Meet your 2016-2017 USC Board of Directors

Over the course of the 2016-2017 school year, the USC Board of Directors will assist the USC in fulfilling their obligations to undergarduate students by approving policy changes and other recommednations as received from The University Students' Council. Get to know the 2016-2017 USC Board of Directors:

Stephen Franchetto

Eddy Avila

Isaac Jacobi

Inaari Lalani

Karen Luu

Hirad Zafari

Mark Farfan

Christopher Maidment

Brennan Wong

Andriy Katyukha

Stephen Franchetto - Chair of the USC Board of Directors, Second Term Board Member, 3rd Year JD (Faculty of Law)

What interested you in applying to be a USC board member?

At Laurier I was Vice President: University Affairs for the Students' Union so I appreciate the tremendous value student associations create in so many aspects of student life. In particular, the advocacy role they play is important and helps make university more affordable, a high quality education experience, and ensures student needs are met outside the classroom. I see this position as an opportunity to contribute to the Western community, using ​my background in policy and student government to improve student life. Bringing my experience to the table, I hope to help the Board develop long-term strategies to foster the USC’s growth and create policies that ensure stability. I also hope to critically evaluate spending to ensure the USC maximizes its contribution to students with its existing resources.

What did you learn from your first term sitting on the Board?

I developed my understanding of governance and the USC in general. Being a part of the Board allows you to see how strategy need to drive operational decisions, especially surrounding the USC’s finances. It was great to work with other directors to resolve difficult issues and set organizational priorities.

What are you looking forward to this year as a Board member?

I’m looking forward to further developing organizational governance by working with the Secretary-Treasurer to create a robust set of policies and procedures that help ensure stability. Creating a long-term strategic plan this year will be a great opportunity for the Board to contribute to the USC into the future.

Eddy Avila - First Term Board Member, President of the University Students' Council

Isaac Jacobi - Third Term Board Member, Former Chair, Secretary Treasurer of the University Students' Council

What are you looking forward to as a Board member?

I'm looking forward to increased transparency for students on what the Board does, and has purview over, new policy to standardize financial reporting and an annual report to showcase what the USC has been able to accomplish in a year. I am also looking forward to better governance around policy compliance and tracking.

Inaara Lalani - Second Term Board Member, 4th year Business Student at Ivey

What interested you in applying to be a USC board member?

I have been involved in student government for many years so last year, I decided to try something new. I have always been interested in business so I felt that joining the Board would give me the opportunity to combine my two interests, student governance and business. Overall, I was interested in learning more about the business side of how the USC runs as well as the provision of services to students.

What did you learn from your first term sitting on the Board?

With Canada facing many economic challenges this year, I learned about that impact this had on many different services that the USC provides as well as the impact to the students. I therefore also learnt about the importance for an organization to react quickly to changes and be flexible.

What are you looking forward to this year as a Board member?

I am looking forward to expanding my knowledge on the USC and helping to ensure the USC continues to place the needs and wants of the students first.

Karen Luu - First Term Board Member, 2nd Year Student (Faculty of Law)

What interested you in applying to be a Board Member?

I applied to be part of the USC BOD primarily because I was interested in an opportunity to give back to the London community while making use of my business background and legal education. I have also been a Mustang since 2010 and am really excited to be part of Western’s growth!

What are you hoping to gain from your experience and involvement?

From this experience and my involvement, I am hoping to learn more about how to better serve the community with my background and education. I also look forward to developing a network of relationships with other individuals with a passion for volunteer work.

Hirad Zafari - Second Term Board Member, 4th year Honours Specialization Physiology

What interested you in applying to be a USC board member?

I've always been fascinated by school politics and corporate governance - and the board gave me an opportunity to learn about both. In part, we engage with the elected USC executive, learning about their goals and the process and steps required to achieve them. Further, we learn about various initiatives or changes coming to the USC, and work out how best to implement them.

What did you learn from your first term sitting on the Board?

Over the past two years, I've learned a lot about planning an event or running a business (for instance the Spoke or the Wave) from an administrative or management perspective. There’s an enormous amount of fine tuning and attention to detail needed to run a successful and more importantly safe event, and I've gained an appreciation for the hard work every one of our staff and students put in. I've also learned that the elected executives must work very efficiently in order to accomplish their goals for the year - their year absolutely flies by given the responsibilities they have.

What are you looking forward to this year as a Board member?

I'm looking forward to working with the new board members as well as the newly elected USC executive. I'm certain we will continue to have rich, exciting dialogue and I look forward to what we can offer the students this year.

Mark Farfan - First Term Board Member, 4th Year Honours Specialization Political Science​

What interested you in applying to be a Board Member?

I became involved in the USC in my second year and have been seeking out new opportunities within the organization ever since. I served as a USC councillor for 2 terms and in my second term I was Chair of the Provincial and Federal Affairs Committee, both of which were amazing experiences. After being involved in the political side of the USC for two years I was interested in exploring other opportunities. The Board of Directors seemed like an excellent way for me to continue to contribute to the USC while also experiencing something new and exciting, so here I am.

What are you hoping to gain from your experience and involvement?

I am hoping to learn as much as possible about non-profit corporate governance, to continue to make connections with great people, and to walk away from the experience as a more well-rounded person & big picture thinker.

Christopher Maidment - Second Term Board Member, Year 2 HBA at Ivey.

What interested you in applying to be a USC Board Member?

I chose to apply for a position because I have a passion for student government. I was previously involved in a variety of capacities on the Huron University Students' Council (HUCSC) and wanted to get more involved with the USC. I was also drawn to the fact that the Board is a fairly new institution. I believe there is an incredible opportunity to have an impact by formalizing the board's role within the USC community.

What did you learn from your first term sitting on the Board?

I have a better appreciation for how complicated the USC is. I have also gained a better understanding of USC operations. I think many students at Western would be surprised to learn just how much the USC is involved in the community.

What are you looking forward to this year as a Board member?

I am excited to continue to work with USC staff. The staff at the USC are truly passionate about their work and I enjoy being a part of that.

Brennan Wong - First Term Board Member, 2nd Year Bachelor of Health Sciences, with plans to enter the Ivey HBA program.

What interested you in applying to be a Board Member?

The USC is a fantastic platform for any student to enact campus-wide changes that benefit the undergraduate community. I want to be able to contribute to the strategic development of the organization in a capacity that would also allow for me to participate in Western’s undergraduate student government.

What are you hoping to gain from your experience and involvement?

I’m looking forward to collaborating with other student leaders from across Western to come up with novel ideas for change on campus. I’m also excited about the opportunity to learn from areas of governance, policy, and advocacy; as well as network among other amazing students and continue the conversation about making Western and the USC better for all.

Andriy Katyukha - Vice-Chair USC Board of Directors, First Term Board Member, 3rd Year Bachelor of Medical Sciences

What interested you in applying to be a Board Member?

I was interested in taking a more active role in the USC and at the university. I also wanted to gain more experience in corporate governance and contribute my time back to Western, the place I have called home for the last 2 years. I felt my experiences and skills would be of value to the Board, and thought that this would be the perfect opportunity for me.

What are you hoping to gain from your experience and involvement?

I would like to build on my financial reasoning abilities, and learn more about the intricacies that go into making sure that the USC is sustainable and continues to serve the students of Western University. I have previous corporate governance experience, but this opportunity will allow me to further apply these skills and gain new ones, as I will be working in a setting that is different from the one I have worked in before.