The Toronto Lands Corporation is governed by an independent 10 member Board of Directors, consisting of 4 Citizen Directors, 4 appointed TDSB Trustees and 2 TDSB Executive staff. The Citizen Director positions are selected by a TDSB committee after an open/public call for candidates, then approved by the TLC Board and finally the TDSB Trustees.
The Citizen Directors represent a range of seasoned professionals in real estate development, public infrastructure, municipal governance and affairs diversity & inclusion, urban development, City planning and executive leadership. All have impressive records of community involvement and support across Toronto and beyond. The Trustee-Directors provide important community context to TLC’s properties and the associated policy issues which impact these properties. This combination of expertise and knowledge on the TLC Board provides an informed and credible perspective, a commitment to market analysis and a strong commitment to community building.
Payman brings 15 years of experience in the transaction and development of complex real estate assets and is currently leading investment activities at Allied Properties REIT. His career has been dedicated to developing and operating educational, institutional, and office facilities. As a former post-secondary instructor, he understands the unique needs of educational facilities and the importance of fostering a healthy physical environment for learning and teaching. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science and a Master of Applied Science from the University of Toronto and is a licensed Professional Engineer.
Igor is a Senior Development Manager with Concert Properties. Igor has exhibited a deep interest and passion for creating resilient and thriving communities throughout his career. In addition to his role with Concert, Igor lectures for the Geography Department at the Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). Igor has 10+ years of experience in real estate development, land use planning, and entitlements in both the private and public sectors, including roles with Republic Developments, City of Toronto’s Planning Division, the Growth Secretariat with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and urbanMetrics. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geographic Analysis and a Master’s degree in Spatial Analysis – both from TMU (formerly Ryerson University).
John is a journalist and municipal leader who served as trustee and chair of the North York Board of Education for 9 years, followed by 31 years as a North York and Toronto City Council member. During that time, John served as Chair of the Toronto Board of Health, Chair of the Toronto Planning Committee, and Vice-Chair of the Toronto Audit Committee and TOLive. He spearheaded City initiatives, including banning smoking in bars and restaurants, the City’s dine-safe program, and the development of many new parks, child care, community centres and other public facilities. He has chaired the Board of TLC since 2023. He is a graduate of York University with a Bachelor’s degree in History and holds an ICD.D from the University of Toronto’s Director’s Education Program. John also received the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 and the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal in 2022.
Shelley Laskin is the TDSB Trustee for Ward 8 – Eglinton-Lawrence and Toronto-St. Paul’s and has previously served as Chair of the TDSB on two separate occasions. Shelley Laskin is an unapologetic champion of strong schools and healthy communities. In her sixth term as trustee on the Toronto District School Board (TDSB), where she is a member of the Governance & Policy Committee and Chairs Audit Committee, she is proud of her involvement in championing ground-breaking policies on parent and community involvement, equity, EcoSchools, healthy schools, open data and documenting incidents of hate, among others. Shelley has been involved with the Ontario Public School Boards Association since she became a Trustee and has served as Director and Enrolment Vice-President representing Toronto on several occasions. She is currently Chair of the Policy Development Working Group. She is proud of working with fellow trustees and other levels of government on issues to improve policies involving student learning and well-being across the province. With a Bachelor of Arts degree and a graduate diploma in Cartography, Shelley blends planning and action. She has managed various federal and provincial government projects and run her own business. She has been a member of the Ontario Public Service for over 20 years. Currently, as a Senior Advisor, she supports governance within provincial agencies. She has served on the executive of the South Eglinton Davisville Residents’ Association (SEDRA, formerly SERRA), as a public member on the Children’s Clearance Committee of Advertising Standards Canada and the Boards of Congregation Darchei Noam, Legal Aid Ontario and The Canadian Centre for Quality Education and Opportunity.
Leola is the Associate Director of Education, Organizational Transformation, Accountability, and Legal at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB). She previously served as TDSB’s Executive Officer, Legal Services where she led a review of TLC to refresh its governance and operational mandate. Before joining TDSB in 2013, Leola worked in private practice as a management-side labour and employment lawyer and as a human resources and labour relations professional. She co-founded the National GC Network, an association of Indigenous and racialized general counsel and senior in-house legal executives and leaders. Leola was called to the Ontario bar and has certificates in Human Resources, executive leadership, governance, and change management. She is the recipient of multiple awards and recognition from Canadian Lawyer InHouse Magazine, Legal500 GC Powerlist Canada, the Ontario Bar Association Canadian Corporate Counsel Association, and the Canadian Law Awards.