QBAC Volunteers

Queen's Black Alumni Chapter (QBAC) volunteers are alumni and students who give their time, resources, and support to QBAC and Queen's community. Volunteer support the priorities and mission of the chapter through a variety of ways including events, programming, and mentoring.

Are you looking to meet new friends, share your expertise, and help shape the future of our community?

We're always looking for enthusiastic volunteers - both students and alumni - to help us build our community. If you want to volunteer, contact us today.

QBAC Team and Advisory Committee

Yinka Adegbusi, Artsci ’13, President

Yinka is an Artsci'13 graduate with dual degrees in Physics and Mathematics. During her time at Queen’s, she was actively involved in student groups, including being the president of Queen’s University Chamber Choir (now known as Queen’s University Chorus) for three consecutive years. She was also a founding member of Queen’s Black Academic Society, and Queen’s Black History Month (now known as Kingston Black History Month), where she served as an executive on both organizations consecutively.

Yinka is passionate about giving back, particularly to youth empowerment causes, her reason for co-founding and chairing the Queen’s Black Alumni Chapter was to effectively connect self-identified Black students and recent graduates to the alumni community. She also serves as a Director on the Queen’s University Alumni Association Board, leading the Alumni Constituency Portfolio. Yinka currently works at KPMG Canada as a Market Insights Manager, where she leverages data analytics to provide insights that enable business leaders to make data-driven business decisions. She is also an active member of the KPMG Black Professional Network (BPN) and KPMG Women in Technology Network (WiT).

Nyah Hernandez, Artsci ’18, MA ’21, Director, Operations

Nyah Hernandez, MA'21, is a master’s graduate of History with research centred on Blackness, culture, and identity in Latin America with a focus on the Dominican Republic. During her time at Queen’s, she served as an executive team member for Queen’s Black Academic Society to contribute to build up the Black community at Queen’s . As an alumna, she has continued her passion for equity and inclusion by joining the QBAC executive team.

Gideon Belete, Artsci ’18, Director, Membership

Gideon, Artsci'18, is a government relations and communications specialist who currently works at a public affairs consulting agency. Previously, Gideon served in the Office of MPP Robin Martin where he supported the Members’ efforts on files ranging from healthcare to education. Gideon is also a proud graduate of Queen’s University from which he holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Political Studies and History. He currently serves on the Queen’s Black Alumni Chapter executive team as the Director of Membership, working to empower Black alumni through community and social innovation.

Leo Bailey, MBA ’17, Vice-President, Finance

Leo Bailey, MBA'17, is the co-founder of Success with Age and Guidance Program. He is a graduate of
the Bachelor of Commerce Program at Ryerson as well as the MBA program at Queen’s University class
of 2017. Leo believes that youth are the future and with the right guidance, positive relationships and
support through mentorship and education youth, especially young men, can blossom fully into their own
potential.

Kianah Lécuyer, Artsci ’19, Vice-President, Marketing

Kianah Lécuyer is a passionate, creative, and ambitious leader. Proudly reigning from the depths of downtown Toronto, Lécuyer is the Founder & Head Consultant of Jelot Consultation. She is also an experienced music industry professional having worked as a production assistant for several FULLCC Music Group productions (including Family Channel’s Big Ticket Concert, The Next Step: Absolute Dance Tour, etc.), and is currently the Digital Marketing Consultant for Envision Management & Production.

She graduated from Queen's University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) in Global Development Studies, and an Arts Minor in Religious Studies. Her passion for advocacy work and the arts has led her to hold many interesting positions during her time at Queen's and afterward. Lécuyer dedicated most of her time to the Queen's Black Academic Society (QBAS) where she served as the Head of Marketing & Communications in her final year, as well as Head of Finance, Sponsorship, and Fundraising for the club's inaugural conference. She was also the originator/inventor of the club's staple initiative titled, “Real Talks”. A lover of the arts, Kianah was also an avid member of the Queen's musical theater community and served as a Stage Manager/Assistant Stage Manager for several productions including Bring It On! The Musical, How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying, and The Addams Family Musical.

