- About The Festival
- Board of Directors
- Leaders Council
- Annual Report and Business Plan
- Press Coverage
- Employment Opportunities
Board of Directors
Peter Dickinson President..more info
Peter Dickinson is Professor of English at Simon Fraser University, where he teaches courses in modern drama, performance, and film. His most recent book is World Stages, Local Audiences: Essays on Performance, Place, and Politics (Manchester University Press, 2010). He blogs at performanceplacepolitics.blogspot.com, and his own works for the stage include: The Objecthood of Chairs (SFU Woodward’s, 2010), Counting to Infinity (Solo Flights, Vancouver, 2012), and Positive I.D. (InspiraTO Festival, Toronto, 2012).
performanceplacepolitics.blogspot.ca
Michael Stevenson Vice-President Internal Communications..more info
Michael Stevenson is President Emeritus of Simon Fraser University. His academic career was an improbable plan C following an undergraduate preoccupation with the dramatic society and student government, twin passions stifled under South Africa's Apartheid regime. He is delighted after a lengthy detour in scholarship and university leadership to devote much of his energy to the support of the arts. He is particularly thrilled to be engaged again with politically acute theatre of the kind that makes PuSh festivals so exciting.
Rodger So Treasurer..more info
Born and raised in Vancouver, Rodger had all of the attributes for a career in the performing arts except for talent and a tolerable singing voice. Given these stumbling blocks, he now spends his days crunching numbers and analyzing spreadsheets. A Chartered Accountant, Rodger is currently Senior Manager at the Finance Department at HSBC Bank Canada, and was previously at an international public accounting firm for a number of years. Originally trained as an economist, he holds a Bachelor of Arts from UBC and a Master of Arts from UVic.
Jessie Johnston Secretary..more info
A Vancouver native, Jessie took a decade-long detour around the world before returning in 2008. This Bryn Mawr College graduate then continued her publishing career, begun at National Geographic Traveler magazine. After working as website editor for a Cultural Olympiad project, Jessie completed SFU’s Master of Publishing degree. Now with Clevers Media, she sells ads for independent Canadian magazines like Geist and Musicworks. Raised in Vancouver’s theatre community, Jessie rebelled by seeking non-theatre creative outlets: she sings in the City Soul Choir, takes hip hop at Harbour Dance, and plays her rickety piano. When not mucky in her garden or rapt at a local show, Jessie spends down time exploring the globe and visiting her many homes away from home.
Jennifer Clement ..more info
Jennifer Clement is a professional actor based in Vancouver. She is an instructor at Vancouver Film School, and has performed lead roles (one of which lead to a Jessie Award) in theatres around Vancouver and across the country including the National Arts Centre, The Citadel Theatre, The Belfry, The Vancouver Playhouse, Arts Club, The Cultch, and many more. Jennifer also works frequently in film and television (The X Files, The Dead Zone, etc) in addition to volunteering for numerous non-profit societies. She is a huge fan of PuSh and was privileged to have her 5 year old son and 77 year old father in the 2011 PuSh Festival production of 100% Vancouver.
Chris Dobrzanski ..more info
An early adopter of the PuSh Festival, Chris had his hair cut by Bridgeview elementary students during the 2008 Festival. Chris joined the PuSh board on the heels of Stewart Shum, past PuSh treasurer and his colleague at Vancity (where Chris is in charge of Vancity's bank - owned by the 99%). Living in Vancouver longer than anywhere else, he has lived through social and cultural turmoil in Buenos Aires, Mexico City and Montreal, believing that creative arts help build creative communities. With a family very active in the arts, Chris is still seen at the UBC darkroom where he obtained MA & MBA degrees 35 years ago.
Marie-Claire Dy ..more info
Marie-Claire Dy is a tax lawyer with Fraser Milner Casgrain LLP. She graduated from the faculty of Arts at McGill University and the faculty of Law at UBC. After law school, Marie-Claire worked as a corporate/commercial lawyer but then realized tax law was for her. She has legal experience working with various societies and non-profit organizations. Marie-Claire has always had a passion for the arts and grew up dancing ballet and playing piano.
Kent Gallie ..more info
Kent has over 25 years of experience working for arts and cultural organizations and currently holds the position of Performing Arts Manager for the City of Surrey. He has worked for the Vancouver East Cultural Centre, served a one-year term as the Interim Managing Director for the 2011 PuSh International Performing Arts Festival and prior to that was Outreach Manager for MusicFest Vancouver. Kent was the Production Manager for the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra for 11 seasons, which included coordinating the annual Symphony Under the Sky Festival. He also served as community festival liaison on the Edmonton Arts Council for 4 years, chairing peer juries administering municipal grants to Edmonton festival organizations.
Margo Harper ..more info
Margo Harper’s distinguished career spans over 25 years in broadcasting, mainly in BC. During her tenure at CTV BC, Harper fostered vibrant and mutually beneficial partnerships with the Jazz and PuSh festivals. A graduate of the Carleton University School of Journalism, she began her career at the Vancouver Sun as a print reporter and has since held positions as a reporter, editor, senior producer and news director at: BCTV (now Global), CBC, VTV News at 6 (now CTV News at 6), CTV National News in Toronto and CTV BC. Harper was the recipient of the prestigious Canadian Journalism Foundation fellowship, the Jack Webster Foundation journalism fellowship and has been nominated twice for a Gemini award.
