Banff Centre Leadership Group

Chris Lorway is the President and CEO of Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity effective April 10th, 2023. Chris brings senior leadership experience across a broad range of artistic disciplines in both Canadian and international contexts. Well-positioned to strengthen Banff Centre’s position as Canada’s creative leader in arts, leadership, and convening, Chris has a proven record as a global influencer in arts and culture.

Chris is a Canadian citizen, born and raised in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, and comes to Banff Centre from his recent position as both Executive and Artistic Director at Stanford Live in California. His artistic and community programs drew from the breadth and depth of Stanford University to connect performances to significant issues, ideas, and discoveries of our time, through seasons featuring over 200 performances and events across four venues.

With a dedicated history in the arts world that began with the Lincoln Centre Festival Team, Chris also brings a marketing lens to his role as President and CEO. Prior to Stanford Live, he was Director of Programming and Marketing at The Corporation of Massey Hall and Roy Thomson Hall, where his focus was on developing a cohesive brand identity for the institution.

Chris has hands-on experience in live theatre and music production through his previous role as the Artistic Director of the Luminato Festival, where he commissioned or co-commissioned nearly 50 new works from Canadian and International artists.

As a former consultant in the United States with AMS Planning and Research and AEA Consulting, Chris gained detailed insight into the governance and operations of major cultural organizations, including Carnegie Hall, New York City Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the West Kowloon Cultural District and San Francisco Opera.

Kurt Fonseca assumed the role of Vice President, Hospitality, Conferences, and Physical Facilities on November 7, 2024. With over 20 years of leadership in the hospitality industry, Kurt is widely recognized for driving business success through innovative strategies and operational excellence. His experience encompasses hotels, restaurants, and conferences, with a proven track record of managing development and renovation projects, including the iconic restoration of the historic Mount Royal Hotel.

Originally from Ontario, Kurt has called the Bow Valley home for over 25 years. He began his career with the Leadership Development team at the Banff Centre and has since become a prominent figure in the Canadian Rockies' hospitality sector. Over the years, he has successfully managed more than 20 properties, including large-scale collections with Pursuit and Canadian Rocky Mountain Resorts.

Beyond his professional pursuits, Kurt leads an active lifestyle. He enjoys travelling with his family, hiking, mountain biking, golfing, coaching, and playing hockey, embodying the spirit of the mountain community he proudly serves.

Valerie Kapay was appointed to Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity's Senior Leadership Team in 2016, and in April 2021, she was named Vice President, Talent Management and Culture. She has extensive experience in human resource management and labour relations. She brings great spirit, passion, and energy to the culture at Banff Centre and as a member of the Executive Team, provides leadership on the design and implementation of human resource strategies and programs relating to: workforce planning, recruitment and retention, compensation and rewards, pay and benefits administration, human resource management information systems, job design and evaluation, learning and development, performance management, career and succession planning, staff housing, labour relations, conflict and dispute resolution, organization design, change management, policy development, and health and safety workplace practices. She is the chief negotiator for Banff Centre in bargaining the collective agreement with CUPE 4318.

Prior to the Banff Centre, Mrs. Kapay worked with the Government of Saskatchewan in varying capacities in human resource management, participating in the design, delivery and implementation of three point rating classification systems; providing strategic organizational development and support to an assigned portfolio which encompassed all provincial young offender facilities in the province of Saskatchewan; and participating as a member of a bumping/redeployment team during a significant government budget downsizing exercise.

Mrs. Kapay has a Bachelor of Administration from the University of Regina and lives in Banff with her husband Clarence and her two children, where the passion for arts is alive as they spend time advancing Clarence’s exceptional painting talents and his solid reputation as a Canadian First Nations painter.

Kyla Conner is General Counsel and External Relations at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.  Kyla is responsible for overseeing legal compliance and providing legal advice on a wide variety of matters to the organization and serves as the Corporate Secretary for the Board of Governors.

Prior to joining Banff Centre, Kyla owned and operated a law firm in the Bow Valley and practiced primarily corporate law with a focus on corporate reorganizations.

Kyla holds a Master of Laws (LLM) degree from York University, a Bachelor of Laws (with distinction) (LLB) from the University of Alberta and a Bachelor of Arts (First Class Honours) (BA) in English Literature from the University of Calgary.

Derek Fast is Executive Director, Marketing and Communications at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. As a strategic marketing and communications professional, Derek brings senior leadership experience in developing and executing successful, multi-faceted campaigns in both Canadian and international markets. 

Derek has dedicated his career to the arts, culture, and entertainment industries, working in both non-profit and private environments, beginning at Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Shaw Festival while studying at university. 

Derek brings hands-on experience in theatrical and exhibition marketing and communications throughout Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area with positions at cultural institutions like The National Ballet of Canada and The Corporation of Massey Hall & Roy Thomson Hall. While at the latter organization, he developed and integrated a brand identity, new website, and eCommerce infrastructure.

