BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Strategic direction and support for Willowbank is given by a distinguished Board of Directors. The Board has a balance of local and international representation, and brings to Willowbank a broad range of expertise and experience.
The current Board includes, among others, the past Chair of UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee; a major historic property developer in Niagara; a consultant in entrepreneurship and innovation; a former director of field programs for the Getty Museum in Los Angeles; the director of national programming for Heritage Canada; a past Chair of the Canada Council; the president of a major wealth management company; the Executive Director of the Ontario Heritage Trust; a noted historic preservation architect from Buffalo; and a former Vice President of Cap Gemini, as well as a number of prominent local community leaders.
The advice of the Board is critical in the ongoing evolution of Willowbank’s various programs and activities, and in the development of the Estate.
The current Willowbank Board of Directors:
VIKKI URBAN BROER, (Chair) Acting Head of School, Bratenahl, OH
Vikki is currently Chair of the Board of Willowbank. She serves as Head of School at the Montessori High School at University Circle in Cleveland OH, and is active on many other boards, including the Cleveland Botanical Garden and the Bratenahl Planning Commission. Vikki is also a descendant of the Bright family, which owned the Willowbank Estate for nearly 30 years.
CLINTON BROWN, FAIA (Vice Chair) President, Clinton Brown Company Architecture, Buffalo, NY
Clinton, a heritage architect, has been a trustee, director, or task force member on over two dozen boards and committees, including past President of the Landmark Society of the Niagara Frontier. Two Secretaries of the Interior have appointed him a Commissioner of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor Commission. Governor Pataki appointed him a Director of the Richardson Center Corporation and the Buffalo Architecture Center Boards. His full service historic preservation architecture firm's professional achievements have been recognized by the American Institute of Architects, the Preservation League of New York State, The Buffalo News, and Buffalo Business First, among others.
STEPHEN BEDFORD, (Secretary) Urban Planner, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
As a local government executive, community planning and management consultant, and graduate of the University of Waterloo in Urban and Regional Planning, Stephen focuses on collaboratively moving communities and organizations forward. Stephen led innovative heritage planning programs as Commissioner of Development Services in Oshawa, ON and Saint John, NB, and as Planning Director in Pickering and Development Manager in St. Catharines. Stephen most recently applied his wide range of experience as Director of Planning for the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, assisting in the development of the community.
FRANK RACIOPPO, (Treasurer) Founding Partner, RZCD Law Firm LLP and President, Queenston Quarry Reclamation Company Ltd. Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
Frank is active in the community as a real estate developer, constructor and lawyer. He practices real estate and development law and is founder of RZCD Law Firm, a full service firm with offices in Mississauga, Kingston and Niagara-on-the-Lake. His academic career includes a B.Comm. from the University of Toronto, and MBA and LL.B from the University of Windsor. Frank has a passion for building and architecture and was the founder and construction consultant for the restoration of the historic Coliseum at Exhibition Place, Toronto. He served on the Board of the Living Arts Centre, Mississauga and was a member of the Committees of Adjustment and Land Division for the Region of Peel. Since moving to Niagara-on-the-Lake in 1999 Frank has been active in the Niagara building community. Currently, he is President and co-owner of Queenston Quarry Reclamation Company, which is in the process of rehabilitating and developing the Queenston Quarry, a national historic quarry on the Escarpment in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
RON FERGUSON, (Past President) Accountant, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
Ron was born and raised in Toronto. He worked for many years as a chartered accountant for the Ontario Public Service, holding senior management positions in the Ministry of Finance. In addition to being involved with Willowbank, he is also affiliated with the Rotary Club of Niagara-on-the-Lake and is the Elder and Treasurer of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church.
EMILY BRIGHT, Past National Home Economist, Sears Canada, Virgil, ON
Emily was a member of the Niagara South/Lincoln County School Boards and taught at Niagara College before becoming a full time consultant in 1987. Her contracts have included media promotion for the Niagara Film Festival, work for Sears Canada, Beckett Technologies Inc. and LG Electronics. She is a published author and newspaper columnist, and was a Library Board Advisor in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Emily was an active volunteer with the Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Centre, the Big Brothers/Big Sisters Foundation, and was President of the Ridley College Women's Guild.
DR. CHRISTINA CAMERON, Canada Research Chair, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC
Dr. Cameron is a Professor in the School of Architecture and Canada Research Chair on Built Heritage at the Université de Montréal, where she directs a research program on heritage conservation as well as international workshops on current issues in the field. She previously served as a heritage executive with Parks Canada for more than thirty-five years, and internationally she has been active in the intellectual development of the World Heritage Convention of UNESCO since 1987 and has twice chaired the Committee, in 1990 and 2008. Her academic studies cover literature, art history and museum studies, including an M.A. from Brown University in Providence, R.I. (1970) and a Ph.D. in architectural history from Université Laval in Québec City (1983). In March 2008 she received the Outstanding Achievement Award of the Public Service of Canada, the country's highest recognition for public service.
