The Destination Markham Corporation is governed by a Board of Directors who are responsible for the overall stewardship and management of the Corporation.

Mayor Frank Scarpitti

Susan Mandryk – Chair

Michael Chan – Deputy Mayor

Councillor Amanda Collucci (Ward 6)

Councillor Isa Lee (Ward 8)

Councillor Andrew Keyes (Ward 5)

Herman Grad

Shafik Jiwani, Secretary

Aarti Patel, Treasurer

Kate Seaver

Chuck Thibeault

Jennifer Worden

Mayor Frank Scarpitti

Mayor Frank Scarpitti was elected as Mayor of Markham in 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018. He is Markham’s second longest-serving Mayor.

Mr. Scarpitti was first elected to Markham Council in 1985, as a Regional Councillor. In total, the people of Markham have elected him nine times. He has served on both the Councils of the City of Markham and York Region for 30 years.

Mayor Scarpitti serves on York Regional Council and is the current Chair of York Region Rapid Transit Corporation (VIVA Transit). He is also Vice-Chair of Transportation Services for York Region and sits on the Board of Directors for York Telecom Network. He serves as a member on the Alectra board, one of the largest municipally-owned electrical utilities in North America.

Mayor Scarpitti believes in providing exceptional service and investing in vital infrastructure while keeping tax rate increases low. Over the past 6 years, three major community centres were built – the Cornell Community Centre & Library, the Markham Pan Am Centre and the Aaniin Community Centre & Library; that’s something that has never been done in Markham’s history. He also a strong advocate for improving the overall rapid transit network across the GTA, including the Yonge Subway Extension to Highway 7.

Markham is now an award-winning, municipal leader in sustainability. Under Mayor Scarpitti’s tenure, the City of Markham has advanced its Digital Markham Strategy, including internet voting with a record number of voters voting online in the last municipal election.

Mayor Scarpitti led the creation of Markham’s Diversity Action Plan “Everyone Welcome” and helped introduce the York Region’s Inclusion Charter in his role as Co-Chair of the Community Partnership Council.

Mayor Scarpitti gives his time to a number of non-profit organizations related to health, social programs, arts and culture. As Co-Chair of Markham Stouffville Hospital’s Capital Campaign, his efforts contributed to surpassing the hospital’s $50 million fundraising goal.

Mayor Scarpitti and his wife Nancy have three children.

Susan Mandryk – Chair

Ms. Mandryk is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for MOVATI Athletic, a leader in premium lifestyle fitness. Prior to this, Ms. Mandryk held senior marketing positions at Cineplex Entertainment, CORUS Entertainment, Bell Media and American Express. Ms. Mandryk is also a member of the Marketing Committee of Destination Toronto.

Michael Chan – Deputy Mayor

Markham Deputy Mayor Michael Chan emigrated from Hong Kong to Canada in 1969 and moved to Markham with his wife and two sons in 1995.

Michael is a successful businessman who has co-owned an insurance brokerage in Markham since 1981. He is also an entrepreneur, investing over the years in the hospitality industry including a hotel in Western Canada and restaurants in Alberta, Ontario, and B.C. (Vancouver’s famous Pink Pearl Restaurant).

Michael has always been an active community volunteer and, after deciding to serve the public further through politics, he was first elected to the Ontario Legislature in a February 2007 by-election. Michael was re-elected in the general elections of 2007, 2011, and 2014, and retired from provincial politics in 2018.

During his 11 years as a Markham MPP, Michael was a strong advocate at Queen’s Park for his constituents. Some of the accomplishments he is most proud of include the Markham Stouffville Hospital expansion/re-development, extensive GO Transit and York Region Viva Bus Rapid Transit improvements, and the York University Markham Centre Campus.

From 2007 – 2018, Michael served on numerous provincial committees and boards, and continuously in the Ontario Cabinet as the Minister of Revenue, Citizenship and Immigration, Tourism, Culture and Sport, International Trade, and Minister Responsible for the 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games.

Michael was elected on October 24, 2022 as Deputy Mayor and York Regional Councillor for the City of Markham and officially sworn in for his four-year term on November 15, 2022.

Councillor Amanda Collucci (Ward 6)

Councillor Amanda Yeung Collucci (楊綺清) is the first Chinese female elected to the City of Markham Council. Councillor Collucci is also to be believed the first Chinese appointed as City of Markham Budget Chief in York Region. With her business experience and entrepreneurship over 20 years at IBM, she is an award-winning entrepreneur and a winner of the 2015 RBC Top 25 Immigrant Award.

