For more than 30 years, Bernard Amyot has developed a practice that is primarily focused on civil and commercial litigation.In 2007, he served as National President of the Canadian Bar Association. In 2011, he became a Fellow of the American Collage of Trial Lawyers. He served as Chairman of the Board of Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf from 2005 to 2011 and was a director of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra.

After having worked as a journalist at AJE and the Caravan, I moved to a career in the arts as the cultural director at a members-only arts and media club and now creative director at Business for the Arts. I’m a multimedia strategist who spends most days plotting interesting ways to culminate exchanges between culture producers and consumers by bridging artists, institutions, and corporate brands under initiatives that push creative growth and deliver value for every stakeholder. When not working in these interstices, my skills serve to bolster causes I am passionate about in early childhood education and mental health awareness.

A thirty-year career in the performing arts has focused mainly on orchestra management but also including stints in theatre, events management and opera, with posts at Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Ulster and Philharmonia orchestras, City of Birmingham Touring Opera and Northern Sinfonia. From 2001 he worked as a freelance arts manager and consultant. 11 years with Casa da Música in Portugal included General Manager of Orquestra Sinfónica do Porto. He has been Executive Director of Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony since 2014. Originally from Bournemouth on the south coast of England, he graduated from the University of Durham. His many interests include cookery and travel to far-flung destinations.

Dean Brinton, M.S.M.Dean Brinton studied Philosophy and Comparative Religion at the universities of Calgary and Toronto, receiving a Master’s Degree from the University of Toronto in 1987. He has worked in the arts and culture sector for over thirty years and was appointed CEO of The Rooms Corporation (which counts among its divisions the Provincial Archives, Art Gallery and Museum of the Province of NL as well as three regional museums), in St. John’s, NL in January of 2005.Mr. Brinton was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Canada Council in 1997 where he served for six years. For four of these he was the Board’s appointee to the Executive Committee and Chair of the Canada Council’s Governance Committee, which wrote the organization’s first Governance Policy. Between 2001 – 2008, he was a member of the Board of Governors of the National Theatre School of Canada and the Board of Governors of the Nova Scotia College of Art Design University (NSCAD U.) where he chaired the Development Committee.In the fall of 2017, Mr. Brinton was appointed Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Canadian Museum of History/Canadian War Museum. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Governor General’s Performing Arts Awards Foundation. Mr. Brinton has received the Meritorious Service Medal (M.S.M.) from the Governor General of Canada as well as the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal.

Jeff brings more than 20 years of experience working in support of the creative and cultural industries in Alberta, and across Canada. As Executive Director, Jeff works alongside the AFA Board of Directors towards the Foundation’s mandate and mission. Jeff also oversees film classification in Alberta.

Sean Casey is a leading practitioner working in Ottawa on behalf of the arts and culture sector, with a background in intellectual property and copyright.Sean is engaged in the development and implementation of advocacy strategies, engaging key political and bureaucratic stakeholders on audio visual, music, book publishing, performing arts, museums and festival sector issues.A graduate of Journalism at Carleton University, Sean joined Global after eight years as a partner with another leading public affairs firm. Prior to that he served in various positions for three Members of Parliament, and in the Office of the Leader of the Opposition.

Peter holds a Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). Originally the Director of Sales and Marketing with the Arts Club, Peter became the Executive Director in 2014 and has since overseen the opening of the BMO Theatre Centre (in collaboration with the Bard on the Beach), the construction of the Arts Club’s new third theatre, the Goldcorp Stage, and has instituted Education and Community Outreach as integral roles within the company. He is still waiting to be cast in a production but believes that is just a matter of time.

