The Village Committee

The 2011 Village Committee: (from left)Lauryn Kronick, Glenn Crawford, Hershel Kagan, Lee Callan,Nicolaas Sont, Sebastien Provost, Ian Capstick. Photo: Ben Welland

The Village Committee is comprised of seven dedicated persons with specific roles and duties. They are:

Lee Callan
Volunteer Coordinator, Secretary

Lee has lived in Ottawa since 1996. Volunteeriesm is important to her, and has often been known to say ‘many hands make small work’. She was an executive Board member on Capital Pride for four years and has been involved with the Village Committee for two years. She is committed to working with the great Village People who constantly and consitently help with the various Village activities and fundraisers.

Ian Capstick
Business Relations

Ian is passionate about creating social change through communications. An experienced media coach, political tactician and engaging speaker he is now quoted widely in Canada’s media. He is a regular on Power & Politics on CBC News Channel and is a go-to source for comment on the changing world of communications. He was named Xtra Canada’s Political Activist of the Year in their annual Hero Awards.

Glenn Crawford
Chair

Living in Ottawa for almost 40 years, Glenn is passionate about making Canada’s Capital a safer, more exciting place for the GLBT community to live, work and play. After attending a town hall meeting in February 2006 to discuss the queer community’s interests regarding the reconstruction of Bank Street, he decided to get involved in the formation of an officially designated Village in the heart of the busy commercial and residential neighbourhood surrounding Bank Street. Since then, Glenn has offered his time and experience as a self-employed graphics and Web designer (Jack Of All Trades Design) to the Village in the role of Chair and handling media, promotion and communications, as well as donating his services as graphic/Web designer to the Capital Pride Festival from 2005-2010. Glenn is proud of the many continued successes of the Village. He was honoured to be awarded the 2007 Capital Xtra Hero Award as Community Activist of the Year and to be named the 2010 Capital Pride Grand Marshal.

JF Dufault
Media and Communications

Hershel Kagan
Treasurer

A staunch believer in the Village, Hershel has been on the board since its inception. He lives in the Village, where he and his husband are raising their two young children. Hershel also works in the Village as a family doctor. Says Hershel, “I see how the Village can be a place of diversity and safety, and a thriving community for persons of all ages.”

Lauryn Kronick
Public Art Coordinator

Born in Montreal and raised in Ottawa, Lauryn has a background in media, communications and sexuality and has been active in the queer community since she returned to the capital in 2009. Lauryn attended Concordia University in Montreal where she graduated with a B.A. Major Journalism with a minor in Interdisciplinary Studies in Sexuality. While attending university, Lauryn was the arts editor at the campus newspaper and was an active part of Concordia’s queer student collective. She also worked with the Canadian University Press and was a freelance reporter for Xtra. Since returning from Zambia where she worked as a media trainer with Journalists for Human Rights, Lauryn has worked at Canada Council for the Arts and is currently working in communications at the Canadian AIDS Society. She sits on the Board of Directors for the Capital Pride Festival as the Vice-Chair of Communications, is an occasional freelance writer and is an avid supporter of Ottawa’s arts community. She recently joined the Village Committee as the Public Art Coordinator and looks forward to the inspiring projects that will come forward later this year.

Doug Saunders-Riggins

Nicolaas Sont
Events Coordinator

As the Event Coordinator for the Village, Nicolaas Sont brings over three years of event planning and management skills to the table. He is certified in Conventions and Meetings Management from Algonquin College, and has obtained his Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation to manage events at the international level. Volunteering in his second year for the Village, Nicolaas is also found volunteering in the community as an event coordinator for the Gay Ottawa Volleyball league. Working at a business in the Village himself, Nicolaas can often be found around the neighborhood proudly supporting the businesses that make up the Village.

Sebastien Provost
Community Relations

Vacant
Fundraising and Sponsorship
Currently filled by Glenn Crawford

Interested in joining the Village and have experience or expertise in fundraising? Contact Chair Glenn Crawford to find out how you can get involved in this exciting organization.