Meet Board Candidate:
Wessam Ayad
KEYS
182 Sydenham St
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Professional Services/ Other |
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Side St |
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25-50 |
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Manager/Leadership |
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International Community |
Candidate Profile
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I am Wessam Ayad, the Learning and Development Project Manager at KEYS Job Centre in Kingston Ontario and an EDI Consultant and Training Facilitator. For years, I have supported several diverse populations including BIPOC communities, People with Disabilities/Disabled People, Indigenous peoples, Newcomers, Racialized Women and many more. I have successfully supported and advocated for inclusion practices in the Canadian workforce and communities. Struggling as a racialized Muslim woman and an internationally trained professional, I decided to use my education, work, and life experience to support underrepresented communities in Canada as well as Canadian employers and the Not-for-Profit sector through EDI work. Many member organizations have applauded my skills, efforts, and experience in designing, developing, implementing, promoting, leading, delivering, and evaluating innovative and fully integrated diversity and inclusion action plans and training-based EDI solutions. Examples of my achievements are the creation of The Begin Again Group Co-op for refugee women and the highest achieved employment rate in the province for the Destination Employment program funded by IRCC. I have also supported more than 53 local employers as well as many regional and national ones to improve their EDI profiles by offering action-oriented and training-based tools. I have been a guest speaker in many EDI forums and have recently been nominated for the Ban Righ Foundation Inspiring Women Leadership Award for 2021-22 as well as The Chamber of Commerce Excellence Award 2022 for her recognized and remarkable EDI work in the Kingston community. I am very passionate about the experience in downtown Kingston. It's the center of everything (shopping, meetings, work, banking, health visits, entertaining, etc..) and I want it to always strive towards more success in meeting people's expectations and needs. As Kingston’s population changes and the amazing diversity that we experience in the city increases, it becomes more important every day to re-evaluate and improve services from an inclusive and diverse lens. With this Downtown will continue to be an amazing place that every Kingstonian can see themselves represented in and enjoying their experience with. How do you feel about the Tannery project? ⭐⭐⭐ How do you feel about a Conference Centre/North Blocks development? ⭐⭐⭐⭐ How do you feel about investment in community spaces? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ How do you feel about walkability living? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |