Board of Directors

Karl is a graduate of McMaster University with an Honours B.A. in History and received his Masters of Education from Brock University with an emphasis on curriculum. Although he has degrees in History and Education, he has always had a keen interest in the arts – visual, performance, music, dance, photography or whatever new form emerges from time to time.

He strongly believes that a strong arts program is a vital component of any school curriculum and that students who are involved in the arts are usually more successful in the other areas of their academic pursuits. In his 33 years in Etobicoke, he has been at Silverthorn C. I., Westway H. S., Richview C. I., Kipling C. I., Lakeshore C. I., Etobicoke C. I. and Burnhamthorpe C. I. in the capacity of either teacher, Department Head, continuing education administrator and regular day school administrator, and most recently Principal of North Albion C. I. His most recent position was Chair, Toronto School Administrators’ Association.

Karl continues as Co-Chair for the Board of Directors and serves on the Finance and Administration Committee and the Nominations Committee.

Dominique is a solicitor practicing in the areas of corporate and commercial law, including not-for-profit and charitable corporate law. Dominique brings her legal expertise to complement the existing skills of the Arts Etobicoke Board of Directors. She is keenly interested in and supportive of the various programs that Arts Etobicoke provides. Dominique participates both hands-on and in the planning and development of existing and new programs.

Veronica is a Chartered Accountant with 8 years of public accounting experience. Veronica works with Meyers Norris Penny LLP in Toronto and specializes in providing assurance services to government agencies, not-for-profit and charitable organizations. As a Board member, Veronica utilizes her skills and knowledge to the benefit of Arts Etobicoke. Veronica and her family have been residents of West Toronto for over 20 years.

Sharon Paterson is the Regional Director of Wealth Services for BMO Harris Private Banking in Toronto. A move to Etobicoke, an interest in learning about local artists and a background in finance prompted her to join the board of Arts Etobicoke in 2006. Sharon assumed the role of Assistant Treasurer in 2007 and became Treasurer in 2008.

Sharon has previously volunteered as a caring centre visitor for Etobicoke Services for Seniors, with the finance team for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Celebrity Waiter's Luncheon and as an instructor to elementary school students as part of the Junior Achievement program. She also participates in fundraising events for organizations including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, United Way of Canada, Canadian Cancer Foundation, National Ovarian Cancer Association and Diabetes Walk of Hope Foundation.

Sandra Aaron is the owner of Mindless Sophistication. She is a certified wedding planner; who is also certified to sell destination weddings, honeymoons, and vacations for all Sandals and SuperClubs owned resorts. Along with wedding and event planning her business supplies gift bags for high-end events. Previously, she has worked in the fields of communications and fundraising for organizations such as Ontario March of Dimes, Learning Disabilities Association of Ontario, and as a political aide at Toronto City Hall. She is in her fourth year on the Board of Arts Etobicoke.

Ina, a retired educator with a degree in Modern Languages and Literature from the University of Toronto, has lived in Etobicoke and worked in several Etobicoke secondary schools for the last 36 years.

Her love of foreign languages and the culture associated with them has honed her interest in the Arts. As a parent and educator, Ina has constantly supported music, dance, theatre and arts programs in Toronto. She has also volunteered with the Russian Cultural Aid Society here in Toronto for about 10 years.

In her last position as the Curriculum Leader for Support Services at Etobicoke School of the Arts, Ina assisted talented students make important decisions about their post-secondary education and future careers.

Ina strongly advocates for a combination of arts and academics in the Toronto District School Board curriculum, knowing that this blend can allow young people to blossom in their environment and make valuable contributions to society.

Jas Dhanda was born in northern India, but was raised in Etobicoke (Rexdale). She is 22 years old, speaks 5 languages and is a multidisciplinary dancer and entrepreneur. Acting is the most exhilarating part of her life and she is involved in both the Indian (Bollywood) and North American film industries. She works with local photographers, independent filmmakers, and emerging musicians.

Her passion for the arts led her to begin her acting career at the age of 7. She did community theatre for 9 years in North Etobicoke, before entering film and television in 2004. She is a strong advocate of the arts and believes if it were not for acting she would not be the strong independent woman she is today.

She is a recent HBA Political Science graduate from Wilfrid Laurier University with a focus on foreign affairs and international development and is currently working with the Government of Canada. She is also shooting a Short Film, “UnFare”, with London-based Director Jazz Virk and is training with a private acting coach, as well as training at the National Ballet School of Canada. Her last film won three awards at 3 of the 15 international film festivals it was screened.

She was on the Board of Directors for Wilfrid Laurier University before becoming a Board Member for Arts Etobicoke. She believes that the heart of Toronto is art, inspiring us to innovate. She is a supporter of local artists and emerging talent and Arts Etobicoke is her way to contribute to the arts community that has given her so much.

