Abrigo Staff and Board

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Staff Members

  • Alyssa Martins

    Intake Counsellor

  • Ana Machado

    Counsellor

  • Anderson Salvador

    PAR Program Counsellor

  • Cidalia Pereira

    VAW Counselling Team Lead

  • Ed Graça

    Executive Director

  • Erika Pascoal

    Intake Counsellor

  • Dazy Pimentel

    Transitional Housing Support Counsellor

  • Gerald Luciano

    Manager, Fundraising and Communications

  • Liliana da Cunha

    PAR Counsellor

  • Luciana Pache de Faria

    Counsellor

  • Marilia dos Santos

    Counsellor, Seniors Program Coordinator

  • Paula De Jesus

    Programs Manager/Clinical Supervisor

  • Rosana de Rezende

    Intake Counsellor

  • Rosane Fernandes

    Receptionist

  • Rui Oliveira

    PAR Program Counsellor

  • Teresa Emmanuel

    Youth Outreach Counsellor

  • Valeria Sales

    CDI Counselling Team Lead and Volunteer Coordinator

Leadership and Commitment

The leadership and commitment demonstrated by Abrigo’s Board of Directors and staff members is unparalleled in the social service community in Toronto. We are forever grateful for their unwavering desire to serve and care for the individuals and families that turn to Abrigo for assistance.

Board of Directors

  • Arnon Melo
  • Carla Neto
  • David Pereira
  • Deyan Kostovski
  • Leila Monteiro Lins
  • Lena Barreto, Chair
  • Miguel Mendes
  • Teresa Pagnotta

Biographies of Abrigo Board Members

Arnon Melo

Arnon immigrated to Canada from Taquarituba, Brazil in 1990, and 12 years later he founded Mellohawk Logistics. With offices in Miami and Mississauga, Mellohawk Logistics is an international freight forwarder and a specialist in worldwide transportation and logistics services.

Arnon’s story and the success of Mellohawk is deeply rooted in the belief that the most valuable resource of a company or a community are its people. The dynamic team at Mellowhawk is almost entirely comprised of new immigrants. As a proud Brazilian Canadian Arnon regularly gives back to the community through generous sponsorships and a flourishing internship program.

He brings to Abrigo not only a passion for community but board experience. He is a two-time elected member of the Brazilian Citizenship Council of Ontario (CONCID) and part of the Professional Advisory Committee for Seneca College and a member of the National Board of Directors for the Canadian International Freight Forwarders Association (CIFFA).

Carla Neto

Carla Neto is a strategic thinker and transformational leader with over 25 years of experience in the field of gender equity and women’s rights sector. She is the Executive Director at Women’s Habitat of Etobicoke, where she manages Counseling services, Housing and Transitional Supports Services, Parenting programs, Girls-focused programs and Life Skills Drop-in programs. Prior to coming to Women’s Habitat, Carla managed the YWCA Toronto Women’s Shelter and Transitional Housing and Support Program for over 10 years.

Carla believes that service delivery must support capacity, resiliency building and sustainability for the women and their dependents seeking services as well as be in alignment with strategies to end gender-based violence. Carla is a transformational leader with effective problem-solving abilities and a mentor with the ability to build strong and creative teams by fostering a culture of collaboration, diversity and inclusion.

She has a Bachelor of Social Work from Ryerson University and is working on obtaining an IMBA in Leadership. She is a mother of three adult children and a grandmother of an eight-year old boy.

David A. Pereira

David A. Pereira is the 2020-21 York University Faculty of Education Postdoctoral Fellow in sexuality, gender and education and a Centre Fellow at the Mark S. Bonham Centre for Sexual Diversity Studies at the University of Toronto. He is a graduate of the Department of Social Justice Education at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.

From 2018 to 2020, David served as director of the Sexual & Gender Diversity Office at the University of Toronto, coordinating and delivering education, support, conflict resolution and investigating complaints for the entire university community – students, staff, faculty and librarians across the university’s three campuses.

David is an award-winning scholar and frequent guest speaker at conferences, workshops and symposiums.

