President: Allie Zidner. On Leave
Hello, I have been a dedicated DECE for many years. Originally from England, I embarked on an exciting adventure to Canada and never looked back, choosing to make this beautiful country my home. Throughout my career, I have embraced new challenges, joining the Union Executive as Secretary Treasurer and now the recent appointment to Union President. I am deeply committed to supporting and advocating for all CUPE 5200 members, with a focus on ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are met. I love English chocolate and crisps. I always believe in family first! Now, I look forward to continuing my work and making a positive impact in the lives of our 5200 members.
Chief Steward : Dorothy Price. chief.steward@cupe5200.ca
Hey everyone, I’ve been an Educational Assistant for more than 20 years and have had the privilege of serving on the CUPE Local 5200 Executive Board since February 2017. I was elected as the Communications Officer and then, in May of 2017, as the Local’s first Chief Steward, holding the position for the last 8 consecutive years. My passion for union activism began at the young age of 17 when I first started to work in a unionized environment. Once I understood what my rights and entitlements were, I quickly began exercising those rights and entitlements. When I started working at HCDSB in 2005, I brought that passion with me to empower the membership, to have our voices heard and will continue to be a strong advocate for members’ rights! On a personal note, I have a sarcastic side (I get that from my Polish mom) I love to joke around, am extremely competitive even when I shouldn’t be, and was born a Toronto Maple Leaf fan. Go Leafs Go! 💙🤍
Acting President / VP Educational Assistants: Dawn Groen president@cupe5200.ca vp.ea@cupe5200.ca
Hello members,
My name is Dawn Groen.I have been an EA for more than 6 years. My favourite things are my horse Zizi, I love the feeling of being free when riding her. I love a good book, blanket and cup of coffee. More than a year ago, I was honoured to be elected as Vice-President of our Educational Assistant Unit. I am also currently serving as Acting President of CUPE Local 5200. Throughout my time in union leadership, I have worked hard to expand my knowledge, strengthen my leadership skills, and advocate for the rights and interests of our members. I have participated in valuable union training, including learning about the bargaining process and the important differences between central and local bargaining. Through my involvement with CUPE and OSBCU, I have gained a greater understanding of the responsibilities that come with union leadership and the importance of standing together. As Acting President, I have taken on important responsibilities, including chairing Labour-Management meetings with our employer, participating in and chairing executive meetings, and working to ensure that our members’ concerns are heard and addressed. I continue to take training opportunities seriously because I believe that being informed, prepared, and knowledgeable is essential to achieving fair bargaining outcomes and protecting the rights of our members. I am proud of what I have learned, grateful for the trust our members have placed in me and committed to continuing to grow as a union leader.
VP Designated Early Childhood Educators: Michelle Soares vp.dece@cupe5200.ca
Hello everyone,
I have been an early childhood educator for about 20 years, with the past several years dedicated to working with the board as a designated early childhood educator. I truly enjoy my role and the opportunity it gives me to support children’s growth and development each day. I am excited to be part of the union and look forward to advocating for my fellow ECEs and the important work we do. Outside of work, I love spending quality time with my children and caring for my pets, which brings me joy and balance in my life.
VP LINC ESL: Lilyana Zaharieva-Variyska. vp.lincesl@cupe5200.ca
Hello, everyone, my name is Lilyana. For the past 33 years, 21 of which at the HCDSB, I have worked as a LINC/ESL Instructor. I have been actively involved in the area of student portfolios, student assessment and scoring using the Canadian Language Benchmarks, TOEFL iBT guidelines and IELTS band rubrics. Teaching is not my only passion. I enjoy learning rap song lyrics and break moves. Décor is another pastime and I love baking and cake decorating.
Health & Safety Officer: Jacqueline Real. h&s.officer@cupe5200.ca
I’ve been an E.A. for over 15 years and still love what I do. I’m always looking to learn something new and take on new challenges. I’ve been part of my school’s Health and Safety Committee for several years, and this is my second year on the executive team as your Health & Safety Officer—a role I’m still learning to navigate. Outside of work, I spend time with my fur babies, find peace in the garden, and enjoy creating and upcycling whenever I can.
Membership Officer: membership.officer@cupe5200.ca
Secretary Treasurer: Amber Colonico secretary.treasurer@cupe5200.ca
My name is Amber Colonico and I am honoured to be serving as your Secretary-Treasurer. I have been an educator for over 25 years, beginning my career as an Early Childhood Educator and later as an Educational Assistant. Throughout my journey, I’ve been blessed to support some of our most vulnerable students. Helping them learn, grow, and reach their full potential is what continues to inspire me. Celebrating their successes and being a part of their journey is why I continue to love this job. Over the years, I’ve also had the opportunity to serve our union in several capacities, including Membership Officer, Health and Safety Officer, and as a member of the 2019/2020 Bargaining Team. These experiences enriched my knowledge and strengthened my commitment to advocacy and member support. In my role as Secretary-Treasurer, I am dedicated to ensuring transparency, accuracy and financial responsibility. In my spare time, I enjoy travelling with my family, camping, baking and volunteering in my community. I look forward to my new role and working with our membership.
Recording Secretary: Shannon DiRenzo. recording.secretary@cupe5200.ca
Hi my name is Shannon and I am a daughter, sister, mother, early childhood educator, and a lover of books. I have worked with children for the last 30 years and the last 11 have been with the HCDSB. I love working with children, watching the excitement as they learn new things and the conversations are always enlightening. I am a mother of 3, 1 boy and 2 girls as well as a dog mom to a morkie named Roxie. I have been involved on the Executive as the Recording Secretary and have been on the Bargaining team; staying active, gaining knowledge to share with our members. As it happens life had become hectic for a while but recently I have been able to get back into my reading groove.