Teri Souter, Bio: Teri is the Manager of Arts, Culture & Heritage for the Town of Huntsville, in Muskoka, Ontario. Teri’s work portfolio includes Cultural Strategic Development and Delivery for Huntsville and Area; Public Art Exhibits; Sports Memorabilia, Public Art and Heritage Art Collection, Display and Collection Management; and Municipal Heritage Committee Staff Liaison. Teri also supervises the operations of Muskoka Heritage Place – Museum, Pioneer Village and Steam Train, and the Algonquin Theatre, both municipally-owned and operated by the Town of Huntsville. Teri’s work history includes graphic design & page layout at the community newspaper and general management of the Business Improvement Area. Teri has volunteered on the boards and executives of Muskoka Tourism and the Huntsville and Lake of Bays Chamber of Commerce. Teri was a member of the Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant Review Team by appointment of the Ontario Public Secretariat.
Micheal Tunney and John Ariyo, Mississauga, ON
Using Cultural Research Framework as a key strategic tool for local cultural planning
Michael Tunney, Bio: Michael Tunney is the Cultural Research Coordinator at the City of Mississauga. Since joining the Culture Division in 2011, he has been involved in the implementation and ongoing development of Mississauga’s cultural resource map and various strategic planning, research, data collection and public engagement initiatives. Michael holds a B.E.S. in Geography from the University of Waterloo and a post-graduate certificate in Museum Management from Fleming College. His passion for urban planning, tourism and the arts has resulted in previous professional experience in the municipal planning, museum and commercial art sectors.
John Ariyo, Bio: John Ariyo is the supervisor for cultural research and projects at the City of Mississauga. He was part of the City’s separate project teams that completed the 40-year Strategic Plan and the 5-year Culture Master Plan. He oversees the cultural research program at the Culture Division which includes data collection, cultural asset mapping, performance metrics reporting, strategic planning and project management practices. He enjoys community development initiatives and mentoring newcomers to Mississauga at various opportunities that foster integration and skill development. John is a Project Management Professional (PMP) and holds a Master’s degree in Development Studies.
Jeff Evenson, Canadian Urban Institute, Toronto, ON
Culture-led growth plan in Humboldt, SK
Jeff Evenson, Bio: For 13 years, Jeff Evenson has been advancing CUI’s cultural planning and public engagement practice. This work represents a number of major city building initiatives for clients including: Canada Lands Company, City of Kingston, City of London and City of Humboldt.
He is helping to evolve the Institutes integrated water and energy mapping practice; work that supports CUI’s mission of building wisdom and inspiring leadership for healthy urban development.
Jeff co-authored Canada’s Urban Waterfront, Waterfront Culture and Infrastructure Plan and Cultural Resource Mapping: A Guide for Municipalities (MCP Inc.). He was chief of staff to two Toronto mayors and has also been political advisor to senior politicians at both the provincial and municipal levels of government. Jeff is active on a number of committees and volunteers his time on the board of Friends of Fort York –a national historic site in downtown Toronto.
Transforming Economies
Deborah Dee and Robyn Spencer, Powell River, BC
Taking on Change: Culture of a City, Culture in a City
Deborah Dee, Bio: Deborah Dee is a City Councillor in Powell River, B.C. currently serving her second term. One of her portfolio responsibilities is Arts and Culture. Deborah holds a Bachelors degree in Music Therapy from Capilano University in BC and is the Executive Director of the Powell River Brain Injury Society. She is currently collaborating with the Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Development, as Phase One and Two of the Arts and Culture project reports have been added to the agenda of that committee. Deborah plans to run in the fall 2014 civic election and will continue to champion Arts and Culture in Powell River.
Robyn Spencer, Bio: Robyn Spencer is a Registered Professional Planner and community economic development practitioner with experience in urban and rural communities throughout Canada and internationally. Her applied work includes tourism and economic development, governance, infrastructure planning, active transportation, sustainability and social enterprise development. Robyn has been working with the City of Powell River since 2012 to understand how the budding local creative economy can contribute to revitalization and resiliency. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Development Studies from McGill University and is currently completing a Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) in Community Economic Development at Cape Breton University.
Greg Baeker, Toronto, ON
Tools for Urban Transformation: Cultural Mapping in Detroit, MI
Greg Baeker, Bio: Greg Baeker is Director of Cultural Development for Millier Dickinson Blais. Greg is a nationally recognized leader in cultural development who brings more than 35 years of experience working in the senior leadership positions in the cultural sector in Canada.
In 2005, Greg founded AuthentiCity. AuthentiCity has completed cultural planning and development projects in communities of all sizes and circumstances nationally and internationally. In 2011, AuthentiCity merged with Millier Dickinson Blais to form a new Cultural Development Division.
Greg speaks frequently at professional conferences and workshops and publishes regularly for journals such as Municipal World, the journal of Canadian municipalities. In 2010 Municipal World published Rediscovering the Wealth of Places: A Municipal Cultural Planning Handbook for Canadian Communities that received widespread acclaim.
