News Release

For Immediate Release
September 21, 2005

TORONTO — The McGuinty government is strengthening our communities and ensuring a strong voice for victims of crime with the appointment of Ruth Campbell as Chair of the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and the appointment of seven new board members, announced Attorney General Michael Bryant.

"I am delighted to have secured a strong, representative group of specialists in the field of victim services," said Bryant. "These experienced individuals will ensure a voice for victims in developing policies and programs to help victims of crime."

Campbell is a nationally recognized expert, author and trainer in the field of victimization. Her experience includes more than 15 years of counselling, teaching and community service with local, national and international organizations. She has been employed as a crisis counsellor with the Ottawa Police Service and has also provided training to senior police officers to assist them in addressing violence against women in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, at the request of the Canadian International Development Agency.

"My appointment to chair the Office for Victims of Crime provides a new opportunity to build programs that will meet the needs of victims of crime in Ontario," said Campbell. "I look forward to working with the board to find new, creative and more effective ways to help victims of crime."

The government's expansion of the board will ensure it serves victims better by including members that reflect the diversity of victims and victims' issues.

The seven new board members include:

Audette Shephard (Toronto) is a bank manager who lost her only child to gun violence. Shephard became one of the founders of United Mothers Opposing Violence Everywhere (UMOVE). She is also a director on the Board of Toronto Crime Stoppers and a member of SDA Prison Ministries.

Heather Quinn-Imming (Carleton Place) has strong community-based involvement in victims' issues, as a member of the Domestic Violence Grant Community Application Team, and as a participant in the OPP Domestic Violence Training Program for Eastern Ontario. She was previously the Vice-President Board of Directors of the Lanark County Interval House.

Gayle Nathanson (Toronto) is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada and has a background in law and advocacy. As a government relations consultant, Nathanson acted for corporate, individual, association and not-for-profit clients on a range of policy matters, including victim services. Nathanson has also worked as an advocate in Washington D.C., and as a lawyer in a Toronto law firm.

Marsha Greenfield (North Bay) is the current chair of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Board. Her public service career includes providing staff training at 23 shelters for assaulted women and their children in Northern Ontario and leading workshops for police officers and Crown attorneys to help them provide an appropriate and effective response to women victims of male violence.

Elizabeth Forestell (Little Current) is the executive director of Manitoulin Family Resources Inc., which provides services to protect women from violence, including a shelter for women in crisis, counselling and therapy teams. She was previously the executive director of Elizabeth Fry Societies in Nova Scotia and Ontario, working with women in conflict with the law.

Peter Dotsikas (Toronto) is a criminal law specialist with a major Toronto law firm and a former assistant Crown attorney who has a long history of involvement in community affairs and participates in programs that support children and youth.

Aniceto (Dino) Doria (Pickering) is a retired sergeant, with 28 years experience in law enforcement with the Toronto Police Service. Doria worked in the Training and Education-Leadership Development Section, and is a former detective pioneer of the Toronto Police Hate Crime Unit. He is presently a professor at the Centennial College Police Foundation, a guest lecturer on extremism and terrorism, and an expert witness in trials involving the psychology of hate-motivated crimes.

In addition, Jim Stephenson (Brampton) has been reappointed to the board. Stephenson became an outspoken advocate for legislative reform of the criminal justice system following the tragic abduction and murder of his 11-year-old son, in 1988. He strongly supported the legislation that created Ontario's sex offender registry, which is named "Christopher's Law" in memory of his son.

"The new OVC members possess a wide range of experience and their sound advice will be invaluable in helping us provide victims with the programs and projects that can do the most good in our communities," said Bryant. "The result will be clear, direct benefits to victims of crime."

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