Chaired by Shirley Madill, Executive Director of the Kitchener-Waterloo Arts Gallery (KWAG),  ABO’s Board of Directors provides strategic advice as well as arts sector and industry expertise.

Executive Director, Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery 

Shirley Madill is the Executive Director of the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery.  Prior, she was Curator of Contemporary Art and Photography at the Winnipeg Art Gallery, Chief Curator and Director of Programming at the Art Gallery of Hamilton and later Vice-President and C.O.O., Director and CEO at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, and Director/Curator, Rodman Hall Art Centre, Brock University.  In 2009 she completed the Getty Institute Museum Leadership program in Los Angeles and in 2015 completed the International Leadership Programme in Visual Arts Management from Deusto University and Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain and New York University Steinhardt. In 1993 Madill spent a year’s residency in Valenciennes and Pontoise, France.

Shirley has served on the Boards of the International Council of Museums Canada; Ontario Association of Art Galleries and Canadian Art Museum Directors Organization as well as the BIA Board, City of Kitchener, and served on varous public art working committees and arts and culture committees at the City of Kitchener, St. Catharines, Victoria and Hamilton.

She received the Ontario Association of Architects Certificate of Recognition for the Advocacy for Architecture for the Future Cities exhibition project in Hamilton and was the Canadian Commissioner for the Sao Paulo Bienal 2004 featuring the work of David Rokeby.  She won the Ontario Association of Art Galleries Award in 2007 for the exhibition project Sublime Embrace: experiencing consciousness in contemporary art and OAAG 2010 Award for best Art Publication – David Hoffos:  Scenes from the House Dream. She was one of the selected curators for Scotiabank’s Nuit Blanche 2011 in Toronto.  She has written an on-line book on the work of Robert Houle for Art Canada Institute in 2018.

She has also taught courses at the University of Winnipeg, University of Manitoba,Brock University, and Museum Management and Cultural Resource Management at the University of Victoria.

Professor and Program Coordinator, Building Systems Engineering, Conestoga College

Bryn Jones, M.A.Sc., P.Eng., is a Professor of Building Systems Engineering in the School of Engineering & IT at Conestoga College, manages business development with Mapply and is an Adjunct Professor of Building System Services at the University of Waterloo. Bryn has over 15 years of engineering experience in building systems engineering and asset management within the arts and public sectors. Bryn has collaborated with ArtsBuild Ontario for the past 6+-years working through, and helping develop, the Asset Planner for the Arts program, as well as the Creative Spaces Mentoring Network program.     

Bryn works with client organizations and strategic partners to design and execute integrated asset management strategies from the ground up, as well as evolve currently in-place programs. Bryn specializes in facility condition assessments, data management, strategy development, and financial analysis to support decision-making and infrastructure capital spending for building owners and managers while balancing cost, profit, and risk.

As a College professor, Bryn teaches courses in Thermodynamics, building science, HVAC, fire protection and materials engineering to undergraduates within the Building Systems Engineering, Building Interior Design and Architectural Project and Facility Management degree programs. Bryn’s research focuses on improving building systems performance in the areas of occupant comfort and user experience, fire protection, risk-based life cycle modelling, and building analytics through laboratory testing, field monitoring, and economic simulations.

Bryn is also an elected board member of the Rotary Club of Kitchener (established in 1922). The main project of the Rotary Club of Kitchener is the KidsAbility Centre, a Children’s Treatment Centre that services children with a range of special needs.  As well, the Rotary Club of Kitchener takes part in youth development programs, grants, a car draw fundraiser, environmental protection projects, a children’s Christmas party, the Rotary African Women’s Education Fund, study exchange programs and more. 

Bryn’s overall goal is to educate building owners, managers and the next generation of buildings professionals to improve the success of capital projects.

Special Advisor, Infrastructure Ontario’s Loan Program

With over 25 years of financial and managerial experience with the Government of Ontario, Bill is a proven leader in shaping the way that infrastructure projects are financed and delivered in Ontario. He established the Ontario Strategic Infrastructure Financing Authority (OSIFA) – an innovative, affordable and efficient public infrastructure loan program and the first of its kind in Canada. Prior to OSIFA, Bill led the development of Ontario’s Infrastructure Planning, Finance and Procurement Framework as well as a number of high-profile projects for the Ministry of Finance.

