MEET OUR TEAM
Teresa Burgess-Ogilvie
Executive Director
Teresa has served in the military, municipal government, nonprofit and private industries. She is passionate about building individual and community resiliency. A connector between Boards, staff, volunteers, sponsors, government officials, donors, and the community. She served as the Executive Director of Safe City Mississauga from 2008-2013; Board member from 2013-2018. MBA from Webster University – Ocala Florida Campus.
Lauren Kinne
Manager, Community Services
Lauren is the Community Services Manager at Safe City Mississauga, where she leads a range of evidence-informed crime prevention programs focused on creating safer, more connected communities. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Toronto and an Ontario Graduate Certificate in Addictions and Mental Health from Humber College. With a background that bridges social services and public safety, Lauren leads the development, delivery, and evaluation of community-based programs from start to finish. With a collaborative and hands-on approach, she supports the organization’s strategic direction and works closely with staff, interest-holders, and residents to advance community safety and well-being throughout Mississauga.
Gerald Adad
Manager, Youth Services
Gerald Adad is the Neighbourhood Services Manager of Safe City Mississauga. Beginning in 2019, Gerald Adad has continued to run the ever-popular Neighbourhood Watch program and has gone on to launch the brand-new Business Watch program. He co-chairs the Safe City Mississauga Crime Data Collaborative Team to manage the strategic implementation of crime and community data within the organization. Gerald holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of St. George, majoring in Criminology and History. He possesses the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design certification under the NICP, and is a certified International Crime Prevention Specialist under the International Society of Crime Prevention Practitioners.
Cassie Pettersen
Program Coordinator, Neighbourhood Watch
Cassie Pettersen is the Neighbourhood Watch Program Coordinator for Safe City Mississauga. Cassie has an Honours Bachelor in Community Safety from Sheridan College with a Certificate in Creativity and Creative Problem Solving. She completed her internship in Policy and Program Evaluation supporting York Regional Police’s Like Me First program and the Halton Violence Prevention Council in a Survivor’s Voices Project. Cassie has worked as a lead researcher on the development of a new program evaluation tool and has been a facilitator for a Program Evaluation Workshop in Mississauga. With a background in crime prevention and program evaluation, she is passionate about working with communities to make them stronger and more resilient.
Melodie Downey
Activity Coordinator
Melodie Downey is the Activity Coordinator, where she supports Team Leads in the planning and execution of community initiatives that foster stronger neighbourhood connections and contribute to crime reduction. Melodie holds an Ontario Graduate Certificate in Project Management from Humber College, an Honours Bachelor Degree in Community Safety, and a Diploma in Social Service Work from Sheridan College. With over a decade of experience in the social services sector, she previously served as the Crime Prevention Coordinator at Free For All Community Services. Melodie is deeply passionate about building safer, more connected communities by promoting crime prevention strategies and encouraging neighbour-to-neighbour engagement.
Iram Zaidi
Program Coordinator, School Watch
Iram is a Program Coordinator at Safe City Mississauga and leads the School Watch program, empowering youth to take an active role in keeping their schools and communities safe. With over a decade of experience working with children and youth, she holds a degree in Child Development and brings a strong background in social services. Iram is passionate about mental wellness, life skills, community engagement, and crime prevention. She is currently pursuing a Master of Social Work with a focus on youth advocacy. Through engaging workshops and school-based initiatives, Iram supports youth in becoming confident, informed, and connected members of their communities, creating safer and more inclusive spaces.
Winson Wong
ETON Coordinator, Countering Hate in the Community
Ho Yan (Winson) Wong | 黄浩然 (He/Him) is the ETON Coordinator at Safe City Mississauga. His primary role is to raise the knowledge and capacity of communities across Peel Region in addressing and preventing hate-motivated incidents and crimes. He graduated from the University of Toronto with an Honours Bachelor of Arts with Distinction—with a Specialty in Human Geography and Focus on Urban Geography and Focus on Urban Planning. He also earned a Non-Profit Leadership for Impact Certificate from the School of Continuing Studies. Winson is currently a master’s student striving to complete the Master of Urban Innovation (MUI) program at the Institute for Management & Innovation—also at the University of Toronto. In his passionate efforts to ongoingly build, develop, and strengthen communities, Winson proudly demonstrates his leadership, tenacity, and gumption in various nonprofit frontline and leadership roles. This includes excelling in roles pertaining to community training on community inclusion and health and hate-motivated crime prevention, while also championing executive positions in nonprofit directorship.
Anastasia Tolias
Program Coordinator, Older Adult/Senior Services