Audrey Dennie is the mother of five and a resident of Northern Etobicoke. She is Executive Assistant to the Director of the School of Continuing Studies, University of Toronto and brings a wide range of administrative and computing skills to the Board. She enjoys all forms of the arts.

Michelle’s credentials include a Bachelor of Business Commerce in Marketing from Ryerson Polytechnic University and employment experience as a Category Analyst within the Retail Sector, a Senior Data Specialist within the Market Research field and as a Marketing Assistant within the Manufacturing Division. Her education, focusing extensively on Marketing and International Business, and professional experience has played a contributing role in the growth and success of the firms she has been associated with.

Michelle’s volunteer experience includes working with the Chum City Toy Drive and the 2004 United Way Campaign. She assisted in raising money for the organizations through raffles, selling bingo and lottery tickets and purchasing toys that were distributed to children of all ages.

As a member of Arts Etobicoke, Michelle is very enthusiastic about contributing new and great ideas to the organization.

Gloria Lindsay Luby has been involved in municipal issues for many years, including four terms as a City Councillor in Etobicoke. She is in her fifth term as a Toronto City Councillor. Her experience includes serving as Trustee for the Etobicoke Board of Education, serving as Director of Strategic Planning for the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, working as a Senior Consulting Associate with Coopers and Lybrand and writing and speaking on municipal and public issues.

She was the first woman appointed to the Board of Directors of Corporate Foods Ltd. In addition to her professional experience, Councillor Lindsay Luby is a volunteer in the community having served on a wide range of boards, including the Metro Toronto Advisory Board of the Salvation Army, Chair of the Salvation Army Red Shield Appeal in Etobicoke, President, The Planning Forum, Chair, Large Urban Section - Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Dorothy Ley Hospice and she served on the George Hull Centre Board of Directors. Gloria is a proud recipient of the Paul Harris Fellowship, which is the Rotary Club's highest recognition.

Her involvement and support of the arts goes back many years including several terms as a Director on Arts Etobicoke. Most recently, she has served on the Toronto Arts Council, Canadian Opera Company, Sony Centre and the Art Gallery of Ontario.

Councillor Lindsay Luby's education includes an honours degree from the University of Western Ontario and a Masters of Education degree from the University of Toronto. She is married to Larry and has three children.

Nancy Newton is a Toronto based artist and has been exhibiting her drawings and paintings over the last twenty years. She majored in Fine Art at the University of Western Ontario and graduated with an honours degree in Fine Art from York University when her focus was on art education. Her work can be found in corporate and private collections in Canada, United States, Australia and Europe.

Over the years, Newton has attended many workshops for professional artists including the internationally acclaimed Emma Lake Workshops in Saskatchewan. Now, she continues to be involved in the local arts community as a Board member for Arts Etobicoke and as a facilitator for children’s workshops run by the Milkweed Collective that explore creativity. She is also on the Advisory Board for the Milkweed Collective.Newton’s next exhibition in 2010 will be a retrospective of her work. It will include approximately seventy-five works, many from private collections, which trace the development of her mark making over the last four decades.

www.nancynewton.com; info@nancynewton.com

Lone is a retired educator with 32 years of experience as a language teacher, consultant, and administrator. She hold a degree in Modern Languages and a Masters in Administration and Languages. Her volunteer work includes President for a Community Organization, The Toronto Principal Centre serving on Executives of Toronto Administrators Association and most recently elected to the Retired teachers of Ontario Executive for Metro.

She has always been a strong support of all the arts and was instrumental in promoting a strong Visual Arts programs at the Middle School level. She established arts programs in all the schools in which she worked to ensure the students had a strong understanding of the the importance of the arts in addition to strong academic programming.

Coming from a family where visual arts was actively promoted (her dad was an artist) she appreciates the role that the arts plays in a modern society.

Frank Trotz is a man of many hats. He began his professional life in 1965 as an English teacher at Parkdale Collegiate, where he first met Ken Gass, Artistic Director of the Factory Theatre. Frank and Ken co-founded the Factory Theatre Lab on Diupont Street in 1970. That was the beginning of Frank's life in theatre in which he is still active today. As well, Frank is an artist working in clay and founded Clay Design on Harbord Street in 1981. Between 965 and the present, Frank had his own children's theatre company, Sunwheel Story Theatre, as Director of Youth Programming at TVOntario and was Manager of Program Production of Children's Television at the CBC. After that, Frank was Head of Communications Technology at Kipling Collegiate. Four years of teaching theatre at Etobicoke School of the Arts, from 2005 - 09 carried Frank deeper into the world of theatre and at present, he is writing plays, producing much work in clay, and from time to time teaches drama at ESA.