MEET OUR FESTIVAL STEERING COMMITTEE!
Courtenay Brennan, Chair of Vendor Services
With a strong desire to help put Carleton County on the map and drive people to the place we love and call home, Courtenay looks forward to working with this great group and bringing her background in community outreach, partnership development, project management, communications and event planning to the table. Courtenay is passionate about working with people, promoting all things local (@wholeheartedlylocal), live music, fitness, outdoor activities, travel, personal and professional learning, good food (and wine) & growing our community!
Lee Kinney, Chair of Production
Lee is a composer, sound designer, and theatre director who has worked on broadway, off-broadway, and regional productions throughout Canada and the US. You may remember Lee as the Artistic Director and a founding member of Valley Young Company (or perhaps as a long-haired Jean Valjean, or Tommy, or Tony, etc etc). Lee has a big love for his home community and the Dooryard Arts Festival and looks forward to being involved this year.
Janice Bragdon, Co-chair of Finance & Development
Janice has worked in the non-profit sector for 24 years, and intimately understands the value of volunteerism; the contribution of volunteers is immeasurable! In taking on a leadership role this year, Janice is thrilled to share in the pleasure the festival brings to others. With a love of music being quite prevalent in her family, volunteering for Dooryard seemed a natural fit. She is excited for this new venture and committed to building on the success and efforts of past Dooryard members.
Stephen Thornton, Co-chair of Finance & Development
As chair of the Development Committee, Stephen combines a long history of fundraising with his love of live music and perennial support for Dooryard. He has helped to raise money, and been an enthusiastic supporter himself, for numerous good causes through the Rotary Club of Woodstock, CMH Foundation, Ducks Unlimited and the Alzheimer Society of New Brunswick. Stephen is excited to be involved with #Dooryard2020 and eager to secure a broad base of funding for this important annual festival.
Kristen Corey, Chair of Marketing & Communications
Kristen is a musician and board-certified Music Therapist whose work has provided valuable experience in arts-related program planning in a variety of settings. Born & raised in Woodstock, Kristen currently moonlights as Creative Director for Blink Box, a local family-operated advertising company. She is eager to bring her new-found love for branding & marketing into the Dooryard this year!
Ross Kinney, Chair of Programming
Ross is an avid Dooryard Arts Festival supporter, attendee, and performer – you may have seen him on the Dooryard stage this summer as multi-instrumentalist for the Howard Brook Band tribute show! Ross has worked in the arts and non-profit sector at local and regional levels, including Diabetes Canada, Chapel Street Editions, Craft NB, and Valley Young Company. Ross can’t wait to be out in the Dooryard in 2020!
Jillian Hanson, Chair of Volunteer Services
Jilly recently moved back to New Brunswick from Toronto to work with the Calithumpians, an educational theatre company in Fredericton, touring around the province to perform at schools. While in Toronto, she graduated from George Brown Theatre School, and co-founded Kindling Collective, a feminist theatre company that put an inclusive light on classical text. She was the first ever Dooryard Intern in 2012, and is excited to get involved with the festival again after all these years! Jilly hopes to bring more theatre to the Dooryard year-round in the near future!
Greg Thornton, Chair of Facilities
Greg is a life-long resident of Woodstock who thinks there’s nothing better than live music on the riverbank on a warm summer night. Last year’s Festival (especially the Howard Brook Band tribute) got Greg fired up to become involved with Dooryard. He welcomes the challenge of overseeing the facilities and will draw on previous experience with events such as the Atlantic Bass Classic, the Miss New Brunswick Pageant and Ducks Unlimited. Greg is pleased to be involved in this special event, one which offers so much to our community.
Gloria Yachyshen, Executive Director
Gloria has had a lifelong passion for music and the arts and has volunteered with numerous community organizations over the years to help local arts initiatives thrive. Recognizing that arts and culture are significant drivers for community and economic development and also for the livability of our community, Gloria is thrilled to take on a leadership role in carrying our Dooryard legacy forward and inspiring others to get involved!