Stage Door News
Stage Door News
December 29, 2014 – OTTAWA (Canada) – Julia Foster, the former Chair of the National Arts Centre’s (NAC) Board of Trustees was appointed to the Order of Canada last week. Ms. Foster chaired the NAC’s Board of Trustees for 8 years during a period of extraordinary growth for Canada’s largest performing arts centre. The Order of Canada recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to community and service to the nation.
Over the course of her tenure at the NAC, Julia’s strong leadership quickly helped develop a strong and cohesive Board. She was instrumental in helping the NAC weather the country’s severe economic downturn, strongly supporting the creation of a three-year financial restructuring plan that helped the Centre emerge from the recession in a remarkably strong artistic and financial position. Her diplomacy and effectiveness in government relations were invaluable: she effectively championed the NAC to Members of Parliament, cabinet ministers, senators, and other key representatives in the federal government.
Julia’s vision and dedication to the arts in Canada was evident during the period in which the NAC was crafting its 2008-13 Strategic Plan, Performing for Canadians. She recognized immediately that the NAC could not be relevant to its most important stakeholders — Canada’s artists and arts organizations — without listening to their feedback. Julia and several key members of the NAC’s Senior Management team travelled the country to meet with artists and arts organizations across Canada during the plan’s creation.
Ms. Foster championed the NAC’s new branding initiative with its tagline, “Canada is our stage”. She was also a major supporter of the Government of Canada’s recent announcement to invest $110.5 M to renovate the National Arts Centre to mark Canada’s 150th Birthday in 2017. The National Arts Centre will build a new glass entrance that will embrace Confederation Square, and will include upgraded performance spaces, public spaces and catering venues.
“I can think of no one who deserves the Order of Canada more than Julia Foster. She is an extraordinary woman whose passion, professionalism and voluntarism have made a significant contribution to the National Arts Centre over the past eight years, and to so many other important Canadian institutions in the arts, sports, education and healthcare,” said Peter Herrndorf the President and CEO of the National Arts Centre.
Ms. Foster is currently the Chair of the Board of Governors of York University, an important appointment as she is the first woman to serve in that role at the University. Ms. Foster has a deep commitment to voluntarism, but also enjoyed a highly successful career in business working as Vice President of McCann-Erickson Advertising, as a Senior Associate with Environics Research Group, and as the President and CEO of the Olympic Trust of Canada.
Ms. Foster came to the NAC as Board Chair after a many successful years of serving as Chair at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Canadian Arts Summit, as well as being a member of the Ontario Cultural Attractions Fund’s Executive Committee, and a member of the Art Gallery of Ontario’s Public Affairs Committee. She has also served as a board member at the Toronto International Film Festival, the Shaw Festival, the Bata Shoe Museum and the Toronto Hospital for Sick Children.
Julia and her husband Robert Foster have four grown children, making for a very busy personal and professional life that they share together.
Photo: Julia Foster. ©2012 George Pimentel.
2014-12-29
Ottawa: Socialite Julia Foster is appointed to the Order of Canada