2025-26 Executive Committee

The IMA is proud to announce the 2025-26 Executive Committee for the upcoming year. Their dedication and expertise will undoubtedly lead to us continuing to deliver for our members.

President: Drew Samuels, M.I.M.A.

Drew Samuels has been a Licensed Paralegal with the Law Society of Ontario since 2011. He is the Director of Litigation and Administration at DuCharme, McMillen & Associates Canada, Ltd. where he provides strategic litigation expertise and legal advice on a wide array of legal issues regarding litigation strategy at court, appeal preparation, and presentation before the Assessment Review Board. Drew is responsible for the coordination and advocacy of property tax appeals and his experience also includes appearing as a Licensed Paralegal before the Assessment Review Board, the Landlord and Tenant Board, the Small Claims Court, and the Ontario Court of Justice. He graduated from Carleton University with two degrees, Criminology and Psychology, and has a Paralegal graduate certificate from Durham College. He has an Executive Certificate in Conflict Management from the University of Windsor, and he holds a Qualified Mediator designation with the Alternative Dispute Resolution Institute of Ontario.

President Elect: Erin Johnston, M.I.M.A.

Erin is a Senior Director with Ryan who brings over two decades of expertise to the field of property assessment, distinguishing herself as a leading authority on assessment matters across various asset classes in Ontario. Recognized nationwide for her leadership, Erin's career is marked by a deep commitment to learning and contributing to the industry. Currently serving as the 2nd Vice President of the Institute of Municipal Assessors (IMA) Executive Committee, Erin has a long history of volunteering with both the IMA and the Canadian Property Tax Association (CPTA).

1st Vice President: Andrew Loney, M.I.M.A.

Andrew Loney is a Director, Valuation and Customer Relations at the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation responsible for Eastern Ontario. With 25 years of property valuation and appeal case management experience, Andrew has held various positions within the corporation including Senior Case Management Analyst, Manager, Valuation and Customer Relations, Senior Manager, Valuation and Customer Relations, and Director, Valuation and Customer Relations.

Andrew holds a Diploma in Urban Land Economics from the University of British Columbia and is a Licensed Paralegal with the Law Society of Ontario. Andrew is an accredited member (M.I.M.A.) with the Institute of Municipal Assessors.

Andrew resides in our Nation’s Capital, Ottawa and enjoys spending time being active year round with his 3 sons and wife.

2nd Vice President: Don Hearn, M.I.M.A.

Don Hearn is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Municipal Assessment Agency, where he plays a pivotal role in overseeing the organization’s vital assessment services for 236 municipalities across the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. With a career that spans over 30 years, Don has built a distinguished reputation in the field of real property assessment, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the valuation of residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional properties.

Throughout his professional career, Don has been deeply involved in every aspect of property assessment, constantly honing his skills and expanding his understanding of the industry.

As CEO of the Municipal Assessment Agency, Don is not only responsible for managing the organization’s overall operations but also serves as the primary representative in engaging with stakeholders.

He leads an executive team dedicated to fostering diverse groups that deliver exceptional results, building long-lasting client

relationships, and driving the organization toward excellence in service delivery and organizational effectiveness.

Don holds the M.I.M.A. designation and is a recognized member of the Institute of Municipal Assessors, where he has actively contributed to the local executive as a director for District 10 and as chair. His commitment to the profession extends nationally as the Vice-Chair of the IMA’s Accreditation Committee.

In September 2023, Don completed the Institute of Corporate Directors Program and received his ICD.D accreditation, a testament to his lifelong commitment to excellence in the boardroom and his aspiration to be a more effective director. With a passion for continuous improvement and a dedication to the advancement of the property assessment industry, Don Hearn remains a respected leader and advocate for best practices in municipal assessment.

Past President:   Janice Hunter-Desjarlais, M.I.M.A.

Janice Hunter Desjarlais began her career in valuation 26 years ago while working as a summer intern at the Ministry of Finance. She obtained full-time work with the Ministry as an Assessment Field Officer after completing her undergraduate studies. Soon after beginning her career in the assessment industry, she became an affiliate of the Institute of Municipal Assessors and earned the M.I.M.A. qualification in the early 2000s. For the majority of her career, she has volunteered on the IMA executive to support extracurricular learning at the District level. Her experience extends to all approaches to value and operates as a neighbourhood functional assessor within the Windsor Essex Region. She is considered a subject matter expert in several vocations within the industry and has authored for the Insti-News on various subjects over the years.

She has promoted professionalism and ethical standards in the assessment area and keeps up this effort to close learning gaps for our membership. In addition to her job, she spent 8 years volunteering with the Ontario Public Service Union as the treasurer of composite local 154 of 480 members and as an educator and advocate for health and safety at the Workers Health and Safety Centre. Within her Labour District Councils and Region 1 Area Councils, she frequently promotes awareness of and support for those with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other Disabilities. Her work assisting people on Human Rights is her main focus as a delegate to the Ontario Federation of Labour and the Canadian Labour Congress.

She performs some level of hard labour on the farm and works part-time as the chief financial officer for a Windsor, Essex, standardbred harness racing outfit. In her free time, you can catch her in front of a guitar or keyboard as a composer, singer, or musician. Her creative and singing skills were recently recognized by the Independent Music Charts Worldwide.

Executive Director:  Ejona Balashi, B.A., CMP, SFC.

Ejona brings over 15 years of executive experience in Canadian and International membership-based associations. She has held Marketing and Business Development Director, COO and Executive Director roles in a variety of settings; including health care, strategic planning, PR and performance and learning. She has also led advocacy initiatives as a registered lobbyist with both provincial and federal governments. One of her proudest accomplishments is supporting the growth of an association to 10,000 members worldwide.

Ejona believes that associations can be incredibly valuable. They are made up of people that share the same challenges and the same opportunities. Through associations, not only can we help address those challenges and optimize the opportunities, but ultimately we can champion and advocate for the profession and create a better professional community for all of us.

Ejona lives in Toronto, with her two young daughters, husband and Winston Churchill the Cat. When not working or spending time with family, you can find her running, reading and volunteering in her Beaches East-York community.