Best in Governance Award 2024 – Brian Dawson – Tapestry Opera
Nominations Due April 21, 2025
Opera would not thrive without the exceptional dedication of board members. Their leadership, commitment, and vision shape the future of our companies and communities.
The AOC’s Best in Governance Award recognizes these devoted administrators who, through their strategic support and passion, help Canadian opera companies flourish.
Why Nominate?
To celebrate inspiring leaders
To highlight the transformative impact of their governance
To foster a culture of recognition and excellence
Program Eligibility
All Professional Company Members in good standing are invited to participate.
The committee will only consider nominations from companies whose board members have not received the honour in the past three years.
The nominated director must currently be serving on your board of directors. Companies may choose to renominate a previous nominee who was not selected for an award in a previous year.
Nomination Process
Companies may nominate only one director each year from among their current boards.
Selection Process
A Selection Committee will oversee the determination of the honouree. The committee may include AOC directors (where no conflict exists) and directors, past and current, drawn from opera companies across Canada and the USA.
One volunteer director will be selected to be recognized.
Selection Criteria
The committee will consider the breadth and depth of each nominee’s involvement with the opera company in the following ways:
- The impact of the nominee on the company’s success
- The impact of the nominee on the board’s effectiveness
- The impact of the nominee on the community
- Support of the company’s equity, diversity, and inclusion commitments
Honouree Recognition:
AOC will work closely with the selected honouree and their opera company to create a national press release. Together with OPERA America’s Awardees the AOC honouree will be prominently featured in OPERA America’s quarterly magazine, Opera America and in other appropriate media.
The selected honouree will receive a one-year Individual membership to the Association for Opera in Canada.
Annual Recognition Event
The selected board member will be honoured at a Canadian event coordinated with the nominating opera company. Additionally, the honouree will be invited to a recognition dinner in New York City in January 2026 during OPERA America’s National Trustee Weekend.
Past Recipients
2008/2009: Mr. J. Rob Collins, Canadian Opera Company; 2009/2010: Ms Alberts Cefis, Opera Atelier; 2010/2011: Ms Monica Sloan, Calgary Opera; 2011/2012: Mr. Peter George, Manitoba Opera; 2012/2013: Mr. Arthur Scace, Canadian Opera Company; 2013/2014: Mr. Michael O’Brian, Vancouver Opera; 2014/2015: Mr. Michael Morres, Pacific Opera Victoria; 2015/2016: Mr. Bernard Stotland, Opera de Montreal; 2106/17: Mr. Evan Hazell, Calgary Opera; 2017/18: Mr. Richard Cook, Edmonton Opera; Mr. Bruce Munro Wright, Vancouver Opera (Directors’ Emeritus Award); 2018/19: Ms Lydia Wingate, Pacific Opera Victoria; 2019/20: Ms Elba Haid, Manitoba Opera; 2021/22 Mr. Carey Newman, Pacific Opera Victoria; 2022/23: Mr. Francis Price, Edmonton Opera; 2023/ 24 Mr. Brian Dawson, Tapestry Opera