Canadian International Military Tattoo
Board of Directors

Lieutenant-Colonel (Ret’d) Rick Kennedy, CD
Chairman of the Board

Lieutenant-Colonel Kennedy joined The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada in 1972, after several years with the Regiment’s cadet corps. He was commissioned in 1974, commanding the Regiment from 1991 to 1994 and again from 1997 to 2000. LCol Kennedy is a graduate of McMaster University, the Militia Command and Staff Course and the Basic Parachutist Course. In his business life, he is financial advisor to over 400 families, and co-owns and manages the Hamilton and Burlington offices of Assante Wealth Management. He is secretary of the Argyll Regimental Foundation, secretary of the Regiment’s Senate, secretary/treasurer of the Dictionary of Hamilton Biography. He became Chairman of the Board of the Tattoo in May 2006. He has three children, Callum, Caitlin and Eimilidh.

John Baird
Member of the Board of Directors

Vice President and Manager, TD Canada Trust, Toronto Branch.

Peter G Baker
Member of the Board of Directors

Owner, PGB Parking Consultants.

Lieutenant-Colonel (Ret’d) John Dinsmore, CD
Member of the Board of Directors

John Dinsmore is the Tattoo’s announcer and script-writer. Born in Londonderry, Northern Ireland, he began his military life as an RAF Cadet. After moving to Hamilton, he joined The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, served in the regiment for 30 years and is a former Commanding Officer. He narrated the Argylls’ act at the 1986 Edinburgh Military Tattoo and his interest in tattoo production has continued since that time. He is a founding member of the Canadian International Tattoo Association and has served as Chairman. Col Dinsmore has been the announcer for the Hamilton Tattoo since its origin in 1992.

Dr Robert Lochiel Fraser
Member of the Board of Directors

Professor Fraser was born and raised in Hamilton. He is Executive Director of the Dictionary of Canadian Biography at the University of Toronto and Academic Coordinator, History, Academic Bridging Program, University of Toronto. He is the author of Black Yesterdays—the Argylls' War (Hamilton, 1996) and editor of Provincial Justice: Upper Canadian Legal Portraits from the Dictionary of Canadian Biography (The Osgoode Society, 1992). He is Managing Editor of the Dictionary of Hamilton Biography, chair of the Historical Committee of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada and president of its Officers’ Mess. His personal interests include all matters Scottish, travel, wilderness canoeing, physical fitness, sports and sky-diving. He has two children, Lt Robert L. Fraser, who serves with the Argylls, and Catherine Fraser, who practices law in Toronto.

Linda Holden
Member of the Board of Directors

Edward (Ned) Lauder
Member of the Board of Directors

General Manager, Smart Modular Holdings.

Stephen Lautens
Member of the Board of Directors

Vice President, Inter-Citic Minerals, Columnist Sun Media

Tyler MacLeod
Member of the Board of Directors

Tyler is an Investment Advisor in Hamilton, Ontario. He has worked for over12 years in the investment management industry in both Hamilton and Toronto. Starting in Nova Scotia and then leaving for Ontario to pursue educational opportunities, with a brief stop in Toronto, he subsequently moved to Hamilton in 1997, and has embraced this city as his adoptive home. He currently Lives and works in Hamilton, and is married to life-long Hamiltonian, Candace, and has two young children, Tess and Riley. Tyler has been and continues to be very active in his community. Most recently, Tyler was the president of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce (2007-2009) and continues his active participation with the Chamber chairing and participating in numerous committees including its board of directors. He is also a member the board of directors for a long term care facility in Hamilton and sits the board of directors of a Hamilton not for profit foundation. He is a member of the Hamilton Jobs Prosperity Collaborative, sits on the Hamilton Economic Advisory Committee and continues his involvement with the Appleby College Alumni Executive. Tyler is proud to participate in the Tigertown Council, the business support group for the Hamilton Ticats football team. Tyler has always felt a strong sense of community awareness and is proud of his involvement with the Hamilton Centre for Civic Inclusion Employer Resource Steering Committee, Pan-Am Games Community Advisory Committee, the Hamilton Aquatic Centre Steering Committee and the Fairness to Hamilton Committee. Tyler served in a Cadet Corps many years ago, The King’s Edgehill School Cadet Corps, one of Canada’s oldest Cadet Corps and a full Highland Corps affiliated with the Black Watch (RHR) Regiment of Canada. Tyler always lets people know that his one true sports passion is Rugby.

