Board of Directors

Symphony on the Bay is operated by the Greater Hamilton Symphony Association. The Board of Directors meets five times a year and is comprised of a good cross section of professionals from the business, education, and social services sectors, as well as musicians from the orchestra and community.

Currently we have two openings on the board. If you have expertise and are active in the financial sector, or a strong marketing background please send us an email.

	Fonda Loft, President Fonda Loft is Head of Special Education and English as a Second Language at White Oaks Secondary School in Oakville. In addition to her ongoing support for students with special needs, she directs students with significant physical and intellectual challenges in a yearly dance performance at The Living Arts Centre in Mississauga. She also shares her passion for travel and experiential learning, coordinating excursions for students to support the mission of breaking down barriers of language, culture and geography. Guided by Fonda’s energy, enthusiasm and experience in community service, White Oaks students initiate, plan and run a wide variety of activities to engage the school community and promote school spirit. As Student Council advisor, Fonda is instrumental in executing an array of special events and fund raisers, including the Inside Ride, which has raised over $100, 000 for pediatric oncology research and camps for children with cancer. A recipient of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal for her work as an educator and her outstanding community involvement, she is an active volunteer and fund raiser with Ronald McDonald House- Hamilton, and the Junior League of Hamilton-Burlington. A theatre buff and strong arts supporter, Fonda is proud to serve on the Board of Symphony on the Bay.
	Tom Gaasenbeek, Vice President Tom Gaasenbeek is the Founder and CEO of Nexas Networks Inc., a Hamilton, Ontario-based high-tech company that specializes in leading edge manufacturing connectivity solutions for the manufacturing market. Since he co-founded Hamilton-based Memex Electronics Inc. in 1992, Tom has been the visionary leader dedicated to “internetworking” machine tools on the factory floor and has successfully developed technologies that have opened up closed CNC machine tool control architectures. As a member of the Open Modular Architecture Controls Group (OMAC) and today MTConnect, Tom has been one of the founders of an open standards movement that created the first machine tool XML schema for HMI, OEE and Lean Manufacturing applications. Tom has filed patents in the area of Energy Management and Dynamic Computer Assisted Machining (DCAM) and has authored articles in trade journals around the world on the application of Information Technology on the factory floor. As well, Tom is asked to speak and contribute to the discussion on the future of manufacturing and was nominated for the Canadian Designer Hall of Fame. Tom has run for public municipal office, founded a non-profit called PeopleWerks Volunteer Association in Hamilton, and served on various boards (public and private) over the years. Tom also took one of his companies called e-Manufacturing Networks Inc public in 2000 and was involved in raising over $7.5 million for that venture, which included international mergers and acquisitions. Musically, Tom has been playing with Symphony on the Bay as a first violinist for over 17 years and he has performed with the Cambridge Symphony, and many other local orchestras, theatrical productions, benefit concerts, weddings, conferences and churches in the Hamilton region. Tom has been involved with recordings, theatre, charitable organizations, live television, teaching and music composition over his 38 years of playing as well. Tom’s focus with Symphony on the Bay is to bring governance guidance to the Board of Directors, help with corporate fundraising, and liaise with the other orchestra players.
	Kristan Gray, Treasurer Kristan has over 30 years experience in the financial services industry, most recently as a branch manager. She is also a mutual fund investment specialist and has her Branch Compliance Manager designation. Other volunteer activities include the finance committee for Zonta Club of Hamilton II, an international women’s advocacy group, and the Canadian Club of Hamilton. Stemming from her classical training with the Royal Conservatory of Toronto, Kristan has a passion for the arts and is honoured to serve as Treasurer for Symphony on the Bay. Kristan lives in Dundas with her husband, Alan, and they are proud parents of Jessica, a reporter in Egypt and Patrick David, an industrial designer in Toronto.
	Fran Cohen, Secretary
	Andrea Battista, Director Andrea Battista has been a private piano and violin teacher for over 40 years. A resident of Chatham for 20 years, she was twice president of the Ontario Registered Music Teachers’ Association Chatham-Kent branch, as well as Artist Section Manager for the Chatham Concert Association, and a member of the Chatham Kiwanis Festival Board. Since moving to Burlington in 2002, she has been a member of the violin section of Symphony on the Bay. She was Music Chair of the Burlington Rotary Music Festival for five years and a member of the Hamilton-Halton ORMTA executive for seven years. She was named 2011 Special Teacher by her colleagues in the Hamilton-Halton Branch of ORMTA. During the past two years Andrea chaired the successful Keys to the Future campaign which raised money for the purchase of a 9-foot Shigeru Kawai Ex grand piano for the new Burlington Performing Arts Centre. She is currently chair of the ORMTA provincial convention to be held in Burlington in July of 2012. Andrea has been a member of the Canadian Music festival Adjudicators’ Association for 20 years and has adjudicated on piano and violin all over Canada. She is also an examiner on both instruments for Conservatory Canada. She performs on both instruments and is active as a collaborative accompanist and chamber musician.
	Muna Pirhbai, Director Muna Pirbhai retired as a partner with Taylor Leibow in 2006. Prior to retirement, he provided general accounting, tax and auditing services for his business clients and for several charitable organizations. Raised in Kenya, Muna moved to India to obtain his undergraduate university education. He graduated with a degree in Commerce from the University of Bombay in the 1960's. In 1965, he moved to London to gain his CA designation from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales, which he received in 1969. He returned to Kenya for four years before finally moving to Canada in 1974. Muna lives in Ancaster and enjoys being with his family. He has twin daughters, one pursuing a career in dentistry and the other a career in accounting.
	Dr. Jim Douketis, Past President, Board Advisor Dr. James Douketis is the Director of the Vascular Medicine Program and Staff Physician in Vascular Medicine and General Internal Medicine at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. He is a Professor in the Department of Medicine at McMaster University and the Associate Director of the Clinical Teaching Unit at St. Joseph’s Healthcare. He received his Doctor of Medicine degree and completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Toronto. He then completed a fellowship in thromboembolic disease at McMaster University. Dr. Douketis’ research interests include perioperative antithrombotic therapy, prognosis of patients with venous thromboembolism, bleeding risks during antithrombotic therapy, hormonal therapy and thrombosis, prevention of venous thromboembolism in medical patients, and clinical practice guideline development for the prevention and treatment of obesity. Dr. Douketis is the Deputy Editor of ACP Journal Club and has 160 scientific publications, of which over 100 are peer-reviewed articles. Dr. Douketis lives in Hamilton with his wife, Dr. Margaret Nowaczyk, a clinical geneticist, and two boys, Jack and Luke, and is a cellist with Symphony on the Bay.
	Peter Macdonald, Past President, Board Advisor Peter Macdonald has played French horn with the orchestra since its very first rehearsal as the McMaster Symphony Orchestra in 1973. He has served as a Director, President and Treasurer at various times. He is Professor Emeritus of Mathematics and Statistics at McMaster University and holds part-time positions as French horn instructor at Mohawk College and Redeemer University College, as well as teaching horn privately. Peter lives in Binbrook with his wife Ann and has five adult children and eleven grandchildren.