Bill has an Honours BA in Economics from Queen’s University and an MBA from York University.

Executive Director, Ontario Associations of Art Galleries (OAAG)

Zainub Verjee, currently the Executive Director of Ontario Association of Art Galleries, Toronto, is an accomplished leader in the art and culture sector and over four decades has shaped culture policy at all levels of governments and contributed to building of cultural institutions and organizations in Canada and internationally.

Newly politicized at Simon Fraser University in the mid-70s, fully engaged with Feminist Labour history as well as Artists-run-centres, the setback of the Applebaum-Hébert Cultural Review Committee Report (1982) and second wave of feminism was seized upon by Zainub to put the agenda of women and race on the table. The following two decades saw major cultural policy work in Canada, and it is appropriate to mention Zainub’s central role in making the case of racial equity right at the centre of this development. She further connected these issues with trade through her work with the International Network for Cultural Diversity included promulgating the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity, adopted in 2005. Going beyond her call of duty, she selflessly enabled forming alliances, articulating new aesthetics and embedding issue of racial equity firmly into the evolving discourse. She defies an easy classification: a community organizer; artist and critic; prolific writer and speaker; institution builder; reformer and change agent; educator and mentor; and, public policy and legislation developer.

A trailblazer, she was directly instrumental in the founding of these cultural institutions (In Visible Colours; B.C.Arts Council; Vancouver Asian Heritage Month; Racial Equity Office in Canada Council for the Arts) and developed policy initiatives, advanced vital interests of artists, and created spaces and access for artists across different disciplines in Canada.

Zainub has served as a public servant over decades of an effective role on all sides of the table. At City of Mississauga, her work as the inaugural Director led to setting up of its Culture Division and the first Culture Master Plan. A decade prior to this, she was engaged by Gordon Campbell, Canadian diplomat and the 35th Mayor of Vancouver on his landmark Vancouver Arts Initiative as part of Cultural Planning for Vancouver.

As Senior Policy Advisor, Department of Canadian Heritage and Program Officer at the Canada Council for the Arts, she served on cross-sectoral portfolios. Almost for a decade, she was the Executive Director of Western Front. Prior to that she Co-Directed/Founded InVisible Colours, a widely and critically recognized and impactful International film and video festival of its kind in Vancouver and in Canada.

Zainub is an accomplished writer, critic, curator, contemporary artist and public intellectual. At the forefront of the two decades of cultural politics of the 1980s and 1990s in Canada, Zainub was the co-founder and Festival director of the critically acclaimed In Visible Colours: An International Film/Video Festival & Symposium for Third World Women and Women of Colour (1988-90). She was co-guest editor of The Capilano Review and has published in numerous academic, cultural and critical fora including, Leonardo Journal (MIT), Kinesis, Parallelogram, Fuse, Horizon, Canadian Art Magazine, Journal of Art and the Public Sphere etc. She is invited to speak nationally and internationally, on cultural policy, contemporary art and cultural diplomacy.

Fueled by passion, vision, and a staunch conviction about art as public good, she is a mentor and role model for generations. In the wake of the failure of the Meech Lake Accord, the federal government attempted to reach out to citizens by means of a public commission of inquiry. Known as Spicer Commission, she was appointed as the Official Moderator for Citizen’s Forum for Canada Future (1991). Among many appointments to Boards, she is proud of her work at the B.C. Arts Board that led to the legislation B.C.Arts Act and the formation of the institution B.C. Arts Council. Among others, currently she sits on the Advisory Board of ArtsBuild Ontario and is the Chairperson of the Canadian Filmmakers Distribution Centre. She was invited as an expert for the Opening and Closing ceremonies of Vancouver Olympics 2010.

Her art work has been shown at the Venice Biennale, Museum of Modern Art, NY, Portland Institute of Contemporary Art, Portland US, and resides in private and public collections (Vancouver Art Gallery, Canada).