Councillor Isa Lee (Ward 8)

Isa Lee is a City of Markham Councillor, a mother, a community builder, an experienced news anchor, and also a passionate cultural ambassador. She was formerly the Executive Director of the Toronto Cross-Cultural Community Services Association, and has more than a decade of work experience in journalism and media.

She is a strong believer in community building and engagement, as evidenced by her wide exposure in the business and public arenas and long-time participation in community organizations. Isa is the Vice President of Canada Hong Kong Alliance and a member of the Executive Committee of Chi Heng Foundation, a member of the Organizing Committee for Taste of Asia, Honorary Advisor of Cherish Integrated Services, and also the Past President of the Ontario York Region Heritage Lions Club (2017-2019).

At the City level, she was recently appointed Chair of Community Services of General Committee, Vice Chair of the Budget Committee and a member of the Milliken, Thornhill and Unionville Subcommittees. In addition, she was also appointed to the Markham-Milliken Children’s Festival Committee, Mayor’s Youth Council, Destination Markham Corporation, and Markham Enterprise Corporation.

She was first elected as Councillor for the City of Markham in October 2018, and has been working to bring residents of different backgrounds together to build a better community.

Councillor Andrew Keyes (Ward 5)

Andrew Keyes first moved to Markham with his family in 1999. He was elected as Markham Ward 5 Councillor in October 2018. Andrew is on a number of City Committees including Co-Chair of the Budget Committee, Co-Chair of Markham Enterprise Corporation, Co-Chair of Land, Building and Parks Committee and Destination Markham Board to name a few.

Herman Grad

Mr. Grad is the principal and operator of the Hilton Suites Toronto Markham and a seasoned accommodation provider. Mr. Grad is a community leader and supporter of a variety of charities and events in both the City of Markham and the Greater Toronto Area.

Shafik Jiwani, Secretary

Mr. Jiwani is an entrepreneur, executive, and an IT professional. He built an IT startup, and sold to a publicly traded company. He has working experience in North America, Middle East, UK, India, and Africa. Mr. Jiwani also owns a wellness business – Float Valley in Markham.

Aarti Patel, Treasurer

Ms. Patel is the Finance Director of Global Programs & Marketing at Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. Ms. Patel is a Chartered Accountant and is the Treasurer and Board of Director member of the York Region Food Network, and was previously the Treasurer and Board of Director member for the Woman’s Support Network of York Region.

Kate Seaver

Ms. Seaver is the principal and operator of Kate’s Garden, a boutique and gardening services company in Markham. Prior to that, Ms. Seaver was Vice President of Human Resources and Process Re-Engineering for both Connaught Labs and MAC Cosmetics. Ms. Seaver has a long history of creating, chairing, and implementing Markham-based events.

Chuck Thibeault

Mr. Thibeault is the Executive Director, Central Counties Tourism (RTO6), the provincially-funded not-for-profit dedicated to developing, supporting and promoting the tourism assets of York Region, Durham Region, and Headwaters Tourism Region. Mr. Thibeault has extensive tourism and Board of Director experience including; Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, Attractions Ontario and is a member of various committees with the Ministry of Tourism.

Jennifer Worden

Armed with a sociology degree from Queen’s University and a passion for making people feel part of a bigger community, Jennifer started her hospitality career with Marriott in 1996 and has never looked back. Having worked in various progressive roles in both operations and sales for multiple Marriott brands,  (Marriott, Sheraton, Delta, Residence Inn, Courtyard), Jennifer has had some great opportunities to grow within the organization. Starting at the front desk at the Marriott Eaton Centre, opening newly built hotels (Delta Toronto, Residence Inn & Courtyard), traveling Western Canada as a part of Marriott’s Regional Team as well as standing up Marriott’s Canadian Sales Office while integrating Starwood and Delta into Marriott have been some of the roles she remembers most. Recently a decade long dream came true as she became the General Manager at the Toronto Marriott Markham; a hotel she has wanted to work at, in a community she has been passionate about, for many years.

When Jennifer is not at work, she is chauffeuring her 15-year-old daughter between soccer matches and practices or listening as her 18-year-old daughter shares her insights from her TMU business/hospitality classes. And if there is anytime in between all that, you can find her hiking or snowshoeing, skiing or enjoying brunch with friends.