As a very busy spring rapidly comes to a close, and the summer approaches, I wanted to take the time to give my sincere thanks to the outgoing Board of Theatre Ontario, and to welcome the new Board that was elected at our Annual General Meeting on May 26th.
It is with sincere gratitude that I thank our outgoing Board for their energy and commitment to Theatre Ontario. Theatre Ontario’s strength comes from the passion and engagement of its members, and the support that our dedicated and enthusiastic Board of Directors gives to our staff.
I would like to thank Julianne Snepsts who has so willingly given of her leadership and insights to the Board for over eight years – three years of which as our President, and I am so delighted that she will continue to be active on the Board for another year as our Past President. Julianne has managed to juggle a young family and a busy career, and I know that the Festival Players of Prince Edward County in Picton are benefitting from her creativity and professionalism as she immerses herself in the role of General Manager.
Other busy Board members who have shared their wisdom and expertise with our Board are: Chris Scholey, our incredibly hard working former Treasurer who went above and beyond; Andy Trasuk, who commuted from Cornwall to attend all our meetings; Brian Van Norman, whose wisdom we missed when he retired and embarked on a world cruise; Debra McLauchlan, whose commitment to Theatre Ontario continues as she serves on the Jury for the Youth Theatre Training Program; Emma MacKenzie-Hillier, who gave unstintingly of her time even with her very hectic professional schedule; Mike Grit, whose insightful analysis was always astute; and Angela Rebeiro who brought a wealth of theatrical and publishing knowledge.
I am delighted to welcome our 2012/13 Board of Directors who are already busy working on a number of projects over the summer months: new members Elley-Ray Hennessy, an award-winning actress, writer, director and producer; and Renna Reddie, Artistic Producer of the Carlos Bulosan Theatre; and returning members Ken Stephen, former Michael Spence Award recipient for sustained contribution to community theatre; Tabitha Keast, an active actor and copy editor; Deb Sholdice, General Manager of Blyth Theatre; Dr. Barry Freeman, Assistant Professor in Theatre and Performance Studies at the University of Toronto—Scarborough Campus; Helen Landry, representing the QUONTA drama region in the north; Brenda Barr-Worsnop, representing the Eastern Ontario Drama League; John Goddard, retired arts administrator and passionate theatre aficionado; Mark Mooney, representing the Western Ontario Drama League; Julianne Snepsts General Manager of the Festival Players in Picton; and last, but not least, Cam Lund, our new President!
Cam brings a wonderfully collaborative approach to the role of Board President with over twenty years senior management experience in banking and telecommunications and a complimentary experience in community theatre as an actor, group president, and President of the Association of Community Theatres of Central Ontario (ACT-CO). Cam has a wealth of experience in creating innovative collaborative partnerships, and I know he is looking forward to helping Theatre Ontario grow and develop as we implement our strategic plan with the able assistance of our new Board.
A big thank you once again to our past and current Board of Directors! Thank you – we couldn’t do it without you!
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