Alexandra is a born and raised Fort McMurrayite, and is no stranger to the stage. She started dancing at 11 years old at Taylor Dance Studio, and then moved to Keyano Conservatory dance program to study Modern. The dance program quickly grew and she was able to train in many styles of dance under the instruction of Nola Antony, Leah Moen, Julie Funk, Kim Hurley, and Linda Hovagimian.

She started teaching dance in 2008 at the Keyano Conservatory, and in 2012 helped open UpTown! at the Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts where she teaches Modern, Musical Theatre, plus many more styles. She was also the Choreographer for the Theatre; Just Because performance of Evil Dead: The Musical, Keyano Theatre’s performance of The Great Gatsby, and the Waypoints Dinner Theatre productions in collaboration with Theatre; Just Because.

Having been a resident of the region for over twenty years, Theresa is deeply committed to improving the quality of life for all those who call Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo home, whether through her volunteer or professional roles.

She believes ACWB plays a critical role in the region. In a community often identified solely by a commodity, the development and fostering of a vibrant arts community is essential not only for the many artists who have chosen to live here, but to address the external image we often encounter. She believes her previous experience on the ACWB board was a gift for her own personal and professional development. After having been away from the board for several years, she believes she has further honed her personal skills and experience and has come back to board with a fresh perspective. Theresa brings experience from several different sectors of her personal and professional life, including municipal governance and administration understanding and strong relationships with Indigenous Peoples in the region.

Luie is a passionate father of two and a hard-working leader at Suncor. He is particularly interested in theatre, music, and graphic arts as an observer and audience member rather than as an artist. Luie values the positive impact the Arts can have on a community. He has seen the benefits the arts provide through his daughterss experiences in speech and theatre arts, growing their confidence, and making them more well-rounded people through these creative outlets that bring them happiness.

Luie is a seasoned leader with experience managing projects, leading diverse teams, providing 

budget oversight, and making difficult decisions. Luie’s diverse experiences and current role leading large turnaround events at Suncor planning and executive large-scale events to repair and enhance the operating facilities which takes years of preparation to achieve safely and efficiently. These experiences would help Luie to guide ACWB's projects and initiatives in a similar manner.

Born and raised in Winnipeg, MB and fully immersed in arts from an early age. Cathy enjoyed several wonderful years at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet and as a guide at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. Music played a large part of her life as a musician in the school jazz band, concert band and later in the military band. Proud illustrator of two children’s books, Baby Braun Hockey Superstar and Baby Braun Basketball Superstar. As a teacher, Cathy taught in California, France, Grand Bahamas, Manitoba, and British Columbia until her life-journey brought her to Fort McMurray, the place she fondly calls “home.” Although she may have drifted away from the arts for the past few years in the pursuit of a career in safety and in emergency management, Cathy finds herself moving steadily back towards the culture of visual and musical creativity, where she feel most comfortable.

Nabil is a progressive and creative contributor (in a small way) to the cultural fabric of our region. He is a strong advocate of the arts' vital role in placemaking, creating vibrant communities, and fostering a sense of identity and belonging.

He has witnessed the impact ACWB has had on the local arts ecosystem and the broader region. As Chair and Vice-Chair of the RMWB Public Art Committee, Nabil has had the opportunity to see how well ACWB works with partners to make lasting and meaningful opportunities for artists. He has always thought of ACWB as an essential institution within our region; however, as a Board Member with the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, he has also realized its importance within the broader provincial arts ecosystem. Since moving to Alberta from Ontario, he has had the honour and privilege to serve on many boards for organizations. Many of his appointments have been with organizations in transition, and he believes that ACWB is currently going through a transition as it looks to establish the region’s first arts incubator. Nabil has the experience to support the path that ACWB will be taking from a governance perspective and through his professional understanding of the developing process within the region. He believes the next few years are very exciting for ACWB, and would like to play a role in the excitement. He has deep roots within the community, and is proud to call the region his home. It is his fundamental belief that it is through the arts that great communities are built. The work that ACWB does daily helps support and strengthen our region’s cultural fabric for the betterment of all residents and visitors. 

Mitchel (he/they) is a two spirited Métis artist who uses drag as their main artistic medium. They use their drag persona Simma Downe to embrace and express their feminine spirit. Mitchel grew up in Ontario where they were taught traditional hunting and fur harvesting. As an artist Mitchel has experience working with traditional mediums including wood, clay, furs and painting as well as theatre and technical arts. Mitchel is the founder of the local drag troupe the Oil Royals, where they produce, host and perform at local events throughout the region. They are also an activist for equality in Wood Buffalo as the Pride YMM Committee Chair and sit on the municipal appointed committee RACIDE. 

Harmanjit is a Mechanical Engineer by profession and has worked in food processing, aerospace, automobile and the oil and gas industry for the last 25 years. Harmanjit and his wife have lived in Fort McMurray for almost 16 years, raising two kids. His son is in High School and daughter is enrolled in an Engineering Program at the University of Alberta.

