Membership & Governance

Joel Bernbaum is a playwright, director, and journalist. From 2013-2023, he served as the artistic director of Sum Theatre. He is a graduate of the Canadian College of Performing Arts, Carleton University, and the University of Saskatchewan, where his dissertation was about verbatim theatre’s potential to be used as a community development process. Joel’s produced plays include Operation Big Rock, My Rabbi (with Kayvon Khoshkam), Home Is a Beautiful Word, Reasonable Doubt (with Yvette Nolan and Lancelot Knight) and Being Here: The Refugee Project (with Michael Shamata). Joel lives in Saskatoon with his 10-year-old son, Judah.

Kismet Bhandar is a seasoned litigator with 22 years of experience with personal injury, property damage and other claims. With her open, approachable and cooperative style, she fosters teamwork with her clients and works with them to reach a positive outcome. 

Kismet was born and raised in Victoria, BC. But she did not fully understand her good fortune until she moved away and lived in other parts of Canada and overseas. She came home to go to law school in 1994 and has enjoyed working on Vancouver Island ever since.

Steve Conway is the Director of Leadership and Psychological Safety with the Manufacturing Safety Alliance of BC, where he leads initiatives to strengthen workplace culture, leadership capacity, and psychological health and safety across the manufacturing sector. He previously served as Vice President of Canadian Programs at City University in Canada and, prior to that, as Director of the Master of Counselling programs. With a career spanning more than 30 years, Steve has supported individuals, groups, and organizations in creating meaningful, positive change. He has managed an addictions and family counselling clinic, worked as a therapist for over 20 years, and has more than 15 years of experience as a leadership coach, trainer and facilitator. His academic credentials include a Doctorate in Psychology (PsyD) and an MBA with a focus on leadership and teams. Most recently, Steve and his spouse have become residents of Victoria, where they are excited to explore and learn more about their new community.

Pam is a graduate of University of Victoria’s Cultural Resource Management Program. She enjoyed her career in heritage preservation policy and planning with the B.C. Heritage Branch until 2016.

She has contributed to her community in several volunteer capacities since the early ‘90s, ultimately serving as a three term Oak Bay Municipal Councillor between 2005 and 2014, with related committee responsibility on CDR Arts, Royal & McPherson Theatres Society, Oak Bay land use and Official Community Plan renewal.

Pam is delighted to have an opportunity as a CCPA Board member to return to her early passion for theatre arts! While her family was growing, she worked as assistant scenic painter for the VOS, POV, (and even a movie!) as well as volunteer painting coordinator for the Oak Bay High Drama Program. In 1998 while working as an administrator of a youth mentoring program in heritage and culture, CCPA was among her first sponsoring organizations; another reason she is excited to take on this role.

With her husband Brian, Pam lived in Oak Bay for over 40 years raising three children, and now lives close by in Fairfield Gonzales. She still serves on committees and also enjoys dabbling in visual art, singing in two choirs and spending time with her five grandchildren.

Sam Ennis is a licensed optician and owner/operator of Goo Goo Goggles Optical, an independent optical store in downtown Victoria.

After growing up in Ontario and Quebec, Sam moved to Victoria in 2004 to attend UVic, and it soon became very clear that Victoria was the perfect place to call home. While completing an honours degree in Cognitive Psychology, she also started working in the optical field, and, in the end, being an optician in a creative environment was where she was meant to be. Now with over 19 years of experience in optical, Sam specializes in finding creative solutions, teaching exceptional customer service, and managing an amazing team of unique individuals. Along with providing a safe space for customers, one of the main focuses for Sam as an owner is to create a landing spot for her wonderful team to feel safe and seen and like they’ve found their own perfect place to call home. Sam also manages the store’s advertising, choosing to support the arts, festivals, and the Victoria Queer community whenever possible.

Sam lives in Saanich with her wife Laine and their border collie, cat, and seven chickens on a small hobby farm.

Major the Rev. CD2, OMM, Al, is a retired military chaplain and a minister in the United Church of Canada. By avocation he is a military historian and author of Peacetime Padres, a history of Canadian military chaplains 1945-1995.

Al has served in civilian churches in New Brunswick, Ottawa, Kingston, and Victoria. He served for several years on the national executive of the Canadian Authors Association and for the past twenty years has been on the national executive of the Storytellers of Canada-Conteurs du Canada. While serving at Royal Roads Military College, 1990-1993, he set the college up as a military museum.

Pre-COVID, Al and his wife Sheila were helping feed CCPA students and enjoyed the personal connection. They have been pleased to offer the Fowler Family Awards for dance and for the best 5 minute play.

