Sarah Jeffrey Sheehy (Chair)
Sarah Sheehy has extensive non-profit management experience and has spent over 15 years building affordable housing with Habitat for Humanity and Options for Homes both here and abroad. Sarah has been a member of the Library Board since 2016 and believes that the library is a vital link for the residents of Pickering and it is one of the greatest resources in the City. As Board Chair, Sarah looks forward to mobilizing the community to support the Next Generation Library in the coming years.
Councillor Maurice Brenner (Vice-Chair)
Regional Councillor Maurice Brenner is a proud recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Medal and the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal recognizing over 40 years of dedication and work in the community. Maurice has represented Ward 1 for ten terms as a City and Regional Councillor. He is a community builder whose professional career involves community advocacy and championing human rights, equity, and inclusiveness.
Akeem Maginley (Vice-Chair)
Akeem Maginley and his family have been Pickering residents in Ward 3 for almost ten years. As a career public servant, he is committed to service values, integrity, and ethics and believes in the continued development of an adaptive, inclusive, and vibrant library for Pickering’s future. Akeem is a graduate of the University of Toronto [Hon. Bachelor of Arts] and York University [Masters Degree in Public Policy, Administration and Law].
Councillor Shaheen Butt
Shaheen Butt has been part of the Pickering Council representing Ward 3 since 2016. Prior to politics, he worked in the corporate environment for over 30 years, 25 of those at IBM Canada. He consistently applies his experience and business skills in collaboration with the community on City projects and initiatives.
Councillor Linda Cook
Regional Councillor Linda Cook is a proud long-term resident of Ward 2, who filled her wagon full of library books weekly at the former Bay Ridges library. An advocate for equity and inclusion, Linda is a past member of the Durham Catholic School Board, Special Education Advisory Committee (SEAC); Former President of the Pickering East Shore Community Association; NCCP certified competitive speed skating coach with the Special Olympics; & enthusiastic volunteer at the Royal Canadian Legion. Linda proudly received a Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee award from RCL #606 in 2022 and a City of Pickering Volunteer of the Year Award, in 2020. In her professional career, she is the Senior Director, Marketing, Brand & Hyperscale for Cologix, and a founding member of the Cologix Women’s Connection Network, a women’s collective dedicated to the empowerment of women in business.
Karen Danylak
Karen Danylak is a pension industry executive with experience in strategic planning, communications, stakeholder relations, and governance. She has a BA from the University of Toronto and an MBA from the Ivey Business School at Western University. An avid library user, Karen is committed to making the library accessible to everyone in the community. In addition to her role on the Library Board, Karen is active in amateur sports in Pickering as a board member of the Pickering Swim Club and a volunteer at Frenchman's Bay Yacht Club.
Brett Kenworthy
Brett Kenworthy grew up down the street from his local library and loved his regular visits with friends and family. There's nothing better than bringing home an overflowing backpack of books to enjoy. Now, as a father of three, Brett hopes to share the fun, adventure, and magic of reading with his children and our Pickering community. As a legal and business professional, Brett looks forward to contributing to the Board in those areas, and in continuing to make each of our libraries a safe, educational, and inclusive space.
Fatema Mahjabeen
As a socially responsible and active member of the community for over ten years, Mahjabeen Fatema (Fatema) is currently involved with the Pickering Islamic Centre as a Educational Professional and the President of the Sister's Committee. Fatema is honoured and excited to be a part of the Pickering Public Library Board that involves helping people navigate, select, and analyze a perpetually growing body of information.
Abdullah Mir
Abdullah Mir is a public servant, entrepreneur, and writer based in Ward 1 in Pickering. Originally from Toronto, he has been living in Pickering for over 5 years. He is a dynamic public speaker and hopes to leverage his skills to build connections between the library and the community. He is interested in fostering youth engagement with the library by increasing membership and readership among children, teenagers, and young adults. He hopes to create and inspire positive change in the community with his ideas and actions.
Doodnauth Sharma
Doodnauth Sharma is a licensed Professional Engineer (P. Eng.) with the Province of Ontario, and holds a Master of Engineering Degree and a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute. He believes in giving back to the community by volunteering and contributes to many community organizations. Doodnauth sees the library as an important community resource that needs to be explored and utilized to its fullest potential.
Kerry Smuk
An experienced public policy professional and systems thinker, Kerry Smuk has worked in senior roles advancing policy development in the non-profit sector and government for more than 10 years. She is committed to collaboration and building relationships and is very excited to contribute to the Pickering Public Library’s vision and growth. Kerry has volunteered with Girl Guides of Canada and has been a Patient & Family Experience Partner since 2019.
