Debra Lary

Debra is a skilled investigator with over 20 years of public sector (municipal, provincial and federal) experience. In addition to planning and conducting investigations, Debra is adept at project management, policy development and program review, with well-developed writing and analytical skills.

For over ten years, Debra worked as a Cultural Affairs Officer for the Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto, advising and working with clients from a wide variety of backgrounds. For this "client service" element of her work, Debra relied upon her strong listening skills and her highly developed cultural sensitivity; as a grants review officer, Debra exercised her ability to analyze submissions and develop recommendations in a fair and balanced manner.

As an Immigration Officer for the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship in Ho Chi Minh City (Viet Nam), Debra was responsible for interviewing and assessing the credibility of migration applicants and their sponsors, planning and conducting investigations, reviewing documentation, and preparing well-reasoned and supportable decision reports. Ho Chi Minh City is considered a "high fraud" migration post, and Debra's sharp instincts and investigative skills were highly valued. Key to Debra's success in this work was her facility for exercising sound judgement in the context of complex legislation.

Debra has worked as a senior corporate management consultant and policy advisor at both the City of Toronto and the Province of Ontario. Working out of the City of Toronto's Chief Administrator's Office from 2001 to 2003, Debra led a high-profile study of public sector governance options for the city's Water & Wastewater Services Division, involving research, public consultation and direct engagement of key stakeholders, including both civic employee union locals. Throughout the project, Debra's professionalism prevailed even when emotions ran high.

Most recently, Debra also contributed to the advancement of the Province of Ontario's heritage preservation agenda through the coordination of the Ministry of Culture's efforts to launch new Standards & Guidelines for Consultant Archaeologists. As in her other work, Debra demonstrated the ability to engage with disparate stakeholders and not only listen to them, but hear what they have to say, leading to a high degree of success in negotiating through conflict on this project.

Debra brings a strong work ethic and a commitment to client satisfaction to her role as a complaints investigator for Charles Novogrodsky & Associates, delivering high quality work, on time. Drawing on her unique experiences and varied skill set, Debra can ably assist the client during the course of an investigation and provide insightful management advice. Debra conducts all of her work in a professional, thorough and unbiased manner.

Debra has a BA in Communications from the State University of New York at Buffalo and an MBA from York University in Toronto. She is a graduate of the Kingswood Management Training Program (workplace diversity and human rights).