THE GROUP

CACE (Collingwood Art Culture Entertainment) Group is a local grassroots group of citizens who are very passionate and committed to building an arts, culture and entertainment Centre in Collingwood.

THE GROUP

Rob Hart - Chair

Rob and his family have been coming to Collingwood for recreation since the mid-’80s. They moved to Collingwood in early 2019.

After completing his MBA at the Schulich School of Business he had a 40+ year career holding senior management positions in general management, marketing/communications, sales management with Nestle, Jostens Inc., Torstar, Mississauga Living Arts Centre, and others.

Rob’s seven years with the Mississauga Living Arts Centre as Director of Marketing and Communication and on the leadership team, provided valuable experience for the Arts Centre project.

Since moving to Collingwood he has become a board member of three not-for-profit organizations.

Rob is looking forward to making a meaningful contribution to the success of the Arts Culture Entertainment Centre project.

Charlie Gudaitis – Vice Chair

Charlie first came to Collingwood in 1970. He worked for Jozo Weider and Ernie McCulloch on the hill and in the ski shop. After living in Vancouver, Cozumel and San Diego, Charlie settled in Willowdale with his wife and daughters. Then, after a 35-year career in high tech sales management, Charlie and his family moved permanently in 2013 to Collingwood.

He became active in the community with the Rotary Club of South Georgian Bay, the Sound Investment Community Choir, Probus and the South Georgian Bay Music Foundation.

In 2016, a group of music lovers decided to create the South Georgian Bay (SGB) Music Foundation building on what had been done with the Collingwood Jazz and Blues Society. The SGB Music Foundation’s goal is to support music education in the schools and with the public providing annual music scholarships and donations to students.

Charlie has been collaborating over the last few years with interested people in the community about building a sustainable performing arts centre that includes museums, meeting rooms, rehearsal space and covered parking that would be shared by many organizations.

Richard Lemoine - Treasurer

Richard is currently the chair of Theatre Collingwood and has been a member of that board since 2014.

Richard and his family were first attracted to Collingwood for the skiing and moved full time to the area in 2010. Semi-retired from the accounting firm he founded, Richard previously worked for one of the big four accounting firms and had a stint owning part of an advertising agency prior to returning to the accounting profession in 1990.

Richard has served on numerous boards and most recently retired as chair of the board of Cross-Country Ski Ontario. He remains active in the ski world as the treasurer of Southern Ontario District of Cross-Country Ski Ontario, president of the Highlands Trailblazers (operating out of Highlands Nordic in Duntroon). His previous board experience includes Commodore of the Etobicoke Yacht Club, treasurer, and executive board member of Tafelmusik – (Canada’s premier baroque orchestra), Vice Chair of Junior Achievement (Peel Region) and the YMCA (Mississauga).

He is a long-term audience member of live theatre and does not have an acting bone in his body. Richard can be found not only enjoying Theatre Collingwood, but also at the Shaw, and theatre in Toronto.

Annie Schiefer

A resident of Collingwood for about 10 years, while living in Toronto, Annie has always been an active member of her local community. She was a board member of her son’s daycare, a member of Variety Village in Scarborough and active in various capacities in many political campaigns. Her professional life previously included working in protocol for the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and in communications for the Premier of Ontario as well as training new political caucus members. Annie has also worked in print media and been a consultant in various projects primarily in management, writing speeches and reports.

Now semi retired, Annie became a charter member of one of Collingwood’s newer mixed Probus Clubs and in its second year, became president. She is an enthusiastic member/supporter of the Collingwood YMCA and supports the local hospital and hospice in their many fundraisers. She is a charter member of Citizens for Collingwood, an advocacy group of local citizens. Being part of the CACE Group, Annie has attempted to bridge the vision of a South Georgian Bay living arts centre and the needs of the community.

Hella Sandberg

Hella has been promoting the arts, and specifically live theatre in the area since 1980. She was the Wardrobe Designer/Supervisor for Meaford’s Laughing Water Festival from 1980-84. She has supported Theatre Collingwood in various capacities for over 36 years including as a costume designer and hair/makeup artist as well as being an ardent volunteer. She has been on the Board of Theatre Collingwood and The Blue Mountain Foundation of the Arts, Chair of Theatre Collingwood Guild and member of the All-Arts Centre Committee and Chair of Upstart Productions. She has produced variety shows, costume balls, special events and opening ceremonies.

