NLIS 5
September 12, 2003
(Tourism, Culture and Recreation) 

 

Minister announces appointments to the Board of Directors for The Rooms

Julie Bettney, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Recreation, today announced 18 appointments to the Board of Directors for The Rooms. Dr. Priscilla Renouf will serve as chair of the board for a three-year term. Seventeen other individuals will serve two or three-year terms. They are: Rex Anthony, Stan Hill, Bobbie Redpath, Tom Foran, Dr. Ronald Rompkey, Seamus O�Regan, Shawn O�Hagen, Bill O�Driscoll, Sadie Parsons, Colin Furlong, Michelle Baikie, Gary Newell, Gerlinde Van Driel, Steven Knudsen, Maxine Stanley, Doreen Hart and Heather MacLellan.

"These people bring considerable expertise and a wide array of experience to The Rooms Board of Directors. They also represent every region of our province," said Minister Bettney.

"I congratulate the members on their appointments and wish them success during their tenure with the board. The board of directors have embarked on an exciting undertaking as The Rooms Corporation will play an important role in preserving, presenting and developing Newfoundland and Labrador�s culture and heritage. An enormous task lies ahead as the opening of The Rooms quickly approaches in June 2004."

The Rooms is a dynamic institution that profiles the art, artifacts and archival materials of the natural environment, contemporary peoples and ancient cultures of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Rooms will open in June 2004 and provide residents with access to their own and others culture and heritage. Come celebrate your culture and heritage at The Rooms.

Media contact: Melony O�Neill, Communications, (709) 729-0928

BACKGROUNDER

Dr. Priscilla Renouf has been active in the heritage community of the province for over 25 years. She is a Canada Research Chair in North Atlantic Archaeology in the Department of Anthropology, Memorial University of Newfoundland. She is a past board member of the Canadian Museum of Civilization and was instrumental in developing that museum�s first strategic plan. Dr. Renouf is passionate about the arts and heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador and has played a pivotal role in the development of Port aux Choix National Historic Site. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Historic Sites Association of Newfoundland and Labrador and is the chair of the Newfoundland Archaeological Heritage Outreach Program.

Rex Anthony has been involved in the insurance business for 35 years, joining the family business in 1968. He has progressed through all facets of the business and acquired a majority interest in 1977. Mr. Anthony�s other business interests are diverse and include information technology, hospitality, transportation, fish processing and real estate. He also sat on the Board of Directors for the Art Gallery of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Stan Hill is a professional artist who has made a living at his craft for 25 years. He is president of the Association for Aboriginal Artists of Newfoundland and Labrador and has served on the boards of the Coast of Bays Corporation, the Association of Heritage Industries and the Association of Cultural Industries. Mr. Hill has exhibited and won awards for his Iroquois bone carvings all over Canada and the United States.

Bobbie Redpath has worked with arts organizations in North Bay, Ontario as well as the CBC in Montreal. Ms. Redpath is a resident of St. John�s.

Tom Foran is the managing director, vice-president of BMO Nesbitt Burns. He entered the investment business in 1975 with Merrill Lynch Canada and he established the Burns Fry office in St John�s in 1988. Mr. Foran is the past president and the current Director of Investment Dealers Association District Council, Newfoundland. He is the past chairman and current director of Northern Radar Systems Ltd. He was the chair of the fundraising committee of the Juvenile Diabetes Walk for the Cure from 1998 to 2000. Mr. Foran currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Historic Sites Association of Newfoundland and Labrador and is a member of the Newfoundland Historical Society. He is an avid supporter of the arts. He collects Newfoundland and Labrador and international art works including sculptures.

Dr. Ronald Rompkey is a university research professor in the Department of English at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Dr. Rompkey is a strong supporter of the arts in the province who is a past chair of the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council, a member of the board for CultureNet, Inc., and the Canadian Conference of the Arts. He is currently serving as Co-Pr�sident of Soci�t� 2004 Society and he also serves on The Rooms Advisory Committee for the Provincial Archives of Newfoundland and Labrador and the board for the Cultural Human Resources Council.

Seamus O�Regan is the co-host of CTV�s Canada AM. He is from St. John�s and was raised in Goose Bay. He studied politics at St. Francis Xavier University and University College, Dublin, before receiving his Masters of Philosophy in Politics from the University of Cambridge. He also studied multinational marketing strategies at INSEAD, the international business school near Paris. Mr. O�Regan has worked as an assistant to Environment Minister Jean Charest in Ottawa and to Justice Minister Edward Roberts in St. John�s. In 2000, he joined talktv�s current affairs program, the chatroom. He began his duties at Canada AM in 2002. As well, Mr. O�Regan serves as director of Katimavik, Canada�s leading youth service-learning program.

