Membership sustains our operations, gets you involved in our plans and connects you to the mission year-round.
In 2027 PACE Canada turns forty. To mark it, we’re launching a year-long anniversary campaign — the $40 Campaign, the Legacy Fund, and a rolling series of stories from the classrooms we’ve supported since 1987. Real teachers. Real children.
Save the Date – Join us in Jamaica, May 9–15, 2027, and see the schools and communities at the heart of our work. This trip will be similar to the School Tour we did in 2017. Itinerary details are being finalized. Stay in touch for more details.
For diaspora-owned businesses, be one of the first to join our Legacy Fund Business Circle and get special promotions at our events and online. Details to follow soon.
Forty years of support for Jamaica’s youngest learners.
A fund to protect the next forty. Invite your family and friends to help build resilience for the future.

Director
Corinne Buchanan-Russell is an executive leader with more than 35 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and life sciences sector, having held senior leadership roles in Canada and globally. Throughout her career, she has led commercial operations, strategic planning, organizational transformation, and stakeholder engagement initiatives within highly regulated environments.
Corinne is the Founder of Culture Spark Solutions Inc., a consultancy focused on helping organizations align strategy, people, and culture to achieve sustainable growth. She is also Co-Founder and President of Advancing Black Talent in Pharma (ABTiP), a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to increasing representation and leadership opportunities for Black professionals in the life sciences sector.
Corinne holds an Accredited Board Director (AccBD) designation through the Board Diversity under the Network Ted Rogers School of Management – Toronto Metropolitan University Executive Board Readiness Certificate Program.
A strong advocate for education, mentorship, and community development, Corinne is passionate about creating opportunities that help individuals and communities thrive. She is honoured to support PACE Canada’s mission of advancing early childhood education and improving outcomes for children in Jamaica.

Education & Wellness (Executive Committee)
Shannon Green is an entrepreneur, financial professional, and women’s empowerment advocate dedicated to creating meaningful impact in both business and community leadership. She is the founder of Mrs. Universe Jamaica, a purpose-driven organization committed to empowering, motivating, and inspiring women to reach their fullest potential through leadership, confidence, and personal development.
Shannon is the broker/owner of Green Lending Corporation, a brokerage specializing in mortgage solutions, estate planning, and private lending services.
Shannon’s work ethic in business and entrepreneurship has earned her several recognitions, including being named one of the Top 100 Black Women to Watch in Canada 2023 and receiving leadership awards from organizations such as Get Elevated and The Lions Club International. She was also recognized through the Waterfront Awards for her contributions to business and entrepreneurship.
Through her work, Shannon continues to inspire others by blending purpose, empowerment, and financial education to help individuals unlock their full potential.

Membership (Executive Committee)
With over 20 years of experience as a Registered Nurse across public health, acute care, and community settings, I bring a strong foundation in communication, stakeholder engagement, and program development, along with a deep commitment to supporting children and families.
In my most recent role as a Public Health Nurse with the Region of Peel, I work closely with families during the early years of child development—an especially critical period that shapes lifelong health, learning, and well-being. Through this work, I have seen firsthand how access to education, resources, and community support can positively influence outcomes, and how important it is to strengthen these systems for all families.
I am particularly interested in contributing to PACE Canada through membership growth and engagement. I bring proven strengths in building relationships, connecting with diverse communities, and communicating effectively across both in-person and virtual environments. I am motivated by opportunities to expand awareness, foster meaningful connections, and support sustainable growth that enhances organizational impact.
I value collaboration, inclusivity, and thoughtful leadership, and I would be proud to contribute to a board dedicated to advancing childhood education. I look forward to supporting PACE Canada’s continued growth and helping to strengthen its reach and influence within the community.
Outside of her professional life, Paula is married with one son. She enjoys travelling, has recently taken up pickleball, and remains engaged in personal projects that keep her active and fulfilled.

Chair, Communications
Daniel Hill is a PhD student in Sociology at the University of Toronto. His research focuses on social mobility and stratification, specifically how educational and occupational aspirations shape life-course trajectories and health outcomes. His work connects questions of education and opportunity to broader concerns about how individuals pursue upward social mobility.

