Neil’s varied background includes advertising sales and on-air personality for major market radio stations, and for the last 14 years Senior Manager of Market Development for Melloul-Blamey Construction. Prior, he served as Director of Development for Drayton Entertainment from 1999 to 2006. He is also a professional speaker and in-demand Master of Ceremonies. Neil has performed on stage in multiple Drayton Entertainment productions over the years. He is a recipient of multiple awards for community service, including the Paul Harris Fellow and the Queen’s Jubilee Awards.
Drayton Entertainment is a registered, not-for-profit charitable arts organization governed by a volunteer Board of Directors comprised of 13 business and community leaders. Click on a name below to read more about each Board Member.
Bryan has served on the Board of Directors since Drayton Theatre Inc.’s merger with Huron Country Playhouse in 2000. Prior to that he was on the Huron Country Playhouse Board from 1992 to 2000 – two years of which he served as President. A semi-retired Chartered Accountant, he is currently the part-time Controller of several businesses in Exeter. He is the current Treasurer (and Past President) of the Rotary Club of Grand Bend, Vice-Chair of the Grand Bend and Area Community Health Centre, and a Life Member and former National Treasurer of the Kinsmen Clubs of Canada.
CEO, Mattamy Homes Canada. Mattamy is recognized as the country's largest and leading home builder, with over 100,000 homeowners enjoying their properties in hundreds of communities throughout the Greater Toronto Area, Kitchener-Waterloo, Ottawa, Calgary and Edmonton. Prior to joining Mattamy in 2013, Brad was President of Monarch Corporation, another Toronto based Homebuilder. Brad has a Bachelor’s Degree in Architectural Science from Ryerson University. Brad’s passion for live theatre was initially fostered during his high school days in Elmira and carries on to this day through his involvement in Drayton Entertainment.
Greg Durocher is known through the business and political community of Cambridge and throughout Waterloo Region. As President/CEO of the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce, Greg oversees the organization of 1900 members, which is the largest Chamber of Commerce/Board of Trade by memberships in Ontario. Greg sits on the Ontario Business Advisory Council and is a founding member of the Prosperity Council of Waterloo Region. His past experience as a City Councillor for Cambridge and his service on numerous City Committee’s gives him a good perspective on his community.
John served as the first President of Drayton Festival Theatre as well as Co-Chairman of the $1.5 Million Fundraising Committee. In 2001, he completed a second tenure as President. He has served as Mayor of Mapleton Township, Warden of Wellington County, and has been on Municipal Council for over 30 years. John’s extensive community involvement includes 40 years on the Palmerston Hospital Board and Foundation, Wellington Dufferin Guelph Board of Health and the Drayton Community Citizens Association. He was National President of Kinsmen Canada. He recently served as Grand Master of Masons in Ontario. He is a recipient of a Kinsmen Life Membership, Paul Harris Fellow from Rotary and the Queen’s Jubilee Award.
Willy Heffner is Vice President of Heffner Lexus Toyota in Kitchener – a family car dealership since 1960. He has a Bachelor’s of Business Administration (BBA) degree from Wilfrid Laurier University. The dealership has been the proud recipient of the Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Awards for Health and Wellness, as well as Business of the Year for Businesses over 20 Employees. The dealership’s Community Investment Program is a strong supporter of organizations that deal with families and children in need, and the Arts. He has spent 20 years on the KW Symphony’s board, in addition to serving on many industry-related boards.
Ab is a founding Drayton Festival Theatre board member, having served on the Board of Directors since the organization’s inception in 1991. He is a retired Certified Financial Planner, previous President and Founder of Hesselink & Associates Inc., and currently President of ABBON INC. Ab has been an active 40-year member and past President of the Drayton Community Citizens Association and had been an active member of the Volunteer Fire Department for close to 40 years. Ab also served as a Drayton Municipal Councillor for 21 years as well as numerous other boards and committees.
Cheryl serves as President of the Huron Country Playhouse Guild, a 100+ person volunteer network devoted to supporting Drayton Entertainment’s operations at the Huron Country Playhouse in Grand Bend. Her 32 year professional career with Canada Post Corporation included operations management for 400 employees across Huron, Perth, and Bruce Counties. Cheryl has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Economics from the University of Western Ontario and a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Queens University.
Tony is presently President and CEO and an owner of demand marketing firm Quarry. He has an undergraduate education in Rhetoric and Professional Communications from University of Waterloo, along with an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business. Over the course of a successful 20-year career in marketing, Tony has worked at or consulted for a broad portfolio of enterprise firms including COM DEV, John Deere, Sun Life Financial, General Mills, Symantec and Johnson Controls. Tony's lifelong passion for the arts is evident in his musical hobbies playing piano, guitar, and singing as well as being a published songwriter and poet.
Brent is President of Ravelle Group of Companies comprised of Listowel Ford, Listowel Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram and various real estate holdings. Beyond Brent's time spent with his own family, business endeavours and the Drayton Entertainment family, he also serves on the Board of Directors and the Government Relations Committee with the Trillium Automobile Dealers Association (TADA). TADA represents all 500+ new car dealers in Ontario. Brent has been involved in the automotive industry for over 30 years. His career began prior to his years at The Automotive Business School of Canada at Georgian College in his hometown of Barrie and continued onto Northwood University in Dallas, Texas where he received a second degree, Bachelor of Business Arts, majoring in marketing and management along with a minor in economics. Brent and his wife Tammy, and two children Nick and Payton, reside in Heidelberg.
Bruce has been a Board Member since 1991. He is also a Trustee on the Upper Grand District Board of Education, on which he has served for 27 years. He was appointed to the Waterloo Wellington Local Health Integration Network and has worked with volunteer organizations including Drayton Agricultural Society, Wellington County Milk Committee, and Wellington County Soil and Crop Improvement Association. He was the 4H Club leader for 20 years and an inaugural member of the Drayton Kinsmen Club. Bruce is a semi-retired farmer and the fourth generation of his family to be involved with the Drayton Opera House building, his grandfather being the original contractor.
Everton is President of Wilmot Technologies, a leading technology consulting company in the Region of Waterloo, with expertise in IT infrastructure in both commercial and retail sectors. His entrepreneurial drive has seen the successful development and growth of multiple start-up companies that have had an impact on the economic development of the Waterloo Region. He is also an arts and culture enthusiast, with a passion for the development and advancement of youth.
Patricia has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, where she has held several leadership roles including Chief Operating Officer, Chief Marketing Officer, and President with a large Kitchener-based firm. She has a Master’s in Business Administration and several other accreditations behind her name. Patricia has been nominated for and received the CEO Award for Excellence for a large Canadian-based Insurance Company, and has twice been named one of Canada’s most influential women in insurance.
Bob was the original Director of Marketing at Drayton Festival Theatre. He left this temporary position to go back to his profession in the automotive aftermarket. He is President of Veritech Mfg. & Wholesale Inc., a distributor of tire-related supply products across North America. Bob is also President of the Ontario Tire Dealers Association and Executive Director of the Tire Dealers Association of Canada. Bob became Secretary to the Board in 2006 and Secretary-Treasurer in 2008.