Board of Directors

Passion for the arts, diverse skills and deep roots in our community

Jane Foster

Chair

Dr. Foster joined UT Southwestern Medical Center and the Center of Depression Research and Clinical Care in May 2022. Her work focuses on linking a person’s 30 trillion gut microbes and their propensity for mental illness.

In the past 20 years, Dr. Foster has developed an internationally recognized translational research program. Her multidisciplinary expertise includes behavioral neuroscience, molecular biology, immunology, neuroimaging, microbiome, and bioinformatics in both preclinical and clinical research domains.

Dr. Foster’s research program has developed high-quality analytical pipelines for biological data and has developed novel analytical tools for integrating data across modalities. Dr. Foster’s involvement in the broader psychiatric community across Canada, the US, and Europe, provides a unique opportunity to study the complex neurobiological underpinnings of microbiota-brain and neuroimmune systems in psychiatric illness in clinical populations and to explore underlying biological mechanisms in animal models.

Verônica Heringer

Vice Chair

Verônica Heringer is a seasoned professional with a rich background in digital media, product management, and audience development. She proudly embraces her “carioca da gema” identity and her journey reflects the values of diversity, dialogue, and unity, instilled by her Rio de Janeiro upbringing.Upon immigrating to Canada in 2006, Verônica actively contributed to the burgeoning Brazilian and Latin American community in Vancouver, British Columbia. Her unconventional path led her from a journalism degree to roles in TV programming and social marketing, ultimately becoming a Product Leader in EdTech and Media.

Candice Keem

Treasurer

Candice Keem has over 15 years of experience in social services, specializing in the developmental disability sector. Known for her unwavering dedication, leadership, and collaborative approach, Candice has driven organizations toward growth in quality assurance, event production, case management, and social capital building.

Her commitment to inclusivity has earned her the Burlington 150 Award from the Provincial Parliament and Burlington Accessibility Award from the City of Burlington. As a former Board Member for Burlington Sound of Music Festival, Candice was pivotal in establishing the event’s first accessible seating area and inclusive performance series, while serving as primary advocate for disability matters.

On the Arts for All Board, Candice continues to champion community inclusion and opportunities for all. Her passion for empowering individuals to live fulfilling lives with equal access and respect drives her ongoing commitment to advocacy and social change.

Francesca Alfano

Secretary

Born and raised in Hamilton, Francesca has been an educator with the Hamilton-District School board for over twenty years. The majority of this work has been in the core of the city centre where she grew up. With a lifelong dedication to community work, Francesca has been involved in the committee work supporting the Elementary Teachers’ Federation and ‘Books to Bars’ (a prisoner literacy initiative).  Professionally inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach in the early years and a focus on the arts and social justice, the mission of AFA appeals in an intrinsic way.

Brenda Ferguson

Member

Brenda Ferguson is the C.E.O. of Today’s Family Early Learning and Child Care, a not-for-profit charitable early learning and child care agency serving 6000 families in Hamilton, Halton, Haldimand Norfolk, and Oxford; employing more than 300 caregivers, support staff, and licensed home child care providers.

Brenda is an active participant in numerous community initiatives supporting early learning and child care, governance, and the arts with a focus on improving the lives of children. Her many professional and voluntary community activities include:

  • Board Chair of the Home Child Care Association of Ontario
  • Former Board President of Culture for Kids in the Arts (now Arts for All) 
  • Former Vice Chair Centre 3 for Artistic and Social Practice
  • Member Quality Early Learning Network
  • Co-Chair CMSM Hamilton