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Christie Lites Bios

Huntly Christie

Huntly Christie
CEO

Known for his fast pace and referred to by many as “The Hurricane”, Huntly has spent more than 3 decades in the stage lighting industry continually honing his craft.
His job is defined as "determining the future of Christie Lites and taking action to make sure that future happens". He is a big believer in the importance of focus and constantly looks at ways to simplify the company, tighten its operations and innovate.

Huntly Christie

Huntly Christie
CEO

Known for his fast pace and referred to by many as “The Hurricane”, Huntly has spent more than 3 decades in the stage lighting industry continually honing his craft.

His job is defined as "determining the future of Christie Lites and taking action to make sure that future happens". He is a big believer in the importance of focus and constantly looks at ways to simplify the company, tighten its operations and innovate. He spends his time on the company's infrastructure and client relations.

Beginnings......

In the early '80's Huntly was trying to make a living playing the drums in a rock band. As was the case with many drummers working the club circuit, his responsibilities included loading trucks, setting up sound and lighting equipment and helping out with a variety of production details.

After a fun but unsuccessful attempt to build a career as a musician, Huntly turned his attention to the stage lighting industry. In 1985 at the age of 25, he founded Christie Lites in a small garage at his father's house in Toronto, Canada.

At its inception Christie Lites was the only company in the Toronto area dedicated exclusively to stage lighting. Huntly's narrow focus on this singular aspect of the production market intensified the company's growth such that in the span of 13 years Christie Lites emerged as Canada's largest and most successful stage lighting company.

In 1998 Huntly made the decision to move himself and his family to Orlando, Florida so he could expand the company and establish the first American presence for Christie Lites.

Huntly's focus and determination have supported his efforts to expand Christie Lites beyond North America and into the United Kingdom.
Christie Lites Coventry established in 2017.
Huntly is pleased to welcome our United Kingdom colleagues and excited about the future and global opportunities to further support our valued clients around the world.

Ken Alexander

Ken Alexander
VP Rentals

Starting behind the scenes in elementary school, Ken graduated with honors from the Theatre Dept. of Western Washington University. During University, Ken spent time at the scene shops of the Julliard School and Minnesota Opera. After graduation he returned home to Vancouver where his college interest in dance was the ticket to his next engagement.

Ken Alexander

Ken Alexander
VP Rentals

Starting behind the scenes in elementary school, Ken graduated with honors from the Theatre Dept. of Western Washington University. During University, Ken spent time at the scene shops of the Julliard School and Minnesota Opera. After graduation he returned home to Vancouver where his college interest in dance was the ticket to his next engagement.

Ken was LD and TD for groups including The National Ballet of Canada, Ballet British Columbia, and ME on a 6 year run of the Canadian company of the musical ‘Joseph’. This included many years of international and domestic touring and a chance to see the world on someone else’s dime. Back at home, various TD, PM, and LD projects led to Ken’s first foray into equipment rentals – as an audio vendor no less!

In 1991, while in Toronto as a guest LD for the National Ballet, Ken met Huntly Christie and the original CL team. After a successful premiere Huntly and Ken shook hands and agreed to stay in touch. Thus was launched the idea of expanding Christie Lites beyond its home city.

Christie Lites Vancouver officially opened in 1992 with Ken as one of the founding partners. During the early years he continued to tour while back home the CLV family grew and prospered.

Ken is now the VP of Rentals for Christie Lites. He still spends much of his time on the road with a focus on supporting the Rental Rep team and their continually expanding client relationships.

Home is just outside of Vancouver, Canada - with the ocean on one side and the mountains on the other. Personal time includes relaxing at the ‘Cove’, side trips to Seahawks and Mariners games and exploring the world with his wife Tracy and faithful hound Abby.

"I enjoy the gifts of good health, friends and family and good luck. Combining my creative life interests with continually expanding business opportunities whilst living in an incredible corner of the world with such an amazing partner – I am truly blessed”.