In his spare time, he is a long-distance runner (Marathoner), with hiking and skiing being two main hobbies – got to love the winter here!

Harmanjit is a core member in the Fort McMurray Sikh Society and a Food Bank contributor. He is excited for the opportunity to be able to contribute towards Fort McMurray’s arts and culture community. Serving on the ACWB Board is a great opportunity to get involved in the community and utilize his industry experience to help Arts Council succeed in its mission and goals. This is a learning and development opportunity for him as well as an opportunity to support the growth and success of the arts. 

Harmanjit calls Fort McMurray home and has a strong sentimental connection with this town, wanting it to flourish and become an even more vibrant community. He believes Arts and culture play a huge role in bringing community together. 

Dawn Booth is a community journalist, communications expert, storyteller and poet. With 20 years of experience in the print media field, the Humber College journalism graduate has worked as a newspaper and magazine editor in the Wood Buffalo region for over a decade. She was born and raised in the Ottawa Valley but Fort McMurray is where she made her career and started her family of five, including her husband, two sons and daughter.

In the community, she is an ambassador for the literary arts and the President of the Northern Collective Society of Writers, which is a volunteer-based committee that publishes the literary magazine, NorthWord, bi-annually. As a poet, she won awards and accolades from organizations and institutions, including the Arts Council Wood Buffalo, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo and the Wood Buffalo Regional Library.

Dawn looks forward to creating and promoting more community opportunities for literary artists of all ages within Fort McMurray Wood Buffalo.

Vish Khaira is a chemical engineer by education, with a keen interest in people leadership, strategy
development and business planning. He and his wife love living in Fort McMurray and actively
engaging in a variety of community events and activities. In 2020, he graduated Leadership Wood Buffalo (LWB) as the cohort Valedictorian. He is also actively involved in coaching T-
Ball and Coach Pitch baseball programs with Fort McMurray Minor Baseball.

Will is a graduate of Royal Roads University’s Professional Communication program (2020), and holds a degree in English Literature from the University of Victoria (2001). He's also a graduate of Keyano College's Musical Instrument Repair Program (2009). Since moving to Fort McMurray in 2006, Will has been working as a technical writer and communicator while flirting with art in his spare time: repairing instruments, learning to build acoustic guitars, playing drums and guitar, and practicing his horrible jokes on unwitting audiences. Will is loco about Latin music, and speaks Brazilian Portuguese, Spanish, and learned a bit of Japanese while teaching English in Tokyo and Shizuoka-ken. Will looks forward to bringing his love of arts and international culture into his role as Board Director at Arts Council.

Jeffory Magson is a graduate of Keyano College’s Visual and Performing Arts Program. After studying Cultural Management at the University of Waterloo, Jeffory began work at the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra. In his 8 years there he had a hand in Fundraising, Volunteer Management, Community Engagement, and was the go-to tour docent at the Francis Winspear Centre for Music. Having returned to Fort McMurray in 2021 with his wife and children, Jeffory has been blown away with the growth and diversity in the RMWB arts scene. Now working for Keyano Theatre & Arts Centre, he is thrilled to have the opportunity to advocate for the Arts as part of the ACWB Board.

Scott Meller moved to Fort McMurray in 1995. A graduate of Keyano College’s Music and Musical Instrument Repair Programs, Scott took a passion for music and the arts and applied it to his work with Campbell’s Music. Helping to guide and grow the business for more than 20 years helped Scott to develop deep roots in both the arts and business communities, while also establishing a home in the RMWB to start and raise a family. Now, with his wife, Natasha, and their two children, Scott applies his abilities to advocating for the arts and growing his skills and abilities. Scott is a Singer, Songwriter, and Poet with a passion for learning, spreading positivity, and discovering the artist in everyone.

Liana Wheeldon is a graduate of Emily Carr College of Art and Design and is a professional visual artist. Since moving to Fort McMurray in 2009, Liana has been an active volunteer and arts advocate in our community.

Prior to joining Arts Council Wood Buffalo in 2016, Liana’s extensive leadership career was primarily in ‘big box’ retail, as a manager, mentor, and coach. Her introduction to the social profit sector was as the Wood Buffalo Regional Manager administering the Royal Conservatory of Music’s  Learning Through the Arts program in 2014/2015.

In her time away from her responsibilities as ACWB’s Executive Director, Liana maintains an active art practice, and enjoys creating, reading, and traveling. www.lianawheeldon.com

Phone: 587.674.1625 x100
Email: liana@artscouncilwb.ca

Jenna is a dancer, teacher and choreographer with a love of movement and connection. Jenna can be found sharing that love during her classes at YMM Dance Company and her choreography with local theatre companies.

Prior to joining Arts Council Wood Buffalo, Jenna was the Leadership Coordinator at FuseSocial, where she elevated her leadership competencies and cultivated a strong passion for safe spaces, and inclusion of all people. Jenna is eager to combine her love for leadership, art and our local social profit sector in her role here at Arts Council Wood Buffalo.

