The University of St. Michael’s College Alumni Association Board of Directors exists to bring former students together with each other and with the University of St. Michael’s College to foster a spirit of loyalty among alumni, students, friends, and the community. The Alumni Board provides input that informs initiatives, programs, and events intended to engage alumni in the life of the University.
The Alumni Association Board of Directors currently includes the following Standing Committees: Nominating Committee, Alumni Awards Programs Committee, Alumni Reunion Committee. The current members of the board and their committee memberships are listed below.
Matthew is a Category Business Manager at Canadian Tire Corporation (CTC) and has held numerous leadership roles during his 25-year long career. Passionate for helping young people with their personal development, he is an active career mentor. Based in Whitby, Ontario, Matthew continues to volunteer for his former military Regiment, the Canadian Tire Jumpstart charity and is a member of the diversity, inclusion and belonging resource Group focusing on people with disabilities at CTC. As a St. Mike’s student, Matthew enjoyed coaching and participating in numerous sports at USMC, along with reporting for the Mike and sitting on different college committees and councils. Being an alum at USMC is a family affair for Matthew as his wife, brother, sister-in-law, father, aunt, and great aunt are all former graduates at USMC and U of T. Not to mention his daughter attends today as a 3rd-year undergraduate. Matthew is excited about being back on campus and helping to develop the path forward for active participation by our alumni.
Liz is a physician in Toronto. Before working in healthcare, Liz was a doctoral candidate in English literature. She then made the transition and has had numerous roles as ER Physician, Hospitalist and Family Physician. Before relocating to Toronto recently, she lived in Northern Ontario where she was a board member with the Timmins and District Humane Society and the Timmins and Area Women’s Crisis Centre. While studying at St. Mike’s, Liz was an editor for The Mike newspaper.
Maria is the Founder and Managing Director of KITE – Keep in Touch Education, a company dedicated to alumni research and training programming worldwide. Based in Donegal, Ireland, Maria is also a Visiting Research Fellow at the Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin and holds a doctorate in higher education from the University of Sheffield. She is the author of The Alumni Way: Building Lifelong Value from Your University Investment published by Policy Press. A former Loretto College resident and Social Commissioner, as a student Maria was a member of SMCSU, along with Promotions Commissioner and Vice-President of the University of Toronto Students’ Council. She is the second generation of her family to attend St. Mike’s after her dad Victor Gallo SMC 6T6.
Karen is a student success teacher and lawyer. Achieving a BSc from U of T, she continued her education at the University of Ottawa, achieving a Bachelor in Education and a Bachelor in Law. Karen has been on St. Mike’s Alumni Board for 20 years. She served as the Membership Committee Chair, Vice-President, President and now as Past-President. She is an Alumni Awards Committee member and has assisted with Spring Reunion and the Boundless Campaign. Karen was also a member of organizing committee for the 150th Gala at St Mike’s in 2003. As a student, she was a Don at Loretto College, a clerk at the Registrar’s Office and as a tour guide of St. Mike’s and U of T. She received the 2013 Arbor Award from the U of T for her St. Mike’s fundraising and volunteer service.
Victoria Asikis (1T1) is a Senior Associate at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP. Her practice is primarily in regulatory law with a specialized focus on food and beverage, cosmetics, natural health products, over-the-counter drugs, alcohol, textiles and other consumer goods. Her practice also involves advertising and marketing reviews under Canada’s Competition Act, regulatory compliance under Canada’s Federal Plastics Registry and other Federal environmental initiatives, and regulatory due diligence in commercial transactions.
Victoria graduated from St. Michael’s College with an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English, history and film. She later attended Windsor Law at the University of Windsor where she obtained her Juris Doctor degree in 2015. She was called to the Ontario Bar in 2016.
Born and raised in Toronto, Victoria moved to Ottawa in 2019 where she continues to be involved in her community and at St. Mike’s, including as a mentor with the AMPlify Program and member of the Alumni Association Board.
Catherine Bragg (7T5) is the former UN Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs. She previously served 24 years in Canada’s federal public service with portfolios spanning criminal and Aboriginal justice, Northern devolution, and the voluntary sector. She served in seven departments, including as Director General, International Humanitarian Assistance, Peace and Security Program, which launched her two-decades career in humanitarian work, responding to around 30 crises in over 100 countries.
