National
Marva Burnett
ACORN Canada President
Marva is the Chair of Scarborough ACORN and the National President of ACORN Canada. Marva is a child care worker, and a mother. She has been passionate leader with ACORN since it first started organizing in Scarborough in 2005 and has led countless campaigns over the years.
Tabitha Naismith
ACORN Canada Secretary
Tabitha has been very active with ACORN since she signed up in 2013, as a champion of anti-poverty issues and both disability rights. Thanks to her tireless advocacy, BC ACORN’s Disability Rights Group won their first major victory on their End the Child Support Clawback Campaign. Tabitha currently lives with her two. children in the community of Newton in Surrey, British Columbia.
Monica Bhandari
ACORN Canada Treasurer
Monica was elected Chair of New West ACORN and sits on the National Board representing BC. Since getting involved with ACORN, Monica helped organise her apartment building into a tenant union that successfully fought to defeat her landlord’s attempt to pass on a million dollars in building repairs to tenants. She now helps lead the fight to increase tenant protections across BC.
Bader Abu Zahra
National Board Representative
Bader is a retired engineer. He immigrated to Canada in the early 70s and since then has been involved in community struggles for social justice. After being encouraged by his daughter to join ACORN, Bader has become a committed member on several campaigns including affordable and livable housing and fair banking. He was an essential part of the push for a mobile COVID19 testing site in the east end of Ottawa. Since June 2023, he became part of the ACORN Canada National Board.
Hannah Wood
National Board Representative
Originally hailing from New Brunswick, Hannah has been a fierce and effective disability advocate and is an urban chicken-keeping enthusiast. Hannah was elected chair of the Halifax-Peninsula Chapter in 2020 and is passionate about tenants rights and fair and affordable housing.
Alejandra Ruiz Vargas
National Board Representative
Alejandra is a housing worker originally from Colombia who has been involved with ACORN since 2015. She has led meetings and actions on issues such as. childcare, remittances, and employment insurance reform but her passion and advocacy on affordable housing, tenant rights and state of good repair issues is her passion.
Lisa Hayhurst
National Board Representative
Lisa brings her experience helping lead Nova Scotia ACORN’s successful Rent Control Now campaign to the ACORN Canada national board, where she sits as a Nova Scotia rep. Lisa is currently focussed on winning a landlord licensing system in the Halifax Regional Municipality and being a thorn in the side of her negligent landlord.