Michael Heeney ..more info
Michael Heeney, is an Architect and Principal at Bing Thom Architects (BTA) where he has practiced for over two decades. He has played a leadership role on many of BTA’s projects including the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts (UBC), Central City/SFU Surrey, Arena Stage (Washington, DC), Tarrant County College (Fort Worth, Texas) and the new Surrey City Centre Library. One of Michael’s earliest passions was the theatre and he draws a connection between producing great theatre and creating great architecture. The need to understand human nature and the energy and intensity required to see a project through are similar in both disciplines and, as Michael says, “In many ways, architecture is a stage set for life.”
Chris Kantowicz ..more info
Chris’ career has consisted of leadership roles in the both the arts and sustainability fields; always balancing business concerns with artistic, social and environmental ones. Currently Chris is the Director of Strategy at ISIS, a research centre focused on sustainability and social innovation at the Sauder School of Business at UBC. In his performing arts past, he has been lucky enough to work with talented artists in the US, Germany and Canada with a highlight being his seven years leading Blue Man Group - Chicago. A MBA from UBC’s Sauder School of Business rounds out his work experience. Chris is excited to play a role in bringing diverse, high quality performing arts to his favourite corner of the world.
Ronald Lauenstein ..more info
Ronald is passionate about Vancouver’s live performance and visual arts scene and keenly interested in PuSh Festival’s innovative and thought provoking programming. Throughout his university years at McGill University from 1987 to 1991, in addition to immersing himself in Montreal’s cultural and artistic vibrancy, Ronald was involved in a range of on-campus collaborative, community focused and team-building endeavours. Here in Vancouver, Ronald chaired a successful work-place United Way charitable donation drive, juried visual arts exhibits and serves on his condominium’s strata council. Over Ronald’s 20 plus years living in Vancouver he has participated continuously as an arts subscriber, attendee, donor and volunteer.
Leslie Nolin ..more info
Leslie is the CEO of The Organizational Culture Group Ltd., a boutique west coast training and development firm. She is also the Managing Director of FairWinds Press Publishers. For the past 15 years Leslie has harvested the expertise and talents of North American thinkers and moved them to a platform of global influence. Educated thoroughly in piano and dance as a youth, Leslie furthered her education in Healthcare Management and Business Marketing prior to starting her companies. As a mother of a 21 and 17 year old she has ensured that her love for the arts and culture was shared with her two children.
Gayle Pastrick ..more info
For over 30 years, Gayle has been in design and advertising in Los Angeles and was Saatchi & Saatchi’s first female ACD on the Toyota account. She’s developed creative campaigns for many global brands through ad agencies and her own production company. Before moving to Canada, as Creative Director for Catapult Marketing, she successfully rebranded Pedigree Dog Food and all other Mars Pet Brands. Gayle spent the majority of her life in Los Angeles and called that home until moving to Vancouver’s West End 4 years ago. In Vancouver, Gayle has been an active member on the board of the West End Community Centre Association. And, as an avid skier, skater and outdoor enthusiast, enjoys all BC has to offer.
Laine Slater ..more info
Currently Marketing Director for the Vancouver International Film Festival and Vancity Theatre, Lainé has worked as an arts marketer for over 16 years. A graduate of the University of Toronto's Arts Administration program, Lainé has been involved in the marketing and publicity for numerous arts organizations, festivals and broadcast media including: The Vancouver East Cultural Centre, The Vancouver Chamber Choir, MusicFest Vancouver, The Vancouver International Children's Festival, CBC Radio and Television, PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, Six Stages Festival in Toronto, Prague and Glasgow, Live Nation (Commodore Ballroom's Anniversary and Tom Waits concert) and Robert Lepage at the Vancouver Playhouse.
Vera Tatko ..more info
Vera Tatko is a supply chain management professional with a focus on contracts management and commercial projects for the energy and transportation industries. Vera holds an MBA from UBC and a BSc from ASU. With Canada being her sixth home country, Vera brings with her a passion for cross-cultural values and languages, including former studies in ancient Greek, Latin and Spanish, as well as fluency in English, Russian, Dutch and French. Originally from Moscow, Vera comes from a family of award-winning artists and writers, recognized for sustaining Russian cultural development during Soviet regime. In her spare time, Vera volunteers in an Eastern Orthodox choir and enjoys a variety of outdoor sports with her husband and best friend, Dennis.
Betty Verkuil ..more info
Betty Verkuil has specialized in marketing communication and corporate sponsorship for some 35 years. In her early career she worked for Labatt Breweries in Toronto, managing a broad spectrum of sports and arts sponsorships. In 1991 she had the good sense to move to Vancouver. Her past and present clients here include the Vancouver International Wine Festival; Vancouver International Film Festival; Honda Canada Inc.; The Vancouver Sun and The Province newspapers; World Cup Downhill races at Whistler; artist Joe Plaskett; and Whistler Film Festival.
Christianne Wilhelmson ..more info
Christianne Wilhelmson is currently the Executive Director of Georgia Strait Alliance, a regional marine conservation organization. She leads their fundraising, government and media relations efforts as well as their campaigns on the protection of species at risk and improving sewage treatment. A strong supporter of the performing arts, Christianne grew up in Ontario amidst seasons at the Shaw Festival and Stratford and trips to Toronto to enjoy the National Ballet of Canada and many other performances. In 1995 she moved to BC to pursue a MSc in ecology at UBC. In addition to being an aunt and godmother, she loves cycling, yoga, cooking, kayaking, gardening and sailing with her husband.