Deyan Kostovski

Deyan is the founder of Strongbow Strategies, a boutique consulting firm that specializes in communications, stakeholder and community engagement as well as the planning and execution of public events such as media availabilities, press conferences, product launches and public policy announcements. As an independent consultant, Deyan has provided strategic council to healthcare organizations, research firms, start-up companies and nongovernmental organizations. His international consulting experience includes work at the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and as an advisor to foreign investment agencies, along with companies and organizations in Southeast Europe and the Caribbean.

As a believer of giving back to the community, in addition to Abrigo, Deyan has volunteered with Spread the Net, Canadian Macedonian Place Foundation and local youth groups.

Leila Monteiro Lins

Leila was born in Rio de Janeiro and in February 2000 seeking new challenges, she re-located to Canada. With a degree in Social Communication, from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio), she looked for career opportunities in journalism and public relations.

It didn’t take long for Leila to make a name for herself in Canada. She quickly became a consultant, writer, and on-air commentator. In 2004, she launched the Toronto office of LML Communication and Marketing. In that same year, Leila became a correspondent for CBC-Radio Canada International.

In 2010, she launched DISCOVER Magazine. With circulation in Toronto and surrounding areas, the magazine initially focused on the promotion of all things Brazilian. As the publication matured its focus expanded to include topics of interest for Luso Canadians, immigrants considering relocating to Canada, students interested in learning English or French in Canada, as well as entrepreneurs from Brazil and Portugal interested in doing business in Canada.

Lena Barreto

Lena has a track record of being an exceptional performer at the Royal Bank of Canada. She began her career at the bank in 1988 and as the banking industry evolved so too did Lena’s role. Over the years she has held numerous positions and is currently the Community Manager in the Toronto West Community Hub. She takes great pride in being able to interact with her clients and the communities she serves. This hands-on approach allows her to better understand their needs and more importantly develop customized solutions that have a lasting impact. She is a passionate coach who is constantly investing in her staff, looking for ways to simplify the process, creating an engaging working environment and supporting her teams to exceed goals and expectations.

Born in Portugal, her family moved to Canada when she was six years old, originally settling in Toronto, she now calls Mississauga home. Helping others and volunteering has been a constant in Lena’s life, she is inspired by helping others prosper. This has been the motivating factor for her volunteerism that supports local communities as well as organizations that promote the Luso-Canadian culture.

Miguel Mendes

After a few years away, Miguel returns to the Abrigo board. He previously served on the board between 2015 and 2017. He brings with him deep experience in domestic and international legal and regulatory matters, chiefly in the financial services world. After a decade handling complex class actions, litigation and regulatory enforcement matters, Miguel served as Chief Compliance Officer for a major national retail investments business.

He now serves as the Vice President, Compliance for CIBC’s diverse Commercial Banking and Wealth Management businesses, where he provides executive oversight and strategic client-centric leadership to a large team of Chief Compliance Officers and senior compliance professionals in effectively and efficiently managing all manner of regulatory risk across multiple business activities in Canada and abroad.

His passion for volunteerism and giving back to the community is not limited to Abrigo’s team and mission. Miguel has been engaged in the Luso-Canadian community for years – including previously as President of the Portuguese-Canadian Lawyers Association – and has also received multiple industry awards for his work in advancing diversity and inclusion, with a particular focus on the LGBTQ2+ community.

Teresa Pagnotta

Teresa’s decorated financial services career spans over 15 years. With a gradual evolution from being a bank leader in the branch to assuming regional responsibilities overseeing several branch locations and staff. Teresa's role has progressed from assistant branch manager to her current position as the Regional Vice President for the Toronto West Market for BMO.

Teresa holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Economics from Concordia University. Within BMO, she is an active member of BMO Alliance for Women, an internal affinity group, who champion the inclusion, connection, development, advancement and support of women. She has also been a member of BMO’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee.

Originally from Montreal, Teresa recently moved to Toronto after spending time in Eastern Ontario. She is passionate about making a difference for the betterment of local communities and culture. From June 2018 to June 2020, Teresa served on the Board of Directors for the United Way Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry and was also actively involved in the Children Treatment Centre of Cornwall.

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