The Team
HR Proactive associates are responsible for investigating complaints of harassment and discrimination; developing and implementing human rights related training and supportive human resource management policies; conflict resolution; facilitation and mediation and for the design of conflict management systems. The HR Proactive team has developed a comprehensive line of human resource management training products for today’s diverse workplace with a focus on creating respectful and safe workplaces.
Profile of Diane E. Mason
Diane E. Mason is the President and Founder of HR Proactive Inc.
Diane has a wealth of experience in the field of human rights having practiced extensively as an investigator, fact finder and mediator. Diane has investigated and/or mediated hundreds of cases since 1990 both for the Ontario Human Rights Commission and in private practice. Diane has handled cases involving all prohibited grounds of discrimination and harassment under the Human Rights Code. Diane has worked in the specialized area of intranet and email investigations. Diane is a member in good standing with the ADR Institute of Ontario, and has a background in Social Services and has received a certificate in the field of Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Diane’s 20 plus years of experience in various employment settings across Ontario assisting employers with workplace disputes and her commitments to work excellence and quick turn-around time is why her firm is highly recommended by school boards across Ontario and Canadian businesses as being the best firm to train their employees and manage their workplace disputes.
Currently, Diane oversees new product development for the North American market.
Profile of Tony Belisario
As a Trainer and Investigator with HR Proactive, Tony Belisario brings with him 32 years of experience in Policing, Interviewing & Investigations, Adult Training Principles, Curriculum Development, Recruitment, Hiring, and Labour Relations Management. As a member of the HR Proactive team, Tony is able to provide clients with a number of HR functions, specializing in training, investigations and recruitment.
Tony can deliver large or small group training, or One-on-One training, in a number of areas, including: Workplace Harassment and Human Rights; AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act); Bill 168, Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act; Workplace Sensitivity, and Workplace Harassment Policies and Programs required by employers under the recently passed Bill 132 which includes investigation of any incidents or complaints.
As a Police Trainer and Manager of the Training and Recruiting Branch, Tony was involved in the assessment and planning for the design, development and delivery of numerous training curriculums. Tony can assist in providing clients with a cost effective, specialized training solution(s) specific to their workplace training needs, with the long-term goal of improving workplace cohesion and, ultimately, organizational performance.
In addition to his training experience, Tony can provide HR Proactive clients with services in: Workplace Harassment and Human Rights investigations; Workplace violence risk assessments; Pre-employment background and reference checks.
As a Police Investigator and Manager, Tony gained extensive investigative experience in criminal, provincial and municipal matters, including internal investigations. This experience will ensure that HR Proactive clients receive professional and thorough investigations thus giving them the confidence to make sound employment decisions while minimizing legal risks.
Tony has a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Labour Studies from McMaster University. He has also completed numerous courses in Adult Education, Investigative Techniques and Human Resources Management from prominent learning institutions including; St. Francis Xavier University, the Southwestern Law Enforcement Institute, the Department of Defense, the Canadian Police College and the Ontario Police College.
Profile of Jorge Lasso
Jorge Lasso brings thirty-five years’ experience in law enforcement in areas such as investigations (including homicide, domestic violence and child abuse), criminal and provincial prosecutions, supervision, management, mediation, policy development, course design and training on anti-oppression and inclusivity in the workplace – to the HR Proactive team. Jorge has a wealth of experience, rich skill set and insight into the work of removing barriers to employment and services for women, Indigenous persons, racialized and marginalized people.
Jorge was appointed his police service’s first Community Relations Officer in 1987, where he established ongoing relationships with leaders, members and agencies from Indigenous, LGBTQ2+, racialized and cultural communities.
Jorge has many years of experience as a trainer and lecturer at learning institutions such as the Ontario Police College, the Canadian Police College, Mohawk College, McMaster University and Brock University, lecturing on a range of topics such as anti-racism, child abuse, investigations, tactical communication and adult education. His pioneer work in police anti-racism work has led to several honours and awards. He has also been recognized for the use of novel investigative techniques.
Since joining HR Proactive Inc. as a trainer and investigator in 2013, Jorge has conducted numerous workplace harassment investigations as well as delivered dozens of group and individual (One-on-One) sensitivity training sessions. One-on-One sensitivity sessions deal with the Respectful Workplace, covering a wide range of topics: anger management, bullying, abuse of authority, sexual harassment, inappropriate comments or conduct in the workplace, conduct that extends beyond the workplace and related issues that arise. Sessions also cover Bill 132, new legislation that took effect in September 2016 which requires employers to implement specific workplace harassment policies and programs.
