The
Thomas More Team

Joseph is the Manager of Academic Affairs and Operations at the Thomas More Institute. His research has emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary studies. Having completed his BA in History, his MA concentrated on the history of Christian thought in the Late Medieval period. His doctoral dissertation focused on the role of medieval love and theology in the works of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Since 2015 Joseph has been a member of TMI’s Curriculum Committee, regularly designing and leading courses. He has also taught undergraduate courses in the department of Theological Studies at Concordia University. Contact: (514) 935-9585 Ext. 102

Jennifer is the Coordinator for the Seniors Outreach Program at Thomas More and is responsible for the design and administration. Born in the UK, Jennifer arrived in Canada in 1970 and has lived in Montreal since then. Although her formal education was in Education, she spent the majority of her working life in business overseeing the operations for a retail clothing company. Upon retirement she discovered TMI and has been an active member since. Contact: (514) 935-9585 (Wednesdays only)

Contact: (514) 935-9585 Ext. 105 (Wednesdays only)

Contact: (514) 935-9585 or info@thomasmore.qc.ca

Melissa oversees the production and organisation of class materials. Contact: (514) 935-9585 Ext. 103 or info@thomasmore.qc.ca

As an undergraduate at Kenyon College, I developed a love of ideas, of great texts and of discussion about them. I went on to spend a good deal of time with ideas and texts, writing a Master’s Thesis on Nietzsche’s Twilight of the Idols, and a Ph.D. on Heidegger’s work on the Pre-Socratics, both at the University of Chicago. I spent two years teaching the major works of political philosophy while a visiting assistant professor at Skidmore College. With the birth of my children, I elected to spend as much time as possible with them. As they grew older, though, I was able to return to my love of reading and I found a place to do that at the Thomas More Institute. The approach to texts and belief in learning through discussion made me feel at home at TMI. I am now a regular course designer and leader, as well as a member of the Curriculum Committee.

I am a graduate of the Thomas More Institute (2004). I have been a student/course leader since 2002. The majority of my working life was spent in private business, first as a manufacturer of intimate apparel for women and later as a career transition consultant and business coach. After retiring from business completely in 2009, I pursued a long time passion and I became a Certified Professional Dog Trainer. While I no longer train dogs, I do work from time to time in this field with dogs that have serious behavioral issues. For the past 20 years I have actively served on a number of boards in the not-for-profit world. I have also served as a trustee for charitable foundations. In my personal life, I have been married to my lovely wife Janet for the past 41 years. We have two children and five grandchildren on two different continents.

Christine Jamieson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Theological Studies at Concordia University in Montreal. Her specialization is in social ethics and bioethics. She has done extensive research for Health Canada on ethical and social issues concerning genetic technology, stem cell research and research involving human subjects. Elsewhere, she has probed foundational questions in relation to end of life issues such as euthanasia, care of the frail elderly, and withholding and withdrawal of treatment. Her research draws on the work of Canadian theologian and philosopher Bernard Lonergan and psychoanalyst and linguist, Julia Kristeva. In 2009-2010, she undertook a Joint Fellowship in Clinical and Organizational Ethics with the Centre for Clinical Ethics and the Joint Centre for Bioethics at the University of Toronto. She spends a few days each month engaged in clinical consultations and research in healthcare institutions in Ontario.

I am a retired senior international business executive and have been pursuing my own interests since 1994. I travel frequently with my wife, principally in Europe and North America, and both read and write extensively. I began taking courses at TMI in 2008.I am quadri-lingual and interested in contemporary art, gastronomy, and world affairs. Born in Montreal in 1945, I moved to the U.S. when I was four and grew up and had all my education there. Since graduating from university in 1967, I have resided in Switzerland, Germany, the U.K. and Canada and my wife and I have moved fourteen times since we were married in 1970—three of those times trans-Atlantic. My wife is a Scot from Edinburgh and we have resided again in Montréal since 1996—by far the longest we have ever lived anywhere. One of our sons is an artist and also resides in Montreal, where he manages his own communications company. The other lives in Vancouver and is the proprietor of a wine importation business. We have four grandchildren.

Shernaz Choksi has a B.Sc (Econ) Honours from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a Ph.D. in Economics from McGill University. From 1981 to 2007 she taught in the Economics Department and Methodology Program at Vanier College in Montreal and was Coordinator of the Economics Department and the Methodology Program from time to time. Between 2007 and 2017 she joined the Performa/Master Teacher Program at the University of Sherbrooke, Department of Education, [Chargé de Cours]. This is a program for CEGEP teachers (Anglophone CEGEPs) who want to further their education and acquire a Master’s degree (M.Ed). During this period she taught the Research Methods Course a few times and also supervised ten Masters (M.Ed) theses.

