Melrose Cornwall, Board Chair
Garry Neil, Treasurer
Kais Padamshi, Member-at-Large
LaToya Ottley, Member-at-Large
Nicole Inica Hamilton, Member-at-Large
Sara Kelly, Member-at-Large
Bios:
Melrose Cornwall
Melrose Cornwall is a Toronto-based Financial Services Professional with nearly ten years of experience in the financial sector. While Melrose ended his studies in Aviation in 2011, he soon discovered his passion for helping the children in his community, particularly in regards to financial literacy. Melrose volunteers as the Chairperson of an Employee Resource Group at his company that aims to promote diversity and inclusiveness of the Black and Hispanic minority groups. His goal is to arm the group members with financial literacy education, by connecting them to both finance-based events and culturally relevant courses, classes and networking events throughout the city. He does so with the hopes that the learnings are passed down to members’ children and the overall community.
Garry Neil
A graduate of the University of Toronto, Garry Neil has worked for 40 years in arts and cultural policy, in Canada and internationally, as a consultant to governments, firms and associations. He has extensive experience in policies for film, television, new media and the Internet, publishing, performing arts, visual arts and music, as well organizational management. He has been associated with many cultural organizations in his career, including ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists), CSARN (Canadian Senior Artists Resource Network), the Association of Canadian Publishers and the Dancer Transition Resource Centre.
Mr. Neil is a global expert on culture and trade, and status of the artist issues. As Executive Director of the International Network for Cultural Diversity, Mr. Neil was at the forefront of the global campaign which led to the adoption of the UNESCO Convention on the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions. He is a member of the Convention’s Panel of Experts. In 2010 and 2015, he completed reports for UNESCO on the current state of implementation of the Recommendation concerning the status of the artist globally.
Kais Padamshi
Kais Padamshi is a Black East African-Mixed settler based in Tkaronto/Toronto (Treaty 13) working as a visual artist, published writer, playwright, equity consultant, arts administrator, wellness facilitator and community worker. His writing practice encompasses academic, research-based texts, curatorial essays, poetry, and exhibition reviews centering African Diasporic narratives. His writing practice focuses on themes of cultural identity, belonging, de-colonial futures in addition to individual and collective healing.
As an equity consultant, Kais has researched, developed and facilitated numerous Anti-Black racism training for not-for-profit organizations, student union boards, and other private organizations and businesses. Working as an arts administrator for 4+ years, Kais has produced various public programs, developed numerous strategic partnerships and developed professional development mentorship opportunities for artists and creatives based in Tkaronto/Toronto (Treaty 13) alongside his marketing and communications experience.
LaToya Ottley
From Toronto, Ontario, LaToya has dynamic experience including employment in arts administration, performance, studies, and professional activities. In addition to hosting her own shows, she has toured with the Toronto Children’s Concert Choir and Performing Arts Company (TC3) and featured as a session and background vocalist for artists globally. Some of her proudest professional accomplishments include serving as a Peer Mentor for a virtual music industry mentorship offered through Lumenus Community Services, consulting for the Global Touchdown Tour – Canada segment of BBC 1Xtra’s DJ Target Show (UK), and her continuous participation in the Freedom Marching Project which supports the movement against racial injustice for BIR communities using music.
Currently LaToya works as Administration Coordinator and Assistant to the President at the Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA) and as an Emergency Supply Teacher for the Durham District School Board. She also looks forward to graduating from the music program at York University with her Bachelor of Arts degree in June of 2022.
Nicole Inica Hamilton
Nicole Inica Hamilton is an award-winning choreographer and the Founder/ Artistic Director of Inica Dance Industries. A certified educator and teaching member of Dance Masters of Canada / Dance Masters of America, Hamilton has served as a guest teacher, mentor and speaker at institutes across Canada including; George Brown College, University of Toronto, York University and University of Calgary.
Hamilton is a counselling member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, and a member of Healthy Dancer Canada. She works actively in the dance health and science sector. Her creations and research have examined and explored diverse realities and experiences of the human condition, healing practices, and care centered ecosystems. Hamilton’s research on injury prevention, holistic teaching practices and impacts of psychological stress have been presented at national and international conventions including; the En Avant-RAD World Convention, the Toronto Dance Teacher Expo, and the Performing Arts Medicine Association. She resides on the wellness team of Jörgen Dance.
Hamilton is the host and producer of Turn Out Radio, and reports on the current news affairs of our time with special focus on arts, health, career, and business news at CIUT 89.5 FM. She is the in-suite moderator for the Dora Mavor Moore award-winning dance Immersion, and has operated as a guest correspondent and host on media and discussion platforms across Canada including the Career Buzz Show, Evi-Dance Radio, the AMANI Project, and Fall for Dance North’s Mambo Podcast. Her voice has been featured on national commercials, film, television networks and stages where she has moderated, and facilitated conversations with leaders across the world.
Photo by E.S.Chea Photography
Learn more about Nicole: www.inicadance.com/nicoleinicahamilton
Follow Nicole: @nicoleinicahamilton
Sara Kelly
Sara Kelly is a Toronto-based arts administrator. She has a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from the University of Guelph and an MFA from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design (Dundee, Scotland). Sara participated in the inaugural Creative Youth Envoy, a cultural internship program initiated and administered by the City of Toronto and funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, which gave young Canadians opportunities to launch a career in the arts and culture sector in an international setting. During the program, Sara served as Information Officer at Cultural Enterprise Service in Cardiff, Wales, providing business support and mentoring for cultural practitioners and businesses. Subsequently, Sara has worked in gallery administration and education at the Kitchener Waterloo Art Gallery; at CARFAC Ontario as Membership Coordinator and later Associate Director, where she implemented the organization’s first ever distance learning program and conceived of and spearheaded the Artist’s Dayplanner; and as the Associate Director at Open Studio, where she played a leading role in increasing revenues through grants, individual giving, events and creative revenue generation. She is currently the Communications & Development Manager at Workman Arts, a multidisciplinary arts organization that supports artists living with mental health and addiction issues. Sara has exhibited her artwork in Canada and the UK, works as a freelance copy editor, and has volunteered with a variety of community arts projects, including those working with refugee claimant children, and adults with lived experience of mental health issues.
Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) 