Karen Rever, President BA, LLB

A native Calgarian, Karen is dedicated to building and strengthening the community in which she lives. After obtaining her law degree from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia (her BA is from University of Calgary), Karen returned to Calgary to practice as a corporate commercial lawyer at both a prestigious law firm and a major corporation before turning her sights on the charitable sector, taking her lifelong passion for helping others into a new career.

R. Gordon Cormie, Corporate Records Secretary BA – Economics, LLB

After being admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1973, Gord practiced in Calgary with several prestigious law firms before becoming a partner at Scott Venturo LLP. Gord’s experience in the area of corporate/commercial and oil and gas (resource and energy) law has allowed him the opportunity to work on many types of transactions. These include sale, purchase or exchange of resource and energy related assets through either asset or share transactions. Although his main focus is the Province of Alberta, Gord has advised on transactions on behalf of clients involved in the United States, Europe and the Far East. Gord has acted as a director and officer of a number of public companies, as well as private companies, most of which are active in the resource-energy sector, to assist in developing corporate plans, such as public share offerings. He has provided legal counsel to Art à la Carte since its inception.

Shirley Cooke, Treasurer B.COMM, CA

Shirley has been a volunteer with Big Brothers and Big Sisters for 24 years, serving on various committees and as a Big Sister. She likes to help and learn and encourages the people she meets to do the same at work, home and in their community. Shirley enjoys photography, travel, sewing and woodworking. She is an avid golfer and skier and loves to attend the ballet. Shirley has a degree in Commerce with a Chartered Accountant designation. Her early career focused on accounting and financial management with an emphasis on computer systems. She has since applied this experience towards her current position, combining her accounting and systems experience in conjunction with knowledge about Oil & Gas Joint Ventures to manage business processes and reporting in the Natural Gas Division of Suncor Energy.

Pat Menzies, Director BA, BEd, coursework for MA in Ed Psych

Pat has been a long-time community volunteer since arriving in Calgary in the 80's and has worked for a broad range of organizations in the not-for-profit sector. She was a founding member of the Rescue Mission, a group founded to support women with Breast Cancer, and worked on fundraising committees for Hospice Calgary. Pat is a past director on the Calgary Person with Disabilities Board, the Fundraising Cabinet for Storehouse and is currently serving on the Community Partners Board for the Hotchkiss Brain Institute. She has been a long-time supporter in the arts community, working on committees for the Calgary Opera and the Calgary Philharmonic. Pat is currently the President of Menzies Strategies, a public policy company focusing on strategic planning. For many years she worked with special needs children as a teacher and consultant. Pat holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from University of Kings College in Halifax, a Special Education Degree from Acadia University, and studied educational psychology at the University of Victoria in the Master of Arts program. She has a passion for the arts and for caring for people.

Patti Dibski, Director BA, MBA

With a long-time passion for art, Patti Dibski spent several years building a successful career in marketing before buying Gibson Fine Art from its founder, Norma Gibson. Gibson Fine Art now operates both a retail gallery and corporate art consulting firm making the process of acquiring original art fun and accessible. Patti holds a Masters of Business Administration and a BA from the University of Victoria. She is currently a director for Calgary Arts Development Authority and the vice-president of Art à la Carte. Patti is married to management consultant, Bill Overand, and the proud mother of two very active boys.

Debbie Baylin, Executive Director BA – Education

Debbie is a dedicated humanitarian with a life-long commitment to helping others. She began her professional career as an elementary teacher where she encouraged young children to experience the world with wonder. During her years as a stay-at-home Mom, she co-created and taught innovative programming in self esteem to troubled youth. Debbie is a founding member of Temple B’Nai Tikvah, Calgary’s first reform synagogue, where she has served on the board of trustees, as school principal, and initiated programming. With more than 35 years in the voluntary sector, Debbie has served as a peer support visitor, motivational speaker, group facilitator, lecture series coordinator and moderator for the Canadian Cancer Society, trained in both pastoral and palliative care, and sat on the Foothills Hospital Volunteer Association Board. In 1994, Debbie founded Art à la Carte. What began as a gesture of compassion has since evolved into an essential complement to patient care. Debbie has been honoured for her volunteer service to the community including: Jewish Family Service “Healing the World” award, Global TV “Woman of Vision”, Celebration Canada Individual Award of Merit, and the Canadian Cancer Society Certificate of Merit & Caduceus. Debbie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and K-12 teaching certificate from Connecticut College. She has just completed an intensive multi-disciplinary program in non-profit leadership for new executives.

Rebecca Catudal, Contract Bookkeeper

Rebecca brings more than twenty years of experience to her role as contract bookkeeper for Art à la Carte. She spent ten years as the Finance Manager for Big Brothers & Big Sisters of Calgary & Area (BBBS) which served as a foundation for her expertise in non-profit accounting. Her skills in this area have been invaluable to Art à la Carte during the recent formalization of its operational structures and procedures. Rebecca began to explore her passion for bookkeeping at the Learning Academy in Calgary where she pursued beginners, intermediate and advanced levels of training. She then continued her studies at Adia College where she obtained her Computerized Accounting Certificate. Rebecca is highly skilled at preparing spreadsheets. She is a natural teacher and shares her love for accounting readily. Her patient guidance has greatly enabled both the creation and management of efficient data tracking documents for Art à la Carte. Rebecca is currently self-employed and accepting new bookkeeping clients. In addition to her current association with Simply Accounting’s Business Partner Program, she plans to expand her credentials to include the Canadian Bookkeepers Association, Better Business Bureau, and local Chamber of Commerce. Rebecca is married to Dale Catudal, lives in rural Alberta and is the mother of two grown children.

Therese Rajotte, Coordinator Fund Development and Administration

Therese has been a volunteer with Art à la Carte since the fall of 2010 through her connection with Wellspring Calgary. A Calgarian since 1978, Therese has more than 30 years’ experience as a manager and instructor in marketing, publishing and event planning in both for profit and not for profit sectors, and is currently the owner of her own event planning company and Party of Your Life. She had a long career with Key West Publishers, WHERE Magazine and Wedding Bells leading to the co-ownership of Calgary Bride, as well as contract work with Avenue Magazine and The Calgary Herald. Her long history of volunteer work includes The Children’s Wish Foundation and Hospice Calgary and teaching marketing through the Federal Government Employment Programs. With Therese’s extensive planning background, she brings a strong skill set to Art à la Carte for coordinating Administration, and her longstanding relationships with local businesses for Fund Development. She loves to cook, participate in many outdoor sports and extensive travel with her husband.