Staff Directory

Jennifer Henry currently serves as the Executive Director of KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, a role she took on in 2012. She has worked in ecumenical social justice for over 20 years, beginning in 1993 when she joined the Ecumenical Coalition for Economic Justice (ECEJ) as a popular education coordinator.

Her time with ECEJ included coordinating a cross-country economic literacy program called “Building a Moral Economy,” and contributing leadership to the Canadian Ecumenical Jubilee Initiative. Within KAIROS, she has served in many roles from network and campaigns coordinator to the manager of teams focused on education and animation, organizational development, and human rights (Indigenous rights, gender and migrant justice). As manager of the global partnerships program, she played a significant role in coordinating KAIROS’ grassroots response to the CIDA defunding. She currently serves on the Good Jobs Roundtable spearheaded by Unifor, the Primate’s Commission on the Doctrine of Discovery, Reconciliation and Justice, and the Board of the Centre and Library of the Bible and Social Justice.

Raised in Winnipeg, Jennifer has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Manitoba and a Masters of Social Work from the University of Toronto. She is currently enrolled in a Masters in Theological Studies at Emmanuel College in Toronto. She worships at the Church of the Holy Trinity, an Anglican Church in downtown Toronto.

Prior to becoming KAIROS’ Program Manager in 2012, Ed coordinated KAIROS’ Indigenous Rights Program. This involved working with Indigenous peoples and their allies on domestic and international public education and action initiatives towards the recognition and enforcement of Indigenous peoples’ rights.

KAIROS’ creation in 2001 brought together 10 social justice ecumenical coalitions, including the Aboriginal Rights Coalition (ARC), which brought together churches, religious organizations, Indigenous peoples and regional groups. Ed was ARC’s National Coordinator from 1995 to 2001.

Ed has a Bachelor of Journalism (Television) from Carleton University in Ottawa and is the first student at York University in Toronto to complete a combined-Masters Degree in Fine Arts (Film) and Environmental Studies. While in Toronto, Ed co-founded Friends of the Lubicon, a support group for the Lubicon Lake Cree First Nation in Alberta.

Ed’s a hockey and soccer dad who lives in rinks and on pitches in Ottawa with his partner, Nancy, and their children, Graham, Gabriella and Robertson.

Siobhan started out as a teacher and taught elementary, secondary and adult students everything from Spanish to Biology to Phys Ed in schools in Ontario, Grenada and Kiribati. Along the way, her participation in a variety of social movements gave her the opportunity to become involved in amazing work with amazing people. Eventually, her work in education changed focus and she became immersed in the work of Development and Peace, first as a member/volunteer and then as Regional Animator and later, Education Programs Coordinator. Siobhan has worked with KAIROS’ fundraising and communications staff as Organizational Development team manager since January 2014.

Alfredo Barahona, originally from El Salvador moved to Canada as refugee in the mid-eighties. He has worked with refugee and migrant communities through Toronto-based settlement agencies and now with KAIROS.

Currently Alfredo is the KAIROS staff liaison for the KAIROS’ Regional Networks in Western Canada. Alfredo is working on behalf of Canadian churches, with partners from labour, grassroots organizations, academics and migrant workers themselves, to unite, coordinate and strengthen advocacy efforts in Canada. Alfredo is also working on Indigenous Rights issues focusing on the development of meaningful relationships and mutual support between Indigenous peoples and newcomers to Canada.

Facilitating the effective and meaningful participation of affected communities in advocacy and solidarity work is a key principle in Alfredo’s work. As a tool for social change, music, in particular within a faith ecumenical and solidarity context is an integral part of Alfredo’s life and social justice work.

Beth is a social and ecological justice advocate with more than 10 years experience in sustainable development. She has worked with academia, civil society and government, including and most recently Status of Women Canada. Her work has focused primarily on freshwater management, climate justice, gender, and urban issues. Beth was a Youth Council member of PWRDF and supported the work of justgeneration.ca and the Canadian Lutheran Anglican Youth (CLAY) National Youth Project Working Group. She has worked in social justice, camping, and youth ministry at the parish and diocesan level for the Anglican Church in Ottawa, Kingston, and Toronto.

Beth has a Masters of Environmental Studies from York University and a BA from Queen’s University in Global Development Studies and Economics. When not at work, you can find Beth enjoying live music in the city, running along the waterfront, or trying new food. On weekends, you can find her sailing with her partner Sebastian on Georgian Bay, swimming at her family cottage on Sharbot Lake, or, in the winter months, downhill skiing.

