2020 Nominees and Board Bios 1

2020 NOMINEES

Kris Atterbury RGD Toronto

Kris is the in-house designer at the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, an organization funded by the federal government to accelerate action on cancer control for all Canadians. For the past decade, he has served as a valued member of their corporate communications team and has contributed to hundreds of projects for diverse ethnicities at a national level. Kris is running for his first term on the Board.

Goals: I see design as a tool for solving problems that exists far beyond paper and digital screens. It is a means to evolution and innovation and guided by our surroundings and those living within it. As Canadian designers, we have a deep understanding of the need for equity and diversification across the board. My goal is to further contribute to a diversified voice of the Association as well as its direction of advocating for the value of design professionals in all sectors.

Julian Brown RGD Oshawa

Julian is the designer and entrepreneur behind the motion design studio ON THE CHASE!. At ten years old, OTC! has won international awards and collaborated with diverse clients—from Canadian household names like Cineplex and Shoppers Drug Mart, to video game maker Ubisoft and charity WWF. He is a graduate of the York/Sheridan Design Degree program, a world traveller and most recently a proud and terrified father. A proud Member of RGD, Julian is a past VP on the RGD Board, running for his first term on the Board since previously serving from 2010 to 2017. He currently sits on RGD’s Communications Committee.

Goals: If I’m elected to re-join the RGD Board, I’ll continue helping RGD communicate its benefits to emerging and increasingly digital designers. RGD has done an amazing job online making its content available nationwide (and beyond), but there is always more to provide our audience in order to grow the membership.

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Ian Chalmers RGD Toronto

As a graduate of the OCAD U, Ian brings a creative curiosity and influence to the design research work he does across a spectrum of corporate, healthcare and academic pursuits. As Founder of Pivot Design Group, his professional focus is in the healthcare vertical, bringing a people-centric design focus to the work Pivot creates for researchers, scientists and institutions. He is also the founder of DesignMeets, a 10-year in the making event forum to bring the design conversation to the community. Ian currently sits on RGD’s Ethics Committee and he is running for his first term on the Board.

Goals: I believe design should be a leading strategic driver for enhancing the health and well-being of people, services and organizations. I would contribute to RGD’s mission to build a deeper understanding of the practice of design. And to firmly establish an inclusive design perspective within a diverse range of human experience. This gives the design community the chance to think more closely about people and embrace a greater understanding of design in all of its aspects.

Bianca DiPietro RGD Toronto

Bianca is a Program Coordinator & Professor at Humber College in the Graphic Design Program. She has over 10 years of experience in design, ranging from traditional branding to experiential and digital design. Currently Bianca is interested in discovering meaningful work and finding ways to uncover personal impact within the design discipline. This extends into creating engaging educational environments for her students and bringing real world experiences into the college ecosystem. She’s participated in some international initiatives that have shed light on happiness within the educational space and wishes to explore this further. Bianca currently sits on RGD’s Education Committee and is running for her first term on the RGD Board.

Goals: As an educator, Bianca’s goals are to better integrate RGD initiatives, memberships and engagement into the post-secondary education system. This could include programming, events, opportunities for students and initiatives that take into consideration how education is evolving and changing.

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Greg Dubeau RGD Halifax

Greg is a freelance graphic designer and design instructor at NSCAD University. He partners with agencies, organizations and entrepreneurs to employ design-centric approaches to achieve their business goals. As an educator, he works with senior-level design students to prepare them for post-academic careers. In particular, he introduces them to transitional challenges modelled after the tasks, expectations and professional demands common within the modern design workforce. Greg currently sits as Chair on RGD’s Event Committee and is running for his second term on the RGD Board.

Goals: Greg is an active design advocate that shares RGD’s vision of having a graphic design profession that’s valued for its broad contributions. As Chair of the Events Committee, Greg and the Committee Members are dedicated to spreading the RGD footprint to communities across Canada. As a “boots on the ground” facilitator in Halifax, he is motivated to bring more exposure and events to communities across Atlantic Canada.

Elyse Maxwell RGD St. Catharines

Currently a Senior Designer and Project Manager at Patch Design, Elyse has worked with clients in a broad range of industries ranging from pharmaceutical to food packaging, finance to fitness, and small-to-medium sized local business. She is a life-long student, getting her start at OCAD, followed with a diploma in marketing from McMaster, and ongoing study through online courses and constant reading. She has volunteered with RGD through the Membership Committee, Designathon, and co-hosting the new Design Social for designers in the Niagara area. Elyse is running for her first full-term on the Board after being appointed in 2018.

Goals: Through my work with the Membership Committee, I have come to appreciate the support and diverse viewpoints of my fellow Members. My goal is to foster community amongst designers in Canada, and to help develop programs that support our community and raise the profile of Canadian designers on a national scale.

2020 NOMINEES

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Kathleen Scott RGD Kincardine

Kathleen is an award-winning designer with 15 years experience. For the past 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 currently sits on RGD’s Membership Committee and is running for her first term on the RGD Board.

Goals: I hope to be a voice for designers working outside the GTA. I would also like to help continue the great work we’ve been doing to promote the value of in-house design and equip in-house designers with the tools and resources they need to succeed in their unique environments. There are so many opportunities for collaboration, both within the design industry and beyond, to continue to raise awareness of the RGD designation.

Jennifer Taback RGD Sudbury

Jennifer is a founding Partner at Design de Plume Inc., an Indigenously, women-owned business specializing in work for Indigenous and non-profit clients as well as those in the community, education, health and finance sectors. A graduate of Cambrian College’s Graphic Design program, Jennifer has a BA in Communication from Laurentian. Jennifer is currently RGD’s VP of Ethics, Chair of the Ethics Committee as well as being a board member of the Nickel Basin Federal Development Corporation. She is running for her third term on the Board.

Goals: In my last term, I saw so much being accomplished by the Ethics Committee and everyone’s passion to volunteer and work on projects that benefit designers across Canada. I hope to continue to speak on behalf of more Northern designers and assist in creating materials that give our Members the confidence and ability to practice ethical, sustainable and professional design.