Rod "Red" Gibson

Rod "Red" Gibson
VP Rentals

My first call to the lighting business came in 1981 when a friend’s band needed a lighting guy. After a few stops and starts, a couple of jobs as a truck driver and also as a roughneck on an oil rig, I landed in Vancouver in 1989 as a lighting director. I worked with local club and recording acts over the next few years and eventually ended up working with a company called Westsun as a tech doing corporate events and a few tours here and there.

Rod "Red" Gibson

Rod "Red" Gibson
VP Rentals

My first call to the lighting business came in 1981 when a friend’s band needed a lighting guy. After a few stops and starts, a couple of jobs as a truck driver and also as a roughneck on an oil rig, I landed in Vancouver in 1989 as a lighting director. I worked with local club and recording acts over the next few years and eventually ended up working with a company called Westsun as a tech doing corporate events and a few tours here and there.

It was at this time that I met the late Dino Derose who introduced me to the people at R.A. Roth in Atlanta. I split my time between Atlanta and Vancouver over the next few years until 1995 when I was offered the position of Vari Lite operator on Live Entertainment’s production of Show Boat.

After 2 years and 4 cities I disembarked from the boat to take a position with PRG in Atlanta. I moved to Atlanta from Vancouver in 1999 and continued to work with PRG as touring designer, lighting director and crew chief.

In the fall of 2005 I was approached about the Operations Manager position with Christie Lites in Seattle. With two young children and a wife to look out for and a wonderful opportunity to take a position with a well established company that would allow me to spend much more time at home with my family, the decision was an easy one to make.

I look forward to helping Christie Lites continue to grow and to the many challenges and opportunities that working here will bring.

In my time off I can be found with my lovely wife Leah and our 2 children Tessa and Connor or off in the outdoors somewhere camping, hunting or fishing.

Ian Gordon

Ian Gordon
VP Rentals

Full Bio Forthcoming

Michael Rawson

Michael Rawson
Treasurer

I began my accounting career as a clerk in an advertising agency and assisted in the media buying department. I have held accounting positions ever since, always learning more about the profession and how businesses operate.

Michael Rawson

Michael Rawson
Treasurer

I began my accounting career as a clerk in an advertising agency and assisted in the media buying department. I have held accounting positions ever since, always learning more about the profession and how businesses operate. I have worked for both private and publicly traded companies. I got my feet wet in this industry working for an Audio/Visual staging company where I learned all the aspects of how gigs were executed and funded. I came to Christe Lites in 2004 and have been steadily challenged, which makes my time here rewarding and satisfying.

In my spare time I like to spend time with my wife. I also like to ride on any vehicle that allows me to challenge its limits.

Dan Souwand

Dan Souwand
VP Equipment, Systems & Warehousing

Before working with Christie Lites Dan worked at several regional theaters around Ontario such as Victoria Playhouse Petrolia, Huron Country Playhouse and Sudbury Theatre Center.

Dan Souwand

Dan Souwand
VP Equipment, Systems & Warehousing

Before working with Christie Lites Dan worked at several regional theaters around Ontario such as Victoria Playhouse Petrolia, Huron Country Playhouse and Sudbury Theatre Center.

Dan's first contact with Christie Lites was an interview in the early 90s with Huntly for a job as a salesman. Not wanting to tie himself to a desk at that time Dan declined the job only to be contacted a few weeks later by Huntly with the offer of a tour in Northern Ontario. Who could resist 2 months in a cube van in the winter traveling from Kenora to Iroquois Falls"

After this first run of shows he never looked back taking any and every gig that Christie would send his way. He spent the next 8 years doing every thing from sweeping the shop floor to touring around the world with Julio Iglesias and Harry Connick Jr. Somewhere along the road Dan decided it was time to trade in his bunk for the comfort of his own bed (Queen sized with matching sheets that he never has to wonder whether the driver actually washed).

The timing could not have been better. The position of Operations Manager in the Toronto Office became available and Dan jumped at the opportunity. Ironically the job included the desk that Dan had traveled thousands of kilometers to avoid.

