Brendan McKeen believes that everyone, no matter where you live or what you can afford, deserves access to the arts. During the day, you can find him at Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre serving as the Individual Giving Manager. Early in the morning and late at night, Brendan is the Executive Director of manitoba UNDERGROUND opera, an indie opera company he founded in 2008. He has two music degrees including a Masters of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Northwestern University. Brendan is deeply thankful for all his mentors who have helped him throughout, he wouldn't be here without you.

Lucie Lederhendler (she/her/hers) is the curator of the Art Gallery of Southwestern Manitoba in Brandon. Previously, she was a director of the curatorial collective Studio Béluga and the Educational Programs Manager at the Segal Centre for Performing Arts in Montreal. She holds a Masters of Art Education from Concordia University.

Rose-Anne Harder is a distinguished alumna of the University of Winnipeg’s Manitoba Arts and Cultural Management Certificate Program and the University of Manitoba’s Theatre program. Holding certification as an Event Coordinator, she brings a wealth of expertise to her roles. As the dedicated Executive Director of the Manitoba Arts Network for the last decade, Rose-Anne’s primary goal has been to enhance arts accessibility in the rural and northern regions of Manitoba.

With a strong commitment to the arts community, Rose-Anne has also held the position of Chair at Creative Manitoba and served as a board director at Artspace. Her career path leading to MAN included a decade of valuable experience within two sector councils: the Manitoba Tourism Education Council and Film Training Manitoba. Prior to these roles, Rose-Anne demonstrated her versatile talents as a director, stage manager, production manager, and scenic artist.

Rob Kennedy is past Chair of Alzheimer Society Manitoba and recently retired as Film Liaison Manager and Cultural Industries Consultant of the Province of Manitoba. In addition to his volunteer and public sector work, Rob has worked in the non-profit arts and for-profit event and entertainment industry and brings business acumen and governance experience to the Board of Manitobans for the Arts. Rob and his family also enjoy as much time as possible at their Kenora, ON island camp.

Mary Agnes Welch is a partner at Probe Research Inc. where she helps associations, non-profit and government clients understand what the public thinks about big policy issues, and why. She is the chair of the Exchange District BIZ and past chair of Westminster Housing Society.

Sean McManus is a leader in the Canadian arts community, serving as the Executive Director of the Manitoba Chamber Orchestra. He currently serves as Vice-Chair of Manitoba Film & Music and as a Director with Manitobans for the Arts. With a rich history in arts management, Sean previously led Manitoba Music and the Canadian Council of Music Industry Associations, significantly advancing training, international export, and Indigenous music development in Canada. He has also held positions such as Chair of the National Advisory Board of FACTOR and President of the Western Canadian Music Alliance, demonstrating his adeptness in regional and national arts advocacy and sector building. Sean has been actively involved in community service and holds degrees in Music and Ethnomusicology from Brandon University and York University respectively. His leadership continues to significantly influence the cultural landscape of Manitoba and beyond.