Steering Committee

Dr. Ramanathan Lambotharan

Dr. Lambotharan is a leading Family Physician in Toronto. He is the founder president and a current board of director of IMHO - International Medical Health Organization - Canada, a leading humanitarian charity well known for its humanitarian work for relieving poverty and improving health services in under-served regions of over fifteen countries around the globe with its main focus in Sri Lanka. Every year he personally visits his motherland and spends time with the destitute, orphans and poor to share resources and services. In addition to his humanitarian efforts Dr. Lambotharan is the founder of Saiva Siddhanta Peedam and its wing Knowing Our Roots committed to running Sunday classes for kids and weekly Sat Sang gatherings and radio talk shows for the adults based on the harmonious spiritual wisdom of Saiva Siddhanta, the age old philosophy of Tamils. He also established Toronto Tamil Sangam, a non- profit social organization providing monthly meetings committed to neutral healthy multifaceted approach, analysis, research and knowledge-sharing in Tamilology.

Vithu Ramachandran

Vithu Ramachandran is a lawyer practicing through Ramachandran Law Professional Corporation in the eastern part of Toronto. Vithu practices in the area of civil litigation, real estate, family and wills and estates law. He completed his undergraduate at York University (Toronto) with a Bachelor in Commerce and completed his legal studies at Hofstra University (New York, USA), graduating with a specialization in International Law and being an award recipient of the award for being the top student in his graduating class for International Law. Vithu volunteers with the Canadian Tamils’ Chamber of Commerce and operates several other businesses. When not working or volunteering, Vithu strives to donate the remainder of his time to his young and blossoming family.

Keerthana Rang

Keerthana Rang is the Director of Communications for Radical Ventures, a Toronto-based venture capital firm investing in artificial intelligence companies shaping the future of how we do business, how we take care of one another, and how we live.

Prior to joining Radical, Keerthana was responsible for communications, issues management, and media relations for Sidewalk Labs, an Alphabet company using forward-thinking urban design and cutting edge technology to tackle the biggest challenges in cities like housing affordability, traffic congestion, and climate sustainability.

Previously, she spent the majority of her career working in communications in government and politics, including for Toronto Mayor John Tory, Metrolinx, and Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty. She is a York University graduate with a degree in Political Science and International Development Studies.

Nedra Rodrigo

Nedra Rodrigo is currently completing her PhD in the Humanities program at York University, on Tamil refugee narratives. She is a co-founder of the Tamil Studies Symposium at York University, where she is also developing an archive of Tamil Resources. She is a Spoken Word artist who has been featured at Scream in High Park, Desh Pardesh and Masala Mendhi Masti, and whose poetry has been published in various anthologies. She has translated works by R. Cheran, V.I.S. Jayapalan, Puthuvai Ratnathurai, Rashmy, Theva Abira, Siththanthan Sabapathy, Kuna Kaviyazhakan and Fahima Jahan, and her essays have been published in the International Journal of the Humanities, Global Tensions, Global Possibilities; Human Rights and the Arts: Essays on Global Asia; and Studies in Canadian Literature.

Dr. Vadivelu Santhakumar

Dr. Vadivelu Santhakumar is the lead Family Physician at his Center City Medical Clinic, which is a multi-service primary care clinic in Mississauga for over 20 years. He is the founder, past president, current advisory director of the Canadian Tamil Medical Association (CTMA) a registered charity in Canada. Dr. Santhakumar is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee award given to him in appreciation of his volunteer service with the community. He also received the Ontario volunteer service award in 2016. Dr. Santhakumar is a member of the clinical teaching staff at the Mississauga campus, University of Toronto - School of Medicine. He is also a sustaining member, advisory board member and the past President for Canadian Tamil Congress (CTC),an advocacy organization in the Tamil community.

Neethan Shan

Neethan Shan, currently Executive Director of Urban Alliance on Race Relations, is a former Toronto City Councillor and Toronto District School Board Trustee for Scarborough—Rouge River. From 2006-2010 he was also elected as a York Region District School Board Trustee. Neethan Shan began his career as a Youth Outreach Worker in Malvern. Neethan went on to become a manager for youth programs in Malvern, where he developed and implemented over twenty programs in many different schools. He has served as a Math and Science teacher, a youth outreach worker, college professor, and is the former Executive Director of CanTYD and of the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians. Neethan’s extensive involvement in the social services sector also includes work with Parent Action on Drugs, Malvern Community Coalition, Community Use of Schools Council, and Scarborough Youth Task Force, just to name a few organizations.

Neethan Shan has a distinguished human rights advocacy record, receiving many awards including the Race Relations Award from the Urban Alliance for Race Relations and the Vital People Award from the Toronto Community Foundation. As a Toronto City Councillor, Neethan was Toronto’s Youth Equity Champion and Newcomer Advocate.

Siva Vimalachandran

Siva Vimalachandran is the Executive Director for the YUSC, a non-profit corporation managing over 250,000 sq/ft of community and commercial space at York University. Siva led the development of the award winning $72M New Student Centre at York University from its embryonic stage including design, construction, financing, and operational planning. He currently oversees all management functions including strategic planning, service delivery, public relations, stakeholder management and organizational development for both centres.

For the TCC, Siva serves as Project Chair and helps navigate the committee through the complex processes associated with capital project development. He regularly liaisons with various subject matter experts to help ensure successful project delivery for the TCC.

He has been a strong advocate for grassroot community involvement in development and has presented at many forums including IIDEX, the OAA and the OPPI. Siva holds a strong passion for creating spaces that will contribute to community capacity building.