As those of us in the creative economy are emerging from the restrictions of COVID-19, we have seen creatives and creative organizations being challenged to re-energize their brand, their audience, their volunteers, and their cultural community. Artists, artisans, musicians, actors, authors, performers, promoters, venues, theatres, libraries, museums, galleries, and audiences are faced with new opportunities to grow and expand their cultural community.
The 2023 Creative Communities Culture Conference will help participants identify and address the challenges we’ve faced, and show us what individuals, organizations, and communities have done to emerge from the pandemic with renewed energy and a refreshed outlook.
Our engaging speakers (the list is growing daily!) will speak to their challenges and successes in our new and changing cultural landscape. This daylong event will provide you with opportunities to learn, grow, network, and take away exciting ideas on how to move yourself and your organization forward.
Re-energizing Our Cultural Communities
with guest speakers:
Discussions:
Re-energizing Our Brand
Re-energizing Our Audiences
Re-energizing Our Volunteers
Re-energizing Our Cultural Communities
JORDAN HERALD
Founder Impact Culture & Executive Coach
Jordan Herald is a strategic facilitator and executive coach who works for corporate and public sector clients on their mission-critical strategy and major transformation initiatives. He is known for innovative methods that complement more traditional business planning efforts with brand, culture and human factor acumen that is often missing yet vital to success in today's constantly changing, people-first business landscape. Jordan’s career purpose is to help other leaders connect to the hearts and minds of the people they serve to transform business and improve the world we share. Over the course of his 20-year career, He has been a trusted advisor to global companies, disruptive start-ups, and many of the world’s most progressive brands. In joining the MCC as a Director, Jordan brings experience working. He serves on the advisory board of Genius 100 Foundation - a global not-for-profit that connects one hundred esteemed visionaries from the arts, sciences, technology, and humanities to support humanitarian and environmental initiatives throughout the world.
FAITH ROEBUCK SHERGOLD
Manager of Programming & Engagement, Midland Public Library
Faith Roebuck Shergold is the Manager of Programming and Engagement at the Midland Public Library, responsible for the library’s programming, outreach, small business, and community engagement efforts. The library was excited to build their all-ages audience in 2022 as they continued to explore their balance of online and in-person programming, bringing in more attendees per program than pre-pandemic levels. Faith enjoys theatre, concerts, road trips, swimming in Georgian Bay, and singing and volunteering with a local community choir.
TERRY O’REILLY
Author, Radio Personality and Podcaster
Long before he had a radio show, Terry was an award-winning writer at Canada’s top advertising agencies. In 1990, Terry co-founded Pirate Radio & Television with eight recording studios in Toronto and New York City. In 2005, he became the host of the CBC Radio One/WBEZ Chicago radio show, “Under the Influence”, with over one million listeners a week. His podcast has been downloaded over 70 million times. He has been given a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Advertising & Design Club of Canada and has been granted Honorary Degrees from three Canadian universities. Terry has written three books, the latest is “My Best Mistake” about people who made catastrophic career decisions - but it ended up being the best thing that ever happened to them. In 2020, he cofounded the Apostrophe Podcast Network with his wife and two of his daughters.
DON MATHIESON
Stratford Festival Board & Former Mayor of Stratford
Dan Mathieson served 27+ years on Stratford City Council, including 5 terms as Mayor of the City of Stratford and during his tenure, he was a member of numerous boards and committees. He is the Past Chair of the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC), Past Chair of Kings University College at Western University, Past Chair of the Stratford Police Services Board, Board Member of Hampton Financial Corporation, Board Member of the Stratford Festival and Dan continues to serve on many local boards and organizations.
Dan was awarded the Alumni Award of Excellence from the Master of Public Administration at Western University and he was the 2016 Western University, Public Administration Distinguished Lecturer in Residence. He has received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, as well as the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal.
Dan holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Guelph and a Master’s of Public Administration Degree from the University of Western Ontario. He is a graduate of the ICD.D Certification Program from the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto.
ALEX MUSTAKAS
Artistic Director & CEO, Drayton Entertainment
Alex has directed over 100 productions for Drayton Entertainment and other theatre companies across Canada, including It Runs in the Family, The Crooner, Sorry, I’m Canadian 2, You’ll Get Used To It! ... The War Show, Rocky: The Musical, Rock of Ages, Kings & Queens of Country, Million Dollar Quartet, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, the world premiere of Marathon of Hope, Legends of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Spamalot, Les Misérables, Twist & Shout, and others. Alex holds a Master’s Degree in Arts Administration from City University in London, England, and an Honorary Doctorate from Wilfrid Laurier University. He is the recipient of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Media & Entertainment, the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, the Maggie Bassett Award from Theatre Ontario, and the Governor General’s Meritorious Service Medal.