Prior to joining Banff Centre, Derek worked for Starvox Entertainment where he oversaw marketing efforts for international tours of The Art of Banksy, Potted Potter (including its Las Vegas residency), as well as the brand development and multi-market launch of Immersive Disney Animation with Walt Disney Animation Studios. 

Martha joined Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity in 2019 and leads the fundraising team in their work to cultivate, solicit, and steward all philanthropic giving, government grants, and foundation grants to support the centre.

Prior to her work at Banff Centre, Martha worked as Senior Director of Development at TO Live in Toronto, and served for more than a decade at the Luminato Festival, including roles on the executive, programming, and development teams.

Martha holds a Masters in Arts Leadership from Queen's University and is also a proud alumnus of Banff Centre’s Cultural Leadership Program. She previously studied Drama, English, and Italian Studies at University College, University of Toronto, and has a long personal past in the arts as a photographer, performer, and producer.

Martha is based in Toronto where she lives with her husband, two young children, and their rescue dog.

Aliza LeBlanc is a seasoned leader with over 20 years of experience in Transformation, Strategy & Finance across a variety of industries. Throughout her career, Aliza has been instrumental in driving organizational change, optimizing project outcomes, and delivering innovative strategies that propel businesses forward.

One of Aliza's notable achievements includes leading the Development, Launch, and Operations of a Digital Bank, Brightside, where she played a pivotal role in shaping its strategic direction and operational framework. Her leadership extended beyond traditional roles, as evidenced by her speaking engagement on "The Importance of Trust" at the Process Excellence Network (PEX) conference, where she shared insights into building trust within organizational processes.

As a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and MBA, Aliza has leveraged her financial acumen to support both corporate and business-level financial activities. She has excelled in forging strong partnerships among diverse stakeholders, including partners, vendors, and team members, which have been critical to her success in driving collaborative efforts and achieving organizational goals.

Throughout her career journey, Aliza LeBlanc has exemplified a commitment to excellence, innovation, and strategic foresight. Her ability to navigate complex business landscapes, drive transformational change, and build strong, collaborative relationships has positioned her as a trusted leader in the banking and payments industry. Aliza continues to leverage her expertise and passion for driving organizational success and innovation in her current role, where she remains dedicated to delivering impactful solutions that drive client satisfaction and business growth.

Aliza feels grateful to call Canmore home, where she finds balance and rejuvenation through outdoor adventures and exploration. Whether hiking, kayaking, or traveling, she approaches each experience with gratitude, seeking to deepen her understanding of the world, appreciate different cultures, and broaden her perspectives.

Josephine is Executive Director, Arts, for Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, a position she has held since May 2024. Banff Centre is a global organization based in the Canadian Rocky Mountains that provides learning, leadership and creative development opportunities in arts and culture across all disciplines. Prior to this, from 2020, she was Vice President, Programming for TO Live in Toronto. 

Josephine has spent her professional lifetime working in the arts in a career that encompasses theatre, opera, ballet, music and the visual arts. Her work has taken her from Melbourne to Sydney and now to Canada where she moved in 2016 to be Artistic Director of Luminato Festival. Her programs were conceived with the purpose of deeply connecting the festival with Toronto’s local artists as well as curating a balanced program of work from around the world. Before leaving Australia, she was Artistic Director of Melbourne’s international arts festival, now known as Rising, one of Australia’s most respected international arts festivals.  

Her earlier career was focused on executive roles including 10 years as Executive Director for Sydney Festival, and leadership roles with The Australian Ballet, the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Malthouse Theatre. 

This experience has given her a strong understanding of and love across all the arts and an appreciation of the interconnectedness that exists throughout artistic practice. Her belief in the vital role that the arts play in achieving an open, tolerant, thoughtful and forward-looking society governs her curatorial vision and work at all times.  

Mark is the Executive Director, Leadership, at Banff Centre. In this role he oversees the Leadership programming at Banff Centre, including Indigenous Leadership, Cultural Leadership, and a suite of Convening activity that includes summits,  think-tanks and thought leader gatherings that inform the renewal and relevancy of Banff Centre’s core Leadership and Arts programs.

Mark is an experienced leader and administrator with 25 years’ experience in the post-secondary, arts, culture and leadership development sectors. 

Throughout his career Mark has regularly collaborated with influential leaders, artists, artistic directors and curators, along with senior administrators, faculty, production teams, architects, designers, national arts and culture partners, provincial and federal government agencies, donors, elders, and local audiences and community members.

He has led the design, implementation, and evaluation of numerous program planning processes, change management processes, has overseen several capital and infrastructure development projects, and has been a negotiator on many multi-party projects and collective bargaining agreements. 

Born and raised in Alberta, Mark is a member of several national and international leadership and education networks, has served on numerous artist awards juries, and has attended leading festivals and exhibitions across North America, in Europe, and in Africa.