Appointment of Public Members to the Compliance Audit Committee

Summary from the report (May 12, 2026) from the City Clerk: The Nominating Panel - Compliance Audit Committee will recommend one alternate to City Council for appointment to the Compliance Audit Committee.

City Council appoint the following candidates to the Compliance Audit Committee as alternate members for a term of office coincident with the term of Council that takes place following the 2026 regular municipal election, such appointment to be effective only in the event that any vacancies on the Compliance Audit Committee occur: Darinka Pejic Richard Austin The City Clerk further recommends that: 3. City Council direct that Confidential Attachment 1 to the Decision Letter (April 20, 2026) from the Nominating Panel - Compliance Audit Committee remain confidential in its entirety as it relates to personal matters about identifiable individuals being considered for appointment to the Compliance Audit Committee. 4. City Council direct that Confidential Attachment 1 to the Decision Letter (May 26, 2026) from the Nominating Panel - Compliance Audit Committee remain confidential in its entirety as it relates to personal matters about an identifiable individual being considered for appointment to the Compliance Audit Committee. Candidates' biographies: Sara Gelgor Sara Gelgor is an experienced legal, compliance and governance professional. Sara holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, a Bachelor of Laws from Queen's University, a Master of Laws from Cambridge University and a Master of Business Administration from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Sara earned the Institute of Corporate Directors, Director corporate directors' designation and is a recipient of the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada award. Ramin Faraji As a proud Torontonian, Ramin strongly believes in electoral system and would like to protect its integrity and uphold the public's confidence in the electoral process. As a Professional Account and an experienced and multi-disciplinary professional with in-depth knowledge of the Municipal Election Act, 1996, and its Campaign Finance rules, he has the technical skills and experience to make sound and unbiased decisions on applications for compliance audits, candidates. He had the honour of serving on the City of Toronto Compliance Audit Committee since 2022. Catherine Syms Catherine Syms is a lawyer and governance professional with over 20 years of senior leadership experience in legal, compliance, risk management, and privacy. She is currently General Counsel and Director of Enterprise Risk, Privacy and Governance at Waterloo Regional Health Network, where she leads the integrated legal and risk functions and supports the Board of Directors. Previously, she served as Vice President, Legal, Privacy and Risk and Corporate Secretary at the Provincial Health Services Authority in British Columbia, and as a Senior Manager in Deloitte's Regulatory, Quality, Risk and Reputation group. Catherine holds a Juris Doctor and Master of Health Services Administration from Dalhousie University, as well as governance, risk, and privacy certifications. She has served on several boards and national committees, including the British Columbia Registered Nurses Foundation and the American Society for Healthcare Risk Management, contributing to governance and community service. Darinka Pejic Darinka Pejic is a senior finance and corporate services executive with more than 20 years of public sector leadership experience in financial management, audit oversight, and governance. She has held senior roles across multiple Ontario ministries and agencies, where she led finance, procurement, payroll, and administration functions and supported audit and risk committees. Darinka serves as National Secretary Treasurer of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada and as a Director with Applaud People in Public Service. A Chartered Professional Accountant and experienced educator, she teaches accounting at the University of Toronto. She brings a strong commitment to transparency, accountability, and evidence-based decision making. Richard E. Austin Richard E. Austin was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 1983 after receiving a law degree from the University of Windsor. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) majoring in Economics from the University of Toronto, a Master of Business Administration majoring in Finance from York University and the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors. Currently, he is a member of the boards of the Condominium Authority of Ontario, Facility Association, and Credit Counseling Society, sits on tribunals of the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization and the Electrical Safety Authority, and is the General Counsel of Loop Financial, a fintech start-up.