Board of Directors - 2021

The Foster Festival is honoured to be supported by highly engaged Board of Directors – and we thank each of them for their commitment to bringing humour to the heart of Niagara!

OFFICERS

Chair | Deborah Slade

Deborah is the former director of the Brock University Centre for the Arts. Deborah joined the Centre for the Arts in 1984 and became its director in 1987, transforming it into an internationally respected cultural institution. Over the years, Deborah programmed more than 1,400 shows for an estimated one million patrons.

Vice-Chair | Tom Arkell

Before retiring, Tom Arkell was a senior administrator at Brock University. He has been responsible for community and ancillary services in the past and has held leadership positions with the St. Catharines Chamber of Commerce, the Niagara Symphony and Theatre Beyond Words. He was also responsible for operations at the Rodman Hall Art Centre, and continues to be a representative on the board of the 2022 Canada Summer Games Host Society.

Past-Chair | Glen McCann

Glen is a retired Lawyer and Partner at Sullivan Mahoney LLP. Glen’s practice specialties were corporate and commercial law and taxation. Currently, Glen and his wife Cathy run Cellar Door Wine Experience. Additionally, Glen is a frequent actor in local stage productions.

Treasurer | Candice Turner-Smith

Candice Turner-Smith recently retired as Executive Director of the Niagara Symphony Orchestra after 10 years of service and spent 12 seasons at the Shaw Festival Theatre. In 2012 she was a part of the Cultural Capital of Canada designation awarded to celebrate the arts in each of the Niagara Region’s 12 municipalities and is honored to serve as Chair, Artistic Festivals for the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games. Candice joined The Foster Festival team thru a time of transition and to offer support during COVID 19. She is privileged to join the very committed Board to serve as Treasurer through to the AGM.

Secretary | Alison Buchanan

After a career in corporate training and human resources, Alison moved to St. Catharines and immersed herself in a variety of community activities. A long-time patron of the arts, she enjoys supporting the Foster Festival as a member of the Board.

DIRECTORS AT LARGE

Rhiannon Barry

Rhiannon has joined our Board and will be contributing on our marketing, fundraising and events committees. She brings strong creative planning and organizing skills. She has experience creating communications and marketing plans, developing fundraisers, and planning special events. With a unique focus on providing calming and mindful experiences, Rhiannon shares on-line painting tutorials and in-person classes. Currently, a full-time student studying psychology, Rhiannon is pursuing certification as an art therapist and counselor. Rhiannon has been working and volunteering in the social services industry in Niagara for 9 years. In that time, she has applied her skills and knowledge as a support worker to a variety of opportunities including providing crisis support for victims of abuse and program facilitation in rec-bases therapeutic activities for children. In addition to frontline social work, Rhiannon also continues to make contributions by applying her skills as a grant writer, creative consultation, communications and marketing developer, and in volunteer and project coordination.

Annalisa Medina

Annalisa Medina is an experienced Financial Advisor who has been in the industry for 15+ years and now uses that background as a Product Specialist at Meridian Credit Union. In her spare time from being a wife, mom, and career woman, she involves herself tremendously in her community where she sits on other Not-for-Profit Boards, Mentors New Immigrants to Canada, and Teaches Financial Literacy to the youth in the community. She is also passionate about supporting international communities, where she contributes to youth development programs. As a proud supporter and lover of the Arts Community, she is passionate about bringing theatre to the hearts of everyone! Annalisa has a positive outlook on life and enjoys helping and developing others. She has strong belief and discipline which enables her to press through anything with contagious energy and a permanent smile.

Support The Foster Festival

If you like to laugh and if you’d like to contribute to ensuring the health of our community and the Festival, there are many ways in which your support can help.