Joy Cooper is chair of the board of Rainbow Stage (1993) Inc., a non-profit musical theatre company which has been staging musicals at the 2300 seat outdoor theatre in Kildonan Park in Winnipeg since 1955. The company is dedicated to providing excellent quality professional musical theatre, and to developing and supporting Manitoba artists and other theatre professionals. Rainbow’s playbills traditionally include classic and contemporary productions and family-friendly shows. The company aims to produce shows that reflect the diversity of Manitoba’s people and cultures. The company has more recently assisted the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra in producing concert versions of classic musicals. Rainbow’s education and outreach program includes a school awards program, an annual musical theatre student conference and a summer musical theatre camp. Joy Cooper, a retired lawyer and Master of the Court of Queen’s Bench, has a life-long commitment to the performing arts.

Ashlie was born in White Rock, BC, and attended Queen’s University, graduating in 2001 with an honours degree in Drama. She then earned a Master of Arts in Directing from Goldsmiths, University of London, in 2004. She returned to Canada and founded Theatre Smash in Toronto in 2005, and launched a successful freelance directing career in both theatre and opera. The Dora Award– winner completed the Urjo Kareda Residency for emerging theatre artists at Tarragon Theatre in 2011 before joining the Thousand Islands Playhouse in 2012 as Artistic Director, and became the Artistic Director of the Arts Club in 2017.

Julie Crooks received a PhD in the Department of History of Art and Archaeology at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London. The title of her dissertation is Alphonso Lisk-Carew and Early Photography in Sierra Leone. Her research focuses on historical photography in Sierra Leone, West Africa and the diaspora. Julie has taught numerous courses in these fields at the Art Gallery of Ontario (Toronto), as well as Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCADU, Toronto), University of Toronto, Wilfrid Laurier University, and York University (Toronto). Currently, she is a past recipient of the Rebanks Post Doctoral Fellowship at the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum researching the various engagements of black/African audiences with the African Gallery and the photographic history of Blacks in Canada.

Alan Dilworth is a theatre director, playwright and teacher. He is the acting artistic director of Soulpepper Theatre Company in Toronto. He is also co-artistic director of Sheep No Wool. His work explores personal, social and political transformation and is rooted in questions of ‘self’. His primary area of investigation is in creating a contemporary text based theatre, but he also works in physical and image-based forms. His work privileges vulnerability, presence, simplicity and the unknown. Alan has directed across Canada, and internationally. He is married to actor Maev Beaty, and they have a daughter, Esmé.

Kristen is an experienced arts administrator with a career that spans across two decades in the Canadian cultural sector. Over the past 18-years, Kristen held a number of positions at Theatre Calgary, the most recent (and longest) as the Director of Finance & Administration.Presently, Kristen is the Director with the Labour Relations portfolio for Professional Association of Canadian Theatre (PACT). Within the last 18-months she led the negotiation teams for PACT with the Playwrights Guild of Canada, Associated Designers of Canada, and Canadian Actors Equity Association to find collaborative outcomes that are critical for the sustainability of Canadian theatre.

Mr. Dornian was appointed President and CEO of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra in 2015. Prior to assuming this role, he served as Director of the Mount Royal University Conservatory. Under his direction, the Conservatory grew to become one of Canada’s premier music and speech arts education institutions. Mr. Dornian has contributed to the Canadian cultural scene as a performer, instructor and arts advocate. An active and community-oriented leader, Dornian served as a long-time board member for the CPO, a board member for the Calgary Arts Development Authority and a member of the Honen’s International Piano Competition Artistic Advisory Committee, and member of the Prairie Regional Council for the Canadian Music Centre. Mr. Dornian holds a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music from the Cleveland Institute of Music and an MBA in International Business from the Haskayne School at the University of Calgary.

Anita Gaffney, Executive Director of the Stratford Festival. Ms Gaffney works alongside Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino in leading the Festival and developing its strategic and operational plans. She has held a variety of positions over the past 27 years including Director of Marketing during the theatre’s years of peak attendance. Ms Gaffney chaired the 2011 campaign for the United Way Perth-Huron, raising $1.2 million. She serves on a number of boards focused on arts, tourism and economic development. She has an MBA from Ivey Business School and has continued her education through Harvard Business School. Ms Gaffney received a Personal Excellence Award from the Stratford Chamber of Commerce and participated in the Governor General’s Leadership Conference in 2008.

