About Us
About The Government Relations Office
The Government Relations Office at the University of Toronto works to promote the adoption of public policy measures by governments to support the U of T community, advance the core teaching and research mission of the University and leverage the University’s resources to deliver social and economic prosperity to the broader region.
Our office is a resource to the University community in support of U of T’s engagement with government, and a partner to community and industry associations that share the University’s public policy interests. We collaborate with key private and non-profit sector organizations including the Toronto Region Board of Trade, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, the Public Policy Forum and the C.D.Howe Institute.
We work with the above groups, and government officials and agencies, to bring the knowledge and expertise of our faculty and students to government to support public policy development.
In addition, the Government Relations Office works on the University’s three campuses to build relationships with political representatives across the GTA.
Meet The Team
Forrest Parlee
Deputy Chief of Government Relations
As a member of the University’s senior leadership team, Forrest works closely with the President to guide the University’s government relations strategy, shape its policy agenda, and build external relationships that support U of T’s academic, research, and institutional priorities.
Forrest has over 20 years of experience in government relations, public policy, and partnerships. He has built a strong record of success across the public, private, and post-secondary sectors.
Since joining the University in 2018, Forrest has led complex advocacy efforts and played a central role in securing significant public investments and regulatory measures that benefit both the University and the broader sector. His work has contributed to major federal and provincial funding commitments, strengthened key government partnerships, and advanced critical institutional priorities across U of T’s three campuses.
Before joining the University, Forrest served as Vice President, National Partnerships at Mitacs, where he led national strategies that secured substantial government investment and expanded university-industry collaboration across Canada. His earlier career includes senior public affairs and political advisory roles, where he developed deep insight into the policy and decision-making processes at all levels of government.
He has served several organizations as a Board member, including currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Fields Institute, an international centre for research in mathematical sciences.
Forrest holds a Bachelor of Political Science and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Simon Fraser University.
To get in touch with Forrest, please contact Dulce Santos, Administrative Coordinator and EA, Government Relations Office, through the U of T directory: https://directory.utoronto.ca/
Dulce Santos
Administrative Coordinator and Executive Assistant
Dulce previously served as the Manager of Constituency Affairs for the Member of Parliament for Mississauga-Lakeshore.
She previously worked as a case manager for two Provincial Members of Provincial Parliament.
She has also worked in the education sector and has spent time studying and teaching in Portugal and Poland.
Brian Kelly
Project Manager
Brian comes to U of T with a background in post-secondary education and innovation cultivated through government relations postings at York University, McMaster Innovation Park and McMaster University where he successfully managed competitive dossiers for government funding of capital construction, research and new curriculum offerings. A veteran of Parliament Hill as Special Assistant to Ministers of National Defence, Public Works and Labour, Brian parlayed his time in government into a rewarding public policy career across many sectors including life sciences, transportation, energy, environment and IT but finds his true passion for government relations in the post-secondary sector. He is a graduate of the University of Western Ontario in Political Science.
Catrina Kronfli
Senior Policy Advisor, Institutional Strategic Initiatives
Catrina is responsible for supporting the University of Toronto’s (UofT) Institutional Strategic Initiatives and the university’s ability to conduct high-impact interdisciplinary research. Prior to joining GRO, she led a range of policy files at the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, managed the policy and government relations activities at the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, and spearheaded the research for a provincial strategy at the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration. Catrina holds a BA and MA from the UofT, as well as a MA from Ryerson University.
Jonathan Trentadue
Director, University Relations
Jonathan is responsible for providing direction and oversight across a number of areas, including university relations, sector-based organizations (COU, UC, U15), and GRO operations. He also liaises with senior University administration to ensure alignment of advocacy objectives, helping to coordinate responses to emerging issues. Prior to joining U of T, Jonathan served in various management roles within the Ontario Public Service and Cabinet Office, and is an alumnus of the Ontario Legislature Internship Programme. Jonathan holds an HBA from U of T and an MA in Political Science from McMaster University.
Kyle MacDonald
Senior Policy Advisor
Kyle’s work focuses on advancing the University’s public policy interests at all three levels of government and with community representatives. His portfolio covers key areas such as immigration, housing, infrastructure, health, municipal affairs, and community relations.
Before joining the University of Toronto, Kyle held various roles within the Ontario Public Service, including positions at the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. He also served as a special assistant to a Member of Parliament and as a policy advisor to a former federal Minister of the Environment.
He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government from the University of Guelph and a Master of Public Administration in Economics and Public Policy from Queen’s University.
Mark Maloney
Municipal Affairs Advisor
Mark both monitors and advises on municipal relations issues involving the City of Toronto and its elected officials and staff, as well as City agencies, boards, and commissions. Mark has worked as a senior staff member with two Mayors of Toronto: Barbara Hall and Mel Lastman, where he served as the Coordinator of Research, Community Outreach & Special Projects. He has worked as a public affairs professional with two leading government relations firms, Urban Consulting and prior to that, with Urban Intelligence Ltd. where he coordinated in-depth municipal research projects across Canada. Mark’s prior career also included serving as a municipal affairs reporter with the CHUM Radio network, and on the assignment desk of CTV News in Ottawa, where he had also chaired the Regional government’s Board of Health and served as a City and Regional councillor.
Munira Tayabali
Special Projects Officer
Munira supports a variety of strategic initiatives in the Government Relations Office including providing strategic support to the University’s membership in and engagement with post-secondary institutions. She supports U of T’s collaboration with the Council of Ontario Universities, U15, and Universities Canada. Munira is a double-graduate of U of T.
Rupinder Bagha
Senior Policy Advisor, Health and Life Sciences
Rupinder’s work focuses on advancing the University’s health and life sciences interests at all levels of government. She brings more than 5 years of experience as a policy professional in the health care sector. Previously, she held positions at the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health and the Ministry of Long-Term Care where she provided in-depth research and policy analysis on a variety of health policy matters. Rupinder holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and an Honors Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto.
Simona Chiose
Divisional Lead, Public Affairs
Simona leads development and execution of communication, public engagement and marketing strategies and content, and collaborates with a strong and growing network of external stakeholders in the private sector to advance the university’s priorities. Simona has a PhD in political science from the University of Toronto focused on comparative immigration policy. She has developed and taught courses on political communication and media and comparative politics. Prior to joining the University, Simona worked in the media sector for 20 years, and was a senior editor in news, education and arts, as well as a national reporter on the post-secondary beat for The Globe and Mail focusing on investigations and data-based narratives.