The Media Coordinator for KAIROS Canada, Cheryl has 20 years experience in communications management. She has worked for national and grassroots organizations that include the Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital Foundation, Easter Seals Canada, and the Toronto Arts Council Foundation. She is also a climate activist. Cheryl founded and leads the Toronto chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, and has lobbied Parliamentarians, US lawmakers and the World Bank to put a price on carbon. Once upon a time, Cheryl was a professional actor. In her wee spare time, she writes plays and hangs around with trees. ​

Connie was born in the Philippines and moved to Canada in 1989.

As Ecological Justice Partnerships Coordinator, Connie is responsible for establishing new and nurturing existing relationships with like-minded church groups and civil society organizations in the region (Asia-Pacific) on social justice issues. She also provides oversight to grants provided to partners in support of their work and ensures that partners’ voices and positions are brought to bear on critical issues during roundtable discussions and campaigns here in Canada when physical participation is not possible. She has helped organized speaking tours, delegations and visits of Southern partners in Canada on human rights and the negative impacts of mining/resource extraction on communities and their food sources and livelihoods.

In her spare time, Connie Sorio is a community activist, a seasoned organizer and advocate for the rights and welfare of temporary foreign workers in Canada, particularly those under the Live-in Caregiver Program. She is a member of the Executive Committee of Migrante Canada and the International Coordinating Body of the International Migrants Alliance.

Elena is originally from Toronto and of mixed descent, sharing paternal Peruvian with maternal German and Lithuanian ancestry. After many years in the financial corporate sector, and aided by the volunteer work she engaged in with Development and Peace, Elena felt an awakening of her childhood passion for social justice.

When an employment opportunity at Development and Peace came up, she jumped on it without hesitation with hardly a look back at the corporate sector that had paid the bills for so long. She worked in various roles at Development and Peace for 2.5 years, including Animation, Clerical and Youth focuses. It was through this employment, that Elena was introduced to the KAIROS blanket exercise which had a profound impact on her personally, spiritually and professionally. She is humbled to join in the tireless work of reconciliation.

In her personal time, Elena is a proud mother of six children who highlight the importance of our mutual social justice and reconciliatory vocation. In addition to her children, she enjoys various activities such as writing, blogging, running and self-reflective spirituality. She also recently began practicing the martial arts of Karate and Hapki-Jitsu.

Fahira has served in many roles within KAIROS since joining in 2002. She currently holds the position of Donor Relations Coordinator. She enjoys the challenges of fundraising and believes in social justice. Fahira currently lives in Toronto with her husband and two daughters.

Ginger Cote is Algonquin and Ojibway from the Kitigan Zibi Reserve just North of Ottawa. She is the KBE Promotions Associate (East) at KAIROS Canada. Currently studying Law at Carleton University, she holds a Law Clerk Diploma from Centennial College and a Business Development Attestation from Heritage College. She has experience working with organizations that focus on Indigenous law and community building.

Giselle barely has the time to push pencils behind the solid walls of finance and administration at KAIROS. She enjoys working in the background, behind the epic scenes of the KAIROS day to day. While she may not have a green thumb like many of her colleagues, she really likes trees and plants. She’s known to love watching films and does not mind losing an excellent game of scrabble to a good opponent.

Jane is originally from Kenya and is passionate about work that supports social justice, equality, non-discrimination and respect for human rights. She has worked within Kenya’s civil society, in the U.S.A. and Canada, combining her passion, understanding and experience in social justice initiatives with connecting donors to causes they care about. Jane has coordinated and fundraised for human rights and advocacy programs, as well as partnerships with a wide social justice stakeholder movement. She is an Atlas Corps and Human Rights Campaign Fellow (2014).

In her spare time, Jane enjoys volunteering, amateur photography and exploring green spaces.

As Board Relations and Resources Associate my responsibilities vary substantially. In my board relations work I, among other things, assist the KAIROS board chair and executive director in preparation for, and follow up of, board and executive committee meetings and actions, maintain the board policy manual, correspondence and corporate records, coordinate the “Spirited Reflections” project, and other special projects related to policy and organizational development.

In my work on resources I, among other things, maintain an inventory of KAIROS print and electronic resources, develop promotional strategies, fill orders and maintain e-commerce ordering and the resources section of website. My work also includes some human resources and office administration. I’m interested in climate justice, ecological economics, food sovereignty and African partnerships. I am a jazz and African Canadian/American gospel music aficionado. Playing / coaching basketball are avocations. I have been a member of Royal York Road United Church in Toronto (a leader in Mission and Service Funding giving which contributes to KAIROS) where I’ve served as chair of its outreach committee for a number of years.