Joy Shikaze, APR
Member of the Board of Directors

Joy Shikaze APR is an award winning accredited public relations professional with over 20 years experience as a media relations and communications specialist. Through managing her own full-service public relations consulting firm, MJS Communications, Joy has extensive experience in media relations, government relations (all levels), group facilitation, marketing, fundraising, sponsorship, writing, editing, trade shows and communications planning for business, associations and not-for-profit organizations. Utilizing her ability to complete multi-level team projects under various deadline pressures, Joy has been responsible for the media relations and promotion for numerous events (including the Canadian International Military Tattoo) as both a consultant and volunteer.

Chief Warrant Officer (Ret'd) John Terence, MMM, CD
Producer

CWO Terence of has been actively and directly involved with the Tattoo since its inception in 1992. He was born in England and came to Canada with his parents in 1946. He began piping at the age of ten, and in 1958 joined the Pipes and Drums of The Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders of Canada. He was appointed its Pipe Major in 1973, a post he held until retirement from the Army Reserve in 2000. Under his leadership the band travelled extensively, including appearances at the Edinburgh Tattoo in 1974, 1986 and 2000, the Festival Interceltique de Lorient in Brittany, France in 1995, and the last British Army Tattoo in Berlin, Germany in 1992. In 1999 Pipe Major Terence was appointed a Member of the Order of Military Merit in recognition of his distinguished service to the Canadian Forces and to his regiment and its Pipes and Drums. CWO Terence is married to Lynda (a Tattoo volunteer), and they have three daughters, Jeanne, Jackie and Julie, all of whom have served in the Argylls. Jackie is a drummer with the Argylls’ Pipes and Drums and Julie is a medical assistant in the Regular Force, currently serving with 1 Field Ambulance, CFB Edmonton.

Major Michael Rehill, CD, Mus Bac, KH
Director of Music

Major Rehill began his military musical career as a bugler with 1 PPCLI Cadet Corps of Drums. In 1976 he joined the Reserve Forces and was commissioned into the Lorne Scots Regimental Band, serving continuously since then as both an infantry officer and director of music. From 1979 he has been Director of Music of 31 Canadian Brigade Group and its antecedent headquarters and, from 1995, Director of Music, The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. Over his career, he has co-ordinated a large number of tattoos and military musical events, including the Kingston Tattoo, the Dundurn Park Canada Day Tattoo, the Ken Cole Memorial Cancer Society Concert, the Order of St John's "Concert of Remembrance" and Dundurn Parks' "Evening in Scotland". Under his command, the RHLI Band has performed for HM The Queen and HRH the Prince of Wales and, in 2002, he took them overseas to perform at ceremonies commemorating the 60th Anniversary of Dieppe. In May 2000, he commanded the Buglers who sounded Last Post at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Ottawa. Major Rehill holds an Honours Bachelor of Music (History and Theory) from McMaster University and a Bachelor of Education (Music) from the University of Toronto. He is principal of Sir John A. Macdonald Secondary, and holds specialist certificates for both music and dramatic arts. Major Rehill was awarded the Forces Mobile Command Commendation for service to the Reserve Forces. In 1998, he was admitted to the Hospitaller Order of St John of Jerusalem and, in 2003, created a Knight Commander. He is a member of the International Military Music Society, Canadian Band Association, Canadian Music Educator's Association, and a founding member of the Ontario Principal's Council.

Joan Balinson
Executive Director

In 1989, Joan established About Town Event & Meeting Planners, an independent full-service company specializing in the co-ordination of logistics and marketing for conference and event management. She also offers consulting services to small non-profit organizations on board and organizational development, marketing and fundraising practices. She has been an instructor for all the local community colleges and the Ontario Tourism Education Council, and delivers seminars to private agencies on special event management. Presently she serves on the Board of Directors for Tourism Hamilton, PATH Employment Services. Her memberships include IMPAC (Independent Meeting Planners of Canada), Canadian Public Relations Society and Hamilton Chamber of Commerce.

Chief Warrant Officer (Ret’d) Richard A. Seager, CD
Business Manager

CWO Seager is responsible for all aspects of the Tattoo’s office administration and ticketing, and is its financial manager. Born and raised in Hamilton, he served as Regimental Sergeant Major of The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada in a career that spans almost 40 years, and a City of Hamilton Treasury Department employee for 33 years. He has been directly involved with the Tattoo in various capacities since its first production in 1992, including serving as Floor Manager, being responsible for moving the large cast on and off the stage. He and his wife, Laurel, who is also a long-serving Tattoo volunteer, own and operate Laurich Tours, a travel agency in Hamilton.