My nomination is an indication that our hard work in building Canada is recognized. All we do is to serve the community in return for embracing us when we needed it.  

Mehdi Mahdavi
Ottawa Immigrant Entrepreneurship Awards Nominee
The work and expertise that OLIP brings to our community is so important as it helps us to build bridges and break down silos.  I look forward to our continued work together. 

Jim Watson, Mayor of Ottawa
The OLIP Council is committed to leadership.  In only a few years, we have a common vision and priorities, and are up to the task of implementing the Ottawa Immigration Strategy.

Salimatou Diallo
OLIP Council Vice Chair, Assemblée de la francophonie de l'Ontario
I’m really impressed with the level of energy and commitment around the Health and Wellbeing table and look forward to continuing collaboration between OLIP and OPH.

Marcela Tapia
Ottawa Public Health
Canada has been shaped by people who came from all over the world to build this country. WOW offers a platform for us to celebrate this history and the future it will help…

Alex Munter, Chair of the OLIP Council and President and CEO of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario and Ottawa Children’s Treatment Centre
The Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre is so happy to have joined the OLIP Health and Wellbeing Sector Table. It is clear that OLIP cares about immigrants and refugees and…

Wendy Tang, Ottawa Chinese Community Service Centre
OLIP helps to unite and share scarce resources for greater impact by working together in the field of student education.

Walter Piovesan
Associate Director of Education, Ottawa Carleton District School Board
The City of Ottawa will continue to play a lead role in the implementation of the Ottawa Immigration Strategy, just as we did in the founding of OLIP.

Steve Desroches
City Councillor and Deputy Mayor of Ottawa
We are very pleased to have done the “Opportunity Cost of Not Investing in Interpretation” report – it is so important to have clarity on these challenges and…

Hindia Mohamoud, Director, OLIP
I was happy to see integration to Algonquin territory and indigenous culture related programming in 2014 WOW. Please continue to involve local Aboriginal organisations and…

Linda Manning
WOW 2014 participant, Senior Fellow, University of Ottawa

Marianne Kayed

October 9, 2018

Marianne Kayed is the Manager, Continuing and Community Education at the Ottawa Catholic School Board (OCSB). This role targets lifelong learning opportunities for everyone in a family. The portfolio includes overseeing the largest provincially-funded adult English as a Second Language (ESL) program in Eastern Ontario, the Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada program, the Adult Literacy and Basic Skills (LBS) program, International Languages (elementary) program, summer camps and fee-based programs.

She delivers innovative non-credit programming for immigrants, including several ESL/Skills classes (e.g. ESL for Building Interiors, ESL for Home Support Worker, etc.) and LBS work-preparation programs (e.g. landscaping, retail and custodial preparation).

With degrees in modern languages, applied linguistics, and certificates in database and risk management, she has spent much of her career in ESL and literacy of adult immigrants and refugees, both in southern Ontario and Ottawa. She is a recognized national expert in the area of Canadian language benchmarks, essential skills and occupational use of language and has worked on several projects to set national standards for both regulated and non-regulated professions in Canada.

She was the Senior Program and Partnerships Manager at the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks for over a decade. During that time, she lead national and provincially funded projects/resources and research with various sectors including nursing, physiotherapy, audiology/speech language pathology, engineers, the IT sector, trucking, tourism and red seal trades. The work produced fair, valid and reliable language assessments and professional standards to help newcomers meet defined, clear communication expectations for professional licensure and safe workplace practice.

From 2011-2013, she worked at the Federation of Medical Regulatory Authorities of Canada where she was Senior Manager, Policy, responsible for accreditation, risk management and educational programming.

Currently she is a director on the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks Board (member of the risk management/auditing and official languages advisory committees). She sits on the OCSB leading and learning committee. Marianne is a member of Hire Immigrants Ottawa (public sector table), the Ottawa Community Coalition for Literacy and the Eastern Regional Partnership for Adult Educators.