In March 2005, Dr. Terry Rock became the founding President & CEO of Calgary Arts Development Authority Ltd., Canada’s first municipally-owned arts development authority. Calgary Arts Development is designed to provide an integrated and strategic perspective to support the robust growth of the arts and culture sector in Calgary. Its vision is for Calgary to be a culturally vibrant city that inspires and engages the world.

Calgary Arts Development counts among its successes the creation of a long term strategy and capital plan for arts spaces that enabled City Council in 2008 to make a $165M commitment of support for new facility development. Results are already showing via several projects either under or nearing construction: the new Nickle Arts Museum, Folk Festival Hall, the National Music Centre, the Mount Royal Conservatory and the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. Other milestones include the successful hosting of the 2008 Juno Awards, the launch of CalgaryCulture.com, significant growth in granting programs that now invest in over 160 non-profit arts and culture organizations and festivals in all corners of the city, and several policy initiatives, including a Festival Friendly City policy that has moved Calgary into the forefront in Canadian cities for support of festivals.

Most recently, Dr. Rock and Calgary Arts Development worked with the Calgary Stampede, the Calgary Public Library, Tourism Calgary, Calgary Economic Development, The City of Calgary and hundreds of Calgarians to submit a bid for Calgary to be named Cultural Capital of Canada in 2012.

Dr. Rock was recruited to Calgary by the Haskayne School of Business in 1998 to be an Assistant Professor of Strategic Management. At The City of Calgary, Dr. Rock’s work resulted in the creation of a new Civic Arts Policy in 2004. He has been the President of AIESEC Canada Inc. (the Canadian branch of the world’s largest student organization) and the Chair of their Board of Directors. A member of the 2002 class of Leadership Calgary, he has a PhD in Management (Strategic Management, Entrepreneurship and Innovation) from Texas Tech University, and a Bachelor of Commerce (with Distinction) in Marketing from the University of Saskatchewan. He was in Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2005 and is exceedingly proud that Calgary Arts Development was one of Calgary’s best places to work in 2009. He is married to Rebecca, and has 3 wonderful children that keep them busy coaching hockey and soccer, attending plays, dance recitals and TaeKwonDo belt tests.