Executive Director, Dancer Transition Resource Centre 

As current Executive Director of the Dancer Transition Resource Centre (DTRC),  Kristian brings many years of experience leading not-for-profit arts organizations.  He was the Executive Director of Canadian Artists Representation/le front des artistes canadiens (CARFAC Ontario) for nearly a decade, and previously was its Membership Coordinator. Most recently, he has been working with performing artists as Senior Projects Manager at Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. While there, he took a leading role in creating and developing the Not in OUR Space! anti-harassment campaign for live performance artists working under Equity contracts.  He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from McMaster University, a Master of Arts degree from the University of Leeds, and a post-graduate degree in Cultural Management from Humber College.

President, DesignABLE Environments 

Thea Kurdi has over 15 years of experience in applying her knowledge of barrier-free design and universal design to architectural projects of varying size and complexity. She has also taught courses in universal design and sustainable design to design students at the Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.

Thea has undertaken many facility accessibility audits including the development of audit protocols and checklists, as well as the preparation of audit reports. She is highly proficient with drawing and illustration software including AutoCAD, VIZ, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver and maintains her proficiency by teaching the latest version of AutoCAD to professionals at the Sheridan College’s CAD/CAM Institute. Thea is also familiar in developing educational materials and resource information on accessibility for students and the design community at large.

Thea has been learning American Sign Language (ASL) since 2003 for both personal use with her infant son and to better understand the design needs of the deaf, deafened, and hard of hearing community.

Thea is registered with Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments (GAATES) and is an affiliate member of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada. She is also the host of the award-winning Accessibility Edge radio show and a member of the RAIC’s Age Friendly Housing Task Force.

Thea has over 15 years of experience helping clients understand what accessibility means, how universal design is better design for everyone and how to achieve the Human Rights Code.

Thea has presented workshops and participated in conferences around the world educating professionals on universal design of the built environment, including at the Canadian Home Builders Association’s conference in 2010 about accessible housing, TRANSED 2012 in India, and this year at IIDEX 2016 “How Smart Green Design Choices Create Accessible Spaces” and as a panellist for the National Accessibility Summit.

ArtsBuild Ontario Strategic Plan 2022-25

This training series is designed to support arts managers in building the core skills necessary to support capital projects and ongoing operations in creative spaces. Delivered by topic experts working in the sector, each module focuses on a topic area identified as the most integral to capital projects by ABO’s network of 2,500+ arts organizations. The Creative Spaces Online Training Series was originally delivered from November 14, 2019 to January 23, 2020.

Pricing

Buy all four modules now for $100+ HST. Individual module recordings are available below.

The training series includes four modules on the following topics:

1. Strategic Planning and Partnerships
2. Financial Management and Capital Projects
3. Campaigns and Community Engagement
4. Operational Planning Before, During, and After a Capital Project

Each Module comes with:

• A Recording of The Webinar
• A PDF of the Presentation
• A Transcription of the recording
• Any extra resources the presenter(s) provided to the attendees

These modules are designed for arts managers working within creative spaces under a variety of operating models and communities. If you are interested in purchasing recordings of the modules using a credit or debit card, they can be purchased instantly below with the “Buy Now” button. If you are interested in purchasing the recordings by cheque or direct deposit, please contact Amy Poole, Program Manager, at programs@artsbuildontario.ca.

Module #1: Strategic Planning and Partnerships

Presenter: Devin Glowinski, Co-Founder, Kilogram Studios
Length: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

Participants will be introduced to concepts that support individual core competencies and their organization’s efforts in planning for capital projects at their facilities. Frameworks for partnership development in local communities will also be explored.
Topics covered during the module will be:

• Reflection: identifying your organization’s key mandate
• Program goals and priorities of your facilities and determining what elements are missing
• Foundations for strategic planning, ideas, concepts and vision for your desired end state
• Establishing community partnerships to achieve collective impact
• Determining what is feasible through early iterations and schematic design
• Evaluating potential outcomes
• Developing a core project team and consultants

Presenter: Devin Glowinski

Devin Glowinski is a Toronto-based urban planner and co-founder of Kilogram Studio, a licensed architectural practice. He maintains his professional currency through teaching interdisciplinary courses at Ryerson University to both undergraduate learners and adult learners through the Chang School of Continuing Education. He is a subject matter expert at Ryerson University and is currently redeveloping the course, Community Collaborations. This course brings together students from a range of disciplines and tackles big urban issues through fieldwork and case study development. He excels at client engagement and working directly with end-users in order to develop person-focused programs. He lectures on community collaborative initiatives, stakeholder engagement, strategic planning, and community health. In 2012 he completed a community research project at the Laboratory of Contemporary Urban Design, Tel Aviv University. He looks forward to meeting and engaging with Arts Build Ontario members and partners.

