Board of Directors

Meet the Salmon Arm Folk Music
Society Board of Directors

AGM Board 2019 Cropped Web 1024x549
Kimm MaGill Hofmann3 150x150

Kimm Magill-Hofmann

Director/Board Chair/Lead Human Resources/Member Strategic Planning

About Kimm

Kimm is a retired public servant and has volunteered with the SAFMS for over 25 years and joined the Board in 2016. Kimm looks forward to another good year working with a great group of people to bring live music to the community.
Alan Bates 150x150

Alan Bates

Director/Vice Chair/Lead Audience Education/Member Infrastructure, Human Resources & Environment

About Alan

Alan has been a member and big fan of the Festival since moving to the Shuswap in 1995. He is an amateur musician with a deep interest in live music, from around the globe.
Brenda 150x150

Brenda M'Clellan

Director/Lead Finance/Member Audience Education & Scholarship

About Brenda

Brenda has volunteered on the SAFMS Board since 2015, as well as a member of the audience education and scholarship committees. Brenda's other interests include curling, golfing and traveling.
Elaine Holmes 150x150

Elaine Holmes

Director/Secretary/Lead Volunteer

About Elaine

Elaine is is a full-time teacher and a part-time musician. Passionate about creating a culture to give patrons, musicians or volunteers, an experience that is uplifting and memorable.
Steve Atkins 150x150

Steve Atkins

Director/Lead Scholarship & Strategic Planning/Member, Human Resources

About Steve

Steve was first elected to the Board of the SAFMS in 2015. He is a former teacher and school administrator with a life long passion for live music and the arts in general.
Doug Hearn 150x150

Doug Hearn

Director/Lead Environment Committee/ Member Strategic Planning, Infrastructure & Volunteer

About Doug

For 25 years Doug has participated in the growth and development of the Festival as a Volunteer and Board Member. His focus is to foster a sustainable future by strengthening the Volunteer Experience, Artistic Values and Environmental impact.
Joyce Keronas 150x150

Joyce Kenoras

Director/Member Governance and Merchandise

About Joyce

Joyce, a member of the Secwepemc Nation, with ties to the Sylix Nation, has volunteered in the community for years. Dedicated to promoting diversity in music and culture; and brings a sense of traditional grounding and outreach to the Festival.
Bernd Hermanski 150x150

Bernd Hermanski

Director/Lead Sponsorship/ Member Infrastructure

About Bernd

Bernd has spent many years as a volunteer director on local boards, including 30 years with the Salmar Community Association. He is now in his 22nd year as a director with the Salmon Arm Folk Music Society.
Rob Marshall 150x150

Rob Marshall

Director/Treasurer/Lead Merchandise/Member Governance and Sponsorship

About Rob

Rob is Executive Director at Community Futures Shuswap. He has been a supporter of the Salmon Arm Folk Music Society for several years and joined the Board of Directors in 2017. He contributes to the Governance and Sponsorship Committees.
Ian McDiarmid 150x150

Ian McDiarmid

Director/Lead Infrastructure/Member Environment and Human Resources

About Ian

Ian has served on the board 18 years. He continues building the festival expanding multicultural experiences throughout the region and building relationships with community partners.
Brook Roberts 150x150

Brook Roberts

Director/Member Finance

About Brook

Brook looks forward to continue his commitment to work closely with the Board of Directors and staff to improve and strengthen community relationships, to develop and support future endeavours of the Society.
Valerie Ellis Peet 150x150

Valorie Ellis Peet

Director/Lead Governance/Member Volunteer and Audience Education

About Valorie

Valorie enjoys the experience of community and has a passion for culture, people and artistic expression. Valorie's aim is to build teams for a safe, friendly and successful event.

Salmon Arm Folk Music Society Information

We respectfully acknowledge and recognize that the work of the Salmon Arm Folk Music Society takes place on the unceded traditional territory of the Secwepemc Peoples.

Mission Statement – We present excellent culturally diverse music experiences to enrich and build the fabric of community.

Vision Statement – Celebrating Together!

Value Statement – To expose, entertain and enrich our community by delivering an excellent presentation of culturally diverse music and related artistic experiences, engaging a multi-generational audience.

The Salmon Arm Folk Music Society (SAFMS) is a non-profit charitable organization that presents the Annual ROOTSandBLUES festival scheduled every 3rd week in August, a concert series, and participation in many local community outreach activities.

Taking place in the beautiful Shuswap Lake in the unceded traditional territory of the Secwepemc peoples in the Interior of BC, the festival has been a cultural presence in the community for over three decades. The SAFMS’s mission is to present excellent world class, culturally diverse music and artistic experiences to enrich and build community.

