Our People
The Diversity At Work team: consultants, facilitators and instructors, represent a diverse group themselves and offer expert knowledge and training in diversity management, language and elocution, and human resources best practices.
Evelina Silveira
Diversity At Work is owned and operated by Evelina Silveira. As an expert in ethno-cultural engagement and inclusion, she is a champion of diversity and the advantages of strategically harnessing all talents in the workforce. For the past 16 years, Evelina has worked as a trainer and facilitator encouraging various organizations to become more inclusive, both in hiring practices and marketing initiatives.
Working directly with newcomer populations to help acclimatize to life in Canada, she has engaged over 20 ethno-cultural groups. Evelina has conducted focus groups with newcomers to assess the effectiveness of existing services for newcomers. She has worked to facilitate and cultivate linkages among employers and Aboriginal communities for the mutual benefit of job creation and employer equity goals.
Evelina works with a broad range of sectors in various stages of their diversity and inclusion initiatives, helping them realize the importance and benefits of creating marketing strategies that reach ethnic and niche markets to both expand the human resource base and also reach various ethnic groups and people with disabilities. She has a well-deserved reputation for collaborative approaches, practical solutions and innovative problem solving.
Beyond a formal education that includes a degree in Sociology, a diploma in Honours standing in Political Science focused on International Politics, and a Diploma in Human Resources Management (2009), Evelina has extensive experience in working with diverse populations including new Canadians, people with disabilities, and a variety of religions and belief systems. You can also read Evelina's popular column in, Diversity! In the workplace, an e-newsletter with international circulation. She also speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese and French.
Evelina has volunteered extensively in the London, Ontario community with many organizations including:
- Human Resources Professional Association of London and District, Diversity Committee.
- United Way of London and Middlesex: Human Care Division Chair and Employee Campaign Chair
- ChildReach, Fundraising Committee and Board of Directors
- Cross Cultural Learner Centre: Board of Directors
- City of London Race Relations Advisory Committee
Current volunteer positions include:
- Committee Member, London Heritage Council Cultural Awards
- Employer focus-group participant - Employment Standards Committee for Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities
- Member of the Speakers' Bureau of ATN educating employers and general audiences about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in the workplace
Pronunciation/Elocution Teachers
- Toronto, Ontario
Alfredo Garcia - Pronunciation/Elocution Teacher, Toronto
Alfredo is a certified TESL, Pronunciation and Job Search instructor with 15 years experience in assessment and facilitation skills for ESL learners. He has delivered learner-centred programs, motivating and assessing linguistic development. Alfredo's experience includes designing programs according to Canadian Language Benchmark curriculum, implementing community outreach programs for newcomers and volunteering as an interpreter and translator for English to Spanish and French. He is a skilled presenter, instructor and a published contributor in the textbook, Fieldtrips & The ESL Classroom.
Alfredo holds a degree in Arts, Applied Arts from Ryerson University in Toronto, and a TESL Certificate from the Toronto Board of Education. He has also studied modern languages, creative writing, pronunciation for ESL learners and job search skills for ESL learners. Alfredo is fluent in English and Spanish and also speaks French.
Elen Sharon - Pronunciation/Elocution Teacher, Toronto
Elen is a skilled ESL teacher with over 20 years experience instructing classes for adults and children in Israel, the United States, Holland, and Canada. She has designed and administered courses, training programs and classroom curricula, integrating learning styles, motivating students and monitoring progress and achievements. Elen has particular expertise in Business English and teaching for corporate settings.
Elen's education includes a BA in English Literature and Russian Studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel; an ESL Certificate and an MA in Language Teaching-TESL from Tel-Aviv University, Israel; and a TESL Diploma from Benns Educational Services in Toronto, Ontario. She is also a skilled translator for English to Russian. Elen speaks English, Hebrew and Russian.
Pronunciation/Elocution Teachers
- London, Ontario
German Gutierrez Sanin - Pronunciation/Elocution Teacher
German has taught English as a Foreign Language and English as a Second Language since 1981. He also has 25 years experience in Radio and Television as a journalist, news anchor and voice talent, including work with the Discovery Channel in the United States. He was nominated by the Colombian Association of Broadcasters for Best Commercial Voice of the Year in four consecutive years (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999). Prior to moving to North America, German was a simultaneous interpreter and translator for the Colombian Ministry of Education. His career also includes work in the communications field wherein he founded two companies, providing copywriting, script-writing, campaign consultancy in the U.S. and Colombia. Currently, he is a professor of ESL at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario. He also records and writes copy and script for radio spots and TV commercials for agencies in the U.S. and Colombia.
German obtained his Bachelor of Science in Communication, with a major in Journalism from Jorge Tadeo Lozano University in Bogota, Colombia. He is a TESL certified teacher of English who has taught at Wheable Centre for Adult Education and the Chinese Canadian National Council LINC program, both in London, Ontario. In 2006, German received a Certificate of Recognition from the Province of Ontario for his work in support of newcomers and in 2004 he was recognized by the Province of Ontario for dedicated volunteerism at the Wheable Centre for Adult Education.
Business Diversity Advisors
Marta Pabon Gaitan - Latin American Business Advisor
Marta brings over 30 years experience in the Travel and Tourism industry and has worked in Colombia, Belgium, and the United States. Throughout her career Marta has developed marketing strategies, conducted market research, executed global public relations campaigns, coordinated special events and acted as a corporate spokesperson, among other marketing, communications and front-line responsibilities.
Her education includes diplomas in Social Tourism and Hotel Management from Ceria University in Brussels, Belgium and Office Administration and Travel Management from Belair Polytechnic in London, England. Marta is also fluent in English, Spanish and French.
Nabil Ismail - Middle Eastern Business Advisor, Cross-cultural Communication Specialist
Nabil has 18 years experience as a cultural interpreter in a wide range of social and professional settings. He has lived and worked in five different countries including Canada, Iran, Iraq, Turkey and Syria, and also volunteers with organizations such as the United Nations, assisting in refugee settlement, and the Red Cross. He served as branch president of the London Red Cross from 2004-2006. Nabil has also owned and operated two local retail businesses in the London area. His professional and personal experiences have created a unique ability to understand and articulate cross-cultural differences. Nabil is particularly adept in providing consultation and advice relating to the various ethnic groups residing in the Middle East.
Nabil's education includes the Cultural Interpreter Training Program at The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario; courses in Social Work, Sociology and World History at the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario; and a diploma in Accounting at Kirkuk Technical Institute, Kirkuk, Iraq. Nabil is fluent in English, Arabic, Kurdish, Turkish and Persian.
Cheryl Tremblay - Aboriginal Business Advisor
Cheryl owns Eagles Nest Business Consulting, a new business that launched in a small community in Northern Ontario. For Diversity At Work, Cheryl brings her passion for creating connections and partnerships among First Nations people and business, helping the private sector realize the untapped business and employment potential of Canada's aboriginal communities.
Prior to starting Eagles Nest Business Consulting, Cheryl held the position of Finance and Control Manager for a multi-million dollar First Nations forestry corporation. In this role, she was instrumental in building long lasting and profitable business relationships for First Nations people and the business community.