When she is not choreographing or performing her ACWB duties, Jenna can be found spending quality time with herself, her people and her pup!

Phone: (587) 674-1625 ext. 102
Email: jenna@artscouncilwb.ca

Diane Din Ebongue is an interdisciplinary artist and arts manager dedicated to preserving intangible cultural heritage and fostering community empowerment through arts. She holds a Master of Science, Arts, and Techniques of Image and Sound from the University of Aix-Marseille and a Master of Technologies for Education and Training from the University of Rennes 2 in France.

Diane’s international experience includes working as an audiovisual technician in the motion pictures industry in France, managing cultural and digital programs for non-profit organizations in Europe and Cameroon, as well as running an Indigenous-owned multidisciplinary art centre in Australia.

Since relocating to Canada in late 2021, Diane has worked with arts organizations in Alberta and Ontario, in roles ranging from program manager to development specialist.

Her artistic work includes visual arts, creative writing and media arts.

Email: diane@artscouncilwb.ca Phone: 780.381.6898

Sharon is a graduate of Ryerson and has studied at Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Grant McEwan University, and Keyano College. With extensive experience in the social profit sector and ten years in real estate, she brings a unique perspective to her work as an Arts Consultant, helping other people find opportunities to realize their artistic dreams. Sharon is strong advocate for the role of art in community building. As such, she is a long time member of the Municipal Public Art Committee and is currently their chair. On an artistic level, Sharon has always had a passion to be creative and it spills over into all aspects of her life. Sharon’s current primary artistic practice is painting and drawing, and she has experience in fine craft and fibre arts.

Phone: 587.674.1625 x105
Email: sharon@artscouncilwb.ca

Emma Carter is a graduate of the University of Victoria, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts with dual majors in Creative Writing and Theatre. She is an interdisciplinary artist local to Fort McMurray. She is particularly interested in poetry, movement, and performing arts. 

Prior to joining Arts Council Wood Buffalo, Emma was the Assistant Manager of the Suncor Energy Centre for the Performing Arts, where she oversaw UpTown! Music and Dance programming. In addition to this, she is an arts educator and teaches workshops and programs for all ages with Theatre; Just Because. She is passionate about creating safe and inclusive spaces for students to foster their creativity and learn through collaboration. 

Outside of her work with ACWB and her own arts practice, Emma enjoys running, yoga, and reality television. 

Phone: (587) 674-1625 ext. 104
Email: emma@artscouncilwb.ca

Donna is the Rural Arts Support Liaison for the North and works out of Fort Chipewyan. Her role includes working with rural residents to co-envision and develop new initiatives, programs, and services to meet the unique needs of Fort Chipewyan residents, while enabling community-at-large to engage with the arts, crafts, traditions of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.

Phone: 780.381.5705

Email: donna@artscouncilwb.ca

Byron Gard is a graduate of Saskatchewan Polytechnic, where he earned a diploma in Recreation and Community Development (2021). After growing up in Stonewall, Manitoba, Byron spent his time in Saskatchewan working and attending school. He made the move to Fort McMurray in 2022 and hasn't looked back since!

Prior to joining Arts Council Wood Buffalo, Byron was the Recreation Director for the Town of Whitewood, Saskatchewan. Through this position he was able to develop his passion for recreation, programming, and community development.

Byron is ACWB's resident athlete, and he grew up playing both hockey and baseball. He is still playing as of today and can be found refereeing with the Fort McMurray Hockey Association Byron is excited to be a part of the arts community and share his knowledge and experience with Wood Buffalo.

Phone: 587.674.1625 ext.101
Email: byron@artscouncilwb.ca

Treasure is a self-taught Métis artist. Using multimedia, stories and knowledge from Elders in the community, she explores the Métis and Indigenous culture through her art. 

Treasure is proud to be part of the artist group ‘The Northern Crones’ and has shown her work with them since 2018. Some of her public art pieces include sculptures featured on the Total One Aboriginal Interpretive trail at Macdonald Island. They are entitled "Honesty" and “Rose.” She was commissioned in 2018 to paint the "Education is our Buffalo" mural located at the front entrance of St. Kateri Catholic School. A second mural was installed onto Dr. Clark School in 2021 featuring the 7 grandfather teachings and the Métis sash. Most recently, a third mural was installed on Composite High School. Treasure’s beadwork entitled "Solstice" is featured on the cover of NorthWord Magazine Vol. 4 issue 5. 

Treasure has called Fort McMurray home for over 25 years and has raised her family there. 

She is a member of the McMurray Métis and until recently worked as their Cultural Coordinator. As lead of their Arts and Culture Programs she developed the Beading network, Traditional craft, Paint Night, Coffee Cree Chat social group and was instrumental in developing the Crafty Kids Club.

Treasure is looking forward to a new adventure working within the Indigenous communities with Arts Council Wood Buffalo as their Rural Arts Support Coordinator.

Email: Treasure@artscouncilwb.ca