In 2006 opportunity knocked again. This time it was the position as the Head of Operations. The chance to work with the Operations Managers to build the strongest, most efficient operations team seemed too good to be true.

He currently lives in Toronto with his wife Kirsten and son Zie. In his spare time Dan is working on a cure for the common cold and a perpetual motion machine. Unfortunately, Dan now has even less spare time than he did as the CLT Operations Manager.

Paul Dhingra

Paul Dhingra
VP of Software Development

Paul's career began in 1989, when at the age of 17, he decided to force his way into Radio. By repeatedly and continuously calling the request lines at Toronto radio station CFNY (several times a day for over 6 months), he was eventually given a daily 30 second bit on the morning show, followed by a brief internship in the music department.

Paul Dhingra

Paul Dhingra
VP of Software Development

Paul's career began in 1989, when at the age of 17, he decided to force his way into Radio. By repeatedly and continuously calling the request lines at Toronto radio station CFNY (several times a day for over 6 months), he was eventually given a daily 30 second bit on the morning show, followed by a brief internship in the music department. 2 weeks later, Paul was hired as Assistant Music Director, a position he would hold for the next 4 years. During his time in the music department, Paul branched out to learn about many aspects of running a radio station, and had the opportunity to participate in activities such as on-air production, studio/commercial production, and on-air hosting.

In 1992, Paul started Club 102 the first time that music of this type was played in a nightclub of this size, and the first time a show like that was broadcast on the radio. Paul DJ'd on Saturday nights at the Phoenix for the next 7 years. Shortly thereafter, similar shows (also with music chosen, mixed, and played by Paul) were started on Fridays at the Kingdom in Burlington, and Sundays at Whiskey Saigon - Retro 80's night. (Incidentally, all of these shows continue to be broadcast today).

In 1994, Paul decided to DJ full time, and started his company Music Sucks. By the end of 1994, he was working in nightclubs in downtown Toronto and across Southern Ontario, 6 nights/week. He was also often doing extra gigs after his nightclub gigs at raves and after-parties.

Also in 1994, Paul began his career as a professional skydiver. It wasn't long before Paul became an instructor, and progressed to many different areas of the sport, including everything from teaching first-time jumpers to freefly (sit, stand, head-down) coaching at a higher level. Paul participated (and won a few medals) in several competitions. He then became interested in demo-jumping, went through the difficult licensing process, and was hired to do things like commercials, and jumping into Air Shows, Football Games, and Ontario Place. Paul has jumped out of over 30 types of aircrafts, including helicopters and hot-air balloons, in many places throughout North America.

In 1999, after the birth of Paul's son Koen, he decided to change careers (jumping out airplanes and hanging out at nightclubs until 5am wasn't really appropriate anymore), and found Christie Lites through a lighting operator at a nightclub as well as one of his skydiving students. Paul taught himself how to run computer networks, was hired as IT Manager, and left the world of radio, nightclubs, and skydiving behind.

After completely redesigning Christie Lites' computer network, Paul implemented many new systems, both hardware and software, to support Christie Lites Toronto's business operations. He then continued to make changes and upgrades, and, not satisfied with working with one office, he expanded the department to cover all Christie Lites locations.

During this time, Paul learned the intricacies of software development, including everything from Clipper to SQL to .net web services, and was recently named Christie Lites' Systems and Software Development Manager. Paul and his department are responsible for several exciting areas of growth for Christie Lites, including data warehousing, data mining, and procedural/operational development.

Paul lives in Mississauga with his girlfriend Colleen, and their children Kyle, Danielle, Andrew, Koen, and Gabriel (that's right, there's five of them, but they haven't realized they outnumber us yet). And two cats, and a dog too!

Shane Gillespie

Shane Gillespie
CIO

Shane Gillespie began his technology career eighteen years ago in the United States Marine Corps. Shane was stationed at Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity at Camp Pendleton, California.