Today she is an active member of the Queen's Black Alumni Chapter (QBAC) and the Queen’s Queer Alumni Chapter (QQAC) whose goals are to connect Black and LGBTQ2S+ alumni, students, faculty, and staff in an effort to support one another's professional aspirations. She currently sits as the Vice President of Marketing & Communications for both Chapters. Lécuyer is also a member of the Youth Alumni Advisory Council (YA Council) and has been spotlighted as a “Mentor of the month” for Queen's Connects Career Network for Students and Alumni.

Temi Akintan, Artsci ’22, Manager, Social Media

Temi, Artsci'22, is a fifth year student working towards completing her Bachelor of Arts in Economics. During her time at Queen’s, Temi has been involved in Queen’s Student Diversity Project, Vogue Charity Fashion Show, Queen’s Black Alumni Chapter and has been employed under the Alma Mater Society as Graphic Design Staff for Studio Q. In addition, Temi runs a non-profit with her mother called "I AM. I CAN. I WILL." that works towards empowering women and youth in developing regions.

Zoë Walwyn, Artsci ’19, Director, Communication

Zoë graduated in 2019 from Queen’s University with a major in Global Development Studies and a minor in Gender Studies. During her time at Queen’s, she served on the executive for Queen’s Black Academic Society, and planned orientation events for the Arts and Science Undergraduate Society. She is currently the Director of Communications for QBAC and a J.D. Candidate at the Lincoln Alexander School of Law at Ryerson University with a keen interest in family law.

D'antal Sampson, Artsci ’19, Vice-President, Events

D’antal is a third year law student at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law. D’antal takes pride in his involvement in the law student community, working to provide mental health resources and mentorship to other students. On campus, D’antal serves as the Co-President of Elephant in the Room, a mental health initiative, and the VP Advocacy of the Black Law Students Association. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts Honours in Sociology at Queen’s, where he received an athletic scholarship to play Varsity Football for the Gaels. Outside of law School, D’antal also works with Switch Mentality, an initiative dedicated to teaching young athletes how to thrive both academically and athletically. Upon completion of his JD, D’antal will begin his articling term at Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP in Toronto.

Benjamin Arhen, Artsci ’20, Director, Virtual Events

Benjamin recently graduated with an honors degree in biology and is currently completing his master's degree in muscle physiology & biochemistry (MSc'22) at Queens. He was a member of the Queen's football team for five years and is currently an assistant coach for the men's and women's football teams as he finishes his degree.

Benjamin has been involved in many initiatives during his time at Queen's, including the Queen's Black Premedical Association (QBPA), the Gael's care mentorship program, Switch Mentality, a program geared towards helping athletes find an identity outside of sport, and Varsity Leadership Council. Benjamin is passionate about leading and mentoring young students and athletes. His goal is to provide a role model for these individuals to help maneuver the demanding obstacles and challenges that life brings as they make their way through post secondary education.

Joseph Oladimeji, Artsci ’21, Vice-President, Programs and Initiatives

Joseph is a first year law student at Osgoode Hall Law at York University. He graduated from Queen's in May of 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Psychology. Joseph intends to pursue a career in Immigration and Human Rights law as well as Intellectual property. He held several positions on advocacy and equity seeking groups while at Queen's and helped planned the first ever conference that focused on the Mental well-being of Black Students at Queens. He currently works as a Special Projects assistant with the Black Law Student Association at Osgoode.

Jade Leonard, Artsci ’21, Co-Director, Mentorship Program

Jade is completing her degree in global development. During her time at Queen's she felt an overwhelming gap in the programs, social and extracurricular activities at the university for people of colour. More specifically, she wanted to find a sense of belonging for herself. This is why she became involved in different collectives and organizations on campus including the Committee Against Ethnic and Racial discrimination in her second year, eventually becoming the Co-Chair by fourth year. Jade is continuing her anti-racism and inclusion work with QBAC in the mentorship program, working with her team to develop a program that will connect Black undergraduates and alumni to further personal, educational, and professional development. In her spare time, Jade enjoys sewing and is pursuing a career in modelling.

