About the Windsor Essex Local Immigration Partnership
About the Council
In order to achieve our key objectives, a partnership council was established including a variety of community partners from:
- Employment & Trade
- Community and Social Services
- Education
- Government
- Service providers
- Health care
- Ethno-Cultural groups
- Economic & Workforce boards
Members of the WE LIP Council plan their programs and services with a clear understanding of the needs of immigrants while valuing the contributions immigrants can provide to our region.
In addition to the membership, the Council welcomes the participation of resource persons such as funders or representatives of other agencies. They receive notification of meetings and events as well as minutes and/or reports produced by the WE LIP. The participation of the resource members provides opportunities to increase the awareness of the initiatives undertaken by the WE LIP and leverage these opportunities throughout Windsor and Essex County.
WE LIP Executive
The Executive Committee is a Standing Committee of the Windsor Essex Local Immigration Partnership Council (WE LIP) comprised of council members from organizations with voting status.
Role of the WE LIP Executive
- To provide strategic input as to the direction and activities of the Windsor Essex Local Immigration Partnership as aligned with the deliverables and objectives as outlined in the IRCC Contribution Agreement;
- To provide leadership within the WE LIP Council to promote and support WE LIP activities;
- To provide a forum for discussion and/or the development of recommendations for the Windsor Essex Local Immigration Partnership Council on issues related to newcomer integration in Windsor and Essex County; and
- To act as the authority decision maker for emergency purposes when required or instructed by the Windsor Essex Local Immigration Partnership Council.
Meet the WE LIP Executive
Chair: Ronnie Haidar, University of Windsor
Vice-Chair: Dr. Riham Al-Saadi, Transparency Counselling Services
Member at Large: Hussein Kawas, Conseil scolaire Catholique Providence
Member at Large: Marion Fantetti, Invest WindsorEssex
Member-at-Large: Yasmine Joheir, Centre communautaire francophone Windsor Essex Kent (CCFWEK)
Member at Large: Rama Musharbash-Kovacsi, Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board
The WE LIP Coordination Team
The Team works to facilitate the objectives of the Council by coordinating, providing organizational support and overseeing the development of a local settlement strategy and targeted action plan.
Project Manager: Stephen Lynn
Director of Community & Workforce Development: Kelsey Santarossa
WE LIP Project Lead: Alanna Oddoye
WE LIP Project Lead: Aaron Fauteux
WE LIP Project Assistant: Dimple Gogna
2023-2024 WE LIP Terms of Reference
To view the 2023-2024 Windsor Essex Local Immigration Partnership Terms of Reference, please download a copy below.
Annual Community Forum
Every year the Windsor Essex Local Immigration Partnership invites council members and community partners to an Annual Community Forum. This event provides opportunities for the council to shine a bright light on their collective accomplishments from the past year. This event focused on youth and featured a keynote presentation on the topic of navigating the future of work for youth and employers – the future is unpredictable, but the future of work does not have to be. How can we build a more welcoming work environment for diverse youth employee needs?
This Keynote focused on:
- Strategies for meaningful youth engagement
- Guide for Navigating the Future of work for Youth and Employers
- And other topics
You can view the 2023 WE LIP Annual Community Forum presentations below:
Every year the Windsor Essex Local Immigration Partnership invites council members and community partners to an Annual Community Forum. This event provides opportunities for the council to shine a bright light on their collective accomplishments from the past year. This year’s Forum featured keynote speaker Jean Samuel, Former Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Ontario Association of Children’s Aid Societies, who spoke on the topic of Getting Ready to Get Ready for Equity Leadership in our Community.
This keynote focused on:
- Emotional Intelligence for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- Dismantling the fears of conscious leadership for equity
- Centering on the right use of power
- Asking the ‘right’ questions to arrive at equity in social services provision?
You can watch the WE LIP Annual Community Forum in its entirety below:
Council Meetings
Thank You Mary Ellen
Thank you Mary Ellen Bernard for your years of hard work, guidance and support – and for making WE LIP what it is today.