MARY JANE GRANT, Principal, MJ Grant & Company, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
Mary Jane Grant founded the consulting firm MJ Grant & Co in 1982. The firm specializes in strategy, innovation and communications. In addition to consulting, Mary Jane has served as adjunct faculty member at the Ivey Business School, where she designed and taught the course, "Management of Innovation." She later taught innovation at Brock University. Early in her career, Mary Jane worked in research and advertising. She graduated from the Ivey Business School in 1977, winning many awards including the Gold Medal for the highest academic standing. She is a published author in the fields of innovation, entrepreneurship and travel.
CAROLYN HURST , Partner at Effingham Technology Management, Owner at Westcott Ridge Winery, Fonthill, ON
Carolyn has more than 25 years of program and project delivery experience in the private and public sector, and is an expert at building teams and developing client focused business strategies. Carolyn has extensive experience consulting, managing and providing operational advice for a variety of companies including EDS Canada, Jetform, and Systemhouse. After several years as Vice President at Cap Gemini Worldwide in Toronto, she now is a partner at Effingham Technology Management. In addition, she and her husband own Westcott Ridge Winery. Carolyn has a passion for helping young ambitious people develop business experience.
FRANCOIS LEBLANC, Retired, Director of Field Projects, Getty Museum in Los Angeles Ottawa, ON
Francois has worked with colleagues in the heritage conservation field around the world in implementing research activities, conservation projects, and workshops, and gained an international reputation from his previous responsibility as Director of the ICOMOS (International Council for Monuments and Sites) Secretariat in Paris as well as Head of Field Projects at the Getty Conservation Institute in Los Angeles. He began his career with Parks Canada's Ottawa and Quebec offices, and then introduced and directed the Main Street Canada Program across Canada for the Heritage Canada Foundation. He also served as Chief Architect for the National Capital Commission.
ARNOLD G. LOWENBERGER, Retired Educator, Queenston, ON
Arnie has 31 years experience as senior administrative officer of university departments and schools of physical education at the University of Regina and Brock University. He developed the Master Plan for Physical Education for the University of Saskatchewan, Regina Campus. He also wrote the requirement study for facilities, supervised construction and initiated program development, both academic and extracurricular. As Brock University's first Dean of Students, he restructured and reorganized Student Services at the university. Several of his papers and articles have been published in such periodicals as the "American Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation" and "the National Conference on Physical Education and Athletics in Canadian Universities".
JUDITH MACLACHLAN, Retired Educator, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
Judy was born in Hamilton and educated in Ontario's public schools, Hamilton Teacher's College and Brock University. She taught for 33 years in England and St. Catharines, Ontario and has lived in Niagara-on-the-Lake since 1974. Her strong community sense is reflected in her membership on many local Boards including the Library, the Hospital, Friends of Fort George, and Amnesty International. Together with Laura Dodson, Peter Stokes and Margarita Howe, she was a founding member of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Conservancy and continues as Treasurer of their Board. She is also actively involved at St. Mark's Anglican Church in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Judy was a long-time friend of Willowbank founder and first Board president Laura Dodson, and has been a key member of the Board since the very beginning.
PATRICK MACNEILL, P.Eng., B.E., M.Eng.Sc., M.I.E. Vice President Corporate Development for Quartek Group Inc., Architects, Engineers, Planners and Project Managers Niagara-On-The-Lake, ON
Born in Dublin, Ireland in 1947, Patrick has Degrees in Civil Engineering, Master of Engineering Science, and Master of Industrial Engineering from University College Dublin. He has 40 years experience in engineering design and management. His experience includes various roles in the planning, design and project management for a wide variety of projects in Canada, Ireland, and Africa. He is currently Vice President of Corporate Development for Quartek Group Inc. Serving as President from 1992 to 2010, he has been involved in the management and development of this firm, and its predecessor firms, since coming to live in Niagara-on-the-Lake with his wife, Creena, and their three children in 1984. He is a Charter Member and currently Director of International Service for the Rotary Club of Niagara-On-The-Lake. He has been a Member of the Willowbank Board of Directors since its inception in 2002.
RICHARD MOORHOUSE, Executive Director of the Ontario Heritage Trust, Toronto, ON
With over 30 years of experience in the conservation sector, Richard has established the Ontario Heritage Trust as one of the preeminent bodies of its kind in Canada, with a mission that includes conservation of both natural and cultural resources. The Trust manages its own heritage sites, holds easements on many more provincial and national significant sites, and is a promoter and advocate for heritage conservation activity throughout the province. Richard has developed courses and workshops on heritage conservation for professionals in the field, is a member of the National Council with the Heritage Canada Foundation and Vice-President of the Arts and Letters Club of Toronto.
