CFIC Board of Directors & Leadership Team (2025 – 2026)
CFIC’s Board of Directors is elected by the CFIC Council at the Annual General Meeting.
CFIC Board of Directors
Edan Tasca
President | president@centreforinquiry.ca
Edan has been a member of the CFIC since 2014, volunteering in various capacities since early 2016. He spent 15 years as a writer/editor and went back to school in 2012 to re-train for a career in mental health. He now works as a psychotherapist in multiple venues in and around Toronto.
Edan belongs to CFIC because he loves the mission of spreading science, secularism, and critical thinking.
“Society has been making strides toward de-stigmatizing mental health issues, but there’s much work to be done. I look forward to offering my expertise to CFIC as we work through these and other challenges.”
Leslie Rosenblood
Vice President, Secular Chair, Host of Podcast for Inquiry (PFI) | rosenblood@centreforinquiry.ca
Leslie joined CFC shortly after its inception. He firmly believes that evidence-based public policy is the best foundation for laws and regulations, and that facts and their logical implications should form the foundation of discussions in society. Hence CFIC's commitment to reason, science, and secular values appeals greatly to him, and he hopes to increase their prevalence in Canada.
Leslie has a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics (Computer Science) from the University of Waterloo and an MBA in Science and Technology from Queen’s University. Leslie has performed in countless plays and improvisational comedy nights, ran one marathon, and has worked in multiple roles across numerous industries in several countries. He has four children and lives in Toronto. He writes about secularism, religion, politics, ethics, free speech, and other topics at opinionsquestions.blogspot.com (opinions there are his own, not CFIC’s).
Seanna Watson
Past President, Board Member | swatson@centreforinquiry.ca
Seanna was one of the founders of the Ottawa branch of CFIC in 2009. She grew up in Toronto, where her early religious upbringing was liberal/Reform Jewish (though her grandfather was a staunch atheist). Despite having skeptical and free-thinking tendencies as a child and young teenager, she encountered some very convincing evangelists and converted to fundamentalist Christianity at the age of 15. However, continuing with a skeptical and free-thinking approach, she gradually abandoned various aspects of Christianity over the subsequent years, finally becoming an atheist around the turn of the century.
Seanna is a retired electrical engineer, currently dividing her (non-CFI) time among a variety of pursuits, including model railroading, reading (philosophy, biology, and science fiction), and hiking.
As a member of the CFIC Board, Seanna has a special interest in education in science and skepticism, as well as in building caring communities of non-believers.
E. Onur C. Romano
Branch Liaison Chair, Human Rights Chair, Program Chair | onurromano@centreforinquiry.ca
Onur is an atheist refugee currently living in Victoria, BC. He has studied Political Science at St. Thomas University, Government and International Politics at George Mason University, International Relations at Istanbul Bilgi University, and is pursuing an M.A. degree in Global Leadership at Royal Roads University.
He established multiple atheist organizations in the Republics of Turkey and Georgia from 2012 to 2016. He states his lifelong mission as: to create a network of atheist/secular/humanist NGOs in the Middle East region. Onur has previously served as President of Atheist Alliance International in 2016–2017. Onur has been a member of CFI and CFIC since 2015. He has been a co-director of the Victoria branch since 2018, and manager of the Virtual branch since 2019. He produces an annual “Protecting Blasphemers” Panel Discussion event in Victoria, BC. In 2020, Onur created the Atheist Refugee Assistance Program for non-believing asylum-seekers in Turkey.
As a victim of false allegations, Onur spent a total of three years imprisoned in Turkey. He was forced to fight tens of bogus charges brought by the Pro-Islamic Turkish prosecutors. He was slandered and crucified by media outlets. The charges he was once acquitted of were reversed to “Guilty” from “Not Guilty” by higher courts after his atheist activism reached its peak. He has been an asylum seeker in Canada since 2017.
David Simmons
Board Member, Manager of Records and Recording Secretary | cfisecretary@centreforinquiry.ca
David Simmons is a prospect researcher for the March of Dimes Canada. He has been a member of CFIC since 2014 and has volunteered with the Toronto branch since that time. He is currently a member of the Toronto Branch Leadership team, as well as the Manager of Records and Recording Secretary for CFIC nationally.
David’s excellent organizational skills ensure that CFIC’s virtual records are organized and maintained in a secure environment. David prepares the monthly board meeting package and records the minutes of each meeting. David values CFIC’s role in expanding rationality and critical thinking in society.
Arda Ozbek
Board Member | ardaozbek@centreforinquiry.ca
Arda Ozbek is an Industrial Engineer and business strategy professional with over 15 years of experience in data analytics, market development, and category management. Alongside his professional career, Arda has been an outspoken advocate for secularism and free thought for nearly two decades. His background includes contributing to early secular forums in Turkey, subtitling prominent scientific and atheist lectures into Turkish to promote rational inquiry, and being a founding-era member of Turkey's Ateizm Derneği in 2014.
As a CFIC Board Member, Arda leverages his analytical skills and lifelong commitment to freedom of conscience to advance critical thinking, evidence-based decision-making, and supportive communities for freethinkers across Canada.
Leadership
John Lombard
Interim Executive Director | ExecutiveDirector@centreforinquiry.ca
John Lombard is the Interim Executive Director of CFIC. He has served on the CFIC Board of Directors for two years and previously led the Vancouver branch for more than three years. He is focused on advancing CFIC’s mission of promoting critical thinking, free inquiry, and evidence-based decision-making.
John developed CFIC’s guiding slogan, We don’t tell you what to think. We teach you how to think, as well as the Four Pillars of Inquiry: Look Inward, Look Closely, Look Deeper, and Look Again. These pillars encourage people to recognize their biases, examine claims critically, evaluate evidence, and remain willing to revise their conclusions when the evidence warrants it.
Administrative & Communications Support
Mark Maharaj
Office Manager, Membership Coordinator | membership@centreforinquiry.ca
Mark Maharaj has been a volunteer with CFIC since 2012, helping with the local branch in Ottawa, Ontario, where he resides. He is a computer programmer with varying interests in other subjects such as ethics, theology, philosophy, effective altruism, psychology, scientific skepticism, ethical veganism and critical thinking. He is an avid hiker and enjoys the outdoors.
Tran Pham
Digital Media Coordinator | graphicdesign@centreforinquiry.ca
Tran Pham has been with CFIC since February 2025, initially volunteering as a graphic designer before transitioning to the role of Digital Media Coordinator in November 2025. She is responsible for managing the Critical Links newsletter and supporting CFIC’s digital media, website, graphic design, and communications activities.
Past Board Members
CFIC is proud to recognize the service of Board Members since our formal founding in 2007.
2022 – 2026
- Sandra Dunham
- Diane Bruce
- Zack Dumont
- Sonya Jenkins
- Gus Lyn-Piluso
- Joanna Nguyen-Truong
2017 – 2021
- Danielle Russell
- Kevin Smith
- Blythe Nilsson
- Christopher Myrick
- Sarah Pekeles
2015 – 2016
- Gary Fitzgibbon
- Dorothy Hays
- Veronica Abbass
- Mike Gray
- Genessa Radke
- Pat O’Brien
- Wil McDowall
2011 – 2014
- Ron Lindsay
- Thomas Flynn
- Derek Rodgers
- Barry Karr
- Kathryn Calder
- Iain Martel
- William Cranor
- Carol Parlow
- Lorne Trottier
- Ian McCuaig
- Michael Gardiner
2007 – 2010
- S. Wynton Semple
- Debora Del Monte
- Paul Zammit
- Richard Thain
- Jack Wallas
- Zak Fiddes