OUR BOARDS

Board of Directors, Arts Club Theatre Company

The Arts Club Board of Directors are volunteers who share a common passion for the performing arts. They provide financial oversight and strategic direction for the company while acting as a sounding board for senior management. They bring their expertise and community leadership to further the mission and vision of the theatre company. Each director is elected by the membership for a two-year term and can serve on the board for a maximum of eight years.

Wanda Costuros, CPA (CMA), MBA, Chair
Wanda was appointed to the Arts Club board in 2019. Wanda is a retired financial executive, with extensive experience in corporate governance in for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Wanda has held several board and committee roles, including BC Hydro (Director and Chair of Finance and Audit), Powerex Inc. (Chair and Director), Land Title and Survey Authority (Chair), Seven Seas Fish Company (Chair of Advisory Committee), Art in Motion Income Fund (Director and Chair of Audit Committee), Science World (Director and Chair of Audit Committee), and YWCA (Director). Prior management roles include Chief Financial Officer of Xantrex Technology, Fletcher Challenge Pulp, and Timberwest Inc. Wanda is a CPA (CMA) and received her MBA at Simon Fraser University, receiving the Dean’s Medal in 1995. She was also awarded a Women of Influence by Business in Vancouver. Wanda is also a director on the board of The Hieros Foundation.

Sandra R. MacKay, J.D., Secretary
Sandra joined the Arts Club board in 2019. A business lawyer and corporate governance specialist, Sandra is the Global Vice President, Legal & Corporate Secretary of Copperleaf Technologies Inc. In previous roles in her more than 30 year legal career Sandra has served as in-house counsel to public companies, and advisor to their boards of directors, in several industries including downstream oil and gas, mining, engineering technology, and bio-technology. She has also worked in the public sector as the head of legal in the Provincial Health Services Authority, BC Emergency Health (Ambulance) Services and Emergency Communications for B.C. (9-1-1 service) Sandra has served on the boards of directors of public companies in the mining sector. Sandra is a graduate of UBC Law School . and a member of the BC Law Society.

Brenda Crabtree (Xyolholemo:t)
Brenda joined the Arts Club board in 2021. Brenda has both Nlaka’pamux and Sto:lo ancestry and belongs to the Spuzzum Band. Brenda is retired from the position of the Director of Aboriginal Programs and Special Advisor to the President on Indigenous Initiatives at Emily Carr University of Art + Design. Brenda is an anthropologist, educator, community facilitator, and cultural advisor. She is also an artist, curator, and mentor. Brenda received her BA and MA (Cultural Anthropology) from Western Washington University. She was honoured by the BC Achievement Foundation in 2016 as an enduring champion for Indigenous artists and has been a key figure in developing groundbreaking programs. In her art practice, Brenda fuses Northwest Coast First Nations materials and traditions with political texts. Brenda’s material practice is a vehicle for political activism, bridging art, politics, and history. Brenda serves in an advisory capacity for the City of Vancouver Arts + Culture Committee, the BC Creative Achievement Foundations, First Nations Art Advisory, and the Bill Reid Gallery. Brenda also serves on the board of directors of the YVR (Vancouver Airport) Art Foundation.

Suzanne James, CPA, CA
Suzanne has been on the Arts Club board of directors since 2018. Suzanne obtained a BComm (honours) from Queen’s University and received her Chartered Accountant designation two years later. With a passion for travel as well as the arts, Suzanne embarked on an international financial services career, working in the UK, Europe, Eastern Europe, Russia, South East Asia, and Australia. While working and living in these countries, Suzanne has been actively involved in the not-for-profit sector. Suzanne returned to Canada in 2012 and quickly embraced the Vancouver lifestyle—as an avid skier and hiker, as well as supporting the arts community.

Al-Karim Kara, MBA, FCPA, FCMA, C.Dir
Al-Karim was appointed to the Arts Club board in 2023. Al-Karim is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Land Title and Survey Authority of British Columbia (LTSA), a publicly accountable, statutory corporation responsible for operating BC’s land title and survey systems. Before joining LTSA, Al-Karim held a number of executive positions with Xantrex Technology Inc., including Vice President of Operations, Interim CFO, and Vice President, Information Technology and CIO. Al-Karim is a member of the BC Identity Information Management Steering Committee and the School of Business Program Advisory Committee at Kwantlen Polytechnic University.

Natascha Kiernan, J.D., ICD.D
Natascha is an experienced corporate director, lawyer, and strategic advisor. She received her J.D. from Columbia University and has held senior positions with several prominent international law firms, including in the New York and London offices of Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom. Ms. Kiernan has 19 years experience advising governments, financial institutions, and corporations on complex M&A and finance transactions and was previously selected as a “Top 40 Under 40” rising legal star by the UK’s Financial News. Ms. Kiernan is the founder and principal of Bellevue Strategic Advisory and currently serves as Vice Chair of the BC Energy Regulator. She also serves as an independent director on the boards of several public and private companies. Ms. Kiernan received her B.A. (with distinction) from the University of Victoria, where her studies included playwriting. She has always maintained a keen interest in supporting the arts and in attending live theatre. She has previously served on the board of several non-profit organizations, including the Vancouver Writers Fest. She also volunteers her time by serving as a mentor to professional women through both Women Get On Board and Dress for Success. Ms. Kiernan lives in West Vancouver, BC, with her husband and two young children.