Michael has worked internationally as a production designer for 25 years, based in Toronto, Buenos Aires and Malta, and working primarily in commercial production. Educated at UVIC and the University of Western Ontario, he was a participant in the pilot year program for music theatre at the Banff School. He first began working in Toronto in theatre and opera, at the Stratford Festival and the Canadian Opera Company prior to moving into film, where over the years he has worked with film directors including Tony Kaye, Noam Murro, and Antoine Fuqua. Among other projects, he has been charged with rebuilding parts of the Lucasfilm 'Star Wars' sets in Buenos Aires and recreating WWII in the Czech Republic.

As a member of both the Directors' Guild of Canada and IATSE 891, Michael has been active for decades in working to improve aspects of the film industry, and while resident in Malta, contributed significantly to the organization of the Malta Film Commission. Born in Comox, Michael returned to Vancouver Island nine years ago, and has since been working towards building infrastructure in the Greater Victoria region to better local industry. Michael remains grateful for past assistance from the Canada Council.

Kevin has deep expertise in both leading organizations and spearheading national research aimed to drive innovation, improve quality of care, and create services to improve the health and wellbeing of older Canadians and their caregivers. He is actively engaged with both the BC Hospice Palliative Care Association and the Hospice Care Alliance of BC.

Prior to joining Luther Court in June of 2023 he was the CEO of Victoria Hospice. He has held leadership positions in long term care for over eighteen years. From 2013 – 2018 he was the President and CEO of York Care Centre (YCC), the largest long term care facility in New Brunswick. During his five years at YCC, he forged several national strategic partnerships and worked as part of the team that created the AGE-WELL’s National Innovation Hub: Advancing Policies and Practices in Technology and Aging where he later became the Executive Director.

In addition to his work with AGE-WELL, Kevin developed CIRA (Centre for Innovation and Research in Aging) a research centre in partnership with the University of New Brunswick, the University of Toronto and Simon Fraser University; he is a former Member of the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) Home and Continuing Care National Advisory Committee; and he participated in the Seniors Quality Leap Initiative, a collaborative of nursing homes across Canada and US who lead in the benchmarking of clinical quality standards. He is results-driven with a collaborative and strategic approach; a number of the quality improvement initiatives he led at the YCC have been adopted provincially and nationally.

As a long-time Victoria resident of 40 years, Pirouz has had the privilege of watching our community grow and evolve while raising his family here with his spouse and now-adult son.

After earning his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Victoria, he built his career in information technology, working in various roles that gave him broad experience in both technical and business operations. Along the way, he founded two IT businesses, which taught him valuable lessons about entrepreneurship, team building, and community engagement.

Now semi-retired, he is eager to contribute his business acumen and deep appreciation for our local heritage to support the Canadian Heritage Arts Society’s mission of preserving and promoting the arts that enrich our community.

Thaddeus Monckton was born in Regina, Saskatchewan and comes from a long line of Irish farmers, some of whom remain in the farming industry today.  From this background, Thaddeus has learned the value of hard work and perseverance. Thaddeus maintains a strong work ethic in everything he does, proven through his business and educational interests that have ranged from extensive real estate investment to owning a health club and clothing company and establishing two International English language colleges.

Growing up the eldest in a family of seven, Thaddeus took the lead and stood out as the person everyone turned to for anything they needed. He has always been actively involved in his community and continues to do so with his wife Brenda and their 5 sons.

Thaddeus studied at the University of Regina and was a football player with both the Regina Rams and the University of Saskatchewan Huskies. He had planned on a career as a pro football player, however, decided to pursue education first. Thaddeus graduated with a Bachelor of Education degree in 1988 and began his teaching career in Victoria as a physical education instructor and coach. He went on to teach at many schools in Districts 61 through 63, as well as Maxwell International Bahai School and St. Michael's University School. Thaddeus also worked for the Government of BC as Provincial Coordinator of International Education, Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism.

In 1994, Thaddeus decided to pursue his Masters degree at San Diego State University. Shortly thereafter, he returned to Victoria to establish the Pan Pacific International English College, which he owned and operated from 1997 to 2008.

In 2008, Thaddeus became a professional real estate agent in Victoria, winning many sales awards, and has been actively working in the industry, first with Re/Max and currently with Macdonald Realty Victoria, servicing Victoria and the Peninsula as well as up-island.

In 2012, Thaddeus and his wife Brenda opened a new college in Victoria, inlingua Victoria College of Languages and Careers and Testing Centre, that they both continue to operate today, with locations in Victoria, Nanaimo, and Richmond.

Thaddeus has many sporting interests, including wakeboarding, surfing, rock-climbing, running and riding his motorcycles. Thaddeus got involved in acting at an early age and has continued that pursuit on a part-time basis. He has worked as an actor in film and TV, in both local and international productions, in Regina, Victoria, and Vancouver since 1988.

