Board of Directors
Officers
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President
Nicola Hamilton RGD (she/her)
Toronto, ON
Nicola is an independent art director and graphic designer, who specializes in editorial design (Read: she’s obsessed with magazines, so much so that she opened Issues, an independent magazine retailer.) Her work has been internationally recognized by the D&AD5, the Society of Publication Designers and the National Magazine Awards, among others. Nicola is also the co-founder of The Scaries Project, an artistic exploration of the emotional realities of being creative, a part-time design educator at Humber College and George Brown College..gif)
Vice President — Communications
Julian Brown RGD (he/him)
Oshawa, ON
Julian is ON THE CHASE! He creates ‘motion-first’ brands and content for smart clients (Cineplex, University of Toronto, World Wildlife Fund). His motion design and branding projects have been awarded by Graphis, The Webbys, Adobe and many more. Julian is a speaker on motion design, running a solo studio and, sometimes, telling people why their offices f*cking suck. Julian is a York/Sheridan Toronto alumni, a world traveller, and, this one time, he starred alongside his dog in a TV ad for pet food. It was adorable. He chairs the Design Committee and assists with RGD communications.
Vice President — Education
Diana Varma RGD (she/her)
Markham, ON
Diana is an award-winning lecturer by day and an avid podcaster by night. She teaches within the School of Graphic Communications Management (GCM), as well as the Master of Digital Media (MDM) program at Toronto Metropolitan University and the Bachelor of Brand Design program at George Brown College where she helps people connect their technical left brains, creative right brains, and entrepreneurial hearts for fulfilling careers in creative industries. Diana is also an advocate for living your most confidently creative life, having recently produced a course for Domestika on the topic. Diana has 150+ published articles in Graphic Arts Magazine, as well as through the RGD and she firmly believes that more problems should be solved by "lip syncing for your life". Diana chairs the Education Committee.
Vice President — Membership
Elyse Maxwell RGD
St. Catharines, ON
Elyse is a Senior Graphic Designer and Project Manager at Patch Design. From developing comprehensive branding systems to designing web and print materials, she uses her passion and curiosity to identify optimal solutions for her clients. Elyse is a life-long student with over 12 years experience. She graduated from the Ontario College of Art and Design and earned a diploma in Marketing from McMaster University. Elyse chairs the Membership Committee..jpg)
Vice President — Diversity & Inclusion
Xandr Sutjiadi RGD (he/him)
Calgary, AB
Xandr is a multi-hyphenated queer trans creative director, designer, illustrator, web developer and educator who believes in using his creative power for social good. His remote design firm, ARToverMATTER, is a creative studio that gives a damn and specializes in helping changemakers make a positive impact in their communities. He is also a co-founder of Ripple of Change Magazine. Outside of AOM, you might find Xandr as a guest speaker sharing stories about his immigrant life journey or advocating for inclusive and accessible design. Xandr chairs the Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
Secretary
Alex Vranjesevic RGD
Aurora, ON
With a proven track record in brand transformation and a passion for captivating design, Alex is an experienced Creative Director dedicated to delivering exceptional results. She specializes in creating immersive brand experiences, leveraging innovative digital solutions, and incorporating user-centric design methodologies. By staying at the forefront of industry trends and continuously pushing creative boundaries, she has successfully elevated numerous brands too new heights. As a collaborative leader, Alex excels in guiding and inspiring design teams to achieve outstanding outcomes. With a relentless drive for excellence and a commitment too delivering impactful design solutions, she is poised to make a significant impact in any organization ready to redefine their brand presence. Alex is Vice Chair of the Events Committee.
Treasurer
Kyle Schruder RGD
Toronto, ON
Kyle is an Associate Creative Director at Creative Currency. He has a background in editorial design and branding, and before joining CC he spent time leading design teams in consulting and developing a multidisciplinary skillset. In the RGD, he is Chair of the Certification Committee.
Directors
Director
Amanda Boltë RGD
London, ON
Amanda brings over 20 years of creative experience to fast-paced studio environments. Her knowledge in brand development, paired with her understanding of each unique customer journey, has successfully launched new businesses and products across North America. Amanda is Vice Chair of the Certification Committee.
Director
Evelyn Csiszar RGD
Squamish, BC
Evelyn is the founder of Collective Experience, a design collective that specializes in providing user experience design and strategy services to tech companies and start-ups in the health, education, science and financial sectors. She works with growing tech companies as a collaborative partner, helping their web, mobile and software products deliver on their promises by advocating for their users in every aspect of the design. She is Vice Chair of the Membership Committee.
Director
Faron Dawe RGD
Moncton, NB
Faron is a freelance designer and principal at FARON.DESIGN, focused on brand visual identity design, web user interface design and consulting in-house teams on larger design-based projects. With 20+ years of experience in the creative and design space, Faron has worked with clients from a variety of sectors, providing solutions in visual identity, print, web design and more.During his tenure as a post-secondary design educator, he was the lead instructor on multiple courses, including Design Principles, Visual Branding, Colour Theory, Print and Layout, UI Design and The Business of Design - passing his experience and expertise onto the next generation of designers, teaching, mentoring and directing them in a classroom studio environment.Faron serves on the Events Committee.
Director
Magued Hanna RGD
Newmarket, ON
Magued is a creative leader with over 20 years of strategic, management and hands-on expertise across media and industries–from fintech and real estate to high tech and automotive. As one of only a handful of UX Master certified professionals in Canada, he has a deep understanding of UX for web and mobile, and a passion for accessibility. Magued is Vice Chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
Director
Noah Ortmann RGD
Toronto, ON
Noah is a Toronto-based Designer with a decade of experience working with global brands, organizations, small businesses, and agencies. As a Senior Designer at creative studio Office/Bureau, he brings his unique capabilities as a UI/UX designer, print designer and front-end developer to his role. Noah is the founder of Avro Design Company, the home of his own design projects. His work has been featured in the National Post, BlogTO, MentalFloss, Bloomberg’s CityLab, CTV News and CBC Radio One. Noah is Vice Chair of the Education Committee..jpg)
Director
Kathleen Scott RGD (she/her)
Kincardine, ON
Kathleen is an award-winning graphic designer who brings creative solutions to corporate communications. For over a decade, she has been Creative Strategy Team Lead at Bruce Power where they deliver all things design, including a complete rebrand for the company in 2019. In 2017, they were honoured to be the design partner for RGD’s In-House Design Awards. She often moderates webinars and leads initiatives that support in-house designers. She chairs RGD's Events Committee.
Ex Officio Directors
- Rupsha is a Multi-Disciplinary Designer and Emerging Design Educator and Researcher. She is currently a Graduate Researcher at the Social and Technological Systems (SaTs) Lab with the York University School of Arts, Media, Performance and Dance. She is also teaching part-time at Conestoga College. Rupsha is pursuing her Masters of Design at York and her SSHRC-supported thesis focuses on designing multi-modal prompts that incorporate rituals and habits for people with early-stage dementia and/or mild cognitive impairment. Rupsha co-chairs the Provisional Committee and serves on the Education Committee.
- Gopika (she/her) is a multi-disciplinary designer specializing in packaging and digital design with a keen interest in type design/typography, illustration, and motion. She currently works at Loblaw Companies Ltd as a designer. Her curiosity and passion for visual storytelling have led her to work and train in various creative fields, from design to film. Gopika co-chairs the Provisional Committee and serves on the Diversity & Inclusion Committee.
Madeline is a graphic designer focused on creating branding, motion work and marketing to help clients and projects stand out. A third year Bachelor of Design Student, Madeline is committed to creating functional design solutions with both beauty and purpose. She is particularly interested in the intersection of social good with design and the ways in which design can be used as a vehicle to foster social change.
Leah is a second-year graphic design student. Growing up her creative spirit was encouraged by her family and, as a result, she has spent her life as an artist and creator. In addition to visual art, she has a background in creative writing which inspired her love of editorial design, the field in which she hopes to build her career. Leah is passionate about sustainability. It is her belief that graphic design has a significant role in shaping our world, and she strives to create work that promotes inclusiveness and representation in addition to sustainable practices.
Bella is a multidisciplinary graphic designer based in Vancouver, BC. Currently she is in her 2nd year of the Bachelors in Graphic Design and Marketing program at Wilson School of Design. Along with a background in digital and film photography and a Foundations in Design certificate, Bella has always been inspired by the creative community. With a fine eye for details, Bella is driven to create designs that will both galvanize and inspire people.
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