Director, City of Toronto
Graduate Program in Public Policy, Administration & Law, Master of Public Policy, Administration and Law (MPPAL) 2013

Sutha Balasingham is a senior public sector leader with over 25 years of experience in human services across municipal government and the non-profit sector. She brings a practitioner-scholar perspective shaped by strong expertise in leadership, policy, community engagement, and integrated service delivery, with a strong focus on equity and system design. A former refugee, her lived experience informs both her leadership and her commitment to inclusive, responsive public institutions.

Sutha currently serves as Director of Employment and Social Services at the City of Toronto, where she provides strategic leadership to the largest municipally administered social assistance system in Canada. Her work focuses on modernizing service delivery, advancing policy innovation, and strengthening organizational performance. Previously, as Head of Strategic Initiatives for Community and Health Services at the Region of York, she led the development of a comprehensive Human Services Plan spanning housing, homelessness, paramedic services, long-term care, social assistance, and public health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she served as Planning Chief for the Departmental Emergency Operations Centre, guiding coordinated response and recovery efforts.

Beyond her executive roles, Sutha is actively engaged in sector leadership and governance. She currently serves as Vice President of the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA) and contributes to community and advisory boards, including the Aurora Black Community Association. She has held prior roles with the Institute of Public Administration of Canada (Toronto Region) and United Way. Sutha holds a Master of Public Policy, Administration and Law from York University, where she received the Foster-Greene Award for Excellence.

She is particularly interested in bridging theory and practice through teaching, mentorship, and applied policy dialogue, helping to prepare the next generation of public service leaders.

The MPPAL program provided me with a solid theoretical foundation for developing public policy, program evaluation and public finance. Given that it was an executive-style program for those with previous experience in the field, the discussions and dialogues among participants were rich and insightful. The professors were approachable with extensive knowledge in their fields. It also gave me an opportunity to expand my network in the public sector.