History of the Organization

The SAFMS began in 1979 through the hard work of a group of music lovers who wanted to promote local music as well as present touring artists in our small community.  At that time, the group belonged to the Northern Music Circuit, an organization comprised of mostly northern BC communities that were able to block-book musicians at a reasonable price, guaranteeing national and international musicians a few weeks of touring throughout central British Columbia.

Throughout the 1980’s and early 1990’s, the Society presented approximately 20 concerts a year – all through the efforts of a core group of dedicated volunteers, as paid staff did not exist until 2001.

In 1991 the SAFMS became a registered non-profit society and began planning its first Roots and Blues Festival.  Held indoors at a small rural community hall in October of 1992, the first Festival attracted just enough attendees to continue with the idea the following year.  The second year the Festival moved to the considerably larger Community Centre in Salmon Arm and then in later years added a few more indoor venues.  In 2000, the group took a year off from presenting the Festival and hired a consultant to evaluate our Society and its course of direction as an arts presenter.  As a result, the Society made the decision to hire year-round staff, open a permanent office, move the Festival to an outdoor venue and stage it in the summer. 

Our Organization’s Management and Staff Structure

The Salmon Arm Folk Music Society has an annually elected Board of Directors consisting of 12 community members. The board approves the annual budget of the society and reviews financial statements on a monthly basis. The board has several active committees that are involved with their own governance, and the Society’s strategic planning, human resources, as well as committees that offer guidance to staff related to sponsorship, community outreach, and site related issues.  This Board meets on a monthly basis with the Executive Director and Artistic Director.

The Society has 4 full-time staff, 1 part-time bookkeeper, 1 part-time sponsorship/marketing/media person, and 2 part-time contracted production persons. The 4 full-time staff consists of the Executive Director, Artistic Director, Office Manager, and Volunteer/Grant Coordinator. During the peak season, 10 seasonal staff/combined with students come into play by filling the following positions; Engage Stage Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator Assistant, Box Office Assistant, Site Coordinator, 2/3 Site Assistants, Artistic Director Assistant, Camping Coordinator and an Assistant. We also have 2 seasonal volunteers who contribute. We are fortunate to have our seasonal staff return to their positions on an annual basis, thereby creating continuity to the organization. There are over 650 volunteers who contribute to the festival weekend.

Ownership of Properties Utilized by the SAFMS

The SAFMS’s main office is owned by the City of Salmon Arm.  The building is conveniently located at 541 3rd ST SW, Salmon Arm, BC.

The festival venue 490 5th AVE SW is leased from the Shuswap Agricultural Society.

Outreach venues that are utilized by the SAFMS are owned by local businesses, and non-profits. In the City of Salmon Arm, Ross St Downtown Stage, Wednesdays on the Wharf, Song Sparrow Hall, and more.

The Festival storage facility is in semi-trailers, and steel shipping containers located in the backyard of the festival office, ABC Storage and also in the Quonset Storage in town donated by the City of Salmon Arm.

Currently there are twelve Board Level Committees: Each Board Committee is led by a Board Director, features a staff representative and may include a volunteer at large.

Expanded terms of reference for each committee can be provided upon request.

AUDIENCE EDUCATION – To provide information, background, and knowledge about the purpose and products of the SAFMS.

ENVIRONMENT – To develop and deliver on a short and long-term plan that reduces our environmental footprint and allows our festival to excel in this regard.  Promote sustainability in environment practices.

FINANCE – Review implication of financial decisions and ensure that financial processes and procedures remain current with the needs of the Board.

GOVERNANCE – The purpose of the Governance Committee is to establish and maintain an effective governance structure that reflects and supports SAFMS Constitution and Bylaws.

HUMAN RESOURCES – Oversee the performance of the Executive Director, and assist in HR operations at the request of the Executive Director and/or the Board of Directors.

INFRASTRUCTURE – To monitor, envision and participate in matters that pertain to the infrastructure and community relationships affecting the festival and office sites.

MERCHANDISE – To ensure that all merchandise related expenditures are managed appropriately.  The purpose of this team is to provide direction and support for the Administrator and Merchandising Coordinator in regards to the related expenditures within the approved budget. 

SCHOLARSHIP – To administer and coordinate the selection of a worthy student to receive the annual scholarship.                    

STRATEGIC PLANNING – To facilitate the planning of a strategic plan to focus and guide Board and staff decision-making.

VOLUNTEER – The purpose of this team is to provide direction and support for the Volunteer Coordinator and Executive Director regarding volunteer recruitment, retention; and to manage volunteer related expenditures within the approved budget.