Seher Shafiq assumed multiple roles at Lifeline Syria, a non-profit organization assisting Syrian refugees. As Manager of Partnerships and Community Engagement, she established and maintained partnerships with organizations like Artscape and the Syrian Film Festival that were critical for raising awareness of the Syrian refugee crisis. She also developed a government relations strategy that positioned Lifeline Syria as a trusted advisor on refugee issues. With a communications background, Seher additionally managed Lifeline Syria's media relations, social media, and interactions with mainstream news outlets. As the manager overseeing volunteers, she recruited, trained, and scheduled volunteers to assist with administration, case work, and outreach. The reference letter gives Seher the highest recommendation, praising her professional

1. To Whom It May Concern,
I am pleased to be presenting a reference letter for Seher Shafiq. Seher assumed responsibility for a variety of
roles while at Lifeline Syria, responding to the multiple needs required of a start-up non-profit organization. In her role as
Manager, Partnerships and Community Engagement, Seher was responsible for initiating and maintaining key
partnerships and relationships for the organization, including with: Artscape, Syrian Film Festival, Hot Docs, and
Volunteer Toronto, to name just a few. These partnerships were critical for ensuring broad audiences and continued
attention to the Syrian refugee crisis. It was owed to her ability to find synergies between partners and Lifeline Syria,
build positive relations and ensure that all relationships were successful.
Key to the agency’s success, Seher developed a government relations strategy that positioned Lifeline Syria as a
trusted advisor, enabling policy attention to refugee issues in Canada. Seher initiated and planned meetings with Members
of Parliament, Members of Provincial Parliament, and City Councillors, keeping them fully apprised of the needs and
issues facing Syrian refugees, and offering policy recommendations when appropriate.
With a communications background, Seher was also able to assist with website development, social media,
managing media relations and maintaining all the social networking aspects of the organization. During her time at
Lifeline Syria, Seher fielded almost 200 media inquiries on behalf of Lifeline Syria. She also supported me in my role as
the Executive Director in preparing for interviews, as well as conducting several interviews herself. Seher took
responsibility for dealing with all media outlets and responding to all requests that came in, working with mainstream
outlets like Global, CBC, Globe & Mail, and the Toronto Star.
As the Manager, Partnerships and Community Engagement, Seher’s major responsibility was managing a roster
of volunteers, who assisted in several areas of the organization such as administration, case work and outreach. In this
role, Seher recruited new volunteers, trained them, and managed all aspects of human resources, encompassing
scheduling, day-to-day management and performance.
Seher is the ultimate professional – enthusiastic, fully competent, and willing to take on any challenge. She very
quickly learned about forced migration, refugee issues, and Canada’s private sponsorship program, and spoke about these
issues with authority to the media, in meetings with government officials, and when training and supervising volunteers.
Seher is a strategic thinker, skilled planner, clear communicator, and collaborative team player. She is also a competent
and successful relationship builder, that expanded the outreach and profile of Lifeline Syria. I would give Seher the
highest recommendation possible.
Sincerely,
Lesley Brown
Executive Director, Lifeline Syria