Kevin Garland retired as Executive Director of The National Ballet of Canada in 2014, following 10 years in that role. Prior to that, Kevin was Executive Director of the Canadian Opera House Corporation. Her business career included 10 years as a Senior Vice President at CIBC Development Corporation, a number of senior roles in commercial real estate development, and in urban and regional planning. Kevin has stepped in as Interim Executive Director of Soulpepper Theatre Company, to help with the company’s transition to new leadership.

I have one of the greatest jobs in the world because I get to lead a team of really talented people. The Reputation and Brand team (or “R&B” as we like to call ourselves) has a diverse range of responsibilities, but it all boils down to making sure that ATB’s Story and our brand are top-of-mind with our customers, our team members and in communities across the province. We make sure our team members are informed and engaged in what’s going on all across the company and have opportunities to share their ideas. We use the latest and greatest creative approaches to market ATB, build our reputation and brand, and encourage more people to deal with ATB because we listen and we’re more than a bank. We manage corporate social responsibility, community donations, and all corporate sponsorships. We deal with all forms of media, especially social media, and create opportunities to help ATB tell its story to our team members and to Albertans.

LoriAnn Girvan is an entrepreneurial leader with 25+ years of experience in urban revitalization, community planning and non-profit management in Canada, the US and Africa. Her social purpose real estate achievements include the development of over $300 million of affordable housing and community hubs. As COO of Artscape, she leads the organization’s operations to realize its financial and social impact through creative placemaking. She previously led the national arm of Breaking Ground, now Community Solutions, a US non-profit helping communities tackle social problems that contribute to homelessness. She is a 2004-2006 UPenn Center for Urban Redevelopment Excellence Fellow.

Cathryn Gregor joined NBS in early 2013, having most recently held a position at Opera Lyra, Ottawa in 2012. Previously, Gregor was the Arts Investment Fund Program Officer at the Ontario Arts Council. Before that, she was Chief Operating Officer of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and Director of Transition Planning for the renovation of the Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Arts, one of Toronto’s seven cultural renaissance capital projects.She worked for ten years at the Canadian Opera Company, first as Director of Music Administration, then as Administrative Director for the whole company. She has worked with Tapestry New Opera, Soundstreams Canada, the Textile Museum of Canada, Opera Atelier, the 1989 International Choral Festival, the 1985 Bach 300 Festival, and CentreStage Music.

Brendan is the Artistic Director, Performing Arts for the City of Brampton. He is the former Artistic Director of Buddies in Bad Times. As a director, his shows have garnered multiple Dora Mavor Moore Awards and he is a recipient of the Ken McDougall and the Pauline McGibbon awards. He is a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada (where he is also a regular instructor). Brendan also holds a Masters in International Arts Management, in a program jointly offered by the Southern Methodist University (Dallas, Texas), HEC (Montréal, Québec), and the SDA Bocconi School of Management (Milan, Italy).

Claire Hopkinson M.S.M. is recognized across the arts sector for her notable leadership skills, her abilities to forge collaborations and consensus and her inspiring vision to connect communities to the arts across Toronto.
As Director & CEO of Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation since 2005, she has helped to double the funding available to artists and arts organizations, managed transformative growth in impact, and innovation in strategy and delivery. Under her leadership the Neighbourhood Arts Network grew from an idea to include over 1,900 community engaged arts members. Claire forged partnerships with Toronto’s Library, School, Museum and Parks systems to further the reach of the arts into underserved neighbourhoods, and introduced Arts in The Parks in the summer of 2016 to 50 parks across Toronto. To foster leadership development, she initiated a pioneering partnership with the Banff Centre to launch the TAC Cultural Leaders Lab. Recent initiatives such as Arts Facts and Arts Stats, and the Creative Champions Network are helping board volunteers become more effective advocates.
Prior to TAC, Claire spent over 25 years commissioning, developing and producing works of opera and theatre while at the helm of leading edge arts organizations. No stranger to risk and experimentation, she cut her teeth as on such new works as R. Murray Schafer’s site specific, experiential, night long opera RA . Her volunteer roles have been numerous and included Founding Chair of Opera.ca, Vice Chair of Opera America, co-founder and President of Creative Trust and Co-Chair of the Expo Canada 2025 Steering Committee. Claire is the recipient of the Meritorious Service Medal from the Governor General, the national M. Joan Chalmers Award for Arts Administration (2001) and Theatre Ontario’s Sandra Tulloch Award for Innovation in the Arts (2006).