She earned degrees from U of T (B.Sc. Psychology), University of Cambridge (M.Phil. Criminology), and the State University of New York at Albany (Ph.D. Criminal Justice).
Now retired, Dr. Bragg continues to serve as Adjunct Professor of Humanitarian Action in University College Dublin, Ireland; Senior Fellow at U of T’s Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy; a speaker, lecturer, and board member globally; and as a volunteer with U of T and its students.
She continues to be involved in the SMC alumni community. Most recently, she managed the B.Sc. psychology table at Orientation’s Academic Program Social, was a panelist for the ‘Grad Panel and Funding’ and lectured on various topics for Career Month. Her hobbies include cooking and fitness.
Hao Chen (SMC 1T9) is a Customer Success Manager helping large enterprises optimize efficiency and operationalize excellence in their supply chains beyond graduation. He remains actively engaged as an Alumni Board member and as a member of St. Mike’s Young Alumni Committee (YAC).
Larry resides in Indiana, USA, and is the President of ProConsult, LLC, a strategic global management and logistics consultancy. He works with international not-for-profits, professional medical associations, and the pharmaceutical industry to facilitate collaborative relationships, manage global research projects, prepare publications, participate in scientific symposia, and develop professional training on co-morbid mental and medical disorders. Larry is retired from Eli Lilly and Company having served in management roles in International Marketing, International Government Affairs, and as President of the Lilly Foundation. As a student, he was a denizen of Elmsley Hall, played on St. Mike’s rugby and basketball teams, and performed in a band at events in the Coop and Brennan Lounge. In 2023, Larry was the inaugural winner of the Professor Victoria Mueller-Carson Spirit of St Mike’s Alumni Award.
Alessia is a Secondary Teacher with the Toronto Catholic District School Board who holds her OCT qualifications in Special Education, English, Dance, Physical Education and Social Sciences. Alessia graduated with her Honours BA in 2018, and her Master of Teaching degree from OISE in 2021. Prior to her Master’s degree, Alessia worked for Bell Temple LLP as a Legal Assistant, and later, was hired with the Division of University Advancement at U of T focusing on Alumni Reunion. As a current active member of the St. Mike’s Young Alumni Committee (YAC), Alessia has served as a mentor for various networking events. As a student, Alessia was as a member of SMCSU, St. Mike’s Orientation Coordinator and U of T Dance Team Captain. Alessia was a recipient of the Gordon Cressy Leadership Award, as well as the Class Representative Award for the class of 1T8.
Claudia is currently the Manager, Business Integration Services & EA to the Assistant Deputy Minister at the Ontario Ministry of Health. She has an extensive background in policy and corporate management, including holding roles with the Ministry of Finance and Indigenous Affairs. Claudia holds an MBA from the Smith School of Business, Queen’s University, complementing her prior degree from U of T’s Rotman Commerce Program. Passionate about alumni engagement, she actively contributes to the St. Mike’s Young Alumni Committee (YAC). Some of her fondest memories during her time as a student were created at St. Mikes / Sorbara Hall. Claudia was also involved in the Emerging Leaders Program and Women in Business.
Marianna Kalaczynski (1T9) is an information professional, librarian, and archivist dedicated to community building, historical preservation, and equitable access to knowledge. She has held information management roles across academic, non-profit, and government sectors and is currently the Archivist for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary. During her studies at St. Mike’s, she was a Residence Don at Loretto College. As a double alumna of U of T (MI 2T1, HBA 1T9), Marianna brings a passion for advocacy, education, and institutional memory to her work on open access, digital literacy, and supporting underserved communities.
Outside of work, Marianna explores her strong interest in cultural and religious studies thanks to her fluency in multiple languages (Polish, French, and Italian) and interfaith leadership involvement. She is active in various professional associations and is an SMC AMPlify Mentor.
Jesse is an MBA Candidate at Smith School of Business at Queen’s University. Previously, Jesse was an Advisor of Procurement Operations at Infrastructure Ontario, where he also volunteered as an events coordinator for the firm’s charitable group, Infrastructure Ontario Gives Back. He was also the Vice President of Public Relations for IO Speaks Toastmasters club and is an active member of the St Mike’s Young Alumni Committee (YAC). Jesse graduated from Rotman Commerce in 2017. As an undergraduate student, Jesse was a three-time St. Mike’s Orientation Leader and the Events Coordinator for the U of T Sports and Business organization (UTSB). As a commuter student Jesse actively participated in SMC events throughout the years at Brennan Hall and served as a Commuter Orientation Leader for SMC.