Shane Gillespie

Shane Gillespie
CIO

Shane Gillespie began his technology career eighteen years ago in the United States Marine Corps. Shane was stationed at Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity at Camp Pendleton, California where he served as a network engineer supporting various Windows, UNIX, and Banyan Vines servers and Cisco-based networks.

After serving four years in the military, Shane and his family moved back to Orlando, Florida where he began working as a systems engineer in the timeshare industry. After a year in the timeshare industry, Shane began working for a consulting firm providing network and system support to large organizations including Hughes Supply and Watkins Truck Lines.

Shane comes to Christie Lites from Tempus Resorts International where he served as the technical architect for over twelve years. Shane was responsible for the design, installation, and support of the company’s technology infrastructure. During his tenure, the company grew from a single office location with fifty employees to a multi-location enterprise with over twelve hundred employees, fifty servers and five hundred desktop computers.

Shane currently lives in Davenport, FL with his wife Kimberly and their three children Brady, Brett and Brandy. He enjoys playing guitar and drums with his two teenage boys and spoiling his wife and daughter.

Joel Van Netten

Joel Van Netten
VP Asset Management

Joel began his technical theatre career at the tender age of sixteen under the guise of a sound technician for such musicals as Bye Bye Birdie and Fame, the musical. From the beginning, he was hooked.

Joel Van Netten

Joel Van Netten
VP Asset Management

Joel began his technical theatre career at the tender age of sixteen under the guise of a sound technician for such musicals as Bye Bye Birdie and Fame, the musical. From the beginning, he was hooked.

After a short but sweet stint as a student at Ryerson University's Technical Theatre program, Joel landed a job working in the warehouse at Christie Lites Toronto.

His next step was to move from prepping the shows to teching the shows. Joel started his show tech career with a cross Canada tour with Jann Arden. From there, the gigs kept on coming. From Barrage to The Barenaked Ladies; from The Much Music Video Awards to the Wow Awards, Joel has excelled in the capacities of dimmer tech, crew chief, and operator.

Now Joel has moved forward again, accepting a role as Operations Manager for the Toronto shop of Christie Lites. Here he hopes to combine experiences as a technician and his years in the Christie Lites organization to overcome any challenges that come his way.

Karina Mendoza

Karina Mendoza
VP Show Management

Karina considers herself a native Floridian despite being born in Queens, NY because her family moved to Orlando when she was very young. She considers the move a blessing because her Colombian blood cannot handle the cold weather or snow!

Karina Mendoza

Karina Mendoza
VP Show Management

Karina considers herself a native Floridian despite being born in Queens, NY because her family moved to Orlando when she was very young. She considers the move a blessing because her Colombian blood cannot handle the cold weather or snow!

From a young age, Karina was always very driven. At age 14, she started an internship at an attorney’s office. By the end of the summer, the attorney hired Karina over a full-time paralegal because he loved her dedication and work ethic. By the age of 16, she had graduated from High School and by 18, she had her Associates degree in Business from Valencia Community College.

Although Karina enjoyed her time at the legal firm, she decided she wanted to explore the world of International Business. International Business always interested her, and she felt it would be the perfect combination of travel, vendor relationships, and contract negotiations. Karina began working various jobs to hone her skills and gain the experience that the college classroom just couldn’t offer her. In late 2009, she decided to put college on hold when she and her husband decided they wanted to start a family. Karina credits her first daughter, Liana for giving her a good excuse to leave college behind!

After having her second daughter, Karina decided she wanted to rejoin the work force. Having several years of experience in Trucking and Logistics, Karina pursued an opportunity with Christie Lites, who was building its new Transportation Team and looking for Trucking Coordinators. Karina was determined to get her foot in the door and work hard to prove her value. Karina quickly learned and thrived in this new environment. Christie Lites ended up being the perfect fit for Karina, and she fit right in with its result-driven, no-nonsense culture. After running the Transportation Department, Karina took on more responsibility, including the Purchasing Department where she found her niche! In 2017, after being with Christie Lites for 5 years, she became the Vice President of Purchasing. Karina truly enjoys what she does every day and feels that her career has come full circle. She has found a place where she gets to pursue her passion of Business and gets to travel, negotiate, and build lasting business relationships.