Barry Hughson has served the performing arts field for 25 years as a professional arts executive. In 2014, he joined The National Ballet of Canada as Executive Director. Since that time, the company has continued its trajectory of artistic growth, fiscal responsibility, community engagement, and international presence, including landmark tours to New York’s Lincoln Center and the Théâtre des Champs Elysées in Paris. Mr. Hughson was previously Executive Director of Boston Ballet. As an arts advocate, consultant and educator, Mr. Hughson has had teaching and speaking engagements in the USA, Europe and South America. He serves on a variety of industry boards, including Dance/USA, North America’s largest service organization for professional dance., Mr. Hughson serves as Vice-Chair of the National Council for the Canadian Dance Assembly and served on the Steering Committee for the Canadian Arts Summit from 2014 to 2017.

Sarah Iley co-founded the Canadian Arts Summit when she was President & CEO of Business for the Arts, before moving to Alberta to take up the position of Vice President of The Banff Centre, responsible for the Arts and Leadership programs. Now Manager of Arts & Culture for Calgary, Sarah continues her involvement as Co-Chair of the Summit Advocacy Committee and a Director of Culture Days, a spin-off of the Summit which is now in its 10th year.

A respected and awarded producer and social advocate, known for creativity, financial acumen and leadership skills. Beginning his career in theatre production, Tim has served as Managing Director of Toronto’s Roseneath Theatre, Seattle Children’s Theatre and the Tony Award-winning Children’s Theatre Company of Minneapolis before joining Shaw in late 2015. At all of these he has consistently increased stability, built endowments and improved operating results. He has taught at Ryerson and Humber and served on many industry boards, including as Treasurer of the Theatre Communications Group (TCG) – the National Organization for the American Theatre – since 2011. He was a founding members of TCG’s Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) Institute.

Peter Jewett is a retired senior partner of Torys LLP where he practiced corporate and securities law for 45 years,. He is experienced in advising senior management and boards of directors on a broad range of topics, including current issues of corporate governance. He has sat on boards of both public and private companies and not-for-profit organizations, including his current positions as Chair of the Shaw Festival, Chair of the Canadian Accounting Standards Oversight Council and Past Chair of Canadian Accredited Independent Schools.

Sherrie Johnson, Interim Managing Director and Executive Producer, Canadian StageSherrie has developed an international reputation as an innovative and accomplished curator, artistic directorand producer of critically acclaimed and award winning, theatre, dance, film and performing arts festivals. Priorto her return to Toronto, she worked as Artistic Director to launch the inaugural multi-arts festival, Outside theBox, in Boston, Massachusetts. From 2009-2012, she was Senior Curator at the renowned PushInternational Performing Arts Festival in Vancouver, and is known to many as the Producer of da da kamera alongside her creative partner Daniel MacIvor, that resulted in a string of acclaimed theatre productions that toured worldwide from 1993-2007.She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminology and Theatre and a Master of Science degree in Communications from Indiana State University and has studied at the University of Toronto’s Rotman Executive Program. Sherrie was a recipient of the John Hobday Award for outstanding achievement in arts management from the Canada Council for the Arts in the first year of the prize.

