BOARD OF DIRECTORS (2024-2025)
Chair
Carly Frey is a Partner at Nordicity and an internationally recognized expert in arts and cultural policy and the creative economy. Her work focuses on advising governments and institutions in the development of effective policy, strategy, and programmatic action to support creative workers and to nurture inclusive growth. She has expertise in cultural governance, cultural relations, development economics, arts and digital innovation, and knowledge transfer. Prior to Nordicity, Carly was one of UNESCO’s Technical Assistance Experts for Cultural Governance and was the British Council’s Specialist Advisor to its global creative economy program, leading numerous strategic initiatives at the intersection of culture and sustainable development in the Global South. Carly is an active musician, recording and touring regularly with the Juno-nominated folk band, The Fugitives.
Secretary
Doug Tuck has enjoyed a long career in the arts. After studying with Sanford Meisner and others at the Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre, in New York, he acted in film, television, and theatre for a decade. He subsequently moved to radio, as a member of the producing team at Gabereau! on CBC Radio One, and then to arts administration: he served for 19 years at Vancouver Opera, first as communications manager and then as director of marketing. After leaving VO, Doug was a marketing consultant to the performing arts; his work included a multi-year patron loyalty project with Bard on the Beach, report-writing assignments for OPERA America, and engagements as interim director of marketing with the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra, in Fort Wayne, Indiana and with Pacific Opera Victoria. Doug now lives on the traditional lands of the Lkwungen People, also known as the Songhees and Esquimalt First Nations, in what is commonly called Victoria.
Vice-Chair
Gillian Jones is non-profit arts leader with over fifteen years of experience in performing arts presenting and community engagement at organizations in Canada, the USA, and Turkey. As Executive Director of Dance Victoria, she is responsible for curating the organization’s artistic programs, fundraising, and strategic leadership. Previously, Gillian was Associate Executive Director at Edmonds Center for the Arts (ECA) in Edmonds, WA, where she programmed a multi-disciplinary series of 25 performances and oversaw ECA’s award-winning Education & Outreach department. From 2010-2012, Gillian was Director of Interpretation at SALT, an arts and cultural institution in Istanbul, Turkey. Gillian is most passionate about access and developing programs that are welcoming and responsive to community members of diverse backgrounds, ages and abilities. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of British Columbia in Theatre and a Master’s in Arts & Cultural Management from Pratt Institute in New York City.
Treasurer
Christine McWillis is currently the Cultural Services Manager for the City of Kelowna where her responsibilities include the development, implementation and evaluation of the communities Cultural Plan. Christine is a highly skilled community developer. During the completion of her MBA, she explored the topic of interagency collaboration within the nonprofit sector. Today, she aims to incorporate her learnings as the way forward for successful community development.
Am Johal is Director of SFU's Vancity Office of Community Engagement and Co-Director of SFU's Community Engaged Research Initiative. He has been the past chair of 221A, the Indian Summer Festival and is currently Chair of the Vancouver International Film Festival. He is the author of 'Ecological Metapolitics: Badiou and the Anthropocene', co-author of 'Global Warming and the Sweetness of Life: A Tar Sands Tale' and co-author of the forthcoming book, 'O My Friends, There is No Friend: The Politics of Friendship at the End of Ecology.'
Ereca Hassell is the Director of Production & Artistic Administration at Pacific Opera Victoria, and has been with the company since 2011. Ereca provides strategic direction to, and oversees, the artistic planning process. She manages the creative and production budgets for a three show mainstage season at the 1400 seat Royal Theatre, and second stage programming in the 150 seat Wingate Studio at The Baumann Centre, Pacific Opera’s home in downtown Victoria. Ereca identifies and secures local and national artistic and business partnerships, including co-productions, community collaborations, and production rentals - most recently a three year, cross Canada, five company tour of La Traviata. Born and raised in Vancouver, Ereca enjoyed a successful twenty-two year career as a freelance lighting designer before making the shift to arts management. Ereca’s design work took her to the United States, England and Australia, and to theatres across Canada, including Shaw Festival, Stratford Festival, Citadel Theatre, Theatre Calgary, Vancouver Opera, and Belfry Theatre, amongst others. In addition to her work as a lighting designer, Ereca has served as a mentor to theatre students at Ryerson University, Sheridan College, University of Victoria, University of British Columbia and the National Theatre School.
Ashley Daniel Foot is the Director of Engagement and Civic Practice at Vancouver Opera, where he shapes innovative programming beyond the mainstage, highlighting opera’s role in community life. A creative force with a deep passion for storytelling, Ashley leads the company’s education, community partnerships, and commitment to justice, equity, reconciliation, and diversity. His recent work includes impactful collaborations with the Vancouver Public Library, Vancouver Art Gallery, and Rumble Theatre. Ashley also serves as co-chair of the City of Vancouver’s Arts and Culture Advisory Committee and is a board member of the BC Alliance for Arts and Culture.
Erica Binder is a musician and arts manager based on the unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, also known as Vancouver, British Columbia. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music and a Master’s degree in Business Management from the University of British Columbia, and is a graduate of the Essentials of Orchestra Management program at the Juilliard School. Erica’s interests lie in the role that performing arts - especially music - play in our relationships to each other, and she dedicates her time to supporting creative projects that promote healthier communities. In 2023, she collaborated with Paige Hunter and Victor Yin of the sword fern collective to produce The Art of Change, a series of performing arts events focused on emotion-centered climate dialogue. After the premier event, Erica joined the collective as a co-lead, expanding her work to include arts-based climate activism in her diverse portfolio.