Executive VP and Co-Chair, Adopt-A-School
Mary Anne Dyce has over 20 years of experience in Information Technology, Management Consulting, Project Management and Outsourcing (from both the vendor management and client perspective). She is a professional, innovative, flexible and result-oriented individual has the unique ability to identify solutions and cost savings. Mary Anne interfaces easily with clients and communicates effectively to all levels of staff and management ensuring a motivated, productive team. Highly successful track record of delivered development projects, on time and within budget. This includes the preparation of project feasibility reports, business cases and project costing, project status reporting, issues & defect management, risk mitigation.
Other Interests
• Volunteer – held the Secretary position followed by the Treasurer, of PACE – Project for the Advancement of Childhood Education which sponsors Basic Schools throughout Jamaica. Visited Jamaica, with a team of other PACE members, to inspect several schools for a week. Set-up a Business for hand-painted T-shirts; and have donated art paintings for PACE Silent Auctions.
• Previously, was on the Community Board, for Elimination of Racial Discrimination in Vaughan.
• Real Estate License – Parked License, provides services for Friends and Family.
• Innovative – Set-up owned and operated local cuisine restaurant and karaoke bar in Barbados while Director of Consulting at Coopers & Lybrand.
• Mentoring – Provides motivational counseling services to colleagues displaced through reorganizations including resume design, how to execute job searches, coaching on behavioral interviews, head-hunter references.

Fundraising
Sophia is a highly accomplished professional with a unique blend of strategic leadership, information management, and community advocacy, seeking to leverage equivalent education and extensive experience in a public service environment. Proven ability to provide professional direct and indirect customer service, lead teams, manage complex information resources, and execute successful community outreach and programming initiatives. Deeply committed to the principles of equity and access in service delivery, in accordance with human rights legislation.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
•Canada’s Top 100 Black Women to Watch 2022
•Winner of the 2016 International Women Achievers’ Award for Media
•Awarded 2020 Woman on Fire Awards for sales and marketing leadership.
•Board Member/Secretary – Public Relations Committee of A-Supreme Foundation (Elder Care)
•Meet the Motivators: Celebrating Women in Leadership 2024 for Personal Branding Expert Recognition Award

Director
Colette Kane is the Manager of two of George Brown College’s School of Education lab schools. The Queen Street Child Care Centre is located in the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and Parkdale Child Care Centre is housed inside Parkdale Junior and Senior Public School. Prior to becoming a Manager at the college, Colette was part of the Early Childhood Education team at George Brown since 1989 as a Toddler and Preschool teacher.
For a number of years, Colette has taught in the Continuing Education Program at the College and continues to be faculty coordinator for students completing placements. Currently she is involved in an International Project, which takes 2nd year E.C.E. students to Jamaica for a month to work in a Basic or Infant School and completes their fourth placement. Colette obtained her diploma in Early Childhood Education from George Brown College and is currently completing her 4th year in the Early Childhood Leadership Degree program at George Brown College in partnership with Ryerson University.

Director
Mark Fullerton retired from the Information Technology (IT) industry in March 2014, where his last job was an Internet Consultant. In this role he worked on proposals for a broad range of clients and assisted them with the implementation of new software. Some of these projects included the implementation of social media tools within the organization in order to improve collaboration across organizational boundaries. He also did a lot of technical writing.
Wanting to put these skills to good use after he retired, there was a good fit with the Communications Committee at P.A.C.E. He had intended to start off as a committee member, but once the role of VP Communications opened up, it did not take much effort for Sandra and Diana to convince him to join the Board.
Mark’s other recent volunteer work was at the Thornhill Seniors Club where he led the Technology Corner and the Camera Club. In this capacity he assisted members with computer related problems, and in turn have asked them to donate to P.A.C.E. and the Wolmer’s Auditorium Fund. Both Mark and his father, Kenn, were graduates of Wolmer’s Boys’ School in Kingston, Jamaica.

Director
Gail Hunter is Professor, Coordinator in the Bachelor of Early Childhood Leadership program at George Brown College. Gail’s early career experience included Early Childhood Educator, Child Care Supervisor, and Toronto District School Board Child Care Advisor. In her role as Child Care Advisor she worked with school communities, child care supervisors, non-profit boards, and licensing inspectors. In this capacity she facilitated child care start-ups and provided ongoing workshops and supports to child care centres.
In 1991 Gail joined the George Brown team as a Professor/Coordinator of ECE.
During this time she was instrumental in bringing to fruition two new programs: Winter Intake ECE Diploma and the Early Childhood Leadership Honours Degree.
On top of her teaching Gail played a pivotal role in establishing the George Brown and P.A.C.E. relationship. This relationship blossomed into the current joint Jamaica – George Brown affiliation. 17 years later she continues to be involved in the project through fundraising, supporting students and doing presentations.
Gail was an active Board member of Jesse’s Centre for Teen Parents for five years, in her last two years she held the position of President. During her time on the board Gail focused on issues ranging from diversity, poverty, housing, education, and fundraising.
Gail works closely with Red River College and U of T’s Atkinson Centre, by facilitating Science of Early Childhood Development Resource (SECD) workshops. She develops workshops for diverse audiences including colleges, universities, ministries of education, and early childhood focused agencies internationally and locally.
Gail’s educational background includes a B.A. in Social and Political Thought, a Diploma of Early Childhood Education, a Certificate in Psychology of Human Relations and a Certificate in Teaching and Training Adults.

