Announcing new leadership structure
The League of Canadian Poets is excited to announce its new dual leadership model, effective immediately.For several decades, the League has operated under the leadership of a volunteer Board of Directors and an Executive Director, with additional staff supporting programs, services, and membership. In the past 7 years, though, the League has seen the development and launch of more than 15 new programs, and membership growth of 75%. With the implementation of new By-Laws and a Governance Board structure in 2022, the League has entered an exciting new chapter of growth and sustainability.Now, alongside the Executive Director, the League will welcome an Artistic Programming Director as co-director. We’re happy to say that both these roles will remain familiar faces for the time being: Lesley Fletcher will be returning from an 18-month leave on February 5, 2024, to step back into the role of Executive Director. At that time, interim ED and longtime League staff member Nic Brewer will step into the new role of Artistic Programming Director.Although we are the same people as ever, we would love to take this time to reintroduce ourselves:
Lesley Fletcher (she/her) has been working with literary non-profits and charities for over 13 years. Since 2016, she has been the Executive Director of the League of Canadian Poets, where she has worked with an amazing team to grow the League’s impact, financial stability, and service level. Lesley recently introduced a new structure for the League’s By-Laws and Board of Directors, and she is excited to grow the League’s capacity in the next chapter of its development. Lesley has a passion for fundraising, project management, and creating collaborative events and programs. When she isn’t at work, you can find her playing with her children, walking her dog, reading, baking, taking classes, and occasionally being overcome by exhaustion.
Nic Brewer (she/they) is an information and administrative professional with nearly a decade of experience in the arts and culture sector supporting poets, readers, and literary organizers as they have come up with new and creative ways to enrich Canada’s literary culture. Her expertise in information management, systems design, and communication have helped the League to expand its programming and increase its efficiency, always with the goal of finding more ways to direct funds back into Canadian poetry. Outside of her admin and information work, Nic is also a fiction writer who enjoys reading, cuddling her dog, going on adventures with her wife, and playing with her nieces and nephews.
We would also like to welcome Caitlin Lapeña (she/her) to the League team, who joined us in the fall of 2023 as our Administrative and Communications Coordinator. Caitlin is an arts administrator with eight years of experience in the field, and has been enjoying putting her design and social media skills to use at the League. Previously, Caitlin was the co-director of Peter Estey Fine Art, an artist-run auction house and art dealer specializing in Canadian and international fine, folk, and Inuit art. She also works as the Marketing Coordinator with Connection Dance Works, a contemporary dance company in Saint John, New Brunswick. Caitlin is primarily a visual artist working in drawing and painting. She lives rurally in New Brunswick with her cat Minnie and partner Jay.