Heather McKay
Heather has been on the Arts Club board since 2017. Heather brings deep experience in human resources, change management, and communications. She has an MBA from UBC and has worked at an executive level in several industries including technology, professional services, and commercial real estate firms. Prior to her tenure with the Arts Club, Heather did work with other non-profits, including the Canadian Cancer Society, the YWCA, and the Vancouver Art Gallery.

Harvey McKinnon
Harvey joined the Arts Club board in 2024. He is recognized as one of North America's leading fundraising experts. He is the author of six books and co-author of the #1 international best-seller The Power of Giving: How Giving Back Enriches Us All, which won the Nautilus Gold Award for books on social change and was selected as one of Amazon's Best Books of the Year. It reached number one in the US and Canada and has been translated into nine languages. Harvey is a highly rated trainer who has delivered keynotes at national conferences from Australia and Norway. He has produced a wide variety of award-winning documentary films aired on the BBC, CBC, PBS, and many other networks worldwide. They include Side By Side: Women Against AIDS in Zimbabwe, The Black Sea in Crisis, and biographies of David Suzuki and William Shatner. Before founding Harvey McKinnon Associates in 1989, he spent ten years with Oxfam Canada. His company raises money for dozens of non-profits in Canada and the US. He has served on many boards, including the Advisory Board of the Brainerd Foundation (US), Oxfam Canada, the AFP Vancouver Chapter, the Vancouver International Comedy Festival, and the Vancouver International Writers Festival.

Bev Park, FCPA/FCA, MBA
Bev was appointed to the Arts Club board in 2022. Bev is a corporate director and retired executive. Bev serves on the board of TransAlta Corporation, and previously served on the boards of InTransit BC, Teekay LNG Partners, SSR Mining, and BC Transmission Corp. In addition, Bev has served on a number of not-for-profit boards, including those of the UBC Board of Governors, the Simon Fraser University Community Corporation, the Simon Fraser Beedie School of Business Dean’s Advisory, the International Women’s Forum (Vancouver Chapter), the Vancouver Opera Association (chair), the Vancouver Opera Foundation, Science World’s Advisory, the BC Business Council Board and Executive Committee, the United Way of the Lower Mainland, the St. Paul’s Hospital Foundation, and the YWCA Metro Vancouver (chair). Prior management roles include interim CEO, COO, and CFO of TimberWest, and various finance and accounting roles at BC Hydro and KPMG. Bev is an FCPA (FCA), with an MBA from Simon Fraser University and a BCom from McGill University. Bev was named one of Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women and was a recipient of the Excellence in the Private Sector Award from the Association of Women in Finance.

Ali Pejman, FCPA, FCA
Ali is a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants and is currently Managing Partner at Fort Capital Partners, an investment bank. During his 20-plus-year career as an investment banker, he has led the teams that raised over $3 billion in equity transactions and advised on $22 billion in M&A. He is also an active member of the community, including VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation, Metro Vancouver Transit Police, Forum for Women Entrepreneurs, and Science World.

Amin Sunderji
Amin Sunderji is currently the Regional Vice President for BMO Bank of Montreal. In his current role, Amin oversees 18 branches with over 190 employees in the Burnaby, Tri-Cities, and Valley West market. Prior to joining BMO, Amin held roles in Human Resources, Corporate Strategy, and Diversity & Inclusion at another financial institution. Amin is passionate about people, developing talent, sales leadership, and building strong cohesive teams. Outside of work, Amin and his husband, Kevin, enjoy travelling and spending time with their family and friends.

Shawn Williamson
Shawn joined the Arts Club board in 2017. Shawn is one of the North America’s most highly regarded entertainment executives, internationally known for his creative and corporate success. Based in Vancouver, Shawn has more than 30 years of experience working in entertainment and has produced numerous award-winning films and television shows. Shawn began his career as a stage manager at the Arts Club in 1983 and has since gone on to produce more than one hundred film and television projects through his company Brightlight Pictures. Selected credits include the features 50 Dead Men Walking (Ben Kingsley, Jim Sturgess), The Company You Keep (Robert Redford, Shia LaBeouf), The Interview (Seth Rogen, James Franco), White Noise (Michael Keaton), and the series Mighty Ducks (Disney), Upload (Amazon), and Firefly Lane (Netflix). Shawn is currently producing The Good Doctor (Sony Pictures and ABC).

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Board of Directors, Arts Club of Vancouver Theatre Foundation

The Arts Club Foundation Board of Directors are a mix of Arts Club board members and independent members. All are passionate theatre-loving volunteers who bring their expertise and financial guidance to the stewardship of the company's assets and endowment funds through donations and prudent investment. Each director is elected by the membership for a two-year term and can serve on this board for a maximum of six years.

Glenn Powers President	Senior Lecturer Simon Fraser University
Jamie Bruce Treasurer	Partner Capital West Partners
Carol Humphrys Secretary	Lawyer
Wanda Costuros, CPA (CMA), MBA
John Dawson, FCPA, FCA	Accountant/Business Advisor
Suzanne James, CPA, CA	Chief of Business Analytics Connor, Clark and Lunn Financial Group