Jorge’s real-world experience in police work, his work in combatting workplace harassment and violence, combined with his understanding of vulnerable individuals and communities, make him a valuable asset to HR Proactive’s team of equity professionals.
Profile of Greg Walton
Greg’s policing background of thirty-four years provides his HR Proactive clients with thorough and detailed workplace investigations involving complaints of harassment and discrimination. During his career, Greg led high profile and complex multi-jurisdictional investigations in Ontario and across Canada. He was a major case manager for numerous large-scale police operations as well as high profile corruption and misconduct investigations. Recently, as a Police Force Adjudicator, Greg conducted hearings into alleged police misconduct.
Greg also held positions with the Ontario Homicide Investigator’s Association, receiving the ‘Mike Matthews’ Award which is presented to the homicide investigator who has “displayed courage, tenacity and compassion that are hallmarks of Mike Matthews’ legacy.”
Greg’s career in policing also included human resource management which involved mentorship, performance management, labour relations, negotiation, and training. He also managed and enhanced programs by implementing positive change through the setting of standards, procedures and guidelines, utilization of new initiatives, techniques and technology to ensure integrity, efficiency and cost-effective management. Greg has extensive experience in engagement and fostering of effective relationships, and modelled professionalism through ethically based behaviour. This comprehensive experience enables Greg to conduct in-depth culture reviews and workplace audits for our clients to ensure an equitable and inclusive environment for all workers.
As a trainer, Greg can provide large or small group sessions on preventing workplace harassment, discrimination and violence. He was a regular presenter at the Ontario Police College and delivered technical and operational leadership to investigators assigned to all facets of major criminal investigations at municipal, provincial, federal and international levels. Greg is a focused, dedicated and skilled investigator and trainer with HR Proactive ensuring our clients receive sound and complete results.
Profile of Bill Renton
Bill recently completed a highly successful thirty-nine year policing career gaining the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities which will enable him to serve the clients of HR Proactive in a thorough, efficient, and professional manner. Bill was a commissioned officer of a large Ontario Police Service as well as Chief of Police of a mid-size Ontario Municipal Police Service.
Bill was recognized with many accolades throughout his service including: the Governor General of Canada Order of Merit of Police Forces; the Queens Diamond Jubilee Award in recognition of his contribution to Canada; the Ontario Homicide Investigators Association Major Case Management Award presented to homicide investigators and teams who have exhibited outstanding innovation and achievement in case management in a homicide investigation. The investigation recognized is one of the largest homicide investigations in Canadian history.
Bill’s career touched all aspects of the criminal, civil and provincial legislations, judicial systems, and tribunals. He has extensive experience in human resource management, executive development, collective bargaining, workplace disputes, mediations, and conciliations. His experience continues onto labour relations, budget development and deliberation, policy development including performance management and promotional processes. Bill has a good working knowledge of the WDHP, WSIB, Human Rights Act, the Employment Standards Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations.
Bill has conducted internal and external investigations relating to professional conduct. He has provided training at the Canadian Police College, Ontario Police College and Ontario Community Colleges. He has been an active participant on many professional working groups dealing with numerous social service agencies, community groups, school boards and other professional entities. Bill has demonstrated the ability to participate and foster an inclusive, engaging, and respectful environment for all involved.
Bill brings a lot of knowledge and experience in dealing with management and association issues and relationships, all of which enable him to offer a thorough, concise and complete review and conclusion to clients of HR Proactive for the betterment of their healthy, safe and productive work environments.
Profile of Deana Maric
Deana has over fifteen years’ experience in investigations in the field of human rights. She spent five years as a Human Rights Officer with the Ontario Human Rights Commission where she investigated all forms of human rights complaints, including workplace harassment, disability accommodation and systemic barrier issues, to name a few.
Deana’s background also includes fraud investigations, both as an investigator and as a business leader, for over ten years. She investigated and oversaw insurance fraud and abuse cases, and complex organized crime matters in the health care field. She was Chair of the Quebec Chapter of the Canadian Health Care Antifraud Association (CHCAA). Deana led a team that influenced industry transformation in addressing bawdy house claims and developed fair and objective audit and data-mining programs to detect errors, abuse patterns and fraud.
