Neethan Shan Biography

Neethan Shan is the Chair of the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) and Ward 17 Trustee for Scarborough Centre. Shan was initially elected as Ward 21 Trustee (Scarborough Rouge River) in 2016 and returned to the Board during the 2022 municipal election. He is the first TDSB Chair of South Asian descent.

Chair Shan also serves as the Executive Director of Urban Alliance on Race Relations (UARR), a national organization focused on racial justice, equity, and inclusion. He was a Toronto City Councillor from 2006 to 2010 and has previously been a Trustee for the York Region District School Board.

Throughout his career, Shan has broken numerous barriers. In 2006, he became one of the first two Tamil Canadians elected to public office. He was the first Tamil Canadian and the first person from a South Asian country to serve as a Toronto City Councillor. He was also the first person of colour and the youngest to become president of the Ontario New Democratic Party (NDP), helping to inspire the next generation of racialized youth. 

Chair Shan began his career as a Youth Outreach Worker in Malvern, later managing youth programs and developing over twenty initiatives in various schools. He has also worked as a Math and Science teacher and a college professor.

As the former Executive Director of the Canadian Tamil Youth Development Centre and the Council of Agencies Serving South Asians (CASSA), Shan advanced health equity for South Asian communities, promoted inclusivity in municipalities outside the GTA, spearheaded the campaign for a provincial anti-racism directorate, and united over 100 organizations to advance social and economic justice.

He founded Tamil Heritage Month in 2009 and has led the initiative nationwide for 15 years. He also founded the South Asian Health Alliance and Tamil Civic Action.

Shan’s extensive involvement in social services includes work with Parent Action on Drugs, Malvern Community Coalition, Community Use of Schools Council, and Scarborough Youth Task Force.