Paul Berton
Paul Berton is editor-in-chief of The Hamilton Spectator. He was editor-in-chief of The Free Press in London, Ontario, where he served on several boards and committees. He has a degree in journalism from Carleton University and a degree in English and history from the University of Western Ontario. He is the inventor of a board game called Eye Know.

Maggie Carr
This enthusiastic community supporter has enjoyed careers in nursing, in fundraising (in charge of the development departments at both the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra and Opera Hamilton) and in property development. A true believer in the city of Hamilton and what it has to offer its residents and visitors, she also served as a member of the VON Foundation board for 12 years, and chaired the foundation for two. She is committed to this institution, which she feels is one of the most important and positive forces in this exciting city.

Luigi V. Celli, BAcc, CA
Second Vice-Chair, AGH Board of Directors
Lou is a Chartered Accountant and Partner with Grant Thornton. His areas of expertise include assurance, corporate & personal tax planning and corporate financing. He has served as Board Chair for Hamilton’s Ronald McDonald House and looks to add his financial and strategic skills to various committees and the Board of the AGH.

Rick Court
Past Chair, AGH Board of Directors
Rick has held various positions throughout his career in finance, marketing and technology. As CEO and part-owner, he helped build Loadlink into the technology standard for the transportation industry. After completing the sale of this company he joined a boutique investment banking firm, completing several successful mergers, acquisitions and financings in the technology field. He recently was appointed the Dean of Business, Media and Entertainment at Mohawk College. Rick holds an MBA from McMaster University.

Charles P. Criminisi
First Vice-Chair, AGH Board of Directors
Charles is a partner at the law firm of Agro Zaffiro LLP where he practices commercial law and litigation. He is a founding member and past Chair of both the Burlington Community Foundation and Villa Italia Retirement Residence. Charles is a founding member of The Law Group, which supports the Gallery’s endowment by raising funds for the Building a Legacy 2 campaign.

Louise Dompierre
AGH President and CEO
Louise joined the Gallery in December 1998 and was formerly the Associate Director/Chief Curator of The Power Plant, Toronto, where she played a key role in the development of Canada’s most dynamic and ambitious centre for contemporary visual arts. She has also worked at the Agnes Etherington Art Centre and the Canada Council for the Arts in Ottawa. In 1998, Louise was made Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. She has served on the Board of CAMDO and the NFB. A Paul Harris Fellow, she was inducted in Hamilton’s Gallery of Distinction in 2007, and received an LLD (Hon.) from McMaster University in 2008.

Filomena Frisina
Chair, AGH Board of Directors
Filomena is a partner of Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP (Toronto) where she has a busy corporate law practice. She is a member of a number of the Gallery’s committees - Law Group, Nominating and Corporate Governance and Government Relations. Filomena is also a member of the Board of Governors of the Columbus Centre of Toronto. Born and raised in Hamilton, she is an avid lover of the arts and hopes to contribute to the continuing success of the AGH.

Andrew Furgal
As BMO Bank of Montreal's Vice President, Hamilton District, Andrew leads a team of nearly 400 financial professionals working in 35 branches located throughout the Hamilton, Niagara, Brantford and Simcoe areas. The Hamilton District team provides each of BMO's clients with access to retail, commercial and financial planning services. In addition to supporting the AGH, Andrew volunteers on the Board of Directors for the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers, and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Western Ontario and a Masters of Business Administration from Dalhousie University.

Peter Gordon

John Heersink
John chairs Grand River Foods, a producer of innovative food products serving the grocery and food service industries in North America, with over 500 employees working at operations in three southwestern Ontario communities. Extensive world travels have led John to become an enthusiastic art collector as evidenced in his heritage home, Foxbar, which he and his wife Liz spent years painstakingly restoring to its former glory as one of Ontario’s finest examples of Italianate architecture.

Chip Holton
Secretary - Treasurer, AGH Board of Directors
Former President, npg envelope.

