Staff & Board of Directors
Staff
Chief Executive Officer
Susan Somogyi (she/her)
Susan Somogyi has both front line and leadership experience in adult mental health, children’s mental health, couple and family therapy, gender-based violence, and justice services. She has extensive experience working within Employee Assistance Programs, both as a therapist and workplace consultant. In the past 20 years, Susan worked in various roles at a large multi-service not-for-profit agency, most recently as Director of Clinical Services.
In 2013, she authored “A Business Case for an Enhanced Strategy to End Domestic Violence”. This resulted in a provincial pilot project, led by Family Service Ontario, for conjoint counselling to address lower risk intimate partner violence.
Susan assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of Family Service Ontario in 2020. In this role, she supports member agencies in strengthening their organizations through opportunities for collaboration, sharing timely information, support, and education. In addition, Susan is the voice of our network, to ensure the provincial government understands the needs of our agencies in supporting our communities.
Completing master’s degrees in both Social Work and Business Administration, Susan is committed to the application of standard business practices and strategies that align with social work values to optimize the public funds that support the well-being of families in Ontario. She has been a passionate advocate for a comprehensive approach to mental health that serves the needs of men, women and children and recognizes the significance of relationships in mental health and wellbeing.
Project Manager
Cynthia Nonso (she/her)
Cynthia Nonso is a PMP-certified Project Manager that brings over 10 years of diverse professional experience to Family Service Ontario, including 5 years within the not-for-profit sector. She joined Family Service Ontario bringing a wealth of knowledge and a proven track record of delivering results in complex project environments.
Starting her career in accounting, she developed a strong foundation in financial management before further expanding her expertise with an MBA in 2015, which sharpened her strategic business perspective and leadership abilities.
A passionate advocate for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, she consistently promotes fairness and inclusion in both professional and personal spheres. Cynthia excels in driving complex initiatives to successful completion. She is deeply committed to community service and social impact.
In her role at Family Service Ontario, Cynthia focuses on enhancing project delivery and fostering collaboration across the organization. She is dedicated to ensuring that Family Service Ontario continues to meet the evolving needs of its members.
Board of Directors 2026-2027
Kirsten Armbrust
Chair
Kirsten Armbrust is the Executive Director of Community Counselling and Resource Centre (CCRC). Kirsten began at CCRC in 2003 as a clinical counsellor, then moved on to manage the counselling program, until 2019 when she assumed the role of Executive Director. Her previous professional experiences include work in child welfare, intimate partner violence and children’s mental health. Kirsten holds undergraduate degrees in sociology and social work from McMaster University and an MSW from McGill University. Kirsten sees the value of FSO firsthand. She has been a regular attendee at the annual conference for many years and has sat on the member services committee for years.
Brenda Spitzer
Vice Chair
Brenda Spitzer is the Executive Director of Catholic Family Services of Toronto, a position she has held since 2019. Prior to her current role, Brenda was the Executive Director of the Canadian Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and a sessional instructor in the Graduate Program in Couple & Family Therapy at the University of Guelph. Brenda worked for over fifteen years providing family therapy services at Catholic Community Services of York Region, where she was the Clinical Manager of the Therapy Team. She also served as the President of the Ontario Association for Marriage and Family Therapy until 2013.
Kevin Forrest
Secretary
Kevin Forrest (he/him) is a professional with over 35 years of experience in developmental services and mental health. His career began by supporting deaf adults diagnosed with intellectual disabilities and autism. He expanded his impact by working in the field of HIV/AIDS, serving as a group facilitator and men’s health educator, and promoting harm reduction strategies to inmates in provincial and federal prisons. Kevin has co-chaired police liaison programs aimed at reducing hate crimes and has developed educational materials to assist teachers in supporting high school students with autism spectrum disorders.
His leadership roles include managing social assistance programs for the Ministry of Children and Community Support Services, transitional-aged youth initiatives, and autism training and consultation programs both nationally and internationally. Currently serving as Chief Operating Officer at Family Service Toronto, Kevin oversees client services and partnerships, leveraging his extensive experience to drive impactful community programs. He is currently the Chair of the Developmental Services Council, which represents clients and their families receiving support in the Toronto region.