When Karina is not working she dedicates all her time to her family, especially her two daughters, Liana and Aliyah. She loves every minute of raising them and watching them grow. So all the time spent taking them to school, dance classes and other activities is well worth it to her.

Gaynor Rawson

Gaynor Rawson
Chief Human Resources Officer

Gaynor Rawson is the Chief Human Resources Officer and is a long standing employee of Christie Lites. Prior to joining Christie Lites in 2012, Gaynor’s Human Resources career began in the 90s when joining an IT start-up company. Over her HR career she has worked in a variety of business sectors including banking and investment, IT consulting, insurance and event lighting.

Gaynor Rawson

Gaynor Rawson
Chief Human Resources Officer

Gaynor Rawson is the Chief Human Resources Officer and is a long standing employee of Christie Lites. Prior to joining Christie Lites in 2012, Gaynor’s Human Resources career began in the 90s when joining an IT start-up company. Over her HR career she has worked in a variety of business sectors including banking and investment, IT consulting, insurance and event lighting.

Leading the HR team, she brings over 25 years of high-level and diverse HR experience to Christie Lites. Her areas of specialty include employee relations, employee litigation matters, the full employee life-cycle, onboarding, terminations, benefits, payroll, employee handbook development, policy and procedure development and guidance on provincial, federal and state employment law compliance.

Gaynor is a member of the Human Resource Professional Association. She holds a certification in Human Resource Management and has her Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) accreditation.

Pete Hulin

Pete Hulin
Regional Operations Director

Full Bio Forthcoming

Pete Hulin

Pete Hulin
Regional Operations Director

Full Bio Forthcoming

Caity Joy

Caity Joy
Broadway Business Development Manager

Caity entered the world of professional theater in 2006, launching her career in stage management at Peterborough Players in her home state of New Hampshire. Over the next six years, she held various stage and production management roles across the United States before settling in New York City and becoming a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association.

Caity Joy

Caity Joy
Broadway Business Development Manager

Caity entered the world of professional theater in 2006, launching her career in stage management at Peterborough Players in her home state of New Hampshire. Over the next six years, she held various stage and production management roles across the United States before settling in New York City and becoming a proud member of Actor’s Equity Association.

Caity served as the resident stage manager at Shadowbox Theater in Brooklyn before transitioning into a staff role at The Public Theater in June 2012. Joining the production department as Associate Production Manager, Caity swiftly ascended to the position of Production Manager and eventually assumed the role of Associate Director of Production.

Throughout her nearly 12-year tenure, Caity contributed to the success of numerous acclaimed works, several of which have had subsequent Broadway transfers, including Fun Home, Hamilton, Girl from the North Country, Fat Ham and Suffs. With an extensive production management portfolio spanning dozens of Off-Broadway productions and over 100 developmental works, Caity is deeply committed to fostering inclusivity within the NYC theater community.

Guided by her belief that people thrive when they feel valued and heard, Caity brings a compassionate, human-centered approach to her work. She eagerly anticipates supporting Christie Lites in solidifying its presence as a permanent, integral, and influential part of the NYC theater community.

Fred Foster

Fred Foster
Central Distribution Manager

It's been quite a journey to get to this point. I was born on a small farm in Western New York and spent 18 years in the same area, pretty much isolated from everything in the rest of the world. Like most people in the area I sought out the military to escape from the seclusion of the rural life.

Fred Foster

Fred Foster
Central Distribution Manager

It's been quite a journey to get to this point. I was born on a small farm in Western New York and spent 18 years in the same area, pretty much isolated from everything in the rest of the world. Like most people in the area I sought out the military to escape from the seclusion of the rural life.

