Board of Directors
Board President: Brittany Downey-MacDonald
Vancouver-based writer, accessibility advocate and educator, Brittanny is the founder of the Judy Jamieson Foundation for Education, and the Play4EveryBody project — dedicated to building universally accessible, public play spaces. She held positions with Calgary Magazine (Red Point Media) and Transcontinental Media before striking out on her own as a freelance copywriter, editor and language educator. She has worked on projects ranging from short fiction and screenplays to legal textbooks and Ph.D. dissertations. Her last park project became a model for the Rick Hansen Foundation Schools Program. She serves as a panel judge for the annual About Love Playwright Festival. Brittanny studied creative writing at UBC where she earned degrees in Literature and Education.
Board Vice President: Valerie Smaller
Vancouver-based and raised, a communications and event management consultant. Valerie held the position of Senior Manager, Corporate Partnerships at the Rick Hansen Foundation, and has been a consultant to a broad range of not-for-profit and corporate clients in the arts, retail, sports, healthcare and science. She began her involvement with CACV in 2012 as the inaugural event organizer of SWITCH!, a fundraiser raising nearly $700,000 over 7 years. Valerie studied communications at Simon Fraser University where she earned a degree in Communications and Publishing; and a Marketing diploma from Capilano University.
Valerie believes we all possess creative abilities, not limited to self-proclaimed artists who earn a living from pursuing their passion. She enjoys a vast array of artmaking projects, with an emphasis on photography. The magic happens when we apply our talents and begin our creative journey – start anywhere, just start.
Board Secretary: Andrew Dawoud
A business development and marketing professional since 2010, Andrew Dawoud has built a skill set for developing, implementing, and managing a broad range of business development, marketing, communications, brand management, and client relationship initiatives that support strategic objectives. Andrew has overseen and developed the implementation of strategic plans and budgets to acquire new business and expand existing client relationships in his positions in regional, national, and global law firms, and most recently, in the tech sector.
His highlights include business writing, competitive analysis, market research, client service, digital marketing, advertising, and brand awareness. In his spare time, Andrew can be found appreciating local art installations, playing sports, or dining at a new restaurant. Originally from Cairo, Egypt, Andrew came to Vancouver, BC at the age of 5 and has been a true West Coaster ever since.
Member At Large: James Carter
James Carter has contributed to the community as a Board member for many organizations including Chor Leoni Men’s Choir, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Economic Partnership North Vancouver, St.John Ambulance and the North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce. James’ artistic ability is well known as a member of the Chor Leoni Men’s Choir for nearly 25 years, the Vancouver Chamber Choir and, more recently, the Phoenix Chamber Choir.
Member-at-Large: Pierre Leichner
Between Arts and Sciences, I first chose science. Curious about the mind, I eventually became a psychiatrist. But my frustration with the business mentality that has infiltrated health care led me back to question my early decision. I received my BFA from Emily Carr in 2007 and my MFA from Concordia University in 2011. I am presently a full-time interdisciplinary artist with a socially engaged practice. My works have focused on environmental and mental health issues. I am a member of the Gallery Gachet and the Art Is Land collectives, a board member of the Community Arts Council of Vancouver and the Emily Carr Alumni.
Staff
Executive Director: Kristin Cheung 冮雪莉
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Kristin Cheung is a fundraiser and arts administrator with 10+ years of experience working in arts and non-profits. Born and raised in amiskwaciwâskahikan territory (also known as Edmonton), she now lives and works on the traditional, unceded traditional territory of the Katzie, Semiahmoo, Kwantlen First Nations, also known as Surrey.
Kristin is passionate about working with and supporting the work for under-represented communities and has volunteered and fundraised for numerous culturally diverse nonprofits in Vancouver and Edmonton. She’s previously worked at Pivot Legal Society, VIFF, Contemporary Art Gallery, Gateway Theatre, Ricepaper magazine and Geist magazine. She co-founded ‘The Future is you and me’, a free community mentorship program for young women of colour in the arts. ‘The Future’ aims to build a community of artists and leaders with an intersectional feminist lens.
She has a Masters in Arts Administration & Cultural Policy from Goldsmiths University of London and spends her free time as a Board member at Centre A and Room magazine.
Program Manager: Shannon Goodman
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Shannon Goodman is a graduate of the University of Ottawa with 5 years experience working in arts and non-profits. Born and raised in both Prince Edward County and Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, she now lives and works on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and Sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, also known as Vancouver.
She has a background in printmaking and has previously worked at Historica Canada, where her work focused on arts and writing opportunities for Indigenous youth and producing educational resources. Shannon is passionate about building long lasting relationships with Indigenous communities and working alongside underrepresented groups to create programming that provides a welcoming and creative environment for all to thrive.
Intern: Forooz Shamloo
Foroozandeh (Forooz) Shamloo was born and raised in Iran. Forooz’s heart and passion lied in the arts, so she began doing art approximately 28 years ago. In 1996, her journey took a swift turn when she and her young family moved to Vancouver, Canada, to settle in for a new life. Since now, she has become a certified yoga and meditation instructor, completed her undergraduate studies in visual arts at Emily Carr University, and attended the Master of Psychology Counselling Art Therapy at Adler University in 2021. Meanwhile, she has attended alternative exhibitions for over 20 years in Iran, Canada, and the United States. Forooz believes art is a powerful instrument that can facilitate learning and exploring our most profound sense of self, which can transform suffering, anguish, and agony by simplifying the expression of our emotions and thoughts. Her passion is to combine traditional counseling with artistic, mystic, yogic, and meditative techniques and promote art therapy.
Artist-Facilitators for Reframing Relations:
Ronnie Dean Harris
Roxanne Charles
Serene Porter
Frankie McGee
Will Weigler
Jillian Christmas