Kelly Langgard Kelly Langgard is an established arts leader who has worked in public institutions at every level of government, and with communities and partners across Canada and internationally. She has more than 25 years of experience in cultural policy, arts funding, partnerships, stakeholder relations, and non-profit governance and management. Prior to her current role as Director and CEO of the Toronto Arts Council and Toronto Arts Foundation, she was Director of Granting at the Ontario Arts Council and held leadership positions at the Canada Council for the Arts in partnership development, international strategy and engagement, and impact research. She has also managed the team at the Canadian Commission for UNESCO and been an advisor to Global Affairs Canada on cultural diplomacy. Kelly began her career in the media arts, leading the herland feminist film festival and co-founding the Fairy Tales Queer Film Festival in Calgary before relocating to Toronto to head the Images Festival. In the course of her career, she has initiated and led a range of innovative projects, programs, and partnerships aimed at expanding opportunities for artists and arts organizations, and increasing public appreciation and investment in the arts.
Liz Forsberg Liz Forsberg is a bilingual arts, culture, and nonprofit leader bringing more than 20 years of experience advancing strategy, partnerships, public policy, and systems change across philanthropy, government, and community sectors. Prior to joining Toronto Arts Council, Liz spent nine years at the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), where she led major partnership and arts investment initiatives that strengthened nonprofit infrastructure, built sector capacity, and advanced equity-centered approaches to community development. As Bilingual Lead, Partnership Investments, she helped design and launch OTF’s strategic partnerships program, mobilizing research, capital, and collaboration through provincial and national initiatives including Mass Culture, the Canadian Centre for Nonprofit Digital Resilience, and OCAD University’s Cultural Policy Hub. Earlier, as OTF’s Arts and Culture Strategy Lead, she helped guide investment strategies that supported vibrant and resilient arts communities across Ontario. Liz previously served as Executive Director of Art Starts, where she led the organization’s transformation into a city-building arts organization rooted in equity, community engagement, and cultural participation. Her relationship with Toronto Arts Council spans nearly two decades. She has been a grant recipient, research partner, award recipient, Cultural Leaders Lab Fellow, and sector collaborator. Before moving into arts leadership, Liz was an active musician in Toronto’s independent music community. The relationships, mentorship, and opportunities she found there shaped her understanding of the vital role that artists, cultural organizations, funders, and community networks play in sustaining creative practice. That perspective continues to ground her belief in the arts as an essential public good and a powerful force for belonging, connection, and civic life. Liz holds a Master of Environmental Studies from York University and is an active contributor to arts, nonprofit, and philanthropic initiatives across Canada.
Rupal Shah Rupal is an experienced and inventive cultural manager with over 20 years of experience leading, supporting and collaborating with artists and communities. Most recently, she was the Interim Associate Director of Granting at Ontario Arts Council. Rupal began her career supporting Canadian theatre artists and performance creators through leadership roles at Nightswimming, Obsidian Theatre, and Summerworks Performance Festival. She then came to Toronto Arts Council where she managed funding programs and partnerships as Strategic Programs Manager. In 2021, she led the creation of a national community of practice as part of the Healthy Communities Initiative, a federal funding program supporting Canadian infrastructure and placemaking initiatives in the wake of COVID-19. Rupal teaches in the Arts Management program at Centennial College.
Andrew Suri Andrew Suri joined TAC in 2010. He studied philosophy and biology (B.Sc. McMaster University, M.Sc. University of Victoria) and commenced doctoral research before he crossed over to the arts and worked as a photographer and filmmaker, and as a performer and educator of the South Asian performing art of banethi. Since then, Andrew co-founded Indian Martial & Performance Art Collective of Toronto, and led community arts projects across Toronto and in India. He has served TAC as Community Arts Officer, Manager – TAC Grants Online, and Director of Granting. Working to improve access to TAC and Foundation programs for under-represented cultural and community groups, Andrew has led the development of many programs and processes, including the Black Arts program, the Newcomer and Refugee programs, the TOArtist Covid-19 Response Fund, the TAC Accessibility Grant and Application Supports, and helped establish TAC’s online granting and the Foundation’s awards systems. With extensive experience in the direction and administration of public funding operations, human resources management, program evaluation, and equity, diversity, and inclusion institutional change, Andrew is passionate about improving operational efficiency while expanding staff and community engagement in organizational mission. Andrew became Director, Operations in 2023.