Latterly, as an archivist, Hella has collated material dating from 1859 on the history of Arts and Culture in the Georgian Triangle area. Recognized for her work in the arts, Hella remains an active and valued volunteer with numerous organizations. She has always believed that “a strong and vibrant Arts and Culture scene contributes greatly to the health and wellbeing of a community both socially and economically”.

Thomas Vincent - Fundraising

Thom and his family have been coming to Collingwood for 40 years and have lived in the Town for 12 years.

After graduating from the University of Toronto, Thom lived and worked in London, England, the Caribbean, and the U.S.A. His entrepreneurial focus included establishing a guest house organization in the U.K.; creating an international Villa Rental Brokerage; creating the concept of executive furnishing housing/apartments for travelling executives in 40 cities worldwide. Thom also established Project Hope, a charity in Toronto, and over 10 years furnished 300 plus apartments/houses for impoverished Toronto families. In 2000 Thom relocated to Washington DC and became president of Bridgestreet International and Executive VP of Interstate Hotel Group.

Returning to Canada, Thom has been involved in numerous projects and more recently developed an Adult Lifestyle and Age in Place Community (Balmoral Village) in Collingwood.

An impassioned supporter of many local endeavours, Thom is a charter member of CACE Group. The CACE Group vision is to build a 600 seat Centre for Arts, Culture and Entertainment.

John Kirby

John is a fourth-generation citizen of Collingwood. He spent 28 years as an educator in Simcoe County and is now a local realtor.

John has been involved in the community most of his life including 7 years on Collingwood Town Council. During this time, he was instrumental in establishing the initial Parks, Recreation and Culture Department, and in the hiring of its first Director. John also initiated and authored the terms of reference for the Order of Collingwood. In the early 1990’s, John served as chair of the Collingwood Civic Centre Committee which first proposed a professional arts centre for the area.

Asked about his involvement in the CACE Group, John states, “I believe the time has come to build a professional, world-class, cultural and entertainment centre that will both serve the needs of the residents of South Georgian Bay communities and will attract visitors to this very special area of our country.”

Erica Angus

Erica Angus came to Theatre Collingwood in 2013 as Executive Director. Prior to this, Erica was the Associate Producer for Theatre by the Bay in Barrie, Ontario. She provides a wealth of knowledge and experience in the arts and culture sector. She was a board member for Tourism Barrie for 6 years, with a special focus on marketing and collaborating with hoteliers, restaurants, and the arts community, to attract tourists to the area.

A founding member of the Downtown Community Theatre Advisory Group in Barrie, Erica played a key role in the planning and development of The Mady Centre for the Performing Arts (now Five Points Theatre).

Erica is thrilled to work in this highly creative region and excited to be part of the CACE Group. She believes that an arts and culture centre in such a key location in Collingwood, and South Georgian Bay, is long overdue. Her commitment to the CACE Group mission, she says, “is certain to play a key role in economic development for the region.”

Jeff Shearer

Jeff Shearer is the founder of On The Bay Magazine. Jeff is proud of the magazine’s pull-no-punches approach to local and regional issues, including threats from wind turbines to quarries, water levels to healthcare and its hard focus on the role of Arts and Culture in our region.

As Publisher of On The Bay and General Manager of Collingwood’s new Classical 102.9 FM, Jeff now leads the Georgian Bay Division of Zoomer Media.

Prior to launching On The Bay in 2004, Jeff played a major role in magazine and newspaper publishing in Canada, serving as VP Marketing of the Toronto Star, Publisher of Saturday Night Magazine, Publisher of Applied Arts Magazine and President of Telemedia Publishing. At Telemedia he oversaw a number of Canada’s finest magazines including Harrowsmith, Vancouver Magazine and Canadian Living.

On the community front, Jeff was Chair of the national literary fair, Word on The Street, a Director of the Ontario Media Development Corporation and Chair of Magazines Canada.

In Southern Georgian Bay, Jeff was Chair of The Collingwood BIA and has served on the boards of the Collingwood General and Marine Hospital, Big Brothers, The Institute of Southern Georgian Bay, and the Collingwood Summer Music Festival.

He is delighted to be an active member of the CACE Group and believes that it is time for Southern Georgian Bay to have its own performing arts and entertainment centre.