Meet the 2025 Black Leaders in Health Award Winners
May 2/2025
DLSPH celebrates Tameika Shaw, Onye Nnorom, Paul Bailey and Sylvia Okonofua, the 2025 Black Leaders in Health Award winners.
By Ishani Nath
Dean Adalsteinn (Steini) Brown, 2025 Black Leaders in Health Award winners Tameika Shaw, Onye Nnorom, Sylvia Okonofua, Paul Bailey and DLSPH Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Ryan Hinds
On February 20, the Dalla Lana School of Public Health honoured the 2025 Black Leaders in Health Award winners in a night filled with joy, inspiration and hope.
“It was powerful to be in a room filled with trailblazers who are shaping the future of Black health in Canada,” says Sylvia Okonofua, the recipient of the inaugural student award at this year’s ceremony. “What stood out most to me was the sense of community and collective commitment to advancing health equity.”
Celebrating the unsung Black leaders shaping public health is at the heart of the Black Health Awards.
“So far, every year has brought its own flavour to the great feeling of celebration,” says DLSPH Director of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Ryan Hinds. “This year, the process of a call for nominations meant that we received and learned about so many amazing health leaders—it was uplifting and encouraging.”
Congratulations to the 2025 winners of this year’s Black Leaders in Health Awards:
Tameika Shaw — Director of Population Health and Evaluation Davenport Perth Neighborhood and Community Health Centre
Tameika Shaw, a 2025 Black Leaders in Health Award winner, echoes Okonofua’s feelings about the sense of community at this year’s celebration. “All the presentations highlighted that our work doesn’t happen in isolation or through individual efforts, but as part of a larger movement. I feel we all left with a greater commitment to building stronger communities and advancing public health initiatives to support the populations we work with,” she says.
Shaw, was recognized for her extensive work improving community and population wellness in the not-for-profit sector, having held roles as Registered Dietitian, Manager Primary Healthcare Services and President of the Board of Directors, Primary Care Dietitians Association. As the current Director of Population Health and Evaluation at Davenport Perth Neighborhood and Community Health Centre, she focuses on reducing barriers to care and fostering community engagement and partnerships.
“I often describe myself as a connector of people and it is my ability and strength in identifying needs and creating opportunities for meaningful collaboration that led to many of my achievements that stood out to Asma Musa who graciously nominated me,” she says, sharing a message for aspiring public health professionals.
“Number one, be adept at assessing areas of need. Being able to assess gaps and needs is the first step to meaningful impact. Two, build authentic relationships with like-minded individuals and organizations that align in your vision and values. Three, embrace patience and accept challenges. Not every idea will take off immediately. Some may need refining, others may need the right time. Four, make time for self-reflection, periodically pause to assess your growth and purpose. And five, share your ideas boldly, don’t be afraid to speak up.”
Onye Nnorom — DLSPH Assistant Professor
Physician and DLSPH Assistant Professor Onye Nnorom was nominated by leaders in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, where she is the Black Health Faculty Lead. Throughout her career in family medicine and public health, Nnorom has worked to improve the health outcomes for marginalized communities, specifically Black populations in Canada.
“Receiving this award was humbling and deeply meaningful. It is an acknowledgment not just of my work, but of the collective efforts of so many who have paved the way for Black health equity. It was a moment of reflection—on how far we’ve come and how much work remains to be done,” she says. She added that on a personal level, it also reminded her of her “responsibility to continue mentoring, supporting, and uplifting the next generation of Black health leaders.”
Nnorom, who is a co-founder of the Black Health Education Collaborative, had a message for those future leaders.
“Stay rooted in your purpose, seek out mentors and community support, and never lose sight of the impact we can make,” she says. “Public health is not just about data and policy—it is about justice, equity, and ensuring that all communities, especially those that have been historically marginalized, receive the care and support they deserve.”
2025 Black Leaders in Health Award winners Tameika Shaw, Onye Nnorom, Sylvia Okonofua and Paul Bailey
Paul Bailey — Executive Director, Black Health Alliance
Smiling at the podium, 2025 Black Leaders in Health Award winner Paul Bailey was humbled.
Bailey is a strategist and urban planner. He currently serves as the Executive Director of the Black Health Alliance, a community-led organization that works to improve the health and wellbeing of Black communities in Canada. During his time at the Black Health Alliance, he helped expand mental health and substance use programs for Black youth in Ontario, a local social service hub for the Black community in Peel and contributed to Ontario’s Black Health Plan outlining a plan to improve Black health in the province.
After hearing speakers at the 2025 Black Leaders in Health Awards praise his work and accomplishments, Bailey joked that he wondered who everyone was talking about. He then added, “But it does kind of warm your heart.”
Sylvia Okonofua — Executive Director, Black Donors Save Lives
Student award recipient Sylvia Okonofua, who is currently in her first year of DLSPH’s MPH Black Health program, said receiving the student award was “deeply meaningful” and a reflection of both her work and the advocates, healthcare professionals and community members she’s learned from. Okonofua is founder of Black Donors Save Lives, a federal nonprofit dedicated to increasing racial diversity in blood, stem cell and organ donor pools to address disparities in healthcare access.
“For me, this recognition serves as a reminder that the work we do especially in addressing the disparities in donation and transplantation that impact Black communities matters and is making an impact. It’s also a call to continue pushing for equity in healthcare systems,” she says.
Seeing Okonofua win the first-ever student award was particularly meaningful, says Hinds, “not only because it shines a light on the brilliant students in our own building and classrooms, but also because young, inspiring leaders like Sylvia continue to give us hope for the future.”