting. At Street Kids International, Garrett has combined his passion for social justice and business education. He has completed his Honours Diploma in Business Administration- Accounting at George Brown College and a Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management- Accounting at Ryerson University.

Brent MacKinnon, CYW, SSW

Brent joined the Street Kids Team as Manager, Canadian Programs in September 2006. Brent is a resident of York Region and has an extensive background in youth and community work. Prior to coming to Street Kids, Brent designed and managed the Community Resource & Learning Room. In 2005 – 2006, Brent co-managed with Street Kids International, the Youth Community Mapping Program which examined youth poverty from a young person’s perspective. Brent was the founding Manager of the Square One Youth Centre, a collaborative initiative with partnerships between youth, nonprofit organizations, the business community, and the United Way of Peel Region. He was Community Development Coordinator at the Jane Finch Community & Family Centre for 3 years and managed a variety of settlement and community development initiatives. Brent also spent a number of years working in employment programs for hard to reach youth and was the founding Manager of the Inner City Youth Project, in Alberta. In addition to his diverse skills, Brent brings a keen interest in online learning and using emerging Internet technologies to improve programming effectiveness.

Breanna Ross, H.B.A.

Breanna is the Fund Development Coordinator and is responsible for the wide variety of fundraising initiatives of Street Kids International. Breanna is a graduate of the Fundraising and Volunteer Management Post-Graduate Programme at Humber College and also holds a H.B.A. in International Relations and Development Studies from the University of Windsor. She is very excited to be part of this innovative and empowering team and looks forward to our 20th anniversary in the year ahead.

Kristy Vanderplas

As Program Assistant, Kristy is involved in supporting several of Street Kids International’s projects, including the Canadian pilot program Streetjibe. Kristy holds an H.BSc in Bio Medical Sciences from the University of Guelph and completed the International Project Management Program at Humber College in 2006. Kristy has lived and worked in South Korea, Taiwan, Czech Republic and Tanzania and looks forward to contributing her knowledge and skills to Street Kids International’s programming both here in Canada and around the world.

Asha daCosta, B.A., M.Ed.

As a Programme Manager, Asha will liaise with local and international partners to create opportunities that promote the international exchange of best practices, deliver training, and develop cutting edge tools for youth workers serving marginalized young people. Asha’s previous experience includes work with child focused international NGO’s in Central America as well as local organizations serving marginalized youth. Asha brings to her work a passion for teaching and curriculum development with a focus on cultural relevancy, as well as an interest in child rights advocacy. Asha holds a degree in International Development Studies and recently completed a Masters in Education with a focus on Education Policy and NGO Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Paula MacKinnon, BA, M.Ed.

As a Programme Manager, Paula is responsible for supporting local partnerships and facilitating participatory workshops in the field. She has 15 years of experience in rights-based education and 11 years in the field of international development, concentrating on the design and delivery of educational programs. Paula has worked with various groups including children, youth, teachers, curriculum developers, and women’s associations, focusing on children’s rights, literacy, life skills and income generation. She has extensive experience in gender mainstreaming and has applied this to water and sanitation, basic education and governance projects. Paula has worked extensively in Swaziland and Ghana in both remote rural settings and inner city environments, and has traveled throughout Africa. She completed a Master of Education at University of Toronto - OISE and holds a teaching diploma from McGill University.

Chris Mejaski, B.J.

Chris joined the team in December 2007 as Communications Coordinator. He works to develop written material and public relations initiatives that reflect the goals of Street Kids International. He plans to apply his background in journalism and communication to strengthen the organization’s visibility and recognition to wide audiences. Chris has developed his communications skills through public relations roles in both the public and not-for-profit sectors. Chris holds a Bachelor of Journalism from Carleton University.