Module #2: Financial Management and Capital Projects

Presenter: Brian Arnott, Principal, Novita Interpares
Length: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

This module will introduce you to the six stages of capital project management beginning with the roles to be played by your Board throughout the process, to the critical importance of early planning and cost control to working with your professional design team and specialists. You will learn what decisions your organization will need to make as the Owner of the capital project at each stage.

Presenter Brian Arnott:

Originally trained as a theatre designer, Brian has worked in professional theatre in Canada and the US as a production manager and company manager. He worked as an assistant designer for the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company in London. He has designed costumes, scenery, and lighting for more than 40 stage productions. He was the drama critic for That’s Showbusiness for four years and Maclean’s Magazine for one year.

Brian Arnott is widely recognized as a leading expert in North America on the design of theatres and facilities for live performance and is a member of the American Society of Theatre Consultants (ASTC.) In this capacity, he has been a visiting lecturer and guest critic at many schools of architecture.

As Head of Design for Novita’s technical company, Brian has designed more than 100 theatres and live performance facilities in Canada, the US, and abroad. He is currently working on a small recital hall in Los Angeles. Brian has also curated and designed exhibitions for the National Gallery of Canada, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Canadian Museum of Civilization and he has produced documentaries for the CBC and the National Film Board.

Brian is a Founder and past National President of the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals (CAHP) and has published monographs on several aspects of Canadian industrial history. As a volunteer in the cultural sector, Brian has been a member of the Board of Directors of Comus Music Theatre, The Pleiades Theatre, Factory Theatre (Chair), and six years as Chair of the Advisory Board for the Theatre Program at Humber College. Brian is currently Chair of the Advisory Committee for the Heritage Carpentry Program of the Nova Scotia Community College.

Module #3: Campaigns and Community Engagement

Presenter: Brian Arnott, Principal, Novita Interpares
Length: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

This module will introduce you to the process of raising the money to finance your capital project. Beginning with your case for support, you will learn how to develop a fundraising plan and the requirements for leadership and management for your campaign. You will also learn about the two parts of your campaign – the quiet campaign and the public campaign and donor recognition.

Presenter Brian Arnott:

Brian Arnott is the founding partner of Novita Interpares, Canada’s oldest cultural consultancy, and he has led all the company’s cultural projects – now numbering more than 1,000 of the company’s total of 1,400 completed projects.

Originally trained as a theatre designer, Brian has worked in professional theatre in Canada and the US as a production manager and company manager. He worked as an assistant designer for the National Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company in London. He has designed costumes, scenery, and lighting for more than 40 stage productions. He was the drama critic for That’s Showbusiness for four years and Maclean’s Magazine for one year.

Brian Arnott is widely recognized as a leading expert in North America on the design of theatres and facilities for live performance and is a member of the American Society of Theatre Consultants (ASTC.) In this capacity, he has been a visiting lecturer and guest critic at many schools of architecture.

As Head of Design for Novita’s technical company, Brian has designed more than 100 theatres and live performance facilities in Canada, the US, and abroad. He is currently working on a small recital hall in Los Angeles. Brian has also curated and designed exhibitions for the National Gallery of Canada, the Royal Ontario Museum, the Canadian Museum of Civilization and he has produced documentaries for the CBC and the National Film Board.

Brian is a Founder and past National President of the Canadian Association of Heritage Professionals (CAHP) and has published monographs on several aspects of Canadian industrial history. As a volunteer in the cultural sector, Brian has been a member of the Board of Directors of Comus Music Theatre, The Pleiades Theatre, Factory Theatre (Chair), and six years as Chair of the Advisory Board for the Theatre Program at Humber College. Brian is currently Chair of the Advisory Committee for the Heritage Carpentry Program of the Nova Scotia Community College.