Deana developed and delivered training programs on both fraud detection/investigations and on respectful workplace practices for people leaders at all levels.
As a consultant, Deana continued to investigate human rights cases for private and public sector clients. She has honed exceptional interview methods, observational interaction and investigative techniques along with strong negotiation skills.
Her experience as a business leader gives her insight and the essential knowledge required to understand the business risk, culture and leadership drivers for an organization, and influences her coaching and communication style to deliver effective training and guidance programs.
Deana’s expertise will be invaluable to HR Proactive clients who are looking for an impartial third-party to help with human rights/harassment and fraud complaints or are in need of training to ensure a healthy and respectful workplace.
Profile of Owen Mahoney
Owen Mahoney served for sixteen years as a human rights investigator with the Ontario Human Rights Commission, specializing in complex cases in the area of disability and systemic discrimination. In addition to his duties as an investigator, Owen worked on a number of Commission policy initiatives, including AIDS, the impact of changes to credentials in the nursing profession, mandatory retirement, accommodation for post-secondary students with learning disabilities, and access for women to non-traditional work. He was also responsible for coordinating the Commission’s initiative that led to an agreement with the government to provide barrier-free access to the province’s courts for persons with disabilities.
Owen also has extensive experience speaking to employer and other stakeholder groups on a wide range of human rights issues, and has written a number of articles and speeches on human rights. Owen has also been interviewed for a number of radio shows, discussing harassment and human rights in the workplace.
Owen’s formal education includes a B.A Hons. from Concordia University in Montreal, and an M.A. from McMaster University in Hamilton, in English and a Ph.D (all but dissertation). He also taught English for three years at the University of British Columbia, before moving on to work in curriculum development with the Hamilton Board of Education prior to his work with the Commission. While at the Commission, Owen completed studies in investigation at the Ontario Police College in Aylmer, and mediation at Stitt Feld Handy Houston, affiliated with the University of Windsor.
As HR Proactive’s senior case co-ordinator, Owen oversees workplace investigations and provides a collegial review of all final investigation reports and recommendations. Owen has extensive working knowledge of the Canadian Human Rights Act, the Canada Labour Code and Occupational Health and Safety Regulations. For our Ontario based clients, Owen is well-versed with the Ontario Human Rights Code, Employment Standards Act, WSIB, Bill 168, Bill 132, and the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).
Owen’s background and expertise is also relied upon for the development of customized on-site compliance training and training materials for our clients based on their individual needs.
Owen is a valued member of HR Proactive’s team of professionals and dedicated to providing thorough and complete analysis and conclusions with respect to workplace harassment investigations and training to assist our clients in providing a safe and healthy workplace for their workers.
Profile of Paul La Course
Paul spent over 20 years employed as the Chief Administrative Officer of a large Police Association in Ontario. He has vast experience in collective bargaining, workplace disputes, rights arbitration and conciliation/mediation. Paul has also been involved in formal complaints by the members he represented under Bill 168. His involvement in such complaints involved dispute resolution including negotiating and mediating satisfactory agreements between complainants, respondents and the employer. Much of this involved One-on-One conciliation discussions with the complainants, respondents along with confidential discussions with management representatives. Paul’s expertise in working collectively with his members has made him a perfect fit for HR Proactive’s One-on-One Sensitivity training workshops/services. HR Proactive clients receive customized training from Paul that is an effective and respectful way of addressing inappropriate workplace behaviours, taking corrective action, and minimizing disruption to their workforces. At the same time, it affords our clients an opportunity to retain experienced, long-term employees in whom they have invested much effort and expense.
Paul has a good working knowledge of the Ontario Human Rights Code, Employment Standards Act, WSIB, Bill 168, changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act with the passing of Bill 132, along with other relevant legislation. He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Police Association of Ontario, which represented police personnel across the province. During his time on the Board, Paul met with elected representatives of the Ontario Legislature on a variety of police and public safety matters.
He has also made several representations and submissions to government committees pertaining to public safety and labour matters. Paul is highly regarded and respected by his colleagues, the members he represented, management representatives, government officials at all levels, and members of the public.
Paul will be supporting the training team and office administration at HR Proactive and is a founding supporter of the business.
