Welcome to the College of Piping and Celtic Performing Arts of Canada.

The Board of Directors is made up of members in the business community who are Celtic enthusiasts. They meet regularly to focus and concentrate on policy governance issues which establish direction and guidelines for management. With a relatively small faculty and staff, their assistance and expertise are critical.

Current members of the Board for The College of Piping include:

Ken Gillis, Chairman

Dr. Jim Smith, Vice Chairman

Don Groom, Secretary

Blake Craig, Treasurer

Councilor Vance Bridges

Hon. Joe McGuire, P.C

Sharon O’Halloran

Cynthia Taylor

Ben Taylor, President Emeritus

Ken Gillis

Ken Gillis was born in Sydney, N.S. where he started a 37 year career with Royal Bank and retired as Area Manager-Prince Edward Island. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers and a graduate of Dalhousie University Executive Development Program.

He has been very active in community affairs serving on the boards of PEI Symphony, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Foundation, Island Arts and Heritage Stablization Fund, Tourism Charlottetown and Confederation Centre of the Arts and is the 2008-2009 President of the Rotary Club of Charlottetown. Ken Previously served as President of The College of Piping for four consecutive years. He also served one term on Charlottetown City Council. He resides in Charlottetown with his wife Grace and they have 5 daughters.

Dr. Jim Smith

A food scientist by training, Jim studied in his native Scotland, then Winnipeg, Manitoba and Nottingham, England. He has worked in the biotechnology industry and the food industry and taught, researched and worked as a consultant at universities in Glasgow for six years before taking up a position in 1988 at the Prince Edward Island Food Technology Centre in Charlottetown, where he is now the Executive Director.

As well as having a PhD in Food Science, Jim has an MBA and specializes in innovative technical solutions for food businesses. Jim has edited three books on food additives and is currently editing a Second Edition of a book on "The Technology of Reduced Additive Food Processing". In 2003, Jim was appointed to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation/World Health Organisation Joint Committee on Food Additives and Contaminants, a four-year appointment.

Jim is an accomplished singer of Scots songs in the unaccompanied, traditional style. This style allows the full impact of the Lowland Scots dialect to be heard, uncluttered by instruments. Some of his songs are featured on the Ancestral Voices series of recordings from The College of Piping.

Jim is also a part-time entrepreneur with a mail order traditional music business and an events production business that specializing in music events.

Jim has served on the board of The College of Piping since 1996 and is a Past President of the Board of Directors. He has served as Chair of the Summerside Highland Gathering in 1995.

Jim volunteers his vocal chords on behalf of The College at shows throughout the year and, being a whisky connoisseur, he hosted the 2000 Burns Celebration, an evening of entertainment and whisky tasting.

Don Groom

Don Groom was born in Summerside, P.E.I. and graduated from Summerside High School in 1963. He went on to receive a Bachelor of Science Degree at Fairleigh Dickenson University in Rutherford New Jersey in 1968. Don also received credits from Cornell University in New York and Prince of Wales College in Charlottetown.

Don owns and operates the Brothers Two Restaurant and the Feast Dinner Theatre Productions in Summerside, Charlottetown, Yarmouth and Sydney. He is also a partner of K&D Entertainment for Doolys in Summerside and Elmsdale.

Don has a long-standing commitment to Summerside. Some of the many activities that he has been involved in include: Founding Chairman of the Culinary Institute of Canada, past Vice-President of Summerside Regional Development Corporation and Summerside and Area Tourism Association, past Director of Tourism and Industry Association of Canada, and past Chairperson of the Summerside Tourism Committee of the Chamber of Commerce.

Don is currently leading a steering committee for sustainable tourism development for the Summerside area and is serving on the Board of Directors for Tourism Summerside Ltd.

In 1984, Don was awarded with the "Silver Medallion Canadian Tourism" presented by the Federal Minister of Tourism for contributions to the Tourism Industry. In 1989, Don was awarded with the "Lieutenant Governor's Award For Excellence in Prince Edward Island Tourism.

Don resides in Summerside, P.E.I. with his wife, Connie and their children, Jeffrey and Jessica.

Blake Craig

Blake was founding President of The College Of Piping And Celtic Performing Arts of Canada. He was born and raised in Summerside, PEI and went on to receive his Business Degree from the University of Prince Edward Island. Blake is the president of J. Leroy Gallant Insurance Limited.

Blake has volunteered for many positions at The College and is an active volunteer. He is currently the Treasurer of the Board of Directors for The College of Piping. He is Past-President of the Insurance Brokers Association of PEI, Past- Director for the Insurance Brokers Association of Canada and Past-Chair for the Harbourfront Jubilee Theatre. As well, Blake is a past director of the Workers Compensation Board of Prince Edward Island.

Blake has a passion for sailing and when he’s not in the office, he can be found out on the open water. Blake is married to Kathleen and they have three children, James, Kristen and Sandra.