Henry Heng Lu is a curator, arts manager, writer, artist, and public art consultant based in Vancouver and Toronto, Canada. Currently, he is the Executive Director of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. He was the inaugural Gallery Manager at the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver, and previously held the position of Executive Director/Curator of Centre A: Vancouver International Centre for Contemporary Asian Art. He is a co-founder of Call Again, a mobile initiative/collective committed to creating space for contemporary diasporic artistic practices, within Canada and beyond, through exhibitions, screenings, and roundtables. In 2018, he won an Ontario Association of Art Galleries (OAAG) Exhibition of the Year Award for his curatorial project, Far and Near: the Distance(s) between Us, at the Art Museum at the University of Toronto.
His writings have been published by Canadian Art, ArtAsiaPacific, Yishu: Journal of Contemporary Chinese Art, C Magazine, Richmond Art Gallery, PLATFORM Gallery, ArchDaily and Gardiner Museum. In 2019, he was a Researcher/Curator-in-Residence at the OCT Contemporary Art Terminal Shenzhen, China. Lu holds a Master of Visual Studies from the University of Toronto. He was on the jury for the 2020 Sobey Art Award at the National Gallery of Canada. He has been a member of the City of Vancouver's Public Art Committee since 2020, and has served as a juror for municipal and provincial arts councils, as well as international prizes.
Joseph Bardsley joined the Music team at Creative BC in early 2022. As a program analyst, he supports and administers a variety of funding programs for artists, companies, and collectives delivered via Amplify BC, the Province of BC’s dedicated fund for its music industry.
Prior to this role, he spent five seasons at Music on Main as the company’s inaugural Development Manager, leading all fundraising and grant writing efforts for the organization. Before Music on Main, Joseph spent seven seasons at Vancouver Opera as the company’s grants manager, building on earlier grant writing and fundraising experience at Theatre Calgary and Alberta Theatre Projects.
Joseph has completed recent tenures on Vancouver Foundation’s Arts and Culture grants advisory and the City of Vancouver’s Neighborhood Matching Fund as a volunteer peer assessor. Joseph has also been a seasonal presenter on grant writing for undergraduate arts management students at Simon Fraser University, and has provided similar support to the UBC Faculty of Music. He’s served as a music panelist for the Canada Council for the Arts, the BC Arts Council, the City of Vancouver, and the Province of BC’s artsVest program. He’s also received professional development funding from the Canada Council for the Arts and the BC Arts Council for self-directed arts management and mentorship projects.
Joseph is a 2020 alumnus of the Banff Centre’s Cultural Leadership Program. In 2017, he was part of the inaugural Talent 2 Lead national arts management cohort, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Metcalf Foundation. Joseph holds a BA in Journalism (2006) from Mount Royal University, in Calgary.
Warren Dean Flandez is a multi-award-winning cultural facilitator, educator, humanitarian, and JUNO nominated musician. With a Cornell University Diversity & Inclusion program certification, Warren is recognized as a thought leader and innovator in the EDI field.
As a faculty member at Capilano University and the owner of Studio Cloud 30, a multidisciplinary artist development company, Warren’s influence extends beyond EDI consulting. He has honed his expertise through his work as a cultural facilitator, empowering individuals and organizations to foster inclusivity and positive transformation. Furthermore, Warren co-founded the non-profit organization THIS (The Harmony Initiative Society), exemplifying his commitment to humanitarian efforts.
Warren’s impact is felt through his collaborations with a diverse range of organizations, including municipal governments, arts and culture organizations, law enforcement agencies, and cultural groups. He has provided EDI training, developed policy frameworks, and spearheaded community-based initiatives, leaving a lasting impression on those he works with.
Through his multifaceted career, Warren Dean Flandez continues to champion the principles of EDI, transforming communities by advocating for inclusive environments. His dedication to creating safe spaces and fostering meaningful change has earned him accolades and established him as a key luminary in the EDI landscape.
Dr. James Rout brings a broad range of leadership experience across technology, education, and arts sectors. An award-winning leader, he is active in the arts and culture community, including prior roles serving on the Academic Governance Committee at the Centre for Digital Media. He is also a member of the Indigenous Tech Circle, and the Executive Sponsor and a Co-Founder of the Frontier Collective, to grow investment, build skilled talent, and support diversity in the tech sector. His experience includes more than 17 years of leadership experience at Emily Carr University and the Banff Centre, where he worked to enhance creative and educational programs. James is an Adjunct Professor at Simon Fraser University and a specialist in spatial computing, cognitive analytics, and digital transformation. Currently, he serves as the Executive Director of the Cognitive Analytics Institute and as the Director of the Centre for Indigenous Health Leadership.
Mauricio Lopez is a passionate public speaker dedicated to the arts and the betterment of his communities. From mentoring high school students in theatre production to performing in Vancouver Opera’s Carmen during the 2023-24 season, he consistently uses his artistic talents to inspire others. A committed and frequent volunteer, Mauricio speaks at fundraising galas and contributes to charitable events, empowering audiences with messages of art and virtue. Currently pursuing a degree in Commerce, he is channeling his artistic background toward community engagement.