Tim Jones is a champion for the role the arts play in transforming cities and communities. As CEO of Artscape since 1998, Tim has helped evolve the organization from a Toronto-based artist-studio-provider into an internationally recognized leader in “creative placemaking”. Tim’s achievements include developing 9 of Artscape’s 11 unique cultural facilities and 4 new projects currently under construction. Tim played a pivotal role in the creation of Vancouver-based BC Artscape and has served as a consultant and speaker globally. Tim has received many awards including the Schwab Foundation’s 2014 Social Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Frédéric Julien is first and foremost a humanist and a citizen. His full-time job is Director of Research and Development at the Canadian Arts Presenting Association (CAPACOA). During his volunteer time, he is advocating for smarter arts policies and strategic arts funding as Co-Chair of the Canadian Arts Coalition. Frédéric’s fields of research have recently focused on digital matters. Further to the publication of “Digitizing the Performing Arts” he has led many dialogues on digital innovation and he is currently exploring opportunities arising from semantic web technologies.

Jillian Keiley is an award-winning director from St. John’s, Newfoundland and founder of Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland. Ms. Keiley has directed and taught across Canada and internationally. She received her BFA in Theatre from York University and was awarded Honorary Doctorates of Letters from both Memorial University and York University. She was the winner of the prestigious Siminovitch Prize for Directing in 2004 and the Canada Council’s John Hirsch Prize in 1997. Ms. Keiley assumed her role as NAC English Theatre Artistic Director in August 2012, and her productions at the NAC have included The Colony of Unrequited Dreams, A Christmas Carol, Twelfth Night, Metamorphoses,Tartuffe, Oil and Water and Alice Through the Looking-Glass. More recently, she directed Bakkhai, The Diary of Anne Frank and As You Like It for the Stratford Festival and her productions of Tartuffe (NAC) and The Colony of Unrequited Dreams (Artistic Fraud) toured through Newfoundland and Labrador. Tempting Providence, her collaboration with Robert Chafe for Theatre Newfoundland Labrador, toured internationally for ten years.

Anthony Kiendl is Executive Director and CEO of the MacKenzie Art Gallery in Regina, Saskatchewan. Born on Long Island, New York, Kiendl grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba where he was Executive Director of Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art from 2006 to 2013. At Plug In Kiendl led a major capital development project and construction of a new facility for arts and education co-owned by Plug In ICA and the University of Winnipeg which opened in 2010. Previously he was Director of Visual Arts at The Banff Centre, and Curator of the Dunlop Art Gallery in Regina.

Titulaire d’un baccalauréat ès arts en économie de l’Université de Sherbrooke, d’une maîtrise en gestion de projet de l’Université du Québec à Montréal et d’une maîtrise en administration des affaires des HEC, Éric cumule plusieurs années d’expérience en gestion des arts et en tourisme, notamment au Centre d’Arts Orford, au Conseil local de développement MRC de Memphrémagog et au Groupe Intermont inc. En 2008, il se joint à l’École nationale de cirque à titre de directeur administratif et il est nommé en mars 2016 à la direction générale de l’École nationale de cirque.

Paul is thrilled to be leading Arts Umbrella during a period of significant growth, which includes plans to repurpose the former ECUAD South Building as Arts Umbrella’s new home. Previously, Paul held the position of Associate Director of the Vancouver Art Gallery for more than a decade. With over three decades of involvement in the cultural sector, Paul is committed to promoting the importance of the arts and education in our communities. He is a member of Chor Leoni Men’s Choir, has participated on the boards of several arts organizations, and serves as a Mentor with the Loran Scholars Foundation.

Stéphane Lavoie is the Executive and Programming Director of TOHU, the Montreal-based Cité des Arts. TOHU is at the heart of a local and international commitment to the development of initiatives that focus on the circus arts, sustainable development and social economy. Today, TOHU is recognized around the world for its dynamism and the originality of its triple mission. For more than 25 years, Mr. Lavoie has been actively involved in the performing arts and cultural communities. He played a key role in hosting several Canadian, European and other visiting artists in Quebec and participated in a multitude of advisory committees. He is regularly invited to sit on festival juries and invited to participate in international conferences.