Originally from Chile, Lina de Guevara is an actor, theatre director, drama teacher and storyteller. She’s a specialist in the techniques of transformational theatre, Theatre of the Oppressed and Commedia dell’Arte.

To create and produce plays about the immigrant experience, she founded PUENTE Theatre in 1988 and was its Artistic Director for 23 years. Her director’s credits include I wasn’t born here, Crossing Borders, The House of Bernarda Alba, Mother Courage, Canadian Tango, Letters for Tomas, Sisters/Strangers, Canadian Tango 09, Storytelling Our Lives, Algarabia/Danza, Scene and Heard, The woman who fell from the sky, Chile con carne, and The pilgrimage of the nuns of Concepción. She’s directed and dramaturged several one-woman shows, such as Emergence, Uthe/Athe, Patriot in search of a country, Heinz 57, and Peace Mum.

Jim’s career focus has always been education and student support. He spent 35 years working in post-secondary education and retired from the University of Victoria as VP Development and External Relations and President of the University of Victoria Foundation.

Before that, Jim was Executive Director of Student and Ancillary Services, and in 1993-94, he served as UVic’s Director of Operations for the Commonwealth Games. Jim initiated faculty and staff development programs; presented numerous workshops at regional, national, and international levels; and received national recognition awards for his work in the development and promotion of student services. He was a member of many professional organizations, and held office in most of them.

Chair of the Board of the Canadian Heritage Arts Society from 1994-99, Jim was involved in the foundation of the Canadian College of the Performing Arts and the establishment of the Legacy Scholarship Endowment Fund, and he continues to support both. He returned to the Board in 2016 for a two year term. An active community member, Jim has served a variety of associations such as the United Way and Friends of the RBCM.

Kimberley Rampersad is a theatre artist, born and raised in Treaty 1 Territory, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

As an actor she has appeared in various theatres across Canada including Mirvish, RMTC, Stratford and Shaw. 

Her work as a choreographer has been recognized with two Dora nominations for Passing Strange (Musical Stage/Obsidian) and Seussical – the Musical (YPT) respectively, and an Evie Award in 2019 for Matilda – The Musical (Royal MTC/Citadel/Arts Club).

As a director, Kimberley was featured in the New York Times in July 2022 for her production of Rabindranath Tagore’s Chitra and in July 2019 for directing a full- length production of Bernard Shaw’s Man and Superman, both at the Shaw Festival. Her production of Tré Anthony’s  How Black Mothers Say I Love You (GCTC) received a Prix Rideau Award for outstanding production, and her productions of The Color Purple (Neptune and Citadel/ Royal MTC) received Merritt and Sterling Award for outstanding direction and productions.  She recently made her directorial debut at the Stratford Festival with Serving Elizabeth by Marcia Johnson. She was the recipient of the 2017 Gina Wilkinson Prize for an emerging female director (Ontario Arts Foundation). Her season in 2023 includes directing King Lear at the Stratford Festival, and The Amen Corner at the Shaw Festival.

In the community she contributes to the work of the Philp Akin – Black Shoulders Legacy Award, the Gina Wilkinson Prize, and sits on the board of AFC.

Kimberley completed her dance teacher certification through the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in Political Science, from the University of Manitoba.  She is currently a graduate student in Theatre Studies at the University of Guelph.

Kimberley is currently the Associate Artistic Director of the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.

Marguerite is a lifelong supporter of the arts and education and a passionate crusader for the Canadian College of Performing Arts. As a health care executive, Marguerite has received numerous national and provincial recognitions for health care quality and leadership. An experienced teacher in community colleges and previous member of numerous arts and fundraising boards, Marguerite appreciates our talented faculty, staff, volunteers and board members who work to create an amazing experience for our students.

Duncan Stewart is a Casting Director & Partner at Stewart/Whitley. Prior to forming Stewart/Whitley, Duncan was the in-house Director of Casting for National Artists Management Company (NAMCO) on various Broadway/West End productions. This year he celebrates 16+ years as the Casting Director of Chicago. Previous to this he worked with Alaine Alldaffer (Head of Casting) on numerous productions at Playwrights Horizons.  

Duncan has been a TV guest judge and panelist for ABC’s Emmy-winning ‘Extreme Weight Loss’ and Broadway TV’s ‘Next Broadway Star’, and is often booked as a guest lecturer and seminar/workshop leader for numerous colleges, studios and universities in the US, Canada and UK.  Mr. Stewart is an Artios Award winner and proud member of the Casting Society of America (CSA).