Board of Directors 2025
Natalia Austin, Director, is a graduate from the University of Toronto and Sheridan College and received a bachelor of arts honours degree and diploma. Natalia has a passion for the arts, particularly in painting, sculpture and performing arts and has experience in all types of mediums including, drawing, painting, photography, sculpture, print media, performing arts and design.
Natalia has experience running her own art studio Art with Austin and teaching art to the Brampton community! Here people of all ages and backgrounds got the chance to embrace their backgrounds and create artworks that spoke to them and their community. She also designed a Performing Arts Program that was dedicated to support everyone, especially low-income families and it turned into a great success!
Natalia loves the ability to create with any medium, and see ideas come to life! Sharing these ideas and discussing how artists come up with their concepts is part of what makes art exciting for her. Natalia likes getting her hands dirty and creating something amazing. Her best experiences have been working with all ages in art and guiding people through their creative process. Her goal is to continue to share her passion for the arts with everyone she encounters.
She has managed public art projects for the City of Toronto, Cultural Hotspot, Doors Open, StreetARToronto, MOCA Toronto, Toronto Biennial, Toronto Zoo, Nuit Blanche, Cavalcade of Lights, Mural Routes, and Yonge-Dundas Square. In 2020, she joined the Executive Committee as the Secretary of the Board at Neilson Park Creative Centre. Then in 2023, she moved into a new role as Vice President. Currently, she is looking forward to taking on her new role as Chair of the NPCC Board in 2024.
Kia Fatemi, Director, is a corporate veteran with 24 years of experience in telecom and consumer packaged goods, with a focus in sales and supply chain. His career spans across several companies such as Bell, Kellogg’s, Labatt and Cuisinart and Molson Coors. Kia is a certified Scrum Master, Product Owner and has a certificate in e-commerce & online business management. He holds a bachelors degree from the University of Toronto where he majored in Fine Art History and Communications and a certificate in Digital Communications from Sheridan College.
Over the years, Kia has been involved in numerous charitable organizations including the Toronto Food Bank, Bell Let’s Talk and Motionball. He has worked directly at these events by fundraising and raising awareness.
Kia was born in Tehran, Iran, but grew up in Etobicoke. He attended Mill Valley Junior School, Bloordale Middle School and went to Silverthorne for his high school years. He has a deep connection to the community and is incredibly proud to be part of the board.
Wendy McCallum, Vice Chair, is an Accredited Family Mediator and Financial Planner within the not-for-profit sector, who is dedicated to helping families navigate family challenges. She holds a double major in International Relations and Fine Arts from York University. Her past experience includes a 15-year career in the entertainment industry, where she worked behind the scenes on notable projects such as *Degrassi*, *Inspector Gadget*, *Peanuts: Snoopy in Space*, *Strawberry Shortcake*, and *Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs*. Her experience gives her a unique perspective, shaped by her passion for community, arts and creativity. Wendy is committed to fostering a culture of collaboration in the arts and believes in using her experience to make a positive impact. She prioritizes excellence and focuses on building strong relationships.
Aleksandra Piascik, Treasurer, brings to NPCC over ten years of professional public sector finance experience working as a Capital Financial Coordinator for Halton Region. Aleksandra also holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Toronto along with a Master’s of Business Administration Degree from Centenary University of New Jersey.
An interest in Canadian public policy and economic development led her to complete a graduate certificate in Public Administration from Humber College. She also contributed to the 2009 OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) Toronto Review while working for the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade. Aleksandra has a love of classical music and is passionate about supporting creativity and the arts within the community. She is a classically trained soprano and soloist with over 25 years of performance experience with numerous choirs and vocal ensembles.
Zeshan Saghir, Director, brings over 12 years of expertise as an accomplished auditor, with extensive experience leading teams across capital markets, compliance, quality assurance, and organizational culture. He holds an MBA from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Certified Internal Auditor. Zeshan has contributed his leadership to various boards in the past, demonstrating his dedication to governance and community impact. He is passionate about fostering high-performing teams and implementing innovative solutions to address complex risks.
Brenda Shewchuk, Past President, has had a long career focused on project management, business processes improvements, communications, and delivering outputs on time and on budget. She is an innovative and results driven leader with successes building cross-functional teams and motivating and directing employees. Brenda is a graduate of the Rotman School of Business, Executive Human Resource Program and holds a BSc Psychology, from Waterloo, and MSc Information Resource Management from Syracuse University and a Diploma in Adult Education from Sir Francis Exavier University.
Jerry Smith, Director, BA UofT, Theatre and Philosophy; HSA Teaching Certificate; ACSD Central School of Speech and Drama; M.Ed. University College Cardiff; MBA Arts and Media Management York U. Active as a trainer, consultant, educator and leader, Jerry established the professional theatre training program at Humber College, and founded the college’s post diploma certificate programs in Arts Administration/Cultural Management. Jerry’s experience includes a wide range of leadership roles on Boards of Directors: President/Chairman of the Boards of Arts Consultants Canada, Theatre Ontario, South Etobicoke Cultural Plan, Lakeshore Arts, Greater Toronto Philharmonic Orchestra, Assembly Hall; selected as a Volunteer of the Year as well as Cultural Champion, Toronto.
Nyrie Telemi, Director, is a Chartered Professional Accountant with over 10 years of experience in finance. She has a MBA from Carleton University, a Certified Fraud Examiner certification, and taught data analytics at Centennial College on a contract basis.
Nyrie is currently the Director of Finance at Facility Association, and worked in the insurance industry for most of her career. She has also been volunteering with various organizations for the last 15+ years, including the North York General Hospital, Parkinson Canada, Women on Web, and the Armenian Relief Society. Nyrie loves to travel, play soccer, and spend time with her family. She strongly believes in giving back to our communities and has devoted a large portion of her free time to volunteer work.