After four years in the navy, which included a stint in the Persian gulf during the first Desert Storm, I returned to New York to enter into school and find a career that suited me. Graduating from Alfred University with a BFA in sculpture and drawing with a minor in education I started looking for a teaching position in Arts. My search brought me to Orlando with my future wife packed in an 88 Ford Festiva.

I soon realized that teaching was more of a hobby than a career to me. I then entered the entertainment business, hoping to utilize my art degree and knowledge. My prior job was as a show lead for an event company specializing in entire event packaging. Our clients included Pfizer and Bristol-Meyer, among many others. This was my door into lighting and the other aspects of the industry.

Upon the news that my wife was pregnant I sought out a company that would keep me in Orlando more than out of it. In my search, a friend contacted me about a possible opening in rigging with the company he was with, Christie Lites.

I received my chance and soon became rigging dept. head, using my knowledge of mechanics, fabrication, and technical ability to increase the efficiency and safety of the department. Soon opportunity called again when I was offered the position of Warehouse Manager, and I accepted the job.

When I'm not working I can be found in the gym, on my motorcycle, or with my wife Dawn and daughter Malaya at home.

As with all my previous jobs, I hope to pull from my reserve of knowledge and physical skills to create a shop in which the workers and clients feel at home and appreciated. Though this position is a forest unto itself, I still realize it's the leaves that make the trees.

Jenn Bodshaug

Jenn Bodshaug
Project Manager

Hailing from the rough and tumble streets of northeastern Massachusetts, Jenn has taken a journey full of twists and turns to get to where she is now. Ample time was spent in choirs and theatre programs targeted towards youths throughout middle and high school, however, a desire to NOT be the one in the spotlight lead her down other paths.

Jenn Bodshaug

Jenn Bodshaug
Project Manager

Hailing from the rough and tumble streets of northeastern Massachusetts, Jenn has taken a journey full of twists and turns to get to where she is now. Ample time was spent in choirs and theatre programs targeted towards youths throughout middle and high school, however, a desire to NOT be the one in the spotlight lead her down other paths. One of those paths was diving into art classes, and landing on a focus in photography, which evolved into editing for television and film. Evidentiary support for working best while alone in the dark attached to a screen (or four). A year spent at Hofstra pursuing a TV/Film double major, proved to be torturous trying to conform to traditional university life, and a English professor suggested transferring to a non-traditional school in Florida she knew of from other students. Google searches were done, applications placed, and acceptances in a whirlwind. The ink wasn’t even dry on any of the paperwork when at a last minute attendance of a Bon Jovi concert, Jenn found herself paying more attention to the truss, lights, and crew, then anything on the stage.

Late Summer 2003 Jenn stepped foot in Orlando, FL, not as a film student, but as the newest member of the Show Production and Touring degree program at Full Sail University. By February, with the 80 degree weather and intense lack of snow, she was no longer a New Englander. After an intense 13 month program with classes ‘round the clock, and copious amounts of energy drink consumed, November 2004 provided a degree, a zest for a career, and a pile of loan debt. Work began immediately with basic stagehand duties around Florida, traveling to private parties throughout the US with a company providing a light up interactive dance floor, internship with David Copperfield in Las Vegas, and a bit of touring with Ringling Bros Circus. All before turning 21.

September 2005 had Jenn back in Florida, looking to start growing her own roots, and missing her cat. Couch surfing for a few weeks while apartment and job searching led to a position in the Cable Department at Christie Lites. Quickly transferring to the newly created Dock Department, and staying on as Dept head for 3.5 years until the economic crash. With a quick pivot, Jenn found herself as part of the CL show labor pool, and working with various other companies in town as a Prep and General Tech for 2 years. One fateful day, receiving a call during a load in to come back to CL as a Project Coordinator (aka Ops Co’s way back then). A few years later advancing to the role of Project Manager.

These days, when not working her magic to make the events happen, you can find Jenn and her ever changing hair, at home; likely in her Puzzle Piazza completing over 200 jigsaw puzzles a year, annoying her husband with non-stop singing/quoting of Hamilton, and telling the 4 cats to stop yelling during Zoom calls.