Katy Quinn works for KAIROS Canada​ as Indigenous Rights Program Coordinator. Before that she worked as Projects and Partnerships Coordinator for the Sioux Lookout Anti-Racism Committee. Her current and previous work has focused on fostering reconciliation based on decolonization and justice for Indigenous peoples. She has a BA in Anthropology from Concordia University and an MA in Conflict Studies from Saint Paul University.

Sara Anderson comes from a mixed background of German Mennonite and Métis ancestry. Originally from Kitchener-Waterloo (Block 2 of the Haldimand Tract – an ongoing land claim by the Six Nations of the Grand River), as a teenager Sara was deeply involved in the broader Anabaptist community with a focus on social justice initiatives, with a particular focus on issues pertaining to refugees and newcomers to Canada. More recently, she has embarked upon a journey of reconnection with her Métis heritage, and is now involved with urban Indigenous community in Ottawa (unceded and unsurrendered Algonquin territory). Currently she serves as a Blanket Exercise Regional Coordinator – Central in the Ottawa office of KAIROS.

Sara holds honours degrees in Global Studies and French from Wilfrid Laurier University, and has recently completed a MA in Canadian & Indigenous Studies along with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Indigenous Policy & Administration from Carleton University.

Rachel is the program coordinator for the Gender Justice and Women of Courage Programs, and Latin American Partnerships. She has been involved in the human rights and social justice work of the churches for over 20 years and in solidarity and social justice movements for much longer, starting with the anti apartheid and divestment movement and the Nicaraguan solidarity movement in high school and university.

She holds an honours degree in International Development Studies from the University of Toronto, and a graduate certificate Gender and Peacebuilding from the University of Peace of the United Nations in Costa Rica.

Rachel is an experienced Popular and Adult Educator and fearless flute player and member of the Fallen Angles musical group. Finally, but most importantly to her, she is the mother of two beautiful, wise, compassionate and independent young women.

Rick hails originally from the Maritimes where he received a B.A. from Mount Allison University and an M.Div from Atlantic School of Theology. Rick worked for the Student Christian Movement of Canada as General Secretary from 1995-2000. From there he moved to work at the general council office of the United Church of Canada, where he acted as program coordinator for youth and young adult ministries.

He currently holds the position of Administrative Associate at Kairos, dealing with financial reconciliation for staff and operations of the organization. He also manages resources and other office duties. In his spare time, Rick spends time volunteering for Save My Tail dog rescue, playing Rock Band with his partner Darren, and generally pining for the East coast.

One half of my role at KAIROS is to support the work of the grassroots network in the Atlantic and the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence Regions, that’s all the English speaking groups and individuals east of Thunderbay. The other half is to encourage young adult engagement across Canada in all aspects of the KAIROS structures and networks from actions to events to volunteering. When I’m not at work I enjoy exploring the city with my partner and young children from ravines and beaches to science centres and museums.

Susan serves as Board Relations Associate—working with KAIROS board chair and executive, maintaining board policy manual, correspondence and corporate records, coordinating the “Spirited Reflections” project and other special projects.

Previously she managed development projects in Africa with Presbyterian World Service and Development (PWS&D), and prior to that coordinated global health education and awareness programming at the University of South Florida.  She has focussed on global health, gender, HIV and AIDS and human rights in her work with international development organizations, including faith-based, non-government, universities, colleges in Canada and abroad.

Susan plays piano jazz and enjoys international music.  In her personal time, she has supported gender, human rights and climate change actions and attends Royal York Road United Church in Toronto (actively supporting KAIROS).

Verlin James is from the territory of Mishi Sakahikaniing (McDowell Lake First Nation) located in northwestern Ontario, he is the son of Eli and Laura James, by descent he is from the Crane clan of the Anishinawbe people. Prior to working with KAIROS, Verlin was employed as a project coordinator with Toronto Green Community and Keewaytinook Okimakanak (Northern Chiefs) Tribal Council as a project coordinator and Regional Crisis Intervention Coordinator in the Health Services department.

While he was with Northern Chiefs, Verlin initiated various partnerships with Lakehead University through the School of Kinesiology,the Food Security Research Network and the Northern Ontario School of Medicine for various health initiatives. He also engaged the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations for a pilot project titled The Growing Connection.

He has in the past, volunteered with the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate (OMI) in the city of Winnipeg and northern Manitoba as part of a discernment. Verlin is also a former US Marine infantryman, graduate of the University of Manitoba and has appeared in the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Louis Riel.