Page 11 - CCCA 295084 Magazine_Summer 2019

{ ProfiLe }

Diversity, LeaDership

&
Balance

By Lynne Yryku

“I attended a session on how women GCs or women lawyers can get on boards.
This was a couple years ago. There were about 20 speakers in total, and all of
them were white,” recalls Leola Pon. “At one point, one of the panelists talked about
how, in the United States, they have regulations to ensure a portion of the seats
of board directors are devoted to people who are Hispanic, and the speaker said
ethnic diversity [on boards] is not an issue in Canada. When she said that I was livid.”

espite some progress on gender di- TDSB is the fourth largest school board in
versity in the legal profession and North America and one of the most diverse.
Don corporate boards, Leola still sees With almost a quarter of a million students
a lot of barriers for racialized lawyers. “I in 582 schools, plus more than 140,000 adult
think that's probably where still quite a bit of learners and 38,000 employees, “we talk
work needs to be done. [Ethnic diversity on about those issues as part of daily vocabu-
boards] is a big issue in Canada.” lary.” And while there will always be more
Leola is the General Counsel at the Toron- that they can do, Leola and her team have
to District School Board (TDSB). She moved been recognized and awarded for their diver-
into the position in April 2016 on an interim sity and equity initiatives.
basis and became permanent in Decem- For example, a few years ago, the TDSB
ber 2017. She is very proud of the work the undertook a signifcant RFP process for
TDSB and her legal department has done on external legal services in eight areas of law.
issues of equity and diversity, but sees much “One of the unique things we did in that
more work ahead of them. process was to devote points and make as a
Her personal experience has led her to get fundamental criterium demonstration of
involved with committees and panels pro- commitment to equity and diversity,” she ex-
moting women, racialized groups and per- plains. “So it wasn't just, ‘Here give us your
sons with disabilities, as well as events put on commitment statement.’ It was, ‘Give us real
by Diverse Champions for Diversity, Legal examples of what you've done to promote
Leaders for Diversity and Inclusion, and the equity and diversity,’ not just in the legal feld
Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers, to but in general. It was pretty refreshing to see
name a few. how some frms have progressed—and it was
At work, she says, “we live and breathe” interesting to see how some other frms need
diversity at all levels of the organization. The a lot more work in that area.”

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