Module #4: Operational Planning Before, During, and After a Capital Project

Presenters: Lauren Gould, Chief Operating Officer, Gardiner Museum & Jeanne LeSage, LeSage Arts Management
Length: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

Capital projects change organizations and communities. They can test and expand the capacity of your building and the workload of every staff member. Effective operational management at each stage of the project can positively influence its outcome. Within the framework of people, process, money, space, and communication, this session will consider the big picture in order to sustain a healthy organization. Presented and led by Lauren Gould, Chief Operating Officer of the Gardiner Museum, who has managed four capital projects in the last two years and has survived to tell the tale, with Arts HR Consultant Jeanne LeSage of LeSage Arts Management.

Presenter Lauren Gould:

Lauren Gould has worked in a variety of roles within the arts and higher education sectors with a focus on promoting public engagement, implementing organizational and capital improvements, and working in collaboration with a range of partners. Lauren has been involved in the planning, design development, fundraising, and execution of capital projects ranging from learning centres to ensuring building health to outdoor plazas. Since joining the Gardiner Museum in 2013 she has held roles as Audience Development Manager, Senior Manager of Development and Programs, and in the role of Chief Operating Officer since 2017.

Presenter Jeanne LeSage:

Jeanne LeSage, LeSage Arts Management, CHRL, MBA. Jeanne is an arts consultant with 28+ years’ experience in the sector across Canada and abroad. She is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL), holds an MBA in Management Consulting, and runs LeSage Arts Management with a focus on strategic human resources, organizational development, facilitation, and strategy. Proudly starting her career as a stage manager – she now works with arts organizations to “Make Arts Work Better” through consulting, research, teaching, conference speaking, and more. www.lesagearts.com

In this webinar series, we shared examples and strategies on the topics of Building Creative Spaces, Maintaining Creative Spaces, Alternative Financing for Capital Projects, and Engaging Community in Capital Projects with presenting partners from The Dalton Company, WalterFedy, Conestoga College, the Community Forward Fund, and Cobalt Connects! Both sessions included examples of projects within the arts sector. These webinars were originally delivered 2020-2021.

Webinar packages

There are two webinar packages:

1. Building and Maintaining Creative Spaces Package
2. Engaging Community and Alternative Financing for Capital Projects Package

Each package includes:

• A Recording of the Webinar
• A PDF Of the Presentation Slides
• A Transcription of the recording
• Any extra resources the presenter provided to the attendees

Pricing

Each package is $100+HST.

Package #1: Building and Maintaining Creative Spaces 

Descriptions of each of the webinars recording are included below. This package includes the following webinar recordings:

• Building/Renovating Creative Spaces Part 1: Concept, Feasibility & Design
• Building/Renovating Creative Spaces Part 2: Construction & Beyond
• Managing/Maintaining Creative Spaces Part 1: Optimizing your Facility
• Managing/Maintaining Creative Spaces Part 2: Assets, Hazards, and Planning

To purchase this package, click the Buy Now button below.

Building/Renovating Creative Spaces Part 1: Concept, Feasibility & Design
Length: 1 Hour

Whether a new build or a small to medium size renovation, navigating the construction of a creative space is a complex and non-linear process. Randy Dalton and Jason Judson from The Dalton Company will use local examples to offer strategies for creative space managers to successfully execute building projects on budget and on time in their webinars and consultative sessions.

An efficient planning process is integral to ensuring the successful development of a space. As part of the LEARN IT | BUILD IT | MANAGE IT Webinar Series, Randy Dalton of the Dalton Company will discuss the important steps to take when developing a concept and design for your space, as well as undergoing a feasibility study as part of the planning process for your creative space.

Building/Renovating Creative Spaces Part 2: Construction & Beyond
Length: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

When entering into the construction phase to build or renovate a space, it is integral to work from the pre-construction plan and be flexible for what may occur during construction. When construction has finished, it is equally important to make sure that everything is properly finalized. Building on material in the previous LEARN IT | BUILD IT | MANAGE IT webinar on Building/Renovating Creative Spaces, Randy Dalton of The Dalton Company will detail necessary steps and key considerations pertaining to communication, budget, scope of the work, close-out documents, warranty period and more to ensure that the construction and post-construction phases of your build or renovation are efficient and successful.

