Posted Sun, 24 Mar 2013, 11:47pm
Darlene HomonkoOUTSPORT TORONTO is pleased to announce the appointment of Darlene Homonko as a director, and as its new Vice Chair, replacing Ken Meiklejohn in the role, who stepped down as Vice Chair earlier in March 2013. Darlene will also assume the leadership of OUTSPORT TORONTO's Partnerships and Advocacy Committee, with which she has been working for the past few months.
"Ken was an amazing asset to OUTSPORT TORONTO as our Vice Chair over the past two years. He was tireless in his work to advance the mission, vision, and values of OUTSPORT TORONTO, to building incredibly valuable partnerships and relationships, and in serving our member organisations. He is taking on some new and very interesting projects in his own life, and while I will miss his thoughtful and insightful presence as my Vice Chair, I am delighted that he will nonetheless stay on working with us as a key member of the Partnerships and Advocacy Committee," said OUTSPORT TORONTO's Chair Shawn Sheridan. "We're also thrilled to have such a powerhouse as Darlene join our team! She is a highly accomplished and talented individual, both in sport and in her career, and will add substantial value to OUTSPORT TORONTO and to our member organisations!"
An athlete, lifelong competitor and self-proclaimed fitness geek, Darlene started her athletic career playing basketball with the Quebec Basketball Federation in their junior and senior programs, rising to Captain of the Quebec team in the summer of 1980 and Vanier College in 1980-81. She left Canada in 1981 to play the next four years at the University of Rhode Island on scholarship. Following her time in Rhode Island, Darlene assisted Dalhousie University as an Assistant Coach for the varsity basketball team in 1986-87. Darlene has a love of hockey that goes back to when she was a very little girl. She finally had her opportunity to play the game when she moved back to Toronto in 1989. Over the next 23 years she played competitive hockey in Toronto, making it up to the A level and double BB where she played center and wing for a variety of teams in the GTA. She continues to play at the recreational level. Darlene is a competitive golfer, and completed her first marathon in Toronto last October. She is now planning to run her second one in Chicago in October 2013.
"I'm really excited to join such a great organisation and team! Sport has always been and continues to be such an important part of my life. Sport has helped me become the person that I am and the people I have met have helped shape my life and helped me realise my gifts," said Homonko. "I believe we are meant to share those gifts and give back to the community that helped us get where we are and who still inspire us to go further and accomplish what we dare to dream."
Professionally, Darlene is a Senior Business Development Officer for the Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto, Ontario where she is actively engaged in commercialising new medical technologies. Darlene holds a Ph.D., Neuroscience from the University of Toronto, Institute of Medical Sciences; a M.Sc., Kinesiology from Dalhousie University; and a B.Sc., Physical Education, Health, General Science from the University of Rhode Island.
Darlene's full bio can be found here.
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