With a visual design background and in his 20 years of experience in creative and digital development, Remi has been creating digital interactive and immersive projects for live performances, video games, digital arts, science, education, and entertainment. Drawing from all these past experiences, Remi now works with arts organizations, arts professionals and artists to support their digital transformation initiatives.

Laura Money is a seasoned technology executive who has succeeded in diverse role across multiple countries, with exceptional capabilities in delivering customer focused business process and technology transformations.

Vanessa is President & CEO and a Director of Morgan Meighen & Associates Limited, an investment management firm. In addition to actively managing private client portfolios and maintaining client relationships, she is the Chair and a Director of Canadian General Investments, Limited and Canadian World Fund Limited, two TSX-listed closed-end funds managed by Morgan Meighen. Vanessa is Chair of Soulpepper Theatre Company and a member of the standing Board Committees. She is also Chair of Soulpepper’s Search Committee. She is also President of The Catherine & Maxwell Meighen Foundation, which donates approximately $4 million per annum for charitable works in Ontario. Previous not-for-profit directorships include the National Ballet of Canada, Endowment Foundation and Kerry’s Place Autism Services.

Susan Pigott is a trained nurse and social worker with a 35-year-long career in health and social services holding senior positions at Family Service Toronto, United Way, St. Christopher House and the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. Susan has taken a lead role in a number of public policy initiatives, including the Ontario Citizens Assembly on Electoral Reform and the Taskforce on Modernizing Income Security for Working Age Adults. Susan has served on several Boards, including Toronto Community Foundation, Tides Foundation, SickKids and Soulpepper Theatre. Susan is currently Board Chair for the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation and Toronto Artscape Inc.

Jan-Fryderyk Pleszczynski est président et chef de la direction de 4U2C. À titre de membre de l’équipe exécutive du Cirque du Soleil, Jan-Fryderyk dirige les efforts de cette filiale spécialisée dans la création et la production vidéo, la conception scénographique et toute forme d’expérience multimédia pour l’industrie du divertissement. Jan-Fryderyk est président du Conseil des arts de Montréal, membre du conseil d’administration du Théâtre du Nouveau Monde et membre du conseil de l’Ordre de Montréal. Il a reçu en 2015 le prix Arnold Edinborough remis par Business for the arts, soulignant son action bénévole exceptionnelle dans le domaine des arts.

Ms. Helen Polatajko has 35+ years of executive experience in both the private and the public sectors. She was featured on the cover of CIO Canada magazine”. and has served on the judging panel of the Canadian Information Productivity Awards, the Canadian Advisory Board of the CIO Executive Council, and the Advisory Committee of the Conference Board of Canada, Council of CIOs.She has been recognized as one of the Top 100 Women in Computing, acknowledging her achievements and contributions to technology.Ms. Polatajko has served as Director for IESO, and is currently Board Chair of the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.

Jill Price is currently Chair of Arts Umbrella Board on which she as served for nine years. She is also a trustee of the Arts Umbrella Foundation. She is the former Executive Director of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada and is now consulting in the public and private sectors. Prior to that she was Director of Philanthropy at BC Children’s Hospital Foundation and held several executive positions in the financial sector. Jill is a native of British Columbia and after a number of years in Montreal, returned to Vancouver where she has raised her family. She is a dedicated volunteer, having served as government liaison for the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships and is in her 10th year as a kitchen volunteer at the Union Gospel Mission.

Margo Randles is the current Chair of the Board of Theatre Calgary. Over her time on the Board she has chaired the Governance and Nominating Committee as well as the fundraising gala. She has taken an active role in many NFP organizations in Calgary as well as representing Canadians on Boards during her time overseas as an expatriate.

Karran Sahadeo is a Toronto based graphic and web designer who aims to understand why a brand matters and how design will impact its audience. With years of professional experience which traversed him throughout three continents, Sahadeo has a consistent track record for creating impactful visual media.

