cart (
VAM’s vision is for an inspired and enriched community, engaged in a full spectrum of visual arts activities. Its mandate is to enrich our community by fostering an appreciation of the visual arts through education, exhibition and engagement; and by enhancing the vitality of the artistic community.
2021 Annual General Meeting Documents can be found here – Full 2021 Annual Meeting Report
EXECUTIVE
IRYNA REIM – Chair
Iryna Reim – With more than 30 years of experience, Iryna is an accomplished Leadership and Organizational Development professional. She has worked primarily in the financial services sector including Mackenzie Investments, Dundee Wealth, Royal Bank and with the Government of Ontario in which she led the Leadership Development Office. Her role was to design and deliver learning initiatives that support an organization in achieving strategic priorities through people. Iryna has held a life-long passion for the arts. She believes that the practice and play of creativity is core to our wellbeing and who we are as human beings. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute to VAM while being a part of this inspiring community.
CATHARINE KATIC – Vice Chair
Catharine brings more than fifteen years of corporate communications, marketing and branding experience to the Board. Throughout her career she has developed and executed programs and campaigns for local, national and international audiences in public and private sectors.
She enjoys her volunteer and pro bono work immensely, where she specializes in helping local arts organizations enrich and develop their branding, marketing and communications programs. Additional creative endeavours include sculpture and found art, as well as a strong interest in combining arts & letters (www.facebook.com/IGYMW).
MARGARETA JAKOBSON – Treasurer
Margareta Jakobson is a long-term Mississauga resident. She has worked in the private and public sectors, with a strong focus on operations, communications and customer service. She builds relationships and teams and sees partnering with internal and external stakeholders as an important part of the decision-making process. For many years, Margareta sat on the board of a non-profit international women’s association as secretary and treasurer. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Master Certificate in Municipal Management. Margareta’s a passion is visual arts and she has in the last few years picked up the paint brush which sat dormant for many years.
TAYA KEHLER – Secretary
Taya Kehler is an emerging artist in Mississauga. She explored her artistic talent throughout her childhood abroad and began creating and selling artworks when she returned to Canada in 2014. Taya has experience exhibiting her own work as well as curating and organizing exhibits at her university campus and has completed self-guided artist residencies where she was able to focus her practice. Taya holds a degree in Landscape Architecture from Dalhousie University and enjoys combining her passion for horticulture and design in her work. She is also a volunteer member of The Riverwood Conservancy, providing designs and horticulture insight to the TRC Gardens Committee. As a member and past volunteer at VAM, Taya is excited to continue her involvement as a member of the board.
FEI SUN – Past Chair
Fei Sun was elected to the Board in April 2017. With 20 years of experience at Fortune 500 companies, Fei enjoyed working in the areas of transformational change management, strategic people programs and effective communications. Fei holds a Master’s and a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and a Masters Certificate in Adult Training and Development.
Fei has lived and worked in China and England prior to moving to Canada in 2015. Fei is grateful for having the opportunity to contribute to our community and being part of our VAMily.
Victoria Shepherd – Executive Director
Victoria has spent the past 25 years in leadership roles in the music industry, as CONNECT Music Licensing’s inaugural Executive Director and as the Canadian Live Music Association’s inaugural Director of Operations. Her passion for arts and culture extends to her personal life, where she is an award-winning theatre director. She is fascinated with the study of leadership and has studied the subject at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies, where she was awarded the inaugural Larry Chester Award for Excellence in Strategic Leadership, Rotman’s School of Business and at York University’s Schulich School of Business. Victoria served on CONNECT Music Licensing’s Board of Directors and was a member of Centennial College’s Music Industry Arts Program’s inaugural Program Advisory Committee.
DIRECTORS
ZELIA BUKHARI
Zelia Bukhari recently finished an MSc in Cultural and Creative Communication from the University of Aberdeen, and has her BAH in Global Development and Political Studies from Queen’s University. Zelia grew up in Mississauga and has been actively involved in the community for many years. She is currently the Fundraising and Digital Marketing Coordinator for The Compass Food Bank and 2 Outreach Centre, located in South Mississauga. She also sits on the Mississauga-Lakeshore Constituency Youth Council as Vice-President. She brings vast experience in the non-profit sector, along with an academic perspective of communication theory within the creative fields, to the Board. Zelia believes that VAM is vital to having a well-rounded community, as VAM provides programs which advocate for creative expression while providing a safe and supportive space to do so.
LORRAINE CROW
Lorraine Crow is a long-time resident of Mississauga. Lorraine has a deep commitment to this community and a great love of art, music and nature. Currently the Manager of Grants and Community Initiatives for the Community Foundation of Mississauga, Lorraine assisted in providing over 3.2M to local charities during the pandemic and participated in the CFoM’s online Vital Conversations engaging community members. As a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), Lorraine brings a wealth of knowledge of both charitable and business sectors. Her previous professional roles include Manager of Philanthropy for The Riverwood Conservancy, Association of Fundraising Professionals committee member, Canadian Association of Gift Planners member, Credit Valley Trail fundraising committee member, Rotary Mississauga Board Chair of Community Assistance and Peace Committee member, former Principal/Campus Director/Teacher in the Private Career College and Manager in Employment Services sector.
MAVIS MAK
Mavis Mak is a regulatory and privacy lawyer, currently working as Associate General Counsel for KPMG Canada’s Office of General Counsel. She received her Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Toronto and her Juris Doctor degree from Dalhousie University. Mavis is an experienced board director having served on a number of other charities in the past. Mavis has been a long-time supporter of VAM having attended drawing lessons in her formative years at the Spring Bank location and is now excited to see her own children attend VAM as well. Mavis was a past board member with VAM in 2015 and she is looking forward to serving VAM again in 2022.