Managing/Maintaining Creative Spaces Part 1: Optimizing your Facility
Length: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

After the completion of a building project, managing a space proactively and sustainably should be an ongoing consideration for arts leaders. Participants will learn how to identify their facility needs and explore best practices for managing the implications of long-term operations in these webinars and consultative sessions. Using pertinent examples from the sector, Bryn Jones from WalterFedy will present practical and efficient methods that art leaders are using to manage their spaces and assets.

To effectively manage and maintain your creative space, there are many considerations to keep in mind. As part of the LEARN IT | BUILD IT | MANAGE IT Webinar Series, Bryn Jones of WalterFedy will introduce key concepts to successfully quantify building risks as well as successfully manage and optimize spaces in this webinar. These concepts include building science, asset management, and addressing risks such as mould which must be considered when maintaining your creative space.

Managing/Maintaining Creative Spaces Part 2: Assets, Hazards, and Planning
Length: 1 Hour 30 Minutes

When managing a creative space, it is imperative to consider your facility’s assets, potential hazards, and how you must manage them when making future plans to improve your space. Building on material in the previous LEARN IT | BUILD IT | MANAGE IT webinar on Managing/Maintaining Creative Spaces, Bryn Jones of WalterFedy will look at long term planning and discuss strategies to develop an asset management plan to realize the long term financial sustainability of your space. Bryn will additionally highlight the importance of accessibility and how your space can be made AODA-compliant as you plan and make improvements to your facility.

Package #2: Engaging Community and Alternative Financing for Capital Projects Package

Descriptions of each of the webinars recording are included below. This package includes the following webinar recordings:

• Engaging Community in Capital Projects Part 1: Preparing Yourself for Outreach
• Alternative Financing for Capital Projects Part 1: Thinking About Your Options & How They Fit Together
• Engaging Community in Capital Projects Part 2: Going Public
• Alternative Financing for Capital Projects Part 2: Overcoming Fear of Loans

To purchase this package, click the Buy Now button below.

Engaging Community in Capital Projects Part 1: Preparing Yourself for Outreach

Length: 1 Hour

Engaging your community is an essential act for organizations of all sizes, but it’s important that you prepare internally before making the leap. As part of ArtsBuild Ontario’s LEARN IT | BUILD IT | MANAGE IT series, Jeremy Freiburger of Cobalt Connects will share a series of tools aimed at helping you prepare for engagement. Topics discussed will include: setting principles, honest impact, and measuring the success of outreach activities.

Alternative Financing for Capital Projects Part 1: Thinking About Your Options & How They Fit Together
Length: 1 hour

There are several different factors to consider when securing funds to support your creative capital project! For many organizations, exploring alternative funding methods is integral to the success of a capital project. In this webinar, as part of ArtsBuild Ontario’s LEARN IT | BUILD IT | MANAGE IT webinar series, presenter Julia Vlad of the Community Forward Fund will introduce different approaches of alternative financing to consider, such as new donor sources, bonds, equity investment and more for capital projects. This webinar will provide you with the knowledge tools you will need when considering all options to fund your project.

Engaging Community in Capital Projects Part 2: Going Public
Length: 1 Hour

Approaching the public is an important moment and you want to ensure your method matches you, your audience, and the desired outcome of your efforts. Building on the information presented in previous LEARN IT | BUILD IT | MANAGE IT workshops and webinars on community engagement, Jeremy Freiburger of Cobalt Connects will discuss creative ways to reach the public, gather and measure data, and the communication tools that make going public effective in this webinar.

Alternative Financing for Capital Projects Part 2: Overcoming Fear of Loans
Length: 1 Hour

When financing your project, it is important to consider the value of loans to arts-based projects. Presenter Julia Vlad of the Community Forward Fund will provide an in-depth look at what lenders are looking for when it comes to financing capital projects. This presentation will also cover how loans can be leveraged alongside other funding sources and incorporated into your organization’s business plan. Julia will use two examples from arts organizations who have successfully applied for and used loans to finance part of their capital projects.