Vishal Saini is the VP Advocacy of the Executive Committee on the Board of Directors with Alberta Theatre Projects (ATP). While he isn’t enjoying local arts and culture he works at Indian Oil and Gas Canada assisting First Nations across Western Canada manage their on reserve oil and gas development. Vishal’s first interest in theatre started in junior high drama which flourished into competing in Theatre Sports at Loose Moose in Calgary and job shadowing at ATP in high school. Vishal has been on the ATP Board for 4 years and this is his first time attending CAS.

Johanna Salloum is the President of the Board of Trustees of the Board of the MacKenzie Art Gallery, having served on the Board for four years. Johanna is also the President of CFA Society of Saskatchewan and is a director on the Board of CFA Canada. Outside of her volunteer work, Johanna is a Partner at PFM Capital, a Regina-based Private Equity Fund Manager, where she manages the firm’s diversified portfolio.

Primarily a dance and theatre educator and former professional dancer, Alana holds an undergraduate degree in Cultural Studies for the Fine Arts and a Masters degree in Dance Ethnology from York University.
Alana worked in the development and marketing/events sectors for many years with the Menaka Thakkar Dance Company, The McMichael Canadian Art Collection and Pickering College.
She also served on the boards of the Newmarket Chamber of Commerce, The Newmarket Young Professionals group and was liaison for the Smart Commute program with Metrolinx.

Opera Atelier Executive Director Alexandra Skoczylas is a strategic arts sector leader with general management experience grounded in two decades building audience-focused marketing, communications, and audience development programs. Alexandra has a BA in Art History from the U of T, and graduated from the Income Managers’ Program (Orchestras Canada/Genovese Vanderhoof). Alexandra has experience gained at the McIntosh Gallery at Western University, the Vancouver Playhouse, the Arts Club Theatre, and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra. Alexandra is a passionate supporter of Canadian arts and culture.

Christopher Stowell trained at Pacific Northwest Ballet School and the School of American Ballet. He was a principal dancer with San Francisco Ballet for 16 years where he performed leading roles in classical and contemporary ballets. Mr. Stowell appeared in almost every Balanchine ballet performed by San Francisco Ballet. Mr. Stowell has taught, coached and choreographed in the US, Europe and Asia. From 2003 – 2012 he was Oregon Ballet Theatre’s second Artistic Director, the Assistant to the Artistic Director at San Francisco Ballet for the 2014/15 season and in 2017 Mr. Stowell joined The National Ballet of Canada as Associate Artistic Director.

As President of Arts Consulting Group for more than 20 years, Dr. Bruce D. Thibodeau has worked with hundreds of clients throughout North America to grow institutional sustainability, advance the arts and culture sector, and enhance communities. His areas of expertise include achieving effective leadership transitions in executive search and interim management, increasing revenues, developing dynamic institutional brands and messages, crafting strategic plans and business models, planning cultural facilities and programs, and revitalizing board governance practices. In addition to frequently presenting at industry conferences, his extensive research on how stakeholders influence and are influenced by nonprofit arts and culture organizations has appeared in numerous publications. Dr. Thibodeau holds a doctorate of business administration from the Grenoble Ecole de Management, master of business administration from the F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business at Babson College, and bachelor of music from The Hartt School at the University of Hartford.

Clyde Wagner, an internationally accomplished producer, is the President and CEO of Civic Theatres Toronto. His experience includes: Senior Producer, Park Avenue Armory; Executive Producer Luminato, up to and including its 10th anniversary; Partner in the Visual Art production company PVW, which produces Art for Public Spaces; Founder for Sweet Caesar Inc., a cutting-edge start-up software company created to build interactive platforms for mobile devices; Associate creative director for eLUXURY.com, the largest luxury website on the web, owned by LVMH (Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton). Clyde has an MBA from the Rotman School of Management, and his BA from Queen’s University.