Backgrounder - Reappointments to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Mélanie Raymond

Mélanie Raymond was first appointed to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada on October 31, 2007. Prior to her appointment to the Board, Ms. Raymond was senior editor with the Canadian Bar Association in Ottawa. She also worked as a freelance journalist and as a lawyer with Nicholl Paskell-Mede and for the Department of Justice Canada in Montréal. She holds a Bachelor of Law degree from McGill University and a Master of Arts degree from the Université du Québec à Montréal. Ms. Raymond was called to the Quebec bar in 1997.

Miriam Freilich

Miriam Freilich was first appointed to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada on November 27, 2000. Prior to her appointment to the Board, Ms. Freilich was a partner alliances coordinator at SAP Canada Inc., President of York North Paralegal Associates and an adjudicator of the Rent Control Program for the Ministry of Housing. She also attended Shaw’s Business College.

Yilma Makonnen

Yilma Makonnen was first appointed to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada on November 27, 2000. Prior to his appointment to the Board, Mr. Makonnen served for approximately 24 years with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), holding several positions, including Chief of Research/Legal Advice HQ, Deputy UNHCR regional representative in New York, representative of the UNHCR for Malawi and representative of the UNHCR in Ottawa. He received his diploma in Naval Science from the Imperial Ethiopian Naval College in Ethiopia, his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Boston University and his Master of Arts in International Relations. He also received his Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy and his doctorate of Philosophy in International Law from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Medford, Massachusetts.

Harriet Wolman

Harriet Wolman was appointed to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada on August 7, 2007. Prior to her appointment to the Board, Ms. Wolman was a former member. She worked as a special assistant to a provincial Cabinet minister and to Federal Ministers of Immigration. She also worked as the director of the Youth Employment Strategy Study and was a member of the Social Assistance Review Board for the Province of Ontario. Ms. Wolman was Chair of the York School Board and a trustee of the Metropolitan Toronto School Board. Throughout her professional life, Ms. Wolman has worked closely with the multicultural and immigrant communities in Metropolitan Toronto. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto.

David McBean

David E. McBean was first appointed to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada on October 15, 2007. Prior to his appointment, Mr. McBean was an Operations Service Manager as well as a Refugee Protection Officer with the IRB. He received his Bachelor of Arts from Brandon University and a Bachelor of Law from Osgoode Hall Law School. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1995.