 | Tariq Butt Professional Fellow Tariq Butt is a seasoned emergency management leader with over 15 years of experience in training, public safety education, and crisis response. As a former senior manager at Emergency Management Ontario, he led the development of province-wide preparedness programs, compliance training, and large-scale exercises aligned with the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA). Tariq has acted as Incident Commander during provincial emergencies and spearheaded initiatives that integrated Indigenous engagement, accessibility, and digital innovation. He brings deep expertise in learning systems, policy-aligned curriculum design, and operational leadership, making him a trusted advisor in high-stakes, cross-sector emergency management environments. |
 | Dr. Nick J. Mulé Faculty Fellow Nick J. Mulé, PhD, is a professor in the School of Social Work; cross appointed to the Sexuality Studies Program in the School of Gender, Sexuality and Women’s Studies; the Department of Sociology; and the Faculty of Health at York University in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His research interests include the social inclusion/exclusion of LGBTQI populations in social policy and service provision and the degree of their recognition as distinct communities in cultural, systemic, and structural contexts. He also engages in critical analysis of the LGBTQI movement and the development of queer liberation theory. He has co-edited LGBTQ People and Social Work: Intersectional Perspectives (2015); Queering Social Work Education (2016); The Shifting Terrain: Nonprofit Policy Advocacy in Canada (2017); Envisioning Global LGBT Human Rights: (Neo)colonialism, Neoliberalism, Resistance and Hope (2018); and directed, wrote and executive produced the feature documentary “QueerEdge: From Gay to Queer Liberation” (2019). He is Project Director of the $2.5 million SSHRC-funded and first national study, “2SLGBTQ+ Poverty in Canada: Improving Livelihood and Social Wellbeing.” A scholar-activist, Nick is the founder, past chairperson, secretary, and currently member at large of Queer Ontario. In addition, he is a therapist in private practice serving LGBTQI populations in Toronto. |
 | Jonathan Wheatle Professional Fellow Jonathan Wheatle is the Director of Economic Strategy at The Regional Municipality of York, where he leads a multidisciplinary team focused on fostering inclusive economic growth, innovation, and talent development across the region. Jonathan brings over three decades of experience spanning both public and private sectors—including roles in test engineering, technology deployment, and business development. He has supported businesses of all sizes through strategic planning, funding applications, and international expansion. At York Region, Jonathan has overseen key initiatives such as broadband development, agri-food sector growth, and post-secondary partnerships, all aligned with successive Economic Development Action Plans. Jonathan holds an MBA in Finance and Marketing from Wilfrid Laurier University, a B.Sc. in Physics and Mathematics from the University of the West Indies and a Masters Certificate in Public Sector Leadership from Schulich School of Business, Executive Education. |
 | Dr. Eva Peisachovich Faculty Fellow Dr. Peisachovich is an Associate Professor at the School of Nursing at York University. Eva’s program of research involves exploring, developing and implementing pedagogies associated with simulation-based environments including simulated persons (SPs), Virtual Reality (VR), serious games, and eLearning to promote professional competence among students within higher education milieus and their transition to the workplace. As the founder of SPM Lab and SimXSpace, Eva envisions opportunities to humanize education through various mediums including simulations, virtual learning and immersive technologies to provide high-quality experiential education to learners within academia and the community. Eva is further interested in exploring how the application of empathy and emotional intelligence can be weaved into the post secondary curricula and professional development programs through various interventions. |
 | Julia M. Satov Professional Fellow An award winning global leader with 20+ years' experience, effective in how companies, academia and NGOs, mobilize inclusion, engagement, talent analytics and social impact towards organizational vision, and business priorities. I am an internationally published journal author with extensive experience in Inclusion, Social Impact, Learning & Development, Culture, Leadership Development, Employee Engagement, and Organizational Effectiveness. My career, in both the private and public sector, start up, scale up and M&A, spans the industries of Academia, Legal, Finance, Tech and Health. A national award winner for Outstanding Achievement in Organizational Development, CIO Views Top 10 Inspiring Leaders to Follow in 2023, a Community Impact Award recipient by Extraordinary Women in Tech 2024 and New York Moves Power Women 2024 Honoree. I have taught business executives at the University of the West Indies, graduate courses at Centennial College, guest lectured at Capilano U, Schulich School of Business & York U and keynote nationally and internationally. I am proud to sit on the Board of Directors for Ernestine's Women Shelter, and York University's Alumni Board of Directors. I have a degree in Philosophy, a Masters of Education, a Law Clerk Diploma, and Certificates in: Professional Ethics (2012), Data-Driven Decision Making (2018) and a Certificate in Ethics of Artificial Intelligence (2023). I am a senior leader and head of Inclusion & Belonging at Roche Canada. |
 | Alia Abbas Professional Fellow Alia Abbas is an award-winning economic development leader with over a decade of experience driving investment attraction, business retention, and supply chain resilience across North America. As the Founder and CEO of Alia Consulting, she specializes in disaster preparedness, foreign direct investment (FDI), and sustainable economic planning. Alia has led transformative projects for major municipalities like the City of Toronto and advised international bodies, including the IEDC and United Nations CIFAL York. A sought-after speaker, she also hosts the GrowthCast Podcast for the Great Lakes Economic Development Council, amplifying dialogue on cross-border trade and climate resilience. A York University graduate with advanced certifications, Alia’s leadership has been recognized with the York University Tentanda Via Alumni Award (2024), IEDC 40 Under 40 (2023), and EDCO Bright Ideas Award (2021). She serves on several influential boards, shaping the future of sustainable and inclusive economic development. |
If you would like to apply to be a CIFAL York Affiliate Member, please review the Membership Guidelines. If you meet the qualifications for any of our membership categories, please complete this form to be considered for a position as a CIFAL York Affiliate Member.
If you have any questions, please contact the CIFAL York Coordinator, Francesco del Carpio, at fdcarpio@yorku.ca