Board of Directors

Irving Feldman:

Irving Feldman is the senior/founding partner of the SF Partnership, LLP, Chartered Accountants. He is also the president of the firm’s dispute resolution and mediation practice, Springbok ADR Services Inc.

Irving is a director of the KS International accounting association with over 100 affiliate offices worldwide, and is a board member of the Canadian Centre for Diversity, and the Dennis Waldman Foundation for Jewish Education. He is also a member of The Professional Advisory Group of the Baycrest Foundation.

Irving and his wife Phyllis live in Richmond Hill, and have 2 sons, Brandon and Jonas, who is married to their daughter-in-law Whitney.

Vice Chair

Mike Nethercott:

Mike Nethercott is Managing Principal of deecipher, a Toronto-based marketing and branding agency.  He has more than twenty years of experience in marketing and sales in senior international roles with Fortune 500 companies while based in Brussels, New York and Toronto.

Mike is also a former naval officer and lives in Richmond Hill with his wife Sarah and two kids, Paige and Cole.

Ellis Orlan:

Ellis Orlan is a CPA and has been practicing public accounting for 29 years. Ellis is currently a principal at SF Partnership. He specializes in consulting services to the long term care industry including nursing homes and retirement homes. His extensive experience also includes audit and accounting, and tax and business advisory services.

Ellis is born and bred a Torontonian. Ellis and his wife, Orit of 25 years have four daughters ranging in age from 10 to 20.

Ellis has volunteered on the Young Professionals Committee at Baycrest and has served on our Respite Fundraising Committee as well as our Finance Committee since 2009.

His interests include reading and golf and at one point in his illustrious career won a silver medal in weightlifting in the 1977 Junior Olympics.

Secretary

Steven Weisz:

Steven graduated from the University of Western Ontario with an Economics Degree in 2000.

Steven is a partner at Paradise Homes Corp. His ongoing responsibilities include assisting with land acquisitions and development; overseeing customer service; human resource liaison for the site construction staff; and overall market analysis. Paradise Homes Corp. was established in 1972, and has built over 6,000 homes in Greater Toronto and surrounding communities. 

Steven heads up the New Leadership Division for Reena Foundation.

Immediate Past Chair

Leon Kieselstein:

Leon is married to Fran, and is a father of two sons, Mike age 31 and Matt age 29. He graduated from the University of Toronto in 1969 and the University of Windsor Law School in 1972 and was called to the bar in 1974. He practiced law for over nine years and remains a member of the bar in the Province of Ontario. He has worked in the financial services industry primarily in the private client wealth management area. 

Leon is presently employed as a Vice President and Investment Advisor with TD Waterhouse. Leon became interested in the good works of Reena when his nephew became a client sometime ago.

Past Chairs:

Frank Simkevitz

Hon. Legal Counsel

Directors

Stuart Suckonic:
Stuart Suckonic is a Vice President of Business Banking at TD Bank Financial Group and oversees the day to day operation of the Bank’s Commercial Mortgage Group. Stuart started his work career with TD in 1988 upon graduation from York University ’s MBA program and has worked in a variety of areas in the Bank, with the last twelve years spent specializing in real estate finance. Stuart has also volunteered in the past running Avenue Road Hockey Association’s Select Program and currently sits on the board of that organization.

Stuart is married to Fern who works as a coordinator of student support services at Robbins Hebrew Academy Bathurst campus. They have three children, Jonathon, Jennifer and Allie, ranging in age from 16 to 20.

Jeff Shankman:

Jeff is a practicing Barrister and Solicitor. He received his Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography/Urban Studies from York University and his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Toronto. He has operated a private law practice for 32 years, advising a mix of clientele on a variety of issues and transactions, but with a particular emphasis on counseling major land development and building corporations on real estate development, construction, litigation and other matters.

Jeff has served on the Reena Capital Campaign and has actively solicited major gifts for Reena over the past year. Jeff is an avid golfer. Jeff and Grace have three sons, Lee, Cory and Derrick.

Arnold Unger:

Co-founder and CEO of Renee’s Gourmet Foods, the #2 Salad dressing company in Canada behind Kraft. Sold to every major supermarket in Canada and major ones in the USA and manufacturing and sold many dressings and sauces to such accounts as KFC, Mr. Sub, The Keg and East Side Mario’s to name a few. Sold the company to H.J. Heinz 2 years ago. 

Renee’s was voted one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies for the last 5 years. Also voted Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst & Young and National Post.

Arnie is involved with a number of charities such as: Easter Seals, Sick Kids, The Starlite Foundation and Mount Sinai.  Arnie and his siblings have been involved with and supportive of Reena for many years and maintains the Helen Unger Fund at Reena in memory of his sister. 

President