Board of Directors

Adam Legge is the current Board Chair for WordFest and has been a Board Member since 2009. As the President and CEO for the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Adam values the incredible national and international profile that WordFest garners for Calgary as a cultural destination. In addition to his work with WordFest, Adam is actively engaged in a multitude of community activities and is a board member for Attainable Homes Calgary Corporation and the United Way of Calgary and Area.

Alan Gibson

Deborah Bartlett has been on the board of WordFest since 2010. Currently she works at the United Way of Calgary and Area as Director of Strategic Outreach Initiatives. In addition, Deborah is a consultant working with many Calgary based funders and non-profit organizations creating and evaluating community initiatives. Deborah was the regional coordinator of Community Foundations of Canada encompassing Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. She is the past co-president of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Women’s Foundation.

Wendy Beauchesne joined the WordFest Board in 2010. She is currently Director of Communications for STARS air ambulance and has over 10 years experience in communications and public relations. A self-proclaimed logophile, Wendy is proud to be part of an organization which celebrates words and strives to bring readers and writers together.

Alison Buie

Rosemarie Enslin is president of Enslin Group, a marketing communications firm she started in 1979. During her career, Rosemarie has created campaigns for a variety of clients including arts and literacy organizations she feels privileged and grateful to have represented. Rosemarie is an active volunteer. In 2009, she was named Alberta and Canada mentor of the year by the Canadian Youth Business Foundation and a 2010 Compelling Calgarian by the Calgary Herald. She is committed to the written word and the celebration of Canadian authors and readers. She has been a fan of WordFest since it began. This is her first year on the WordFest board.

Alison Gray has been a member of the WordFest Board since 2009. She is an Associate in the Litigation Department of Bennett Jones LLP, and is honoured to be a part of WordFest.

David Grantham, in 2010, joined the Board of WordFest—a refreshing opportunity for him to support a medium which achieves intimacy with us so differently than do his own mediums of film and architecture. David co-authors prominent Alberta buildings in major architectural firms, and his company Design for People specializes in spaces that facilitate a sense of community. His community involvement includes the boards of Springboard Performance and Motive Action Training Foundation, Dragonfly Co-Housing and enlivening elementary church school through drama and puppetry.

Caireen Hanert has been a WordFest Board Member since 2001. She is a partner with Heenan Blaikie LLP, a national law firm, and practices corporate and commercial litigation. Although she is proud of all of WordFest’s endeavours, Caireen is most proud of WordFest’s commitment to providing opportunities to youth to attend readings and participate in discussions with their favourite authors.

Gillian Lawrence has been on the WordFest Board since 2005. She is currently the Director of Planning at Remington Development Corporation but her career has included a variety of non-profit and public sector roles. For the last five years Gillian has been Chair of WordFeast, WordFest’s annual fundraising event. An avid reader, most of what she reads she buys at the Festival.

Bailey Rivard joined the WordFest Board in 2011. She is currently a manager in Grant Thornton LLP’s advisory services group, specializing in forensic accounting and litigation support. Her strong love for reading has made her a strong believer in the importance of literacy programs and support for local authors and enthusiasts. Rivard is proud to be part of WordFest and believes she is instrumental in furthering these initiatives.

Joanne Stalinski joined the WordFest Board of Directors in 2004, bringing with her over 20 years experience in executive and leadership positions in health care and board governance. Stalinski is past recipient of the Alberta Centennial Medal recognizing service to the people and province of Alberta and currently serves as Chair of the Bow Valley College Board of Governors. She is a passionate advocate for the crucial role of reading, and WordFest’s contribution to the power of words, in shaping our personal world view and our experience of community in Calgary.

Tim Stock-Bateman has been a member of the WordFest Board since 2009 and has attended the Festival since its launch in 1995. Currently completing a J.D. in the Faculty of Law at the University of Calgary, Tim will article with Gowlings in 2012-2013. Tim loves to read and be read to, a pastime he now happily shares with his two small daughters, and is proud to support WordFest’s commitment to promoting words, writers, and the joy of reading.

Peter Verburg has been a WordFest Board Member since 2011. He is currently Managing Director of Gray Capital Partners Inc., a venture capital firm, and a director of Gear Energy Ltd. and Petrus Resources Ltd. Peter greatly appreciates the Festival’s role in nurturing writers’ careers due to his own background as an award-winning journalist.