TED WILLIAMS
Chief of Rama First Nation
Chief Ted Williams is Ojibway from the Chippewas of Rama First Nation, a proud husband of 44 years and father of two. From humble beginnings, Ted’s early aspirations to make a difference led him to become a council member at age 25 and two years later became the youngest elected Chief of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation. Ted has held a successful career in real estate and chaired the successful development of Casino Rama. Upon opening, he climbed the corporate ladder to become Vice President of Corporate Affairs and Human Resources at Casino Rama.
Ted has been an entrepreneur for over 13 years as a consultant, guest speaker, and retail business partner. He is also a skilled chainsaw artist whose popular wooden bears can be found across the region. In recent years, Ted made his return to politics as Councillor for Rama First Nation during which time he sat on various committees including the Ontario Parole Board. Once again, as Chief of Rama First Nation, Ted brings his wealth of experience in many areas to his role serving the community
KIM CLARKE
Manager, Stakeholder Relations at Regional Tourism Organization 7, Bruce-Grey-Simcoe
Seeing the big picture, collaborating with others, and telling your story are a few of Kim’s main philosophies when it comes to experience development. She has worked on large award-nominated products like the Golf in Ontario that spans across most of the province and has helped small businesses develop their own experiences that will help add to their bottom line. She finds herself working with other regional tourism organizations, municipalities, destination marketing organizations, and individual businesses to create amazing things for people to do when they travel.
Kim brings a background in business administration and a flair for creative marketing. She is passionate about creating amazing things to do in Bruce-Grey-Simcoe.
CARA EATON
Senior Leader and Seasoned Marketing and Communications Professional
Cara has a decade of experience working with corporate, non-profit, and post-secondary institutions to mobilize meaningful community engagement and public relations efforts.
Over the past 6-years, Cara has held progressively senior communications roles with Volunteer Toronto, Canada’s largest volunteer centre. She is responsible for sustaining record digital engagement via VolunteerToronto.ca, securing frequent coverage in Canada’s most competitive media market, and increasing project funding to support COVID-19 response programs through successful grant applications.
Cara is currently Interim Executive Director at Volunteer Toronto and is accountable to delivering programs, research, and communications campaigns that elevate and foster volunteerism. Cara has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media Communications, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Public Relations, and has volunteered for numerous community-run media outlets and non-profits.
KASANDRA JAMES
Volunteer Toronto’s Director of Programs.
A professed academic at heart, Kasandra has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, a certificate in Non-profit and Voluntary Sector Management, and is currently pursuing her Master of Education in Adult Education and Community Development.
She provides strategic leadership of the organization’s programs, services and events that connect Toronto’s diverse volunteer-seekers with community organizations and volunteer programs that need them.
Since 2015, Kasandra has used her experience and expertise in non-profit and volunteer management, community development and program design to support capacity building efforts in hundreds of organizations across Ontario. She has also been a volunteer youth mentor for most of her volunteering career and has had the privilege of supporting young people through organizations like the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Toronto and StepStones for Youth.
JENNIFER WITHROW
Head of Exhibitions and Publications at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection
Jennifer oversees the museum’s onsite and touring exhibition program, publications program, and other curatorial initiatives.
Prior to joining the McMichael in 2013, she held curatorial, research, and programming positions at the Art Gallery of Ontario, the MacLaren Art Centre, and the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and she taught in the Museum Studies Program at Georgian College in 2013-14.
Jennifer’s research background is in French painting; she holds an MA in Art History from the Courtauld Institute of Art.
ELEANOR COOK
Destination Marketing and Management Organization (DMMO).
Prior to joining the organization, she worked in leading community tourism development with many municipalities in her role with a Provincial Regional Tourism Organization (RTO).
Regenerative tourism development has been a journey from the boardroom to the classroom, from field-professional to Professor, allowing Eleanor to shape Ontario's tourism scene, and mentoring graduates to be future leaders in responsible tourism destination development and marketing.
DR. JOËLLE ROY
Singer-songwriter.
Singer-songwriter originally from Temiskaming Shores in North Ontario, Joëlle received her PhD in Francophone Studies in 2009 from the University of Louisiana. Through literature, Joëlle studied how Francophone cultural identities were shaped after immigration from France, and in the case of Franco-Ontarians, after migration from Quebec. Her thesis was published as a novel portraying French culture and was nominated for a Trillium Award.
Joëlle also obtained a bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Education from the University of Ottawa. She has released four albums and wrote, produced, and starred in Ontario’s only French language blues opera.
As director of Lafontaine’s Festival du Loup for the past 10 years, Joëlle has brought her unique brand of creativity and resilience to the table to help foster and grow the festival into the regional and provincial success it has become. The festival’s true value, however, lies in its honouring of traditions while meeting the needs of the local community. Joëlle’s broad range of skills and knowledge of Francophone history and culture contribute to the continued creativity and longevity of the Francophonie in Huronia.
