Check out our Hamilton ACORN leaders

Veronica Gonzalez
Mountain Hamilton Co-Chair
Veronica joined ACORN in 2019 after experiencing health and safety issues in her own apartment and wanting to see improvements in her housing complex on the Mountain. Since getting involved with ACORN, Veronica has fought for tenant justice in her community and at City Hall.

Marnie Schurter
Mountain Hamilton Co-Chair
Marnie joined ACORN during the founding organizing drive of the Mountain Chapter in 2018. Marnie recently retired as a Library Clerk with Hamilton Public Library. She is passionate about building a strong community for tenants living on Hamilton’s Mountain.

Zechariah Hockridge
Mountain Hamilton Secretary / Treasurer
Zechariah Hockridge joined ACORN during the COVID19 pandemic after reaching out with concerns about renoviction in Hamilton. Zechariah is passionate, caring, and willing to go above and beyond for the wellbeing of others. Having experienced episodic homelessness, Zechariah is passionate about preventing homelessness and tenant displacement.

Dayna Sparkes
East Hamilton Chair
Dayna lives with her family in the Red Hill neighborhood. She joined ACORN in 2019 and right away got involved in helping organize in her East Hamilton townhouse complex to fight renoviction. Dayna has been a leader in Hamilton ACORN’s city wide and provincial housing campaigns, Internet for All and modernizing EI.

Elizabeth Ellis
East Hamilton Co-Chair
Elizabeth joined ACORN in 2018 when she suspected her new landlord was trying to renovict her and her neighbors. Elizabeth has been a leader in Hamilton ACORN’s campaign against renoviction, helping run resist renoviction workshops, delegating at City Hall about her experience and supporting members in defending their homes. Elizabeth works in Hamilton as Personal Support Worker.

Christine Neale
Downtown Hamilton Chair
Christine joined Acorn in 2022 due to ongoing issues with the owner of the apartment building where she lives. She has had an ongoing LTB claim since 2019 and is still waiting for a decision. Another issue that the tenants of the building were dealing with brought Christine to ACORN. Affordable housing has always been an issue near and dear to Christine's heart. 'Rent or Food?' should not be a question people have to ask. Christine has been retired since 2018 after working at a law firm for 13 years.