In addition to the many artists who grace our stage, we have a dedicated team of staff, contractors, volunteers, and board members who help make the Firehall special.
We are grateful to our Board of Directors, who volunteer their time and expertise to help us move forward.
Chris May
President
Chris has planned, managed, and provided strategic direction for major live events in hundreds of cities across the globe. He is driven by the belief that audience and artist experience is the key to any successful event. Ensuring unforgettable memories and a world-class product has kept him in this industry his entire life.
Jo Swann
Treasurer
Jo is an avid theatre and arts supporter, and a recent retiree from a lifetime career in Information Technology. For her last 24 working-years, Jo was co-owner and Vice President of a software development company in Richmond BC, responsible for Finance and Accounting, Human Resources, Strategic Planning, and Software Implementation.
Karen Marler
Director at Large
Karen has been a member of the Firehall Arts Centre board since February 2019. Karen is an architect and principal with the transdisciplinary firm, hcma Architecture + Design. She is a Fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada and the Cascadia Green Building Council. She believes that better buildings, created by leveraging the power of design, contribute to a better, stronger, and healthier communities.
Lindsay Chen
Director at Large
Lindsay is passionate about supporting the arts in Vancouver and has served on the Firehall Board since November 2019. Her professional experience includes over 15 years of live and digital event management and production as well as over 10 years in various marketing roles. Currently, she leads marketing and communications at a global engineering firm.
Jacqui Mendes
Director at Large
Giving back as a volunteer board member is one of Jacqui’s personal commitments, and she has served on non-profit community boards to support the arts, affordable housing and seniors. Jacqui is currently the Executive Director of the Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS) which provides legal assistance to address the critical needs of those who are disadvantaged or facing discrimination in BC.
Natasha Himer
Director at Large
Natasha joined the Board in late 2021. Natasha is committed to giving back to the community and serving as a volunteer on non-profit community-based boards. She sees a strong role for arts and culture in promoting local social and economic goals and vibrant communities.
Emily Lord
Director at Large
Kelly Samuels
Bob Hollier
Andrew Rutter
DIRECTOR AT LARGE
STAFF
Our people are the heart of what we do! Our staff are dedicated, talented, connected, and amazing.
Donna Spencer is the Artistic Producer of the Firehall Arts Centre and was one of the Firehall’s founding directors. She is the winner of the Jessie Richardson Outstanding Direction Award for Urinetown, the Musical and for Reading Hebron. Her many theatre directorial credits include Mary’s Wedding, Yellow Fever, REFUGE, Social Studies, Vimy, Stuff Happens, Einstein’s Gift, Golden Child, Menopositive The Musical!, The Yoko Ono Project, Wawatay, The Unnatural and Accidental Women, Only Drunks and Children Tell the Truth, The Ecstasy of Rita Joe and many others.
Jethro Allen-Martin is a technician and technical director. He is an alumni of Vancouver Island University’s technical theatre program and is now based in Vancouver. They have lived and worked in the city in a variety of rolls for the past six years. Jethro is very excited for the opportunity to work and play at the Firehall Arts Centre.
Charlie Beaver
Associate Technical Director
Charlie is an uninvited settler on Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh, and Squamish land. Charlie was born in England but was natured and nurtured on the Gulf Islands. He knows a lot about moss, mushroom hunting, and gluten-free foods. A graduate of Studio 58’s Production Program, Charlie is honoured to facilitate incredible art at the Firehall.
Daniela Vega
Administration & Marketing Coordinator
Daniela is a Dominican passionate artist with a Bachelor’s degree in Performing Arts. With three years of experience in the audiovisual industry, she has made her mark as a versatile and dedicated professional. Daniela recently graduated from the Adv. Arts & Entertainment Management Program at Capilano University and has been working in Arts Administration since her arrival to Vancouver.
Caleb Dyks
Audience Services Manager
Ashleigh Giffin
Bar Manager
Ashleigh Giffen is a 26 year old Oji-Cree multi-disciplinary artist exploring fragmented histories, place, and futurisms through lenses of critical Indigeneity and discouraging genre. Her first play, Kamwatan Nipe (Quiet Water) held its first reading at the Arts Club Theatre company, followed by a silver commission and artist in residency at the Arts Club. Her work has been featured in Briarpatch Magazine, Canadian Arts and Stories, and Room Magazine. She loves her Firehall family and loves having the pleasure of working the bar and serving such a special community.
Our Place in the World
The Firehall is where my family’s stories began to be told again.
The Firehall Arts Centre is located on the unceded and traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations where they lived and gathered together for thousands of years. Acknowledging their connections to these lands is a significant part of what the Firehall considers when choosing the productions and presentations we undertake and how that work shapes and impacts those around us. We ask our community to reflect on what being present here means to you and those around you.