Greg has a Masters in Museum Studies from the University of Toronto and a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of Waterloo.
Lucille Bish, Region of Waterloo, ON
Creative Enterprise Initiative: Supporting the Creative Sector
Lucille Bish, Bio: Lucille Bish is the Director of Community Services for the Regional Municipality of Waterloo. Waterloo Region (pop. 562,000) encompasses the cities of Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo as well as four rural townships, and is home to many well-known academic, high tech, manufacturing and insurance organizations including University of Waterloo, Blackberry, Toyota, and Manulife.
Lucille’s responsibilities include the Regional Library System, population forecasting, heritage conservation, cultural planning, public art for Regional properties, and the three museums owned by the Region. Over the past 5 years, the Region has constructed the Waterloo Region Museum which now attracts over 80,000 visitors, installed its 12th public art project, approved and implemented policies to conserve significant cultural heritage landscapes, and increased funding to arts and culture organizations by over $560,000. Lucille participated in the many meetings and consultations that culminated in the creation of the Creative Enterprise Initiative (CEI) and continues to be involved with the change this organization is supporting in our cultural sector.
Victoria Angel, E.R.A. Architects and Sonia Mrva, City of Hamilton, ON
In with the Old: Repositioning Heritage for Urban Growth and Regeration
Victoria Angel, Bio: Victoria Angel is the Senior Heritage Planner at ERA Architects, where she works on the development of heritage conservation strategies and management plans for historic places and urban areas. Prior to joining ERA Architects, Victoria worked for Parks Canada, where she managed the development of the Canadian Register of Historic Places and subsequently served as the Manager of the Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office. Victoria has a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Art History and a Master of Arts in Heritage Conservation, both from Carleton University. She has taught heritage conservation at the University of Victoria and at Carleton University, where she is an Adjunct Professor. She is also a Faculty Associate at the Willowbank School of Restoration Arts in Queenston, Ontario.
Sonia Mrva, Bio: Sonia Mrva is the Curator, Heritage Policy and Projects at the City of Hamilton where she project manages cultural and heritage resources. Most recently she was project manager of the Downtown Built Heritage Inventory Project, a cross departmental initiative between the Heritage Resource Management section and Cultural Heritage Planning. Prior to her current role with the City of Hamilton, Sonia was Curator of Whitehern Historic House & Garden, National Historic Site, and Curatorial Assistant at Dundurn National Historic Site. She has a Bachelor of Arts, History and post graduate work in Museum Studies and Cultural Management.
Transforming Place
Sans facon, Heather Aitken and Paul Fesko, Calgary, AB
Integrating Connectivity: The Public Art Opportunity Watershed+
Sans facon, Bio: Artist and architect duo Sans façon, Tristan Surtees and Charles Blanc, explore the relationship between people and places through their art projects. They work internationally on projects ranging from ephemeral performances and permanent pieces in public spaces, to developing and implementing strategies involving artists in the rethinking and re-qualification of specific places.
The majority of their work renews awareness and tempts interaction with the surroundings and is developed in close collaboration with communities, organisations and individuals including City councils, theatre companies, architects and composers.
They like to see the role of the artist and of art as a catalyst in a process of raising questions and inviting one to look and think differently. They aim to create work that can be valued, not solely as product but for what it reveals, what it allows to be seen, enjoyed and thought about.
Paul Fesko, Bio: Paul Fesko, P.Eng is the Manager of Customer Service for the Utilities and Environmental Protection Department at The City of Calgary. Paul is a professional engineer with 38 years experience, 28 of them with The City of Calgary. He has a held a number of positions within The City's water utilities. Paul has a BASC in Civil Engineering from The University of Windsor and an MBA from the University of Calgary.
Eileen Gillette, Nanaimo, BC
Unlocking Creativity in Libraries: Creativity Placemaking, partnerships and communities
Eileen Gillette, Bio: With both an academic and practitioner background, Eileen Gillette MLIS has a wide range of experience in community cultural development, cultural planning, cultural policy and cultural sustainability. She worked as an assistant researcher at the Creative City Network of Canada focusing on cultural planning, creative cities and the importance of cultural spaces in communities and cities in Canada (2003-2006). In 2006, she was part of three-year national research project funded by Infrastructure Canada examining Cultural Infrastructure Development in Canada (2006-2009). She is currently a Divisional Manager of Public Services at Vancouver Island Regional Library and focusing on community partnerships and the development of innovative programs on Vancouver Island.
Jude Ortiz and Dr. Gayle Broad, Sault Ste. Marie, ON
Animating Place: A Community-Municipal Partnership
Jude Ortiz, Bio: At NORDIK Institute, a research institute affiliated with Algoma University, Jude has been able to combine her goldmsithing and fine arts teaching background with community development. Her work focuses on building healthy, resilient communities through culture, education and community development interfaces, fostering multi sectorial collaborations and new innovative partnerships. Jude’s work has increased understanding of the links between culture and the economy and contributed to the development of critical networks supportive of leveraging local strengths in creating localized economies. Jude is a PhD candidate at the University of the West of England (Bristol).