DAVID MURRAY, Hons. B.A., M.A., D.P.A. Arbitrator and Mediator Formerly Associate Director of KPMG Peat Marwick Stevenson & Kellogg, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
David was born in London, U.K., of Irish parentage, and has been a resident of Canada since 1963. He has lived and worked in five provinces as well as one year in Auckland, New Zealand. David has consulted to and/or re-organized nearly 60 municipalities, and has held progressively more responsible management positions in municipal administration and Labour Relations. He still serves as an Arbitrator under the Labour Relations Act and the Canada Labour Code, and until recently was a Board member and the Publications Chair of the Niagara Historical Society & Museum. He served in the Royal Regiment of Canada (Grenadier Company), Rotary Club and was Treasurer of Wellington/Waterloo United Way. David and his wife Liz have a family of six children/step-children and travel extensively. David's other interests include gardening, antiquarian books and history.
ELIZABETH OLIVER-MALONE, M.D., FRCPC Retired Anesthesiologist Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
Elizabeth was born and raised in Southern Ontario. She graduated in Medicine from the University of Toronto in 1957 (M.D.) and achieved specialty in Anesthesiology in 1964 (FRCPC). Elizabeth was on staff at Toronto General Hospital before moving to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Barbados. She returned to work in Toronto and St. Catharines before retiring to Niagara-on-the-Lake with her husband Dr. Ralph Malone. Her avocations include history, heritage and museum volunteering. Influenced by Willowbank Founder Laura Dodson, she joined the Col. Butler Parkette committee. She was invited by Laura Dodson to join the Willowbank Board in 2004, and to serve on the Archives, Collections & Library committee which she currently chairs. Her notable accomplishments include helping the Niagara Historical Museum curate the permanent exhibit of the United Empire Loyalists Beginnings of Butlersbury, which includes the Hamilton family of Willowbank. Elizabeth and her husband are members and artifact contributors to the Barbados Museum, St. Kitts / Nevis Museum, Jordan Pioneer Museum of the Twenty and Doon Pioneer Village Museum at Kitchener among others.
DONNA SCOTT, O.C. Retired, Past Chair of the Canada Council, Founder of Flare Magazine, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON
Donna Scott is a resident of Niagara-on-the-Lake and an officer of the Order of Canada. She was founder and former publisher of Flare Magazine, and later Vice-President of Maclean Hunter Publishing. She was Chair of the Canada Council from 1994-1998, managing to maintain grants to artists during budgetary cutbacks with imaginative administrative reorganization. She was subsequently Executive Director of the Ontario Arts Council. She has served on many Boards, including those of Canadian Stage, the Canadian Music Centre, the Ontario College of Art, the Toronto Arts Foundation, and Queens University. She also has volunteered her time for the Boards of the Canadian Foundation for AIDS Research and the Salvation Army of Metropolitan Toronto. She was a member of the Willowbank Board in 2003 during its formative period.
CHRIS WIEBE, Director of National Programming & Government Liaison for Heritage Canada, Ottawa, ON
Chris is a graduate of the master's program in heritage conservation at Carleton University in Ottawa, where his thesis was nominated for the Senate medal. It addressed the importance of heritage conservation activity being embedded in public discourse, and not an elitist activity. He has coordinated Heritage Canada's Heritage Educators' Roundtable, and is familiar with heritage conservation programs across the country. His father, Randy Wiebe, is a noted Canadian author.
DOUGLAS WOLFORD, President and Chief Operating Officer of Convergent Wealth Advisors, Washington, DC
Douglas is President of Convergent Wealth Advisors, one of the largest wealth management firms in the U.S. with assets of some $14.5 billion. Douglas has held executive positions with a variety of prominent companies including, General Electric, VeriSign and Network Solutions. His consulting business, Wolford & Company, advises companies on strategic planning and development. In addition, he has served on the adjunct faculty of The Johns Hopkins University's graduate school of business. Douglas and his wife Laura are long-time supporters of institutions and programs related to the traditional building crafts and environmental sustainability.
AMANDA YOUNG, Toronto, ON
Born and raised in Lusaka, Zambia, Amanda attended boarding school in England and university in South Africa. She worked in London before moving to Toronto in 1988 to study Commercial Interior Design at the International Academy of Merchandising and Design. Amanda is a Board Member of the Gatineau Fish and Game Club, and involved in the renovation of the turn-of-the-century club house on 31 Mile Lake in the Gatineau hills of Quebec. Amanda was active in the Junior League and was a member of the Board of New Directions, and currently lives in Toronto.