Heritage Winnipeg's Board of Directors:

2009-2010

Penny McMillan, President

Penny is an active participant in the community and serves is General Manager of Rainbow Stage. She regularly contributes to a number of other organizations by participating on additional Boards and Committees on specific projects.

Penny is proud to live in the Exchange District, work in downtown Winnipeg and market Winnipeg to visitors.

Celine Kear/Past President

Celine Power Kear was born in Branch and is a graduate of St. Thomas Aquinas School.  She was the first outport student to win both the Junior Jubilee Scholarship for highest marks in the provincial public exams in Grade X and the Governor General's Medal for a similar feat in Grade XI.

After graduation with a BA from Memorial University of Newfoundland with a double major in French and history, she received an MA in French studies from Laval University in Quebec, graduating cum laude.  She is fluently bilingual.

She has taught at three universities including Memorial and is presently a part-time lecturer at the University of Winnipeg.  Her area of interest is 19th century French literature and the role of women in the development of the novel.

She is very active in the history and heritage community of Winnipeg where she has lived for many years.  She served as president of the Manitoba Historical Society (1996-98) and served a two-year term (2004-06) as president of Heritage Winnipeg.

She is past president of the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA CANADA). Celine has never lost her affection for Newfoundland and spends her summers with her husband Allen in a 150 year old house in a historical preservation area of St. John's.  She also maintains her membership in the Newfoundland Historical Society.

Vacant/1st Vice-President

Nancy Klos

Nancy Klos holds a Master's Degree in Public Administration and a Bachelor of Arts, Honours (Political Science and Administrative Studies) from the University of Winnipeg. Nancy has been a member of Heritage Winnipeg since 1989, becoming a board member in 1997.She also was instrumental in the publication of Winnipeg InSight, and kindly donated copies to HeritageWinnipeg's library. Her areas of interest include heritage photography and heritage preservation-related research in tourism and the motion picture industry.

Kathleen Leathers/Secretary
Kathleen is a graduate of the University of Manitoba with a B.A. Degree in Environmental Studies and a Master's Degree in Education. She is also a founding member of Prairie Pathfinders Inc., publishers of Winnipeg Walks and Hiking the Heartland and Manitoba Picnic Perfect.

Kathleen resides in the Osborne Village and works as an activist in the neighbourhood's affairs. She joined the board of Heritage Winnipeg in 2007.

David Dandeneau

David Dandeneau was a development officer at the College universitaire de Saint-Boniface with responsibility for fundraising. He has established an endowment fund, which has raised more than $5 million. His other responsibilities include promotion and marketing, recruitment, strategic partnerships and special events. He has had a long and varied experience in community organizations.

He is presently involved with la Maison-GabrielleRoy Inc., Manitoba Film and Sound Corporation (co founder), the Business Development Corporation of Saint-Boniface, the Youville Centre, the Manitoba Metis Federation and is president of the Saint-Boniface Development Corporation.

Jim Kacki, Architect

Jim is principal partner of James Kacki Architect and Planner Inc., and a holder of a B.Ach, U. of M., where he also taught in the 1980s.

His professional experience has included work with E. J. Gaboury, and with other Manitoba firms. His projects have included heritage design and work for Arts Accommodation in the Historic Winnipeg Area, The East Yards and late The Forks Site Plan.

He currently is a volunteer member of the Forks Historic Advisory Committee, and had just completed supervising the restoration of the tworail cars at the Forks. Jim is also on the Heritage Winnipeg Streetcar 356 Committee.

John Lehr
John Lehr is a Professor of Geography at the University of Winnipeg. Born in England, he immigrated into Canada in 1969 after receiving his BA (Hons) in geography from the University of Wales and a Certificate in Education from the University of Liverpool. He holds an MA in Georgraphy from the University of Alberta and a PhD in Geography from the University of Manitoba. His research interests focus on the historical geography of western Canada, particularly the agricultural settlement of ethnic groups, on which he has published widely, and on heritage conservation and tourism.

He has served as President of the Manitoba Historical Society, Chairman of the Manitoba Heritage Council, President of the Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada, and fulfilled two terms as a member of the Board of the Manitoba Museum. He is currently President of the Canadian Ethnic Studies Association and Chair of the Board of the SCE Lifeworks, an organization that assists people with mental disabilities secure employment in the workforce.

He has taught at the Stockport College of Technology, England, the University of Victoria B.C., and Bar Ilan University in Israel.

Jordon van Sewell

Jordon served 6 years as Chair of the Works Of Art Committee at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. He is also past Executive Director at the Manitoba Crafts Council.

Jordon works primarily as a studio artist and educator of the arts but is also actively involved with community issues in South Point Douglas.

Elizabeth Fleming

Elizabeth has followed land use planning and heritage issues in Winnipeg since she and her family made the city their home in 1982. 

Over the years, she has observed that applications to change land use and zoning designations can present both impediments and opportunities to the preservation of Winnipeg, Manitoba and Canada's built and natural heritage. 

Elizabeth is active in a number of organizations that support women, the environment, the arts and the public's right to know.

William (Bill) Neville

Bill is a Senior Scholar in the Department of Political Studies at the University of Manitoba and was Head of the Department from 1997 to 2005. His career included ten years as a member of Winnipeg City Council, during which time he chaired the Historic Buildings Committee and served briefly as a Council representative on the Board of Heritage Winnipeg.

He chaired the Manitoba Heritage Council from 1989 to 2002 and was the Manitoba member of the Historic Sites and Monument Board of Canada from 1997 to 2005. He was twice the recipient of Heritage Winnipeg's Distinguished Service Award and in 2006 received the Gabrielle Leger Award, presented by the Heritage Canada Foundation, " For services to the nation in the field of heritage conservation." Since 1989 he has been a regular contributor to the Op-Ed page of the Winnipeg Free Press, a number of his columns having been concerned with heritage issues.

John Perrin

Following university, John pursued a career in business. In 1979 his father's family investment company purchased The Fort Garry Hotel in Winnipeg and John served in several capacities as Vice President, General Manager (COO) and Director. In 1998, he co-founded a magazine publishing company in Winnipeg and served as Vice President (CFO) and Vice President (CMO) and as a Director of the company until leaving to pursue other interests. In 2006, John returned to the hospitality industry as Corporate Director of Sales & Marketing (CMO) for a Manitoba hotel group.

John is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Children's Hospital Foundation of Manitoba and the Board of Managers of the St. Andrew's Society of Winnipeg, chairing the Society's Communications Committee. He is also a life member of the Winnipeg Squash Racquet Club.

Shelly Slobodzian

Shelly Slobodzian was born and raised in Winnipegosis, Manitoba and graduated from the University of Manitoba, Faculty of Architecture with a Bachelor of Interior Design in 1998.   Her interest in historical buildings and heritage sites was peaked through her architecture and design education which led to travels throughout Europe after graduation to witness many of the architectural treasures she had studied firsthand.

Shelly has written an article for Manitoba History magazine, spent a summer assisting Professor William Thompson with his research for the Faculty of Architecture ‘Legacy Project' , provided sketches of heritage homes for the West Broadway Walking Tour brochure and assisted the Manitoba East European Heritage Society in documenting rural religious structures in Manitoba.  

Councillor Grant Nordman

City of Winnipeg - Councillor by appointment (Nov. 2008).

Cindy Tugwell

Executive Director of Heritage Winnipeg and Manitoba Governor of Heritage Canada (elected 3 year term).