National Council President Fannie Bellefeuille would like to recognize the extraordinary work of outgoing Executive Director Kate Cornell. Dr. Cornell has been Executive Director of the CDA for that last six years and is leaving the organization this month to join the new organization AfterMeToo as the Training Director for the Rosa Project – an initiative to address harassment in federally regulated sectors, including the arts.
“On behalf of the membership, the CDA would like to sincerely thank Kate for her passionate advocacy, her collaborative leadership, and her exceptional vision. Kate is leaving the CDA in an improved financial position. Under Kate’s direction, the CDA began the Decolonizing Canadian Dance initiative, raised its public funding by more than 30%, and successfully advocated for more than $300 million of federal funding for the arts sector. We are grateful for Kate’s leadership.” – Fannie Bellefeuille.
The National Council is pleased to announce that General Manager Aviva Fleising has agreed to become the CDA’s Interim Managing Director. Cornell exclaimed that, “The CDA is in extraordinarily good hands with Aviva. She is a steadfast leader with the community’s best interests at heart. Aviva is keenly aware of the needs of the dance community.” Aviva Fleising will transition into this new position on April 15th.
With this ongoing change in staff structure, National Council will be reassessing the CDA’s strategic priorities. National Council and staff will be crafting a new strategic plan for the organization this year. Currently, the CDA is focussing on its membership – conducting regular calls with organizations and individuals. During the COVID19 pandemic with reduced staff, the CDA will prioritize community engagement.
