Meet the new Pink Triangle Services board

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Pink Triangle Services (PTS) elected four directors to its board at its annual general meeting on Nov 22.

The new board includes Denis Schryburt, elected from acting president to president; Jessica Freedman, vice-president; Don McGibbon, treasurer; and Aric Ziebarth, recording secretary.

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Denis Schryburt
President, PTS board of directors executive

Denis Schryburt is a public servant with 20 years’ experience. He previously did a three-year stint as a political advisor on Parliament Hill.

He serves the queer community as co-chair of the Ottawa Police Service Liaison Committee for GLBT ommunities and as a board member and director of regional development for the Ontario Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.

Outside the community, he’s former vice-president of the Centretown Citizens Community Association, a member of the advisory council for the Prosperity Long-Term Care Fund and founder of Eat 2 Defeat Diabetes, an annual fundraising gala for Camp Banting, a camp for children ages eight to 15 with type 1 diabetes.

“Only sleeping four hours a night helps,” he says of his busy schedule. “I do like to be kept busy, and what better way than volunteering. I try not to take on too much so I can be effective at what I do. I also have a very supportive and understanding partner.”

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Jessica Freedman
Vice-President, PTS board of directors executive

Jessica Freedman is a long-time member of PTS. She says that’s a big part of what keeps her there.

“We can be led astray if we don’t know the experiences and the stories of people who have gone before us,” she says.

She says she was struck by the number of young people who participated in PTS’s annual general meeting.

“For someone who was around when it seemed like the organization wouldn’t continue, it was heartwarming,” she says.

Freedman served on PTS’s board from 2005 to 2008. She has also been involved in PTS’s LBTTQ Women’s Health and Sexuality Program and TransAction. She consulted for PTS’s safer spaces initiatives and helped put together the proposal for PTS’s new counselling program, Celebrating Self.

Outside PTS, she’s a Master of Social Work student at Carleton University.

“I’m very proud to be part of the first board not elected by the clique,” she says.

The executive used to be formally appointed by the board of directors. This year, the decision was put to members of PTS at large.

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Aric Ziebarth
Recording secretary, PTS board of directors executive

At 22, Aric Ziebarth is the youngest of the board executives.

As recording secretary, he’s responsible for keeping accurate minutes of PTS’s meetings.

The position is new — it used to be coupled with the role of treasurer.

“At the last special meeting, there was almost a challenge issued for younger people to join the board,” Ziebarth says.

He started volunteering at PTS as a facilitator for Bi*Amore, a bisexual, questioning, pansexual and polyamorous discussion group.

“I really enjoy good conversation and helping people talk through issues,” he says. “Like many people, I am a social creature and enjoy the feeling of being part of a community and making even a tiny positive difference in that community.”

Ziebarth says he wants to improve the situation of people who don’t fall into the traditional cisgender binary.

He also says he strongly believes in the legalization of sex work.

Ziebarth is pursuing a BA in psychology at Carleton University and says he hopes to continue his education in the field of social work.

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Don McGibbon
Treasurer, PTS board of directors executive

Don McGibbon was not available for comment.

Ziebarth says he knows McGibbon as a co-facilitator at the Bi*Amore discussion group.