Treasurer
Helen Emanuel has been a member and Adopt-A-School Sponsor of PACE Canada since 2011. She has supported schools in Manchester and St. Elizabeth and is regular participant at PACE events over the years.
Helen retired from Scotiabank after a career spanning 40 years. During this period, she held a variety of positions with increasing responsibilities. These included leading Strategic Projects, implementing new initiatives and managing accounting and administrative teams. Helen worked effectively and collaboratively with various business lines, staff, customers and partners across Canada, always meeting deadlines and respecting budgets. Over the years, she developed strong communication skills which were paramount to the success of managing large teams and implementing change.
She volunteered with various organizations throughout her career including fundraising for multiple United Way initiatives, participating in Junior Achievement and representing Scotiabank for 3 years with YWCA Women of Distinction fundraisers. Since retirement she has volunteered at a Seniors Home and as the Treasurer of her Church.
Helen is a live theatre buff and is looking forward to enjoying stage shows again.
She holds a BA from McMaster University and an MBA from Dalhousie University.

Secretary
Marguerite South is an Onboarding and Payroll specialist for Canada with Aquent LLC, a global leader in talent and recruiting for marketing, creative, and design.
In her role, Ms. South leads new hires through a talent onboarding experience; employment paperwork, employment screenings, fulfillment of client requirements and provides the talent with a comprehensive in-person orientation. In addition, she plays a significant role in solving business problems and accomplishing a wide range of projects and services for internal and external clients.
Marguerite has over 15 years of People and Operation management experience and has held several leadership roles throughout her career with the RBC Financial Group, Symcor Inc and the Cornerstone Group of Companies
She is passionate about helping others, building relationships and partnerships. A believer in giving back to the community, Marguerite has volunteered with PACE Canada and other Community organizations. She has taught adults basic reading and counting skills at East End Literacy, a community-based literacy organization in Toronto and volunteered as art instructor at the Art Heart Community Centre in the Regent Park community. She has helped to deliver gifts with The Toronto Star Santa Claus Fund and participated in several PACE Canada Community events.
Marguerite is happiest when creative. She produced and installed a Painting and interactive Art Installation for the Alzheimer’s’ Walk for the Cure. She designed and painted the exterior of the PACE Tech di Bus. Her latest creative adventure is designing and dressing the Leaside Community Moose.
Ms. South attended Immaculate Conception High school in Jamaica. She furthered her studies and graduated from Ontario College of Art and Design in 1991, where she specialized in Fine Arts and photography; and completed her 3rd Year as Independent Studies in Florence, Italy.

President and Co-Chair, Adopt-A-School
Diana Burke is a respected Information Technology leader with more than 40 years of technology and business experience in the global financial industry, at various leadership and senior executive levels. Diana has strong technical knowledge of legacy and leading edge technologies with the ability to lead the architecture design and development for major financial systems such as Internet banking, point-of-sale, card services, banking machines and international wire transfers. She has a proven track record to effectively build and lead a team of highly skilled operational and technical professionals that was demonstrated through several corporate team annual and individual recognition awards.
During her career Diana was a senior information security executive with deep experience in the development of global strategies, organization, policies, standards, tools and techniques to effectively and securely support the businesses of a global leading financial institution. As a global Chief Information Security Officer she served on security advisory boards nationally, internationally and for Microsoft’s first Global Security Council.
Diana has been involved in community programs, leading diversity initiatives and as a Director or Chair of Boards for charitable organizations. This included the Past President of the People Bridge Charitable Foundation; President of the International Women’s Forum Toronto Chapter; Director at the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute; and various board positions at PACE Canada. She is a former member of the Ryerson University RBC Institute for Disability Studies and Research Advisory Board.
Diana has also attempted to enter politics twice as a nomination candidate for a Canadian federal party.
She has a BA in History from Queen’s University and is a 2018 Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow.