As Vice President, Commercial Financial Services, Kegan leads a local team of industry specialized Commercial Account Managers supporting the Durham Region. Providing industry-specific advice and solutions to local businesses to help them grow is a key focus for Kegan and his team. They continue to look for opportunities to build strong relationships in the business community in order to contribute to the fabric of the Durham Region. Kegan joined RBC over 11 years ago and has held progressive roles in business banking including Commercial Account Manager and Manager Risk Management. In addition to his depth of experience, Kegan has a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University and an MBA from University of Toronto. He is Treasurer on the Board of Directors for The Robert McLaughlin Gallery. He and his wife are proud parents of two young children.

Lory is a seasoned museum professional with over 35 years of experience leading capital and major exhibition projects at the Royal Ontario Museum. Rising through the ranks from Project Manager to her current role as Vice-President, Major Project Management, Lory has built a solid reputation for getting things done and treating people fairly and respectfully in the process. As part of the Renaissance ROM planning team, Lory played a key role in master planning and preparations for the museum’s major building project in 2003. She has led teams through complex exhibition and gallery projects including Egyptian Art in the Age of the Pyramids, the Life in Crisis: Schad Gallery of Biodiversity, and the Teck Suite of Galleries: Earth Treasures. Lory has benefited from professional development opportunities at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, York University’s Schulich School of Business, and the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. She is a member of a wide range of professional associations around the world including the Canadian Museums Association, the American Alliance of Museums, and ICOM. Lory has lived in Durham region with her family for 25 years and was an active member and leader in the Pickering Soccer Club for three years. She values sharing her experience with the next generation of museum professionals and welcomes this opportunity to support her local community.

Aileen is a retired Secondary Educator and Union President. She brings with her a strong foundation in Governance and Finance having served as chair of Audit and Finance for both Ontario Tech University and Durham College in addition to serving as a prior Chair of the Board of Governors for Durham College. Aileen is an active volunteer in her community in addition to her service for RMG, she is Vice-President for Durham district RTOERO, is Props Manager for Oshawa Little Theatre and works trackside as a Marshall at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.  She has done extensive work in the areas of Equity, Mental Wellness, and Health and Safety presenting workshops on these topics across the province within the education sector. She has B.Sc in Physics but is passionate for all of the Arts, and delights in how the different disciplines may integrate and produce an important voice within our communities.

Annie Pinet brings over 20 years of experience in the professional services industry with a focus on helping and guiding private and family-owned organizations of all sizes across Canada to grow and thrive. Currently, Annie leads the Sales Enablement team and strategy for PwC Canada’s Private Segment. With a focus on growth objectives through business development operations, integrated marketing strategy & planning and account management. Annie has been a resident of the city of Oshawa for over 35 years and is passionate about supporting and helping her community, as well as a music and art lover.

Michael joins the board with more than 20 years of fundraising experience with the City of Toronto’s Economic Development & Culture Division.   Michael managed a team of sponsorship professionals responsible for securing significant cash revenues through private sector sponsorships, corporate and public sector grants and foundations to offset the operational budgets for key Divisional projects including but not limited to arts and culture events, business and entrepreneurship programs, museum and heritage programs, culinary programs and capital campaigns for heritage facilities. Michael is currently serving as the Interim Director, Museums and Heritage Services with the City of Toronto where he is responsible for ten city-owned and operated historical museums, the city collection of historical objects, archaeological specimens, moveable fine art and an extensive portfolio of heritage buildings. Michael once lived in Oshawa and looks forward to giving back to the city he once called home.

Audrey Forbes is an accomplished senior business executive (now retired), with over thirty-five (35) years experience in the broader public sector in Ontario. Her experience and skills include pension policy, communications, change management, innovation, and people development. 

She is an inquisitive lifelong learner and feels most fulfilled when she is writing, teaching, or coaching.  Her newly articulated (retirement), ambition is to inspire and uplift the human spirit through words, written or spoken. As such, shortly after retiring in 2023, she co-authored a children’s book with one of her daughters.

Audrey holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from York University and a master’s degree in public policy from Queen’s University. She is married and has three daughters. Audrey lives by faith. She serves on a variety of professional and community boards and is a defender of the common good.

Nicole recently joined Durham Region’s Economic Development and Tourism team as Business Development Specialist. Prior to, Nicole spent 5 years as the Executive Director of the Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade and an additional 6 years in various roles at the same organization. During her tenure here, Nicole was responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations, developing and implementing strategic plans, advocating for businesses’ interests, and promoting economic growth within Durham Region.

Driven by a passion to see businesses and communities thrive, Nicole is committed to creating opportunities for success through strategic partnerships and collaboration. Networking and connecting with individuals from diverse backgrounds is Nicole’s favourite part of her job. By leveraging her expertise and enthusiasm, she strives to contribute to the vibrant ecosystem of Durham Region, empowering businesses and individuals alike to reach their full potential.

She holds an Advanced Diploma in Public Relations from Durham College and currently resides in Clarington, ON.

Steven’s studio practice involves using photography as a means to collect day-to-day observations that highlight evidences of simple interactions between people, objects and space. Steven has received recognition and support from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Ontario Arts Council and Toronto Arts Council through exhibition assistance and artist project grants. His work is represented by Tarantino Belli Gallery in Toronto.

Steven Laurie is a lens-based artist and museum professional who lives and works within the Greater Toronto Area. His education includes an Honours Diploma from the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCAD), and a Master of Fine Arts from Western University. He has over 20 years of professional experience working in the arts and culture sector and is currently an Exhibitions Project Manager at the Royal Ontario Museum.

Steve Maddiss holds a diploma in Urban Land Economics from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia, was granted the use of the AACI, P.App designation from the Appraisal Institute of Canada, and is employed with Schaufler Realty Advisors Limited as a commercial real estate appraiser. Past professional experience includes IT consultant and network administrator for Simcoe Engineering Group Limited and teaching French with the Durham Catholic District School Board.  Steve has served on a number of committees and non-profit boards including past President of Theater 3×60 and former chair of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Clarington where he was also a Big Brother in their one-to-one mentoring program.  Steve enjoys travel, playing guitar/piano, and woodworking. 

Ashley Marshall, M.A. English, B.A. Hons. English/Cultural Studies and Critical Theory. Ashley Marshall’s research critiques how power, economics, and politics influence social change, while advocating for imagination and creativity as alternatives to neoliberal market logics. Her recent project, Home x Work, has been praised for its phenomenological originality. This project does not perceive the city as a blank campus upon which we can experiment, but rather, aims to use collaborative measures to dissect and render visible the various social and material flows that both (re)produce hegemonic power structures and dismantle them. A full-time professor of communications at Durham College, Ashley Marshall is continuing to develop projects rooted in place-based pedagogy, urbanism, public intellectualism and equity.

Wendy Vincent is a GTA based Communications and PR strategist and Media Relations expert. As former Partner/Director at Konvo Media Inc, Wendy led national PR campaigns for clients such as The Canadian Children’s Literacy Foundation, Afrofest, Nia Centre for the Arts, the Toronto Police Service, Spelling Bee of Canada, ACTRA Toronto, Planet in Focus Film Festival, while providing equity informed strategic communications for Images Film Festival, EVA’s Initiatives for Homeless Youth (EIFHY), BirthMark, and Doula Training Canada. Past employers include The ROM, The CBC, Harbourfront, The Ontario Government, and Toronto Caribbean Carnival, with consultancy for The Toronto Mass Choir, The Archie Alleyne Scholarship Fund, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, The Barbados Tourism Ministry, and others. In spring 2024, Wendy was Guest Curator of the City of Toronto’s Migrant Stories exhibit. Wendy is a past board director for Operation Black Vote Canada (OBVC), the Canadian Association of Black Journalists (CABJ), the Urban Music Association of Canada (UMAC), and Art Starts.

Philip is a solutions and results focused commercial, sales, marketing and business development executive with experience in start-ups, small-midsized companies and multinationals.  Philip puts his people first and dives headfirst into solving problems by putting customer’s needs first.   His teams have a reputation of achieving great results and driving revenue growth.

Philip’s career has been focused in the healthcare sector where he has led the commercial activities for a number of organizations.  He holds a Bachelor of Business from Ryerson University and a Masters of Business Administration from Dalhousie University.

Philip’s personal profile is shaped by strong family values, a superior work ethic, a passion to give back to his community and an integrity driven competitive nature that drives him to succeed and motivate those around him.  He is happily married, has two daughters and lives in the Durham region.

Placeholder.