Board of Directors
The Foster Festival is honoured to be supported by highly engaged Board of Directors
Chair | David Hulley
David is the Director of Customer Experience at Vineland Estates Winery. As he was a key member in the Vineland Estates Winery evolution and expansion team of late 1990s, David was very honored to be invited back to play an elemental role in the new renaissance at the Winery and to continue his work there. David is a post graduate of the University of California, Davis in Fermentation Science and has been in the Ontario Wine Industry for over 20 years as a winemaker. David also has a love for the arts and is honored to be the Chair of this vibrant and important organization here in St. Catharines and Niagara.
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.
Treasurer | Jenifer Cass
Jenifer is a huge supporter of local Arts and Entertainment. For a decade she created and published the entertainment Tabloid Pulse Niagara which was available for FREE to the Niagara Peninsula for over 25 years. In 2015 Jenifer partnered with longtime friend Dave DeRocco and created an online version for Niagaran’s seeking music, theatre and art called Gobe Weekly. (www.gobeweekly.com) She has volunteered previously for the Niagara Artists Showcase and for 17 years ran a group called Santa’s Special Seniors where gifts were purchased during the Christmas season for orphaned and abandoned seniors in a long term care home. Jen’s career in manufacturing spanned 20 years where she served as a Category Analyst and Product Marketing Manager for such popular brands as Corningware, Corelle, George Foreman and Fieldcrest. A self professed Theatre geek, Jen can be found supporting all local theatres when she gets a chance.
Director | Rhiannon Barry
Rhiannon is a social worker, providing community support through her employment as a BGCN coordinator and independently in the community. Through volunteering roles such as with Pathstones Mental Health and many arts and culture festivals and committees, she has developed many connections and skills that she contributes to the Festival. Her independent work includes pursuing certification in creative arts therapies and psychology counseling. She is a professional self-taught visual artist and arts-based therapeutic program developer. Her studio space will open this September at the brand-new Niagara Falls ‘Exchange Arts Hub. With her love of theatre, she is interested in supporting The Foster Festival to create opportunities for new Canadian playwrights and to support talented Canadian performing artists. She is most interested in the Local Hero’s programs, which offer the theatre experience to clients of charitable community groups who may otherwise not have the opportunity to attend the magical experience of live theatre.
Director | Josie Faccini
Director | Carol Oriold
A retired high school drama teacher, Carol has been an active supporter of the Arts for eons. Previous Arts boards upon which she has served are The Perth Foundation (for Enriching Education), eyeGo to the Arts, and the Blyth Festival Theatre, a developer and producer of all Canadian plays. She is once again ready to hit the floor running by joining the Foster Festival board. From the onset of the Festival, she and husband, George, have been ardent fans and loyal supporters. They live in Niagara-on-the-Lake and are thrilled to have their whole little family living in the Niagara Region.
Carol wants to enable everyone to come and enjoy humour with heart.