Gord MacFarlane

Gord MacFarlane
Project Manager

Gord began his stage lighting career in high school. He attended Red Deer College Technical Theatre Studies program and then went on to work at the college as a Stage manager and Technical Director. From there Gord left to attend the Banff Centre for the Arts lighting work study program.

Gord MacFarlane

Gord MacFarlane
Project Manager

Gord began his stage lighting career in high school. He attended Red Deer College Technical Theatre Studies program and then went on to work at the college as a Stage manager and Technical Director. From there Gord left to attend the Banff Centre for the Arts lighting work study program.

In 1998 he moved to Calgary and worked for various small theatres as a technician and lighting designer.

In the summer of 1999 Gord started work for Christie Lites as a freelance technician. Shortly after that he accepted a full time position and went on to become part of the Tech Rep program. Most of his time as a technician with Christie Lites was spent touring the globe with 'Barrage' as a programmer and head electrician.

In 2005 he joined the Operations team and has been enjoying his new role as Operations Manager and now his updated role as Project Manager ever since.

Robert Irving

Robert Irving
Project Manager

Like most people I chose my career in high school after taking over as the lighting tech. Even though Gordon Graydon wasn’t into putting on plays or musicals, they still kept me busy. From there I decided that I should work as a co-op student at Jack Frost before spending all kinds of money on college for a career I knew little about, but was determined to work in.

Robert Irving

Robert Irving
Project Manager

Like most people I chose my career in high school after taking over as the lighting tech. Even though Gordon Graydon wasn’t into putting on plays or musicals, they still kept me busy. From there I decided that I should work as a co-op student at Jack Frost before spending all kinds of money on college for a career I knew little about, but was determined to work in.

I ended up loving the work so I enrolled in the Theatre Production program at Humber College. I spent my first year like most just trying to learn as much as I could before having to run crews during the second year. After graduating, I moved on to take my first professional job at the Blyth Festival as Head of Sound for one season. I have to say I hated the hours but I wouldn’t trade them for the anything.

After the summer of 2002 in Blyth, I decided I would prefer working regular hours. This brought me to Christie Lites. I started in the Toronto shop in the Conventional department. From there I worked my way up to department head, then onto the Dock as department head, then Operations Coordinator, and finally on to my current post as Project Manager.

A-Lynn Thompson

A-Lynn Thompson
Project Manager

Coming from a small rural community in central Manitoba I knew at a young age that as soon as I graduate I was out of there, farming life was not for me. After graduation I did a stint in out west in Banff and Vancouver before making my way to Toronto and enrolled in Trebas Institute to begin my career in Film.

A-Lynn Thompson

A-Lynn Thompson
Project Manager

Coming from a small rural community in central Manitoba I knew at a young age that as soon as I graduate I was out of there, farming life was not for me. After graduation I did a stint in out west in Banff and Vancouver before making my way to Toronto and enrolled in Trebas Institute to begin my career in Film.

I fell in love with lighting and cinematography as a whole – the way light and colour can change the way the viewer perceives a scene was fascinating! For a few years I worked as an electrician on sets in the Toronto area primarily on music video sets which in turn got me interested in the stage aspect of lighting. Wanting to learn more I joined the Christie Team back in 2005. Was meant to be temporary but I became part of the family and enjoyed the people I was working with.

After wearing many different hats with Christie I’m currently wearing the one of Project Manager.

After many years of exploring other provinces, I’m back in the province which I ran away from in my youth. I call Winnipeg my home now with my family and appreciate being here cold winters and all. From skating the Red River Ice Trail in winter to swimming in the many lakes during the hot summer days I forgot how much home had to offer. Sometimes it takes wiser eyes to appreciate the stuff you used to take for granted. No matter where you call home there is always beauty on this earth and adventures to be had.

Amber Etra

Amber Etra
Business Development Manager

Full Bio Forthcoming

Amber Etra

Amber Etra
Business Development Manager

Full bio will be forthcoming.