Staff & Board

 

Ontario Museum Association Secretariat

  • Sandy Chan, Executive Director
  • Christopher Shackleton, Digital Projects Coordinator
  • Jennifer A. Lee, Interim Professional Development Program Manager, Membership & Administration Coordinator

 

OMA Executive Director Sandy Chan Speaks About her Vision for the Future of Museums

Sandy Chan, Executive Director of the Ontario Museum Association speaks about her vision for the future of the sector. We encourage OMA’s members and the museum community at large to journey with us as we embark on an exciting time of transformative growth for Ontario.

 
October 11, 2023
The OMA Welcomes Sandy Chan as Executive Director
 


The Ontario Museum Association announces Sandy Chan as OMA's new Executive Director.

The Board of Directors of the Ontario Museum Association welcomes Ms. Sandy Chan as the OMA's new and amazing Executive Director.

Sandy Chan holds a Master's degree in International Relations and a Bachelor's degree in Media from the University of Macquarie in Sydney, Australia.

She worked in a number of institutions throughout Oceania, Asia and North America and across multiple disciplines – from media, to education development, to not-for-profit management.   

Sandy specializes in inspiring and facilitating change; in fostering partnerships and connections; and in building high-performing teams. In her 14 years with the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, she has raised the organization’s profile and diversified its audience, as well as broadened the breadth and depth of its programming. Sandy is known to the community as a leader who is empathetic and vision-driven. Her ability to inspire optimism, build unity and navigate complex situations has enabled the organization to emerge from the pandemic with greater capacity, stability and reach.

Sandy is passionate about championing for the inclusion of diverse narratives and is an active voice locally and internationally on the topic of reimagining cultural institutions.   

Please join us in warmly welcoming Sandy to the OMA team. She looks forward to working with you, the Board, and OMA partners and stakeholders in building the Ontario Museum Association into a vibrant and future-oriented heritage organization for all OMA Members and for the museum and cultural field throughout Ontario and across Canada. 

"In a time of change across political, social and communal landscapes, there presents a great opportunity for museums and cultural institutions to reimagine our relevance and value for society.  As the Executive Director of the OMA, I am committed to working with the leadership and stakeholders to navigate our evolving collective identity, and advocate for the vital role which this sector must be enabled to play to enrich communal life." - Sandy Chan

Ontario Museum Association Board 2023/2024

The Ontario Museum Association's governing body is its Board of Directors, whose 14 members are elected by the membership at the Annual General Meeting. The Board of Directors gives strategic policy direction to the Association. It also works to strengthen the Ontario museum community by representing the interests of members to government, the public and private sectors, the media, to public and other related institutions, and to citizens all across the province. 

Executive Council
 
President: Cheryl Blackman, Director, Museums and Heritage Services, City of Toronto
Vice President: Michael Rikley-Lancaster, Executive Director/Curator, Mississippi Valley Textile Museum
Secretary: Heather Montgomery, Education and Evaluation Specialist, Bank of Canada Museum
Treasurer: Joe Corrigan, Volunteer, former Museum Manager, Lang Pioneer Village Museum
 
Past President: Cathy Molloy, Interim Chief Curator, City of Toronto

Directors-at-Large
 
Sascha Priewe, Director of Collections and Public Programs, Aga Khan Museum
Krysta Longboat, Manager of Education, Woodland Cultural Centre
Denis Longchamps, Executive Director, Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery 
Amleet Mangat, Senior Project Manager, Museum and Heritage Services, City of Toronto
Danielle Marshall, Museum Curator, Fort Frances Museum and Cultural Centre
Blair Newby, Coordinator, Museum Programs, Municipality of Chatham-Kent 
Kenn Norman, Chair, Fashion History Museum
Audrey Rochette, Executive Director, Anishnawbe Health Foundation
Emily Stovel, Curator and Manager of Culture, Arnprior and District Museum 
 
 

Board Biographies

         

CHERYL BLACKMAN, PRESIDENT

First Term

Cheryl Blackman is Director, Museums and Heritage Services at the City of Toronto. She is responsible for the ten city-owned and operated historical museums, the City collection of historical objects, archaeological specimens, moveable fine art and an extensive portfolio of heritage buildings. Cheryl also served as the Assistant Vice-President of Audience Development at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). Cheryl holds a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW), and a Master of Business Administration (MBA), and is a Fellow of Inclusion and Philanthropy from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). She is the Past Chair of the Board at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery.

