Our History
Pegasus is a grassroots organization founded in 1994 by a small group of women to address a community need – adults with developmental disabilities who were finishing school had few options for continuing to learn and to adopt adult roles in their community. Increasingly, these citizens and their families lived in fear of finishing school instead of looking forward to building their futures.
The founding members, meeting for the first few years in Marie’s dining room, overcame many obstacles as they created a service organization that really works for people. Their families and friends, and the wider community, offered growing support as Pegasus gradually became a full fledged member of the Toronto developmental service community. They formed key partnerships, notably with Parks, Forestry, and Recreation, City of Toronto.
These intrepid volunteers who formed the Founding Board of Directors were Sally Grieve, Allison Masters, and Janice Murphy, who lent their skills and uncommon commitment along with Margaret Ewing, Barbara Johnson, and Marie Perrotta, who additionally were experienced parents of young people who needed support.
Pegasus was driven by the philosophy that all citizens are entitled to the opportunity to participate in the life of their community, to make their own contributions, and to grow as individuals. Pegasus from the start put structures and systems in place that would facilitate inclusion, support families, and support participants to make personal choices and plans for their lives.
A warm community welcome gave Pegasus the opportunity to play a role in strengthening our community, showing that society is more robust when its members know and understand each other.
Our Mission
Pegasus provides adults with developmental disabilities meaningful activities and community engagement to facilitate growth, dignity, and choice.
Executive Director
Marie Perrotta
As Executive Director and Founding member,
Marie Perrotta guided the growth of Pegasus from 1993 to 2016. She safeguarded its vision and philosophy even as the organization grew and met increasingly complex demands.
As Pegasus grew, a team of staff and volunteers brought expertise to the organization in many areas. Together they ensured high quality supports, accountability, and sustainabilty at all levels. In 2016 Pegasus was well poised to meet the future.
In 2001 the Pegasus store became an arm of the service organization, adding unique opportunities as well as stability..
Pegasus, and Marie, received many honours. On receiving the Citizen of the Year Award in Beaches/East York in 2004, Marie stated that “this award is a gift to all of us who have worked to make Pegasus part of our community and I am thrilled to accept it on our behalf.”
Pegasus is proud to partner with
Community Partners
Meet Our Team
Meet the Board
Megan Sansom
Chair
- Megan spent over 30 years in the exciting world of corporate event planning. Megan's involvement with Pegasus is two-fold. She is both a dedicated volunteer board member, and mom to a young man who has been supported by Pegasus for almost 10 years. She is in a state of semi-retirement, but continues her work as an independent contractor supporting small local businesses. Megan has also been an active volunteer in The Beach community, and has been a vocal and tireless advocate in the disabilities sector for many years.
Laurel Reid
Vice Chair
- Laurel joined the board in 2018 and is thrilled to be part of such an impactful community organization. Her day job is in regulatory compliance policy, strategy and governance in the financial sector. She has previously worked in enterprise data management, micro-finance in East Africa, and at the Centre for International Governance Innovation. She holds degrees from the University of Toronto and Wilfrid Laurier University in international relations and public policy. She is an avid morning person who loves to set an alarm on the weekend!
Megan Burns
Secretary
- Megan has a BA in History and French, and an MA in Canadian History. She’s been working in the educational publishing industry for 15 years, during which she’s moved from being an editor in a multinational publisher to the manager of the production team at a small not-for-profit publisher. Her main focus is clear communication, and making all things run smoothly and arriving on time. For the past two years she’s been the Treasurer for the parent council, which is run entirely by volunteers, at the elementary school that 5th grade daughter attends and that her 7th grade son used to attend. Her older brother has been a participant at Pegasus for 20 years.
Ehab Shalayel
Treasurer
- Ehab has been an entrepreneur for more than 15 years and holds a degrees and certifications in Electrical Engineering, International Business Management, Trading, and an MBA. Ehab founded his first business in international trading, dealing with suppliers and customers across the globe. He subsequently launched another business in financial services. He is skilled in operations, finance, and general management, and identifying project roadblocks. Ehab lives with his family in Mississauga, Ontario. He is a proud father of three, including a son on the Autism Spectrum. He spends his free time reading books and golfing.
Scott Burns
Director
- Scott has been on the board of Pegasus for over 12 years. His son, Gavin, has been a Participant at Pegasus for over 20 years. Scott is a retired urban planner and professional economic developer. He practiced planning consulting for 30 years and was originally with the City of Toronto planning department. Scott currently serves on the Planning Advisory Committee of the National Capital commission in Ottawa.
Tony Do
Director
- Tony is a Good Governance advocate and Tech & Innovation enthusiast with experiences in Finance, Governance & Strategic Consulting, and Risk & Compliance Management. He is currently an IT Risk Specialist at an insurance company and a board member of Madison Community Services. He was formerly a board member at Journey to Diversity Workplaces.
Joel Smith
Director
- Joel is a partner with a labour and employment law firm where he practices management-side labour, employment and human rights law. He graduated from the University of Toronto's Faculty of Law after obtaining a Bachelor of Commerce degree from McGill University. Joel has had a lifelong interest in disability services, having grown up with an autistic younger brother who has greatly benefitted from services like those offered by Pegasus. He lives in the east end with his wife, and is excited to leverage his personal and professional experiences to support a crucial community program like Pegasus.