Presenters

With over 30 years of experience in the building industry, Randy Dalton is the President of The Dalton Company and is the principal in charge of delivering projects for arts organizations using the company’s Alternative Approach to Building. Randy has experience managing high profile and complex projects, which require attention to detail and a thorough understanding of the unique needs of both arts and non-profit organizations. He possesses a complete knowledge of site operations and the management expertise to ensure that performing arts projects are efficiently and effectively executed.

Randy was the Principal-in-Charge at Artscape Youngplace, Artscape Wychwood Barns and the Young Centre for the Performing Arts projects. He is currently overseeing the expansion and renovation of the Nia Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto, ON. He has served as a member of the ArtsBuild Ontario’s Board of Directors and is the past Vice Chair of the Toronto Arts Council Foundation.

Jason Judson is the Director of Project Development with The Dalton Company Ltd., with over 20 years of construction project management experience. A highly effective communicator and practical problem solver, Jason manages multi-disciplinary design teams during the pre-construction and, once building commences, he leads consultants and construction trades to achieve a successfully delivered project and outcome.

Jason has a B.Sc. Honours degree in Surveying. Additionally, he is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, a Prince2 Practitioner, and he has studied as a Project Management Professional.

Bryn Jones, M.A.Sc., P.Eng., is a senior associate and team leader for the asset and facilities management group with The WalterFedy Partnership and a Professor of Building Systems Engineering in the School of Engineering & IT at Conestoga College. Bryn has over 15 years of engineering experience in building systems engineering and asset management within the arts and public sectors. Bryn has collaborated with ArtsBuild Ontario for the past 6+-years working through, and helping develop, the Asset Planner for the Arts program, as well as the Creative Spaces Mentoring Network program.

Bryn works with client organizations and strategic partners to design and execute integrated asset management strategies from the ground up, as well as evolve currently in-place programs. Bryn specializes in facility condition assessments, data management, strategy development, and financial analysis to support decision-making and infrastructure capital spending for building owners and managers while balancing cost, profit, and risk.

As a College professor, Bryn teaches courses in Thermodynamics, building science, HVAC, fire protection and materials engineering to undergraduates within the Building Systems Engineering, Building Interior Design and Architectural Project and Facility Management degree programs. Bryn’s research focuses on improving building systems performance in the areas of occupant comfort and user experience, fire protection, risk-based life cycle modelling, and building analytics through laboratory testing, field monitoring, and economic simulations.

Bryn is also an elected board member of the Rotary Club of Kitchener (established in 1922). The main project of the Rotary Club of Kitchener is the KidsAbility Centre, a Children’s Treatment Centre that services children with a range of special needs. As well, the Rotary Club of Kitchener takes part in youth development programs, grants, a car draw fundraiser, environmental protection projects, a children’s Christmas party, the Rotary African Women’s Education Fund, study exchange programs and more.

Bryn’s overall goal is to educate building owners, managers and the next generation of buildings professionals to improve the success of capital projects.

Jeremy Freiburger is the Chief Connector and Cultural Strategist of Cobalt Connects. Jeremy has been a leader in Hamilton’s creative community for over 15 years. His experience ranges from producing award-winning theatre and ballet with the RBC Festival of Classics and Canadian Ballet Youth Ensemble, to developing more than 200,000 square feet of studio facilities, to writing policy and plans for municipalities focused on creative sector development.

Focusing primarily on regional and municipal partnership development, and organizational development, Jeremy is the founder of Cobalt Connects. Jeremy has spoken at dozens of conferences on the subject of creative community economic development, and has sat on many boards and committees including the Our Cultural Community Committee (Chair, City of Hamilton Cultural Plan), Supercrawl, CANVAS and the Bay Area Restoration Council.

Julia Vlad Julia leads the investment and portfolio management for the Community Forward Fund and the Canadian Co-operative Investment Fund. She has over ten years of experience in banking, finance and the non-profit sector. Her experience includes investing and portfolio management at the World Bank’s private sector arm, IFC, in Panama, Senegal and USA; advising social entrepreneurs at an accelerator in Nicaragua and financial analysis and forecasting at Scotiabank. She holds an MBA from HEC Paris, a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Toronto and is a CFA charter holder