About
Action CIND was incorporated as a non-profit in February 2016. We are now a registered charity (Number 781915293RR0001). We are run by a team of volunteers.
Meet the Team
Alison Rae – Founder, Board Chair and CEO
Alison Rae was an IT Project Manager until being disabled by ME and FM a number of years ago. She has also struggled with MCS/ES for most of her life.. She’s been an advocate for CIND for several years as well as promoting May 12th International Awareness Day and serving on the board of another ME/FM charity. She assisted with the creation of a Treatment Centre vision document in 2009 that has now led to the creation of Action CIND.
Neill Shewan – Vice Chair
Neill Shewan is a salesman and former IT Contractor. He has family members and friends that suffer with CIND illness. He has seen firsthand the impact these illnesses have on individuals, and is committed to improving the situation.
Rutul Patel – Treasurer
Rutul Patel is a passionate individual with tremendous knowledge in Accounting and Finance. He holds a BBA degree from University of Toronto and is currently pursuing the CPA designation. Rutul has always been an active member in the community looking for innovative ways to bring forth change.
Allan Kaufman – Director
Called to the Bar for over 35 years (1978 Manitoba; 1989 Ontario), Allan Kaufman works as an employment lawyer for both employees and employers. In particular, he handles wrongful dismissal cases for severance pay, human rights claims, maternity leave claims, claims against insurance companies for long term disability payments, and union related matters. He has also been appointed by Canada’s Ministry of Labour as a labour arbitrator to decide employment disputes.He is also a lecturer at Ryerson University for over 13 years.
Vicki Sterling – Director
Vicki Sterling has 2 law degrees from McGill University. In Ottawa, she worked as a lawyer with the Federal Government. In Toronto, she was employed by the Canada Pension Plan Review Tribunals, chairing hearings and deciding who should receive CPP disability benefits. She developed fibromyalgia, and currently works part-time as a disability consultant helping others receive disability benefits. She has volunteered at her children’s schools, as a coordinator with the Arthritis Society, and for the last 10 years as the group leader of the North Toronto Fibromyalgia Support group.
Jonathan Otis – Secretary
Jonathan Otis has a Bachelor of Arts from the of Western Ontario and subsequently in 1998 received his Law Degree from The University of Ottawa. He is currently employed as in-house counsel to a private commercial real-estate corporation in Toronto Ontario, and holds numerous positions on various private corporate Boards. His hobbies include fishing, traveling, reading and bicycle collecting. He and his wife have 2 children. He has friends with CIND illnesses.
Ankita Rao – Director
Ankita has a background in Economics and Finance, with a personal passion for helping build a better life for those around the community. She has several years of experience working in the financial services consulting industry, after graduating from McGill University in 2012. She has also spent time in the non-profit world. She hopes to help spread awareness about those suffering from chronic immunological and neurological diseases, and increase the community’s understanding about the symptoms suffered, by working with Action CIND.
Professional Advisors
Dr Riina Bray – Medical Director of Ontario’s Environmental Health Clinic
Courtney Mulqueen – Disability Lawyer
Allan Kaufman – Employment Lawyer
Vicki Sterling – Disability Consultant
Liz Zubek – Medical Advisor
If you have any questions, please Contact Us