Vince Isber
As Regional Vice President Greater Hamilton Market for RBC Royal Bank, Vince is responsible for the management for all consumer, financial planning and small business operations, including the overall performance of 18 branches, 21 financial planners and 9 small business account managers. He is also involved with the Junior Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) as 2008 fundraising chairman; the Jobs Prosperity Collaborative; and the Greater Hamilton Market United Way Cabinet. He holds an International Masters Degree from Lancaster University in the UK.

David Kissick
David Kissick is the District Vice President for TD Commercial Banking responsible for the region encompassing Hamilton, Brantford and the Niagara Peninsula. David’s 27 year career with TD has involved roles in Retail Banking, Head Office and Commercial Banking. Career stops include Halton and Toronto as well as the Hamilton market for the past 8 years. A graduate of the University of Toronto, David looks forward to contributing to the various committees and the AGH board in general.

Bill Manson
Chair, AGH Volunteer Committee
Bill is a retired Hamilton educator, local historian, published author, and inveterate volunteer. He has served as an active member in numerous Hamilton organizations including the Future Fund Board of Governors, the Municipal Heritage Committee, the Arts Commission (Vice-Chair) Information Hamilton (Vice-Chair), Arts Hamilton (Vice-Chair), and the Hamilton Historical Board (Chair). For the past seven years, he has taken an active volunteer role here at the Gallery as docent, heritage walking tour leader, and member of the Volunteer Committee Executive. In his spare time, he also administers his own heritage presentation company, celebrating Hamilton’s history and heritage through illustrated talks and walks, called Footsteps in Time.

Shik Patel, CIMA
Certified in Investment Management Analysis from one of North America’s leading business schools, Shik has been an investment advisor for over 25 years, and currently works with clients Canaccord Genuity Corporation. A Mohawk College graduate, he has been a member of the Gallery’s board of directors since 2006.

Maria Pearson
Elected for three terms to Stoney Creek Council (Ward 3) beginning in 1991, Maria currently serves the constituents of Ward 10 on Hamilton’s City Council. She actively participates on over 20 council boards and committees, including the Airport Implementation Task Force, the Economic Development and Planning Standing Committee, and the Hamilton Public Library Board. She was previously employed as a legal secretary and automobile sales and leasing representative.

Russ Powers
Councillor, City of Hamilton

Reinhard Reitzenstein
Reinhard Reitzenstein was born in Uelzen, Germany, in 1949. He studied at the Ontario College of Art, Toronto, 1968-71. From 1971-1991, he was represented by the Carmen Lamanna Gallery, Toronto. Since 1993, he has been represented by the Olga Korper Gallery, Toronto, and since 2000 also by Lutz Teutloff Media Projects in Germany. Reitzenstein has held over one hundred solo exhibitions and participated in over 300 group exhibitions in North America and abroad. He has completed more than a dozen public art commissions along with numerous private commissions. His work is represented in over 50 public and corporate collections internationally. Reitzenstein has been an instructor in sculpture and interdisciplinary studies at several universities and colleges since 1980. Beginning in the summer of 2000 he has been the Director of the Sculpture Program, and from 2003-06 also Director of Graduate Studies, SUNY, Buffalo.

Mark A. Rizzo, C.Dir.
Mark is an Investment Advisor with CIBC World Markets Inc. in Hamilton, providing investment advisory services to both institutional and private clients specializing in credit unions, religious orders and private foundations. A graduate of McMaster University, Mark has served as a member of numerous charities including the YMCA of Hamilton/Burlington and as a past chair of Royal Botanical Gardens. He currently serves as the Chair of the Board of St. Peter’s Health System, and as a board member of Hamilton Health Sciences. Mark is a graduate of the McMaster University DeGroote School of Business and the Conference Board of Canada Directors College and holds the designation of Chartered Director.

Andrew Sloan

Roma P. Sohal
Roma is the Financial Controller for Audcomp Computer Systems, one of the top 50 information technology companies in Canada. She was formerly an engineer with Nortel Networks, where she designed and implemented various computer telephony applications for Norstar telephone systems. Roma holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Lakehead University, where she formed the university’s first South Asian Student Association. She was also active at the Radio College of Canada, where she served as the chair for the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and as an Advisory Board member. An active Rotarian since 2000, Roma served as the Rotary Club of Ancaster’s president.