The Samara Centre for Democracy is delighted to welcome Deval Pandya, Vice President and Head of AI Engineering at the Vector Institute to our board of directors. Deval also serves on the Safe and Secure AI Advisory Group for the Government of Canada and the Research Council of the Canadian AI Safety Institute (CAISI) at the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR).

Understanding how technology is influencing Canada’s democracy is a core area of the Samara Centre’s work. During the 2025 federal election we launched VERIFIED, a major initiative that helps Canadians understand how politics is playing out across digital spaces. Deval’s guidance will help to increase the impact of our efforts to address online information threats in Canada.

Co-founded in 2007 by Alison Loat and Michael MacMillan, the Samara Centre for Democracy is Canada’s leading non-partisan organization focused on strengthening and protecting Canadian democracy. Our board is composed of accomplished active citizens who are dedicated to realizing a vibrant culture of civic engagement across the country. 

‍Learn more about the Samara Centre for Democracy’s Board of Directors.