Our Team

Scarborough Arts Core Staff

  • Derek Spooner

    Executive Director

    Derek Spooner, M.A., is a non-profit, management and fundraising professional with a strong background in program and fund development, operational design, data analysis, communications, marketing and team motivation.

    After working for Stevenson Children’s Camp and Western University, Derek went on to build dynamic and profitable fundraising teams at Artsmarketing Services Inc., and Free The Children in Toronto. His portfolio includes $9.04M in fulfilled gifts between 2011 to 2016 for the Toronto International Film Festival, Save The Children Canada, The New England Aquarium, The Boston Museum of Science, The Chicago Memorial Children’s Hospital and Mirvish Theatre Productions.

  • Faith Rajasingham

    Program Coordinator

    Faith Rajasingham is a museum professional with a background in Canadian immigration history and community education.

    Having earned her MA in History (2019, York University), Faith took her love for Scarborough into the museum field. In her past employment with Scarborough Museum (Toronto History Museums) she curated exhibits and programs that catered to Scarborough’s multiple diasporas. Focused on Canadian immigration, transnational communities, colonialism, and sovereignty movements, her research and work aims to provide resources and services for racialized and/or marginalized IBPOC communities in Toronto. In March of 2019, Faith co-founded Tamil Reads to provide Tamil diasporic communities access to education made by their communities for their communities. Faith also currently volunteers with Kudai Centre - a transitional home for young Tamil women at risk of homelessness in the GTA - as a Grant Writer and Research Mentor. 

    Faith’s deep love for Scarborough’s communities, places, and stories is informed by her own family’s migration history to the land. As settlers from Eelam, Faith grounds her work within the lands and communities she lives, works, and studies with. She is super excited to continue her relationship with Scarborough through Scarborough Arts!

  • Katie Pearson

    Katie Pearson, MSW candidate, MBA, BMT, is a finance, management and operations professional, with a breadth of experience in both the non-profit and financial sectors.

    After graduating with a Bachelor of Music Therapy, Katie began her career in fundraising and program management with a variety of charitable organizations including the MS Society of Canada and L’Arche (various locations). After advancing through these organizations, Katie went on to earn her Master of Business Administration from the Rotman School of Management, at the University of Toronto, and spent the next phase of her career in Commercial Banking at The Royal Bank. Katie is presently working on earning her Master of Social Work, from The University of Windsor.