Pia Karrer O’Leary (6T2) has a long record of involvement at St. Mike’s. Following graduation, she earned a Master of Arts and taught French. After leaving the professional world to raise her four children, she resumed her career in 1979, pioneering a high school French course in London, Ontario. Without a curriculum, limited resources and no nearby colleagues to consult, she drew on her imagination to build an innovative five-year program. She developed a variety of projects to keep her students motivated, including having Grade 11 students produce hour-long radio shows in French on CHRW for the French community in London. She was awarded The Hilroy Canadian National award for Innovation in Education in 1993 for this initiative.
Now retired, she continues to serve French First Language education at the provincial and national levels, while pursuing her longtime hobby of photography and mentoring novice photographers.
Nicholas Pagano (2T1) is a Process Engineer at CIBC, after beginning his banking career as a Financial Advisor and Branch Manager. He is also an MBA candidate at the Rotman School of Management in the University of Toronto. Nicholas completed an Honours Bachelor of Science, majoring in neuroscience and mathematics.
While at St. Mike’s, he served on SMC Student Union as VP of Academics and Vice President, as well as Orientation Marshal, and consulted on multiple SMC initiatives, including St. Mike’s 180. Nicholas was a part of the inaugural SMC Gilson Seminar in Faith and Ideas and received the Fr. Robert Madden CSB Leadership Award and is a class representative. In the greater community, he participates in the CIBC Run for the Cure and is a community organizer for Movember on an annual basis.
Cesare is a Partner in the Municipal Liability and Insurance Defence Litigation Group at Loopstra Nixon LLP; he previously worked in the Insurance Defence group at Bell Temple LLP. After graduating from St. Mike’s, Cesare completed his Juris Doctorate at the University of Ottawa in 2013. As a very active St. Mike’s student, Cesare served on SMCSU as the Social (“Double Blue”) Commissioner in 2006-2007, President in 2007-2008, and in his final year, he was the Speaker for SMCSU as well as a Residential Don of Elmsley Residence (McBrady House).
Katie is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Nutritional Sciences at U of T and an Analyst in the Health Statistics Branch of Statistics Canada. Katie volunteers at numerous organizations, including Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, as a York Region Chapter Volunteer and on the Nutritional Sciences Graduate Students’ Association. As an active member of the St. Mike’s Young Alumni Committee (YAC), Katie assumed the role of Chair in 2022. During her time at St. Mike’s, Katie served as a Senior Residence Don, Mentorship Program Coordinator, and St. Mike’s Orientation Coordinator.
While at St. Mike’s, he served as SMC Orientation Marshall in 2018, and as an alumnus, his connection to the community continues to run deep. He has served on the SMC Young Alumni Committee since 2024 and is a passionate advocate for alumni engagement and mentorship. Outside of his professional life, John enjoys participating in run clubs and is a dedicated fan of the Toronto Raptors.
John Schady (1T9) is a Canadian CPA, currently working at Oxford Properties Group as a Senior Financial Analyst. John has worked at a number of audit firms prior, including KPMG LLP. A proud graduate of Rotman Commerce at the University of Toronto, John holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a dual major in accounting and economics.
Chris is a Partner – Construction and Energy at DWF Dublin, Ireland. He was previously the Chief Counsel Claims for AECOM in Europe, the Middle East, India, and Africa and was a lecturer for the Department of Finance on the New Public Works Contract. Chris also holds an MBA from the Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin and an LLB from Western University. Chris is qualified in Ontario, Ireland, and England as a lawyer. As a student, Chris was SMCSU President 1985-86 and the Men’s Athletics Director 1986-87, actively playing intramural basketball, soccer, hockey, and volleyball. Chris was resident in Fisher House, Gilson and McCorkell in his four years on campus. Like many St. Mike’s residents, Chris had several family members live at SMC over the years—his father, two uncles, one aunt, two siblings and four cousins.