Five Oaks Board of Directors

Officers of the Board

Peter Wall, Chair
2019 – Present
Peter retired from full-time ministry with the Anglican Church in 2019, but continues to do interim parish assignments and is involved with the church at the national level. He has extensive experience with community based non-profit organizations, and continues to exercise leadership in various ecumenical and inter-church groups. He lives in Hamilton and is so pleased to be on the Board of Five Oaks, a place he has considered special for many years.

John Joseph Mastandrea, Vice Chair
2019 – Present
The Rev. Dr. John Joseph Mastandrea was called to be the Minister of the Congregation at Manor Road United Church in May 2019 after 19 years at Metropolitan United Church. Interfaith Toronto Police Services Police Chaplain for 51 Division.
John Joseph cut his teeth in the Etobicoke area of Toronto and now resides in Cabbagetown with his husband Bill Calkins. He has BSc. in Chemistry, M.Div., M.R.E, M.A.M.S degrees, all from the University of Toronto. John Joseph completed his Doctorate from Chicago Theological Seminary, May 2010. Ordained in 1989, he is a certified Labyrinth Facilitator and Spiritual Director. Co-Chair of the Parliament of World Religions Toronto 2018. November 2018 completed a course in First Nations Education. In September 2018 John Joseph received the Order of St. George. John Joseph believes in nurturing body, mind and spirit.
John Joseph has served congregations from the Maritimes, Saskatchewan, northern Ontario and rural Quebec to urban and suburban parts of the Greater Toronto Area. John Joseph was awarded the Queen’s diamond Jubilee in 2012. Canadian delegate to the World Council of Churches in Geneva, Switzerland, in February 1990.
Today John Joseph seeks to meet people where they are and build the capacity for relationships in a diverse spectrum of society.

Rob Stapleford, Secretary
2020 – Present
Rob is a retired actuary with 40 years experience in the life insurance and pension/investment consulting industry. Rob was a partner in the pension investment consulting practice at Mercer and led Mercer’s investment practice in central Canada. Rob consulted on a wide range of pension investment issues including asset mix and risk analysis, manager monitoring, search and selection and investment policy. Prior to joining Mercer in 1991, Rob worked at the Mutual Life of Canada.

Sherri Howard, Treasurer
2020 – Present
Sherri is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA). For 20 years she has worked independently to provide financial solutions to companies and charities. Born and raised in Kitimat, BC, Sherri grew up as an active youth and young adult in the United Church. In the 1990’s, she was introduced to Five Oaks by Yvonne Stewart and Rev. Albion Wright shortly after her Deloitte work transfer from BC to Ontario; she served two terms on the Board of Directors helping to sustain and grow Five Oaks. Sherri currently works part-time and lives in Scarborough with her husband Noel Desautels and their 11-year old son, Luc. During the past year she has offered her gifts and skills to the Finance Team.

Board Members

Rhonda Johns
2015 – Present
Rhonda lives on the Territory of The Six Nations of the Grand, and has been serving on the Board for the past two years. Rhonda’s passion to keep the land as a sacred place for the people calls her to serve on the board. Rhonda is the Director of Nations Uniting and brings a voice from the Six Nations community and surrounding areas and offers her gifts and skills to the Partnership Team.

Ausma Malik
2017 – Present
Ausma lives in Toronto, and states that safe spaces that facilitate meaningfuldialogue and cross cultural encounters have never been more urgent than now and that Five Oaks can be such a place. Ausma feels called to serve on the Board in order to help ensure Five Oaks’ future. Community, place, collaboration, diversity, integrity, resilience, learning, reverence and action are the values that define and guide Ausma’s work for human rights and social justice. These are the gifts she brings to offer to service on the Board. She serves on the Governance team.

Barbara Fullerton
2017 – Present
Barbara lives in Paris, and states that “Five Oaks is one of those ‘thin’ places celebrated in Celtic Spirituality. Her passion for social justice and commitment to right relations intersect with a sense of “coming home” in Five Oaks’ new directions. With experience in stewardship development and communication, she offers her gifts to the Fund Raising and Donor Development. Barbara also served on the MWG for the past year.

Fran Ota
2019 – Present
Fran Ota was born in Saskatchewan, the daughter of a United Church minister. She lived in Canora, Assiniboine, Prince Albert and Winnipeg. She graduated from University of Manitoba in 1970 with a Bachelor of Music in Performance. In 1970 she went to Japan as Overseas Personnel, in 1971 married her language teacher, Norio Ota. They spent 1971-74 in Viet Nam with the Japanese Government Aid agency, and had two children. Fran worked with YMCA Refugee Services. Returning to Japan, where their third child was born, they then moved to South Orange, New Jersey…Norio was a Fullbright Exchange Teacher, and their fourth child was born. In 1975 they moved to Melbourne, Australia where they ran a small hobby farm. Norio taught and studied, Fran took courses in Ethnomusicology. From Australia they moved to Michigan State University where Fran worked as a translator, community aide in international housing, church secretary and music director. The Otas moved to Toronto in 1984, and Fran has worked in medical research, in World Outreach at the national office, and Canadian Council of Churches. Ordained in 1995, she has served ten congregations, both long-term and short-term. She has served in various positions in the church including President of Conference. Fran is a qualified Supervisor, Liaison for search teams, and a trained Intentional Interim Minister. She is currently beginning a contract at York Pines United Church, assisting in some work around clustering and transition.

Martha Pedoniquotte
2020 – Present
Martha is a member of the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation and is a graduate of Business from Georgian College and Social Work from Loyalist College. She has served on numerous Boards including the Healing Fund of the United Church of Canada; the Sandy Saulteaux Spiritual Centre Board of Directors based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and the National Aboriginal Ministries Council.
She is currently Vice-president of the Huronia Area Aboriginal Management Board; Martha has been a volunteer with Victims Service Grey Bruce and is currently a member of the Council of the Chippewas of Nawash First Nation. She currently serves as a member of the Indigenous Candidacy Board; the Justice and Reconciliation Fund Committee; and the Mission Support Working Group.

Karen Efron
2020 – Present
Karen has been coming to Five Oaks since 1976 and my early experiences at FO were life changing! Currently I am a member of the Partnership-Vision Committee since 2017, also the Fundraising Committee from 2018-19. I worked as a social worker forty plus years, over time serving all ages and diverse racial/ethnic groups. The last two decades I held roles as an executive director, working with volunteer boards. I was elected to the Board of the Ontario Federation of Community Mental Health and Addictions where we received policy governance board training. In 2017, I retired as Executive Director of Hamilton Mental Health Outreach. Areas of expertise: human resources, financial management, strategic planning, board governance. I am a Canadian – U.S. dual citizen, who has lived primarily in Ontario, several years in BC, with one daughter there, one daughter and grandson in Toronto. Church: Westdale United, Hamilton. Residence: Stoney Creek. Hobby: appearing on radio shows with my record collection. I strongly support the Five Oaks mission and would enjoy serving on the Board!