“Museums are essential parts of Ontario’s culture. It is this belief that grounds me in my commitment to fulfilling the mission, vision, and values of the OMA. I have seen how the work of the OMA is strengthening the voices of museum professionals across Ontario, and I look forward to supporting OMA members and the OMA in continued efforts to make museums vital and vibrant in Ontario.”

             
         

MICHAEL RIKLEY-LANCASTER, VICE-PRESIDENT

First Term

Born and raised in Chatham, Ontario, Michael Rikley-Lancaster has been Executive Director/Curator of the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum since July 1, 2007. He studied Fine Arts at Fanshawe College in London, Ontario, before receiving a diploma in Applied Museum Studies from Algonquin College in Ottawa. He was the Assistant Curator at Diefenbunker: Canada's Cold War Museum, and Program Coordinator for Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations with the Canadian Museums Association. Paving the way for safe museum spaces, Michael has empowered the MVTM to become Canada’s first Rainbow Registered Museum and strives to create a more diverse and inclusive museum sector. With this goal in mind, he has served on numerous boards, committees, and councils across the tourism and heritage sectors, currently sitting on the Heritage Advisory Committee for the Municipality of Mississippi Mills, the Lanark County Museum Network, and the Ontario Historical Society’s Museums Advisory Committee. As a Cultural Achievement Award recipient within the Municipality of Mississippi Mills, Michael has been consistently improving the Museum and enriching the local community by advocating for funding, inclusion, and partnership. Viewing museums as forums for learning and unlearning, Michael is working towards a sector that is sustainable, equitable, and relevant to the communities it serves. Michael is a proud member of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community.

“With over 20 years of experience working in the field, mostly in a small-town museum setting, I would like to provide insight into the challenges of small museums, and how they can be advocates, cultural hubs, and safe spaces for their communities. Funding and capacity-building are foundational to sustainable museums, while diverse and truthful storytelling are essential to relevant museums, which is why advocacy both for and within the museum sector is key to a progressive field. I am excited to explore a renewed definition and direction of museums at the OMA and support our members in growing with the sector.”

 
             
         

JOE CORRIGAN, TREASURER

First Term

Joe Corrigan holds a Hons. B.A. in Economics and History from Glendon College of York University, a post diploma certificate in Museum Management and Curatorship from Fleming College and a certificate in Managing and Leading in a Municipal Environment from Loyalist College. Trained as a business systems analyst, Joe had a 24 year career in Branch, Regional and Head Office Management appointments with the National Trust Company and Scotiabank. Joe served as Museum Manager of Lang Pioneer Village Museum from 2003 to 2018. During his time at Lang, Joe also served as Board Chair of both the Kawarthas Northumberland Regional Tourism Organization (RTO8) and the Peterborough and the Kawarthas Economic Development Corporation’s Tourism Advisory Committee. 

“I have worked in a variety of roles in the private, public and not-for–profit sectors over my 40-plus-year career. Many of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had have come since I joined the museum profession as Manager of Lang Pioneer Village Museum. I have had the opportunity to be involved in a number of rewarding initiatives which have had a lasting impact on the community and this has inspired me to continue to take an active role in supporting the museum profession. I look forward to, once again, working with my colleagues on the OMA Board of Directors to support the industry in recovering from the challenges of the current pandemic.”

             
         

HEATHER MONTGOMERY, SECRETARY

First Term

Heather Montgomery is the Education and Evaluation Specialist at the Bank of Canada Museum. She has worked in education, visitor experience, evaluation, and management in museums in Ottawa and Gatineau for the past decade. She was the Education and Visitor Experience Manager at the Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum, during which time she developed a school program on conflict resolution which won the 2015 Ontario Museum Association Award of Excellence in Programs with a WOW! Distinction. She was a Learning Specialist at the Canadian Museum of History and also worked for four years as a part-time instructor in the Applied Museum Studies program at Algonquin College. She has an MA in Archaeology from Newcastle University and a Graduate Professional Certificate in Cultural Heritage Studies from the University of Victoria.

“Over the past ten years I have had the opportunity to work at a variety of museums in Ontario, and I am very passionate about the work that the OMA does in advocating for small, medium, and larger institutions in this province. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to support the work of the OMA, especially as it relates to diversity and inclusion, supporting emerging professionals and museum studies education, and advocating for reliable funding for museums in Ontario.”

             
         

CATHY MOLLOY, PAST PRESIDENT

First Term 

Cathy Molloy is the Interim Chief Curator, City of Toronto. Cathy was born in Toronto and raised in Scarborough; this gave her an early appreciation of the beauty of diversity and the depth of learning