Alana Williams, Artsci ’22, Co-Director, Mentorship Program

Alana is a Bachelor of Arts student majoring in Sociology and minoring in French Studies. Throughout her time at Queen’s, she has devoted her time into becoming a hardworking and well-rounded individual. Her positivity and leadership skills transcribed into the Queen’s community through her various commitments on campus . She upheld her school spirit as a cheerleader on the Pom Team, a teacher for the Queen’s Dance Club, and the sisterhood/alumni relations executive for the Alpha Pi Phi Kingston Sorority (embracing female empowerment). Currently, she holds a co-director chair for the Queen’s Black Alumni Chapter (QBAC) Mentorship program, as she finishes her fifth year with hopes of attending law school in the near future.

Catherine Haba, Artsci ’22, Vice-President, Partnership

While at Queen's, Catherine worked on improving the student experience at Queen’s for people of colour by working with administrators to make the university more supportive for its most marginalized peoples. She has been actively involved in numerous organizations such as the Queen’s Black Academic Society, the Faculty of Arts and Science Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigeneity Implementation Committee, and currently holds a role as VP in the Queen’s Black Alumni Chapter. She was one of the youngest recipients of a United Way Community Builder Award and in 2021 received the Agnes Benedickson Tricolour Award, the highest tribute bestowed upon a student at Queen’s University for service and leadership.

Lalique Allan, Artsci'23, Director, Student and Faculty Partnerships

Lalique is a fourth-year student working towards a Bachelor of Arts in Global Development Studies. During her time at Queen's, Lalique has been involved with the African Caribbean Student Association and the executive team of Queen's Black Academic Society for three years. Lalique is now an active member of Queen's Black Alumni Chapter and does makeup and hair for people of colour students in MUSE, a student magazine publication.

Hazel Claxton, Com ’83, QBAC Advisory Committee Member - Programs and Initiatives

Hazel Claxton served as EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer of Morneau Shepell (now LifeWorks) from 2013 to 2018. Prior to that, she spent 29 years at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) where she held several leadership roles, including Canadian Leadership Group member, Human Capital leader, Corporate Advisory and Restructuring Group partner, and Chair of PwC’s Women in Leadership initiative.

Hazel currently sits on the boards of TELUS Corporation, the University Pension Plan Ontario, Unity Health Toronto, and Queen’s University, where she is Vice Chair. She is a Chartered Professional Accountant, Chartered Accountant and holds the designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Beau Sackey, MBA ’12, QBAC Advisory Committee Member - Finance, Sponsorship, and Donations

Prior to founding Plendify, Beau Sackey was a Managing Partner at Biltstone Consulting in Ontario, and before that a management consultant with Capco – a global management consulting firm dedicated solely to the financial services industry. Previously, Beau has worked with Accenture, Deloitte and PricewaterCoopers (PwC) and has a breadth of experience working for Fortune 500 companies across several industries including: banking and finance, telecommunications, manufacturing and retail.

In addition, Beau has significant experience managing projects, conducting system implementations, outsourcing business functions and providing practical strategic roadmaps. He is an excellent communicator and negotiator, who consistently engages and inspires teams to perform and deliver exceptional results. Beau is also the author of a thought-leadership paper - Digital Transformation 2.0 - Your Financial Institution has embarked on a few digital initiatives. The question on your mind now is “What’s next?”

Beau holds a Bachelors of Commerce Honours degree from Carleton University and a Master’s in Business Administration from Queen’s University. Beau is also a designated Project Management Professional. Beau was an Adjunct Professor at Seneca College (York University) from 2018 to 2019 where he taught Advanced Information Technology Project Management.

Aziz Garuba, MBA ’12, QBAC Advisory Committee Member - Engagement and Recruitment

Aziz is a dynamic finance professional with over 13 years of experience driving change and delivering improvements to business performance. He is currently a Director, Business Architecture at RBC Capital Markets where he focuses on developing, driving and owning the strategic roadmap for the Business & Client Services group.

He is also the producer and host of the podcast Made to Lead, a show that highlights Black excellence and leadership through thought-provoking success stories of amazing professionals and entrepreneurs of African descent who are leading in various industries.

Aziz holds a Bachelor of Commerce, Accounting and Finance from the Telfer School of Management (University of Ottawa) and an MBA from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CMA) and a Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE). He is also a 2019 CPA Ontario Emerging Leaders Award recipient.