Catherine Garden was a cornerstone for the Alberta South Chapter (now DesCan Calgary) when it was first initiated in 1992. She joined that same year and immediately became an active volunteer and advocate.
Catherine was President of the Alberta South Chapter from 1995-1996. She was National Treasurer from 1995-2000, and traveled for seven consecutive years to national planning meetings across Canada as an executive committee member. She served for eight years as the Alberta South Chapter Treasurer – 1998-2006. In 1999, she took the lead in organizing the very successful GDC national design conference “Peak ’99” in Banff, Alberta.
When GDC forged ahead to create the Registered Society of Graphic Designers of Ontario, the first association of graphic designers to be able to offer professional accreditation to its members, GDC realized a dream of many years. Doing so, however, stretched the resources of the organization substantially. It was due to Catherine’s sound fiscal management during this period that the GDC survived. It is primarily in recognition of this achievement that she was appointed as a Fellow of the organization.
Always eager to contribute her ideas, Catherine Garden is one of those special people who will follow up with her actions to see these ideas through to fruition. Her dedication to, and hard work for GDC over the years was exceptional, and her volunteer spirit was simply invaluable.
Professional Background…
Catherine Garden was born and raised in Calgary, Alberta. She received her diploma from the Alberta College of Art where she was enrolled in the 4-year Visual Communications program. She graduated in 1983, then chose to further her studies at the School of Visual Arts in New York from 1989 to 1990 as a full-time Advertising student in their media arts program.
Catherine’s design career began at Cooper Hayes Advertising and Hayhurst Communications in Calgary where she designed, produced and art-directed print, television and radio projects. When she moved to Parallel Strategies she became lead art director on a variety of projects for the firm’s major account.
Catherine founded Pfang Creative Inc. in January 1994, a successful design studio that specialized in corporate communications. Catherine was joined by the talented designer, Carla Klassen, in the fall of 2000.
In 2005 Catherine and her husband, Peter Guyan, completed construction on a small building in Calgary’s trendy Inglewood District. The “Design Lab” housed several small businesses, including Pfang Creative.
Catherine retired from the design industry, in 2007, to pursue further education at the University of Calgary and then a career in property management. She obtained BC licensing from the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business.
In the fall of 2012 she moved to Victoria BC where she was employed as a licensed Rental and Strata Manager. Over the next twelve years she worked with four property management groups including the Richmond Property Group Ltd. from 2018 to 2024. During this career she completed over fifteen educational updates to maintain her double licensing status. Catherine retired, for the second time, in April 2024.
Personal Background…
Catherine and her husband have raised three children. Drew attended a GDC AGM as a newborn baby, so that her mother could present her National Treasurer’s Report, in Winnipeg in the Spring of 1998. As a family, with her older and younger brothers Shael and Quinn, they have traveled extensively including trips to Spain, Peru, Equador, India, Nepal and Japan.