SSMU WALKSAFE has been in operation since 1990 with the mission of creating a safer space for those within the McGill community providing them with a safe means to get to wherever they need to go. For more than thirty years, we’ve sported our easily-identifiable red jackets providing our peers with a safe way to get to where they need to go. Since then, we’ve grown, added a new service to our operations called WALKBuddies, and continued our mission that we consider to be a labour of love.
Get to know the people who make it all happen below! See the Executive Team that gets everything ready and makes sure our big team of volunteers can contribute to the safety of our community.
2023/24 SSMU WALKSAFE Executive Team
President
Gabriel Karasik (he/him)
Gabriel oversees all operations related to WALKSAFE and supports each executive member with their individual duties. He acts as the designated representative for the service and is WALKSAFE’s primary liaison with SSMU executives and McGill University. Gabriel has been a volunteer with WALKSAFE since ?.
VP Internal Retention
Luc Wilson (he/him)
Luc is responsible for organizing and executing all training sessions along with handling the recruitment of new volunteers. She is the liaison with all external training partners. She plans social events to foster a greater community within WALKSAFE. Luc has been a volunteer with WALKSAFE since 2018.
VP Internal Recruitment
Blair Jackson (they/them)
Blair is responsible for organizing and executing all training sessions along with handling the recruitment of new volunteers. She is the liaison with all external training partners. She plans social events to foster a greater community within WALKSAFE. Blair has been a volunteer with WALKSAFE since 2018.
VP Finance
Mathieu Pestel (he/him)
This position is responsible for all finance-related matters. They prepare the WALKSAFE yearly budget, handles reimbursements for volunteers, approves all of WALKSAFE’s purchases, and communicates with the SSMU department of finance to ensure that WALKSAFE’s financial operations run without difficulty.
VP External
Rohan Rastogi (he/him)
This position handles all of WALKSAFE’s booking requests. They organize fundraising activities and information tabling to facilitate a greater presence of WALKSAFE on McGill campus. They are responsible for maintaining communication with McGill affiliated organizations including clubs and fellow services.
VP ???
Ethan Alexander (he/him)
Luc handles the creation and distribution of promotional material and updating all of WALKSAFE’s social media platforms. He is responsible for improving awareness of WALKSAFE within and outside of the McGill community and greater Montreal community. Luc has been a volunteer with WALKSAFE since 2019.
VP Scheduling
Nick Mazza (he/him)
Nick manages all matters related to volunteer scheduling. He is responsible for sending out the monthly schedule and ensuring all shifts are at full capacity. Nick enforces rules and regulations as outlined by WALKSAFE’s disciplinary policy. Nick has been a volunteer with WALKSAFE since 2021.
VP Social Media
Amelia Tai (she/her)
This position creates the overall image for the service to the general public while also maintaining an adequate presence in various McGill social media outlets. They also create the infographics and service messaging that faces the public.
Daycare Coordinator
Marjana Rahman (she/her)
This position oversees the general management of WALKBuddies. They are responsible for assisting the VP Internal Affairs and Assistant with the recruitment and training of all WALKBuddies volunteers and acting as the liaison with the daycare staff and SSMU.
VP Communications
(TO BE ANNOUNCED!)
This position is in charge of handling internal communications between the executive team and WALKSAFE volunteers. They are responsible for sending out the Monday Weekly Report and organizing events to engage with the volunteers.
VP Infrastructure
(TO BE ANNOUNCED!)