Ginelle Skerritt is the first Black Children's Aid Society CEO in Ontario
October 21, 2021
Some people shy away from challenges while others embrace them.
Faced with allegations of racism, bullying and harassment that led to an operational review last year, York Region Children’s Aid Society (CAS) has turned to Ginelle Skerritt to right the ship.
The first Black Chief Executive Officer in the history of children’s aid societies in Ontario assumed the role on October 12.
“Over the years in various capacities, I have always interacted with Children’s Aid and advocated for children in care,” said Skerritt who is the sister of former Trinidad & Tobago and Canadian Olympian Anton Skerritt who is the Toronto District School Board Centrally Assigned Principal at Caring & Safe Schools. “The job was appealing for that reason. When I read what was taking place with the organization in York, I thought it was an opportunity that I couldn’t really turn away from.”
A third-party 46-page report commissioned by the Ministry of Children, Community & Social Services to look into the allegations painted a dismal picture of the organization’s senior leadership.
Agree Inc., a mediation firm that conducts workplace assessment, recommended that a new leadership direction be put in place quickly and that actions must be taken to create engagement for a better workplace culture that’s respectful, healthy and collaborative.
“All of the information points to more community engagement and bringing community voices into the conversation about children care and really centering the children and their needs” said Skerritt. “Those are strengths I will be able to bring because of many years of community advocacy work and understanding the issues from a community perspective”.
Tahir Shafiq, the Chair of the CAS York Region Board of Directors, said Skerritt is a welcomed addition to the agency.
“Her demonstrated collaborative and inclusive leadership style combined with her experience and unwavering commitment to equity and justice will help our agency through meaningful and transformative change,” he said.
Leyland Gudge, the first Black CAS senior manager in Toronto in the 1980s, said Skerritt’s appointment is significant.
“In recent years, we have witnessed the problems at York CAS with anti-black racism, cultural disparities and administrative mismanagement,” he noted. “After decades of the province’s child welfare system not delivering positive outcomes for Black children, youth and families, despite the community’s contribution of countless hours of time and effort to CAS, we are proud and elated in knowing that Ginelle’s vast experience in both mainstream and community agencies will ensure the provision of quality services, not only to Black families, but to all York region families who reside in one of Canada’s most culturally diverse regions.”
Leaving Trinidad & Tobago in 1969, Skerritt completed high school at Francis Libermann Catholic and her undergraduate degree in Mass Communications at Carleton University.
At the time, she aspired to be a journalist.
“I however decided that I wanted to do something that would benefit the community directly from my actions,” said Skerritt who also has a second degree from York University. “I really didn’t have an inquiring mind. I have the passion of an advocate. I still enjoy writing, but I didn’t think journalism was for me.”
Starting as a volunteer with Tropicana Community Services that’s Canada largest Black social service delivery agency, she was the organization’s Community Relations & Fundraising Manager for seven-and-half years, a United Way of Greater Toronto Fundraising Manager for almost five years, UNICEF Canada Ontario Regional Director for three-and-a-half years, Warden Woods Community Centre Executive Director for over 15 years and The Neighbourhood Group Vice-President with responsibility for vibrant communities and poverty reduction.
Skerritt’s volunteer service is extensive.
She was a Toronto Neighbourhood Centres Board of Directors Chair, a Co-Chair of the Scarborough Executive Directors Network, a Constituency Council Member with the Centre for Addiction & Mental Health and a member of the Substance Abuse Program for African & Caribbean Youth (SAPACCY) Coalition, Social Planning Toronto, Rosalie Hall and the Toronto Caribbean Carnival.
Introduced to ‘susu’ as a savings device when she was a child in T & T, Skerritt collaborated with Dr. Caroline Shenaz Hossein on a book chapter that explores the use of money pools by Caribbean people.
“When Ginelle was at Warden Woods, I sent my university students on work placements with her to learn about grassroots development,” said the University of Toronto Associate Professor of Global Development & Political Science and founder of the Diverse Solidarity Economies Collective. “My case study on Warden Woods published in the Journal of Canadian Studies is a living testament to Ginelle’s expertise and her unyielding commitment to inclusive development.
“She is a phenomenal human with a deep understanding of what it means to be an inclusive leader, especially for those who are most marginalized. As the first Black CEO at a CAS in the province, I am excited to see what she will build. I feel only gratitude, knowing that she is at the helm for leading care for our most vulnerable children.”
