Minister Frulla Announces Four Appointments to the Board of Directors of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
OTTAWA, February 14, 2005 -- Minister of Canadian Heritage and Minister responsible for Status of Women Liza Frulla today announced the appointments of Bernd Christmas, of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Peter Herrndorf of Ottawa, Ontario, Nezhat Khosrowshahi of Vancouver, British Columbia, and Trina McQueen of Toronto, Ontario to the Board of Directors of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) as part-time members."This is very good news," said Minister Frulla. "I am certain that these four individuals, who have contributed so much to their communities, will be excellent additions to the CBC's Board of Directors."
Mr. Christmas obtained his law degree from Osgoode Hall in 1991, and was the first Mi'kmaq to become a lawyer in Canada. He is a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society and the Law Society of Upper Canada (Ontario), as well as an executive member of the Indigenous Bar Association. He has served as Canadian Commissioner to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.
Since 1999, Mr. Herrndorf has been President of the National Arts Centre. From 1992 to 1999, he was Chair and Chief Executive Officer of TVOntario. Under his stewardship, TVO and TFO earned an international reputation for the quality of their children's programs and won numerous national and international awards. During the 1970s and 1980s, Mr. Herrndorf held production and management positions at the CBC and served as publisher of Toronto Life magazine.
Born in Iran, Mrs. Khosrowshahi studied in various fields, including law, accounting and finance. While living in Iran, she founded a business that specialized in importing and distributing security equipment, and sat on the boards of many companies. Mrs. Khosrowshahi settled in Vancouver in 1981 where she co-founded the Inwest Group of Companies, which now has some 8,000 employees in Canada and the United States.
Mrs. McQueen is a veteran broadcaster who has held top positions in both private and public television. Starting as an on-air reporter, she had a 25-year career with CBC Television, rising to Vice-President of News, Current Affairs and Newsworld. She later moved to Netstar Communications where she became President of the Discovery Channel.
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is the country's largest cultural institution. It operates two national television networks, four national radio networks, specialty television services, various Internet sites, and an international shortwave radio service. The CBC is the only cultural institution and the only broadcaster that offers services to Canadians in English and in French across Canada and in eight Aboriginal languages across the North.
Information:
Jean-Philippe Côté
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage and
Minister responsible for the Status of Women
(819) 997-7788
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