Team Members
SARAH BENJAMIN
Retail Information Attendant
Sarah has loved all manners of the arts from a young age. Appreciative of painting, drawing and music, her favourite forms of expression were done through dance and drama. Having studied digital marketing, Sarah reignited her joy for creating, finding that content creation and copywriting were passions she didn’t know she had. Knowing the importance of equality, what drew her to the Centre was the emphasis on creating an inclusive community where all are welcome and encouraged to express their individuality. Having worked in customer service and administrative focused roles for nearly 15 years, Sarah is well versed in task management, problem solving and has an affinity for organization.
Grateful to be a part of this wonderful team, she looks forward to contributing the success of the GCAC in any way possible.
MARC YESSA
Social Media Coordinator / Photographer & Videographer
Marc captures the delicate moments that occur at the centre. While he manages the centre’s social media pages, maintains and regulates the website, he also records and photographs all the special moments. Alongside that, Marc will also be responsible for the production, editing and filming of the Centre’s new and exciting Podcast, to come later this year. Marc enjoys music, one of his favourite quotes is “Life without music, is like a colouring booklet with no colouring pencils to accompany”. His love for film started when he was less than 10 years old. Anything visual effects, pace, composition, directing, and even audio effects. He spent his early childhood obsessing over creators picking up cameras and just recording pieces they felt passionate about. They upload online to their followers, no need for licensing, shoot schedules, or fees. Just the creator and their fans. Since then, he made it his life goal to call himself a Professional in the field.
Marc’s mission and role to the Centre, is to grow its name, message, awareness, and love one social media post at at time!
Board Members
LINDA LYONS
Chair of the board
A creative thinker, thought leader, Linda is known for her success in developing and driving corporate culture, collaboration, and strategy. She is well versed in the art of leadership, communication, and change management. During her professional career, Linda has held senior positions for numerous leading brands both in the private and non-profit sectors including IBM Canada, Toronto Police Services, Correctional Services Canada, and a consultant for media and video production. Linda has held the role of the Chair for the Whitby Terry Fox Run and is Past-President and Life Member of the Whitby Courthouse Theatre. She has also been very involved with the ACT-CO (Association of Community Theatre, Central Ontario) as President and Gala Chair. As an award-winning Director/Producer she enjoys being involved with community theatre and currently serves on the Ajax Community Theatre Board of Directors. As a Mortgage Agent, Linda’s expertise on building relationships has allowed her to provide customized personalized lending solutions to her clients so they can attain their goal of owning a home or consolidating their finances.
Linda is excited to focus on building membership and awareness of the CAC as well as showcasing the arts and culture and talents of this community!
The Gallery is a jewel in Georgina and together we will help her shine!
ANITA DAVID
Vice chair of the board
Anita David is a human resources professional with over 30 years’ experience in federal government programs. She is also an avid volunteer having served on several boards and committees including school councils, intergovernmental committees, Legal Aid board of directors, York Region and a long-term volunteer at Southlake Regional Health Center. After retirement Anita took up oil painting and is now an avid artist with several years’ experience.
DEE LAWRENCE
Secretary of the board
Dee has been a resident of Georgina for 36 years, and during that time has contributed to the Arts scene in this community as a music educator, performer, choral conductor, and church musician. A former executive member of the Lake Simcoe Arts Foundation and Queensville Players, she has served on the executive of the Georgina Historical Society and the Southern Ontario Chapter of the Hymn Society in the U.S. and Canada for several years, in addition to her current work with the Georgina Centre for Arts and Culture. Dee finished her work as the Administrator for the Newmarket Lions’ Music Festival in December 2021 after spending two and a half years in that position. Dee continues to serve as the Vice-Chair on the Georgina Heritage Advisory Committee, and is a working member of the Friends of St. James Hall Committee as they attempt to restore this treasured historical building in Sutton. She looks forward to being able to resume herposition as Conductor of a 70-voice adult community choir based in Newmarket called “Encore!”, once pandemic restrictions are no longer necessary.
DENNISON HARCHARAN
Treasurer of the board
Dennison and his family recently moved to Sutton West. As a community minded person Dennison reached out to GCAC last fall and joined our Board of Directors. Finance Manager Finance Manager, For Youth Initiative (FYI) Supporting youth in York South-Weston & Oakwood-Vaughan with the resources and mentorship to transform their lives.
BILL MAJOR
Director
I have been chairperson of our board of Directors since 2016. I live with Doris, my wife, in Port Bolster where we have owned our home for nearly 30 years. For most of my working life, I have served as a United Church minister. For the last ten years I have developed a live edge woodcraft local business and sell products across Canada in our e-commerce store. I believe strongly that each of us has a wonderful source of creativity within ourselves that only needs help from others to grow and express itself in various forms of art and artistic endeavour. My hope for our Centre for Arts and Culture is that we continue to assist our citizens in developing their creativity in ways then enable their creative spirits to continue growing and flourishing in our community.
See you later, Bill
TOM SZOLT
Director
Canadian photographer, Tom Zsolt, has been documenting the changing Ontario countryside for over 40 years. His exhibition, Ontario Gothic, during Contact ’98 in Toronto, caught the attention. of publisher Roger Boulton of Kearns, Vander Meersch, & Boulton. In 1999 they published County Matters. Zsolt’s first book, documenting the changing land, people, and lifestyles in rural Ontario. Country Matters went on to be short-listed for the Roloff Benx, Award for the best book of photography by a Canadian published that year. In 2009, Zsolt’s work was included in a Canadian exhibition in Beijing, China titled Canadian. Cameras at Work. This exhibit was extended to a 10-city tour of China and Zsolt’s. photograph Niagara Falls, depicting Asian tourists being photographed before Niagara Falls in winter, was selected as the poster image for the Chinese tour.
In 2015. the Georgina Art Centre and Toronto’s Festival of Photography, exhibited a major collection of 7solt’s portraits. Reluctant Subject, Canadian Portraits by Tom Zsolt included photographs from four decades. In 2017, Night Flight to Norway was published: a World War II history surrounding the long life of Halifax Bomber NA 337. Zsolt’s stunning black and white images of the recovered aircraft’s rebirth, 50 years after the war, at the hands of Canadian military craftsman are elegant and notable as they breathe humanity into the brutal and course subject matter. Tom Zsolt lectures on photography, has been featured on CBC, and his work has appeared on the cover of novels and in magazines. He is represented in Canada by The Buckingham Gallery of Fine Arts in Uxbridge, Ontario. His photography is collected privately, by corporations and institutions including Ryerson University Image Centre, Georgina Art Centre, Royal LePage and Borealis Capital. The largest collection of his photography is housed and preserved at the Georgina Art Centre in Sutton, Ontario. Outside of photography, Zsolt is a Chemical Engineer with a career focus on energy management and sustainability. He is an advocate of renewable energy, EVs, nuclear energy, H2 and energy-efficiency. He is the founder and Managing Director of Faraday Lighting, Ontario’s leading supplier of turn-key energy-efficient lighting solutions to industry and commercial properties. Tom Zsolt lives in Georgina with his wife Jennifer who is an artistic painter.
Besides planting and caring for a forest of sugar maples, they both enjoy a brood of dogs, chickens, and horses on their farm.