Ronika is a Chartered Professional Accountant and Chartered Financial Analyst who has spent more than 15 years helping Canadian entrepreneurs navigate the financial side of their businesses. She spent the early part of her career in Bermuda, working with PricewaterhouseCoopers and later in the reinsurance industry, before returning to Canada to serve as controller for a growing payments company. In 2008, she founded Montreal Financial, where she provided accounting, tax, and fractional CFO services to small and medium-sized businesses for over a decade. She has also authored several books and created courses on Canadian taxation and small business finance. Today, she continues to mentor entrepreneurs while sharing her expertise through writing, teaching, and speaking. She is delighted to be part of the Thomas More Institute community, where she both participates in and leads courses. For Ronika, TMI has become not only a place to pursue her love of the liberal arts, but also a community that encourages the sharing of ideas and fosters critical thinking and confidence.

Judy began her career teaching in a girls’ secondary school in a remote town in Tanzania. On vacation, she visited her students in their villages and explored East Africa. She later taught in Kingston, Jamaica. Vanier College hired Judy in 1973 to run its Learning Centre. She spent the next 40 plus years developing and administering various services for students (the Language School, the Math and Science Centre, International Education, as well as the Learning Centre) making them as student-centered as possible. She loved writing grant proposals to gain additional funding; hiring and training staff; designing intercultural initiatives; and recruiting students and teachers for various projects. She supported teachers by organizing professional development workshops, as well as by assisting them carry out international projects. In retirement, Judy started taking courses at TMI. She was delighted to discover how much she enjoyed exploring new and relevant topics in such a vibrant learning community.

After over forty years of legal experience in both private practice and senior management roles in corporate environments, Daniel retired from the profession of law. Through his accomplishments, Daniel was regularly recognized as a leading Information Technology (IT) lawyer by several prestigious legal publications. His practice enabled him to counsel clients in complex IT projects, cybersecurity and data protection matters across Canada, the U.S., South America, and Europe, in various sectors such as finance, retail, aerospace, engineering, utilities, telecoms, government, and manufacturing. His contributions extended well beyond the boardroom and into the legal community by chairing seminars, writing articles, holding an editorial position for an international IT law newsletter, and producing an essential sole-authored book on IT law in Quebec.

An educator in the areas of literature, wilderness/outdoor pursuits, adult learning programs, international/multicultural studies, a “redirection” of interests after 60 resulted in becoming engaged in the performing arts: acting, directing, producing and writing. I am the Chair of the Admissions and Accreditation Committee and a course designer and leader. Outside of the Thomas More Institute, I am also involved with the following organizations: Quebec Drama Federation (QDF), Black Theatre Workshop (BTW), Advisory Board, Pointe Claire Library, Quebec Writers’ Federation (QDF), Playwrights’ Guild of Canada (PGC), Alliance of Canadian Cinéma Télévision & Radio Artists (ACTRA), Urban Arts project for youth-at-risk, James Lyng, English Language Arts Network (ELAN).

TMI has been Danny’s intellectual “home” since 1992. After he obtained degrees from Clark University and the University of Chicago, the Institute quickly became a setting where he has welcomed the opportunity to investigate issues that have captured his attention and interest. Right from the start, Danny has been inspired by TMI’s passionate commitment to promoting exploration of questions in dialogue with others through careful reading and interpretation of texts. Over the years, he has designed and led many discussion courses on psychic and emotional development from philosophical and psychoanalytic perspectives. In so doing, he has had the good fortune of rediscovering, from year to year, the joy of inquiry and the friendship of fellow learners.

Dr. Mariela Tovar specializes in teaching and learning in higher education, specifically in the design and facilitation of meaningful, engaging learning experiences for students. Mariela served for 16 years as an Academic Associate at McGill University, where she collaborated with faculty, students and staff in projects designed to enhance teaching and learning across the university. Earlier, as an Associate Professor in the Graduate Programme in Educational Technology at Concordia University, she taught courses, supervised graduate students, and conducted research in education. She has also served as an educational specialist in environmental education and human rights education. Mariela designs and facilitates courses for the Thomas More Institute. She also participates in international collaborations that explore ways to create a more sustainable world.

Carolyne Van Der Meer is a public relations and communications professional, journalist and author. Her journalistic, academic and creative work has been published internationally. Her corporate communications experience includes media relations and strategy including spokesperson training, and the gamut of internal and external communications. She taught in McGill University’s Public Relations and Marketing Communications program for 10 years. Carolyne is an award-winning poet and short story writer with five published books: Motherlode: A Mosaic of Dutch Wartime Experience (Wilfrid Laurier University Press, 2014); Journeywoman (Inanna Publications, 2017); Heart of Goodness: The Life of Marguerite Bourgeoys in 30 Poems | Du cœur à l'âme : La vie de Marguerite Bourgeoys en 30 poèmes (Guernica Editions, 2020), Sensorial (Inanna, 2022) and All This As I Stand By (Ekstasis Editions, 2024).