Dr. Gayle Broad, Bio: Dr. Gayle Broad is an Associate Professor of Community Economic and Social Development, and Research Director of NORDIK, a research institute affiliated with Algoma University. A lifelong resident of Northern Ontario, Gayle has spent over 20 years bringing together diverse groups of stakeholders, frequently multi sector and/or cross cultural to share, generate and mobilize knowledge in addressing a range of pressing community issues at the local, regional, national and/or international level. Her work has fostered new relationships within non-profit, private and institutional organizations within Indigenous and Non-Indigenous communities.
Gayle has facilitated numerous strategic planning, community engagement, conflict resolution and community development workshops and has worked with rural peoples in Colombia to establish a community-based university program. Gayle’s research focuses on the social economy including youth social entrepreneurship. She is an advocate for low-income people, women’s health and well-being, and for public policy more responsive to the needs of Northerners.
Alejandro Romero, Saskatoon, SK; Joe Sellors and Jenn Goodwin, Toronto, ON
The transformational opportunity of durational public art
Alejandro Romero, Bio: Alejandro is an independent visual and interdisciplinary artist, curator and consultant in Arts and Culture. His leadership as an arts administrator include the renovation of an old theatre, public performances, lectures and public speaking. Currently, he is the Arts and Culture Consultant for the City of Saskatoon.
Alejandro was Artist in Resident for the Cultural Capitals Project 2006 – 2007, and later at King George Community School in 2007- 2008.
As a guest artist for the Live Arts program in 2009-2011 he had the opportunity to connect with youth through internet workshops. His work interconnects photography, poetry and painting with the concepts of identity, post-colonialism, prophecy, construction and perceptions of reality.
Joe Sellors, Bio: Joe D. Sellors, a trained stage performer (actor, singer, and dancer) later shifted his attention to behind to the scenes, getting a BFA/BAA degree from Ryerson Polytechnic University in Technical Production. Joe began his career at Paramount Canada's Wonderland where he worked his way up to Assistant Manager in the Technical & Events Services Department producing events such as Eruption, Electric Circus, and multiple large scale ethnic festivals. After developing a solid foundation of uniquely-based technical and production management skills, Joe joined Westbury National Show Systems as a Project Manager of Installations, where he learned to apply his technical and people based expertise on permanent solutions for the corporate and entertainment world installing systems at venues such as BMO Field and Chicago's Sears Center. In his spare time, Joe has always maintained an interest and firm foothold within the pyrotechnic and fireworks industry. He is government certified to lead and shoot large scale fireworks competitions such as Symphony of Fire. In 2007, Joe joined the City of Toronto as a Production Supervisor for Toronto Special Events, finally able to apply all of his creative and technical knowhow working with artists, bureaucrats, and other stakeholders to produce Toronto's all night contemporary art event, Nuit Blanche. Notable works include Forever Bicycles by Ai Weiwei, Later That Night At The Drive-In, Daniel Lanois, and Stereoscope by Project Blinkenlights. Joe recently founded Translate Installations Inc., a company specializing in working with artists to bring their artistic ideas to fruition. He currently resides in Mimico with his wife Laura, and four children Chase (8), Cole (6), Holly (4), and Tate (2).
Jenn Goodwin, Bio: Jenn has worked as Programming Supervisor at The City of Toronto in Special Events for ten years. She has worked on Scotiabank Nuit Blanche since its inception in 2006. She has had the pleasure of working closely with hundreds of artists, creators, curators, sponsors and stakeholders over the years.
Prior to working at the City of Toronto she programmed art and events at Harbourfront Centre, The Drake Hotel, as well as working at The Sony Centre, The Theatre Centre, Dusk Dances, and The Dance Current Magazine.
She is also a practicing dance artist and her work has been performed all over Canada, NYC, Europe and Australia. Her short dance films have been screened at festivals across Canada, NYC and Europe. She lives in Toronto with her husband Neville and her two sons Peter and Sam.
Lilie Zendel, StreetARToronto, Toronto, ON
Street as Canvas: How StART is painting a different picture on neighbourhoods one wall at a time
Lilie Zendel, Bio: Lilie Zendel has spent over 30 years translating vision into action in the arts, culture and entertainment sector. Prior to joining the Public Realm Section to launch StreetARToronto (StART), Lilie served as Senior Cultural Affairs Officer at the City of Toronto where she focussed on innovative strategies for cultural civic planning. For more than a decade, Lilie lived in New York City where she lead the Cultural Affairs section at the Canadian Consulate General. Lilie has been a tireless advocate for countless artists, festivals and organizations and has earned recognition for being the driving force behind many major arts initiatives, trade missions and cultural exchanges. With a background in theatre performance, Lilie began her career at Toronto's Harbourfront Centre where by producing over 150 events of the highest artistic standard including the International Children's Festival and the World Stage, helped grow Harbourfront into one of the country's most celebrated performing arts venues.