Board of Directors
Fr. Pishoy Salama
President
Fr. Pishoy was born in Giza, Egypt in 1970. He immigrated with his family to Toronto, Canada in 1984 where he completed his high school education. In 1993, he graduated from York University with a Bachelor of Arts in Math and Statistics. He served at St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Toronto as a youth counsellor until he was ordained as a priest there on November 14, 1999.
On November 14, 2007, Fr. Pishoy was appointed by H.H. Pope Shenouda III to establish St. Maurice & St. Verena Coptic Orthodox Church, which is the first multicultural Coptic Orthodox Church in North America.
Fr. Pishoy graduated from Tyndale Seminary in May 2006 with a Master of Divinity degree in Youth and Family Ministry. That same year, he began his Doctor of Ministry degree at the University of Toronto and graduated in November 2012. The title of his dissertation is “Of All Nations: Exploring Intercultural Marriages in the Coptic Orthodox Church of the GTA.” In January 2013, Fr. Pishoy was appointed as an Adjunct Professor of Theology at the University of Trinity College in the University of Toronto.
In January 2013, Fr. Pishoy received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for his efforts in promoting diversity and multiculturalism. This medal is offered to “honor outstanding citizens for their dedicated service to peers, community and province.”
Fr. Pishoy led a major construction project to build a church and a cultural centre in Markham, Ontario. The building included a large sanctuary, banquet hall, gymnasium, childcare centre, fellowship hall, Sunday school classrooms, recording studio, and underground parking spaces. The building was inaugurated in 2016 and became a landmark in the city of Markham. In 2019, the church and cultural centre were recognized by Hon. Michael Tibollo, Minister of Tourism, H.W. Mayor Frank Scarpitti, and Hon. Bob Saroya, MP as a tourist attraction in the Province of Ontario. A major highway sign was placed on Hwy 404 to direct tourists to the centre. In addition, the church was listed in the Destination Ontario website as one of the destinations to be visited in Markham-Unionville: https://www.destinationontario.com/en-ca/regions/york-durham-and- headwaters/markham-unionville
In the fall semester of 2019, Fr. Pishoy completed a study sabbatical at Harvard Divinity School (HDS) as a Resident Fellow. His main areas of concentration were Religion, Gender, and Culture. An article published in the HDS newsletter captured Fr. Pishoy’s experiences during his fellowship: https://hds.harvard.edu/news/using-hds-experience-inspire-others.
In 2021, Fr. Pishoy started his PhD in Divinity at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland in the department of Practical Theology. This research-based degree will help further his knowledge to present academic work on some of the contemporary conversations in the field of ethics and social justice.
Sami Wahba
Vice-President
Sami Wahba was born in Cairo Egypt in 1959. In 1982, he graduated with honors from Faculty of Eng in Cairo University with a Bachelor degree in Biomedical Engineering. In his career he worked in Information Technology for multinational companies in Egypt and in Saudi Arabia.
In Sep 1996, he immigrated with his family to Toronto, Canada.
In Jan 1997, he joined IBM Canada and in Aug 2009, he graduated from Athabasca University with Master in Business Administration. In 2017, he and his family joined the SMSV Church congregation.
He is currently holding the position of Resiliency Services Offering Manager for Kyndryl Canada.
Renee Samuel
Secretary
Renee was born in Mansoura, Egypt and immigrated with her family to Toronto in 1974 at the age of eight. After completing high school at Bloor Collegiate Institute, she received a diploma in Business Accounting and Finance from Centennial College in Toronto. She went on to work as an Accounting Manager in Payroll at the City of York.
Renee (with her late husband, Refat Samuel) has owned and managed over 30 pharmacies, medical clinics, and investment properties in the Greater Toronto Area.
Renee has been a very active member of St. Maurice and St. Verena Coptic Orthodox Church (SMSV) since its inception and is currently the lead of the Community Service Program at the church. Renee oversees several initiatives delivering food and clothing to vulnerable populations, both locally and abroad.
Renee currently lives in Toronto. She enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends. She is a mother to three wonderful young men and grandmother of two beautiful girls, Eliana and Olivia.
Amir Guorgui
Treasurer
Amir was born in Cairo, Egypt and immigrated to Canada at the age of 14. His family settled in Toronto where he continued his secondary education in French and received the Canadian Governor General Award for his academic achievements.
In 1997, he completed a bachelor of science degree at the University of Toronto. And in 2001, Amir received his Doctor of Medical Dentistry from the University of Montreal.
He currently practices dentistry in multiple dental offices across the GTA. Amir has been a member of the SMSV congregation since its inception. On his time off, he enjoys spending time with his family, travelling, and playing soccer.
Trinity Coptic Foundation 