Shawn O�Hagen is a Corner Brook-based artist. She has had numerous solo, two-person and group exhibitions across Canada. Ms. O�Hagen has received the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council Grant and the Canada/Newfoundland Cooperation Agreement on Cultural Industries Grant. She has won a "Year of the Arts" award and has been nominated for the Governor General�s Award for Children�s Illustration.

Bill O�Driscoll has worked for 35 years in the education field with five years of teaching experience and 20 years with the Newfoundland Teachers Association. Since retirement, Mr. O�Driscoll has taken a keen interest in Newfoundland and Labrador history, traditions and culture.

Sadie Parsons has been a board member with the Association of Cultural Industries, the Grand Bank Heritage Society and the Burin Peninsula Community Futures. She has also held positions with the Grand Bank Heritage Society, the Grand Bank Town Council and was a coordinator for the Town of Grand Bank Tricentennial and Come Home Year events. Ms. Parsons is currently working towards a business administration degree from Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Colin Furlong is a student at Sir Wildfred Grenfell College studying towards a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre) degree. He has acted in a number of theatre productions including Trojan Women, Annie Get Your Gun and Fame. He has also worked as a tour guide/interpreter at Commissariat House, a Provincial Historic Site. Mr. Furlong would like to become a fine arts teacher in a high school once he has graduated from university.

 

Michelle Baikie is the owner of MRB Photo Communications, a business which specializes in biomedical, scientific, traditional and digital photography. She is a member of the Native Indian/Inuit Photographers� Association and the Association for Aboriginal Artists of Newfoundland and Labrador. She has been awarded a number of distinctions for her photography and has had exhibitions all over the world including the United States and Russia. Ms. Baikie is based in Happy Valley-Goose Bay.

Gary Newell has been the president of the Grenfell Historical Society for the last five years. He serves on a number of boards including the Viking Trail Tourism Association, the St. Anthony Economic Development Board, the St. Anthony Harbour Authority and the St. Anthony Tourism Infrastructure Committee. Mr. Newell enjoys collecting archival material related to the life of Sir Wilfred Grenfell.

Gerlinde Van Driel is a St. John�s-based lawyer who is originally from The Netherlands. She practices in the areas of corporate/commercial, business, financing and secured transactions, securities, estate planning and trusts, natural resources, information technology and entertainment. She is an active member of the community, serving on such boards as the Board of Trustees of the Health Care Corporation of St. John�s, the Geological Association of Canada, the Law Society of Newfoundland and the St. John�s Board of Trade among others. Ms. Van Driel is also a past director of the Board of Directors of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra.

Steven Knudsen operates the Dark Tickle Company which processes wild berries into jellies and jams for sale in specialty stores around the world. He is a founding member of the Grenfell Historical Society Board and is active on many committees of that Board. He is also a member of the IAS food processors committee, the Provincial Craft Council and the External Advisory Committee to The Rooms. Mr. Knudsen was also a founding member of the L�Anse aux Meadows Heritage Committee which has since been renamed the Petit-Nord Nature Heritage Society. He lives in St. Lunaire-Griguet.

Maxine Stanley currently serves on the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council. She has an extensive background as a music teacher. She is the choral director for the Bel Canto Singers. She has produced and directed a number of successful concerts include a benefit concert for Mr. Ed Smith and musical productions such as Grease. Ms. Stanley is a dedicated member of the Grand Falls-Windsor artistic community through her work as a music teacher and choir director as well as an accompanist, drama director and festival organizer.

Doreen Hart, born and raised on Change Islands, has long held an interest in local culture and heritage. In 1996, she was one of the founding members of the Change Islands Tourism Association, a committee she continues to chair to this day. During her tenure, Ms. Hart has initiated and overseen many cultural and tourism initiatives, from trail development to establishment of a modern interpretation centre which publicly illustrates the unique geological and cultural heritage of Change Islands. Ms. Hart has also held other prominent community positions including current director with the Kittiwake Coast Tourism Association and mayor of Change Islands from 1997 to 2001. Ms. Hart and her husband currently reside in Change Islands where they own and operate their own bed and breakfast.

Heather MacLellan is the assistant deputy minister of Culture and Heritage with the Department of Tourism, Culture and Recreation and is currently managing the development of The Rooms. Ms. MacLellan also sits on the board of the National Capital Commission, the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council and the Newfoundland and Labrador Film Development Corporation. Prior to her present position, she worked for the federal department of Canadian Heritage and Parks Canada as Superintendent for Eastern Newfoundland, responsible for National Parks and National Historic Sites and Commemorations. She was the director of marketing and strategic planning for Parks Canada, Ontario Region. Ms. MacLellan was also the project manager for capital development projects such as the Ryan Premises/Bonavista, Red Bay, Hawthorne Cottage, George Brown House and Laurier House National Historic Sites.

2003 09 12                                        3:00 p.m.


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