Anna Victoria Wong
Anna Victoria Wong is a journalist and speech-language pathologist by training, and health executive and community advocate by profession. Anna spent years in journalism and communications in the corporate, public, academic, and social service sectors. Her doctoral research focused on access equity to health services for the population affected by the invisible communicative disability. She is the Executive Director of Community Family Services of Ontario, which has served East Asian Ontarians with their mental health, newcomer settlement, and disabilities and special needs. Anna and CFSO are known for their service to socio-politically oppressed Hongkongers through the IRCC Hongkong Pathway.
Jennifer Bowen
Jennifer Bowen (she/her) began serving in the role of Executive Director at Shalem Mental Health Network in 2021. Before this transition, she served as Shalem’s Clinical Director for 12 years, transitioning the agency’s clinical program from a small private practice model to an attachment and trauma-informed psychotherapy clinic and learning center.
Before Shalem, Jennifer worked for 10 years in private practice in Oakville and valued her part-time work on the teams at both Burlington Counselling and Family Services and Halton Family Services, now jointly Thrive Counselling, learning the complexity of agency life, generalized practice, and the impact of intimate partner violence on Ontario families. She is passionate about clinical work, healthy organizational systems, and strategic planning. She completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto and completed a Master of Divinity in Couple and Family Counselling at Tyndale Seminary.
Melanie Dell
Melanie Dell is the Executive Director of the Counselling Centre of East Algoma (CCEA), where she provides strategic leadership across governance, clinical operations, community partnerships, and organizational sustainability. She brings a diverse professional background that includes earlier training and experience in finance and executive management, which informs her approach to organizational oversight, fiscal accountability, and long‑term planning.
Prior to her executive leadership role, Melanie operated a private counselling practice and has worked with individuals, families, and communities across a wide range of settings. Her experience includes providing services to diverse populations, including Indigenous communities such as Six Nations, and collaborating closely with community‑based organizations to support culturally responsive and accessible care.
As Executive Director, Melanie oversees program development, staff leadership, financial management, and funder accountability, while supporting continuous improvement and modernization of agency operations. She is committed to strong governance, staff well‑being, and meaningful community partnerships, and works collaboratively with the Board of Directors to strengthen mental health services across the East Algoma region.
Mohit Dudeja
Mohit Dudeja is a passionate advocate for education, human rights, and mental health. Currently, they are a scholar in the joint PhD program offered by the University of Windsor, Lakehead University, and Brock University. Mohit holds an MA in Psychology, an MA in Education, a Postgraduate Diploma in Management, a Bachelor of Social Work, and a Bachelor of Technology in Computer Science Engineering, reflecting their diverse academic background.
With nearly a decade of experience spanning the corporate, nonprofit, and academic sectors, Mohit has developed a versatile skill set. They are presently contributing to academia as a lecturer at Lakehead University.
In 2017, Mohit founded Mendlife Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to youth skill development with the goal of achieving sustainable livelihoods across various Indian states. In 2024, Mendlife’s reach further extended to Canada, supporting Queer, BIPOC, and international students.
Stafford Murphy
For the last 20 years, Stafford has held senior/executive leadership positions in a variety of community-based settings. Currently, Stafford is the Executive Director of Resolve Counselling Services. Prior to that, he was employed with Kerry’s Place Autism Services (East Region Executive Director), Kingston Community Health Centres (Director of Operations) and Lennox and Addington Addiction Services (Executive Director). Throughout his career Stafford has held numerous board positions, including his current position as Vice-President of the Board of Directors for the Kingston Community Legal Clinic. Stafford is also a peer reviewer for the Canadian Centre for Accreditation and Building Healthy Organizations accreditation bodies. He has a Bachelor of Psychology, a Diploma in Behaviour Science Technology, a Master Certificate in Healthcare Management and has completed the Advanced System Leadership Program with the Rotman School of Management.