About us
Governance
Board of Directors
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Joe Friday is an active and avid participant in the visual arts, both as a community builder and as a collector of Canadian contemporary art. He practiced law in both the private and public sectors, most recently serving as Canada’s Commissioner of Public Sector Integrity from 2015 to 2023. He was the founding Chair of the Carleton University Art Gallery and is currently the Vice-Chair of the Advisory Board of the Agnes Etherington Art Centre at Queen’s University, as well as the Vice-President of the Friends of the Vancouver Art Gallery.
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Victoria Henry is a photographer, art historian, and collector based in Ottawa. She is the former Director of the Canada Council for the Arts Art Bank (1999-2015), Product Development Coordinator at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, owner of the Ufundi Gallery (1975-1992), and Chair of the Hnatyshyn Foundation (2015-2019).
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Tony Tattersfield is a founding member of the Ottawa practice of Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton LLP. In his work, he currently focuses on not-for-profit organizations and non-publicly listed corporations. He has served on multiple boards and committees, including the Consumers Association of Canada, St. John Ambulance, the Canadian Ski Association, Ashbury College, the Rideau Club, the CPA-ON Professional Conduct Committee, the Ashbury College Foundation, the Mach-Gaensslen Foundation of Canada, the Canadian Foundation for the Americas, the National Arts Centre, the Ottawa Estate Planning Council, Carleton University, the National Theatre School of Canada, and The Hnatyshyn Foundation.
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Todd Burke is a senior partner at Gowling WLG practising in the area of complex commercial litigation, arbitration and professional liability defence. He is a member of Gowling WLG’s International Board and is Co-Leader of its International arbitration practice.
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Margaret Alexander is a Chartered Professional Accountant specialized in accounting for not-for-profit organizations and designing management and financial reporting systems.
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Wayne Baerwaldt is a visual arts curator based in Western Canada. He is the former director of Plug In ICA (Winnipeg), Power Plant (Toronto) and the Illingworth Kerr Gallery at AUArts (Calgary) where he was also VP, Academic Affairs. His best-known curatorial projects trace performative elements in artmaking with an emphasis on unstable, disputed identities in diverse spaces. Baerwaldt has curated conceptually ground-breaking exhibitions including Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller: Paradise Institute (2001 Venice Biennale), Ydessa Hendeles: Grand Hotel (2024 Venice Biennale), Leesa Streifler: She is Present, Richard Boulet: If I May Digress, Pierre Molinier, Joep van Lieshout, Beck & Al Hansen: Playing With Matches, The Royal Art Lodge: Ask the Dust (with Joseph R. Wolin), Glenn Ligon: Some Changes (with Thelma Golden) and Death of Tom, Adam Pendleton: BAND, Iran Do Espirito Santo: Wall Drawings, Zachari Logan, Jeffrey Gibson: Call and Response, and others. Baerwaldt has produced films including Walk With Me, (Wiebke von Carolsfeld for Showcase); the 23-part series The Eternal Network, for WTN; FILMdzama (Best Short Film Award, TIFF). He has contributed to the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Border Crossings, Alberta Views, Parkett, Time magazine, Inuit Quarterly and numerous catalogues.
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Deantha Edmunds is Canada’s first Inuk professional classical singer. She was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in December 2023 for her activities as a performer, writer, composer, and mentor – work through which she seeks to empower Indigenous people and share their stories. Prior to joining the Hnatyshyn Foundation’s Board of Directors, Deantha served on multiple juries for its Developing Artist Grants in Classical Vocal Performance.
Photo: Jennie Williams
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Marisa Fusaro is a Program Administrator at the Canterbury Community Association. She is the wife of John Hnatyshyn, the son of the late Right Honourable Ramon John Hnatyshyn and the late Gerda Hnatyshyn. She has experience on volunteer boards of directors and councils, as well as experience working in film and television.
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Tomson Highway is the proud son of legendary caribou hunter and world championship dogsled racer, Joe Highway, and artist Pelagie Highway. A full-blood Cree, he is a registered member of the Barren Lands First Nation. He is an acclaimed novelist, playwright, and musician. Among the many awards he has won are the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Best New Play and Best Production, the Floyd S. Chalmers Canadian Play Award, the Toronto Arts Award, the Wang Harbourfront International Festival of Authors Award, the Silver Ticket Award, the National Aboriginal Achievement Award (2001), and the Order of Canada (1994).
Photo: Sean Howard
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Carl Hnatyshyn is a journalist based in Sarnia. He is the son of the late Right Honourable Ramon John Hnatyshyn and the late Gerda Hnatyshyn.
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Carol Prieur is a dancer at Compagnie Marie Chouinard in Montreal. In 2010, she was named Dancer of the Year by TANZ magazine, and in 2014, she became the first recipient of the Prix de la Danse de Montréal (performer award). In 2025, she celebrates her thirtieth anniversary as a performer with the Company.
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Rosemary Thompson is a Canadian journalist and media executive. She was CTV’s first female White House Correspondent and Deputy Bureau Chief on Parliament Hill. She is the Vice President, External of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society responsible for public relations, government relations and philanthropy. She co-founded Artful Strategies in 2023.
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Cynthia White Thornley is a semi-retired federal public service executive. A recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award for Outstanding Career, she led the Department of Canadian Heritage‘s branches responsible for the arts and heritage. She served as Chair of the Hnatyshyn Foundation from 2019 to 2025 and now occupies an advisory role on the Board as Past Chair.
Staff
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Marianne Brown is an arts administrator and visual artist. She holds a Master of Arts in Contemporary Art Theory and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Ottawa.
Email: director@rjhf.com
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Etta Gerrits is a cultural worker and arts-based researcher. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours in Art History and Gender Studies from Carleton University and has nearly a decade of experience as a practicing artist and musician in Ottawa.
Former members
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William (Bill) Saunderson
2003-2026
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Alan Corbishley
2018-2024
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Haema Sivanesan
2018-2024
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Kim Lymburner
2023
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Gerda Hnatyshyn
2002-2023, President
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Barbara Janes
2017-2022
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Susan Aglukark
2018-2022
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Shane MacKenzie
2020-2022
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Glen Bloom
2017-2021
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Judith Klassen
2015-2021
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Parise Mongrain
2016-2021
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Leslie McKay
2016-2021
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Karen Hennessey
2014-2021
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Jen Budney
2014-2020
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Victoria Henry
2013-2019
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Gaëtane Verna
2011-2017
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Cynthia Dale
2011-2017
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Sylvie Morel
2010-2016
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Dr. Ireneus Zuk
2014-2016
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Julie Nesrallah
2012-2016
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John Hnatyshyn
2012-2016
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Sara R. Nixon
2009-2015
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Keith Kelly
2003-2015
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Nicole Doucet
2012-2014
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Carol Anderson
2011-2013
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Richard Dearden
2003-2014
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Rene Blouin
2006-2011
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Ivan Milam
2008-2011
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Nicole Burns
2008-2011
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Guillaume Sirois
2007-2010
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Ann Birks
2008-2010
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Laura Delaney
2008
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Pierre Pontbriand
2006-2008
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David Adderley
2006-2007
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Audrey Robinson
2004-2007
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James Yersh
2004-2007
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Nance Gelber
2003-2007
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Stella Torontow
2003-2006
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Vicki Gabereau
2003-2006
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Adam Zimmerman
2003-2006
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Roger Abbott
2003-2006
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Hon. Barbara McDougall
2003-2006
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David Currie
2003-2005
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David. C. Simmonds
2002-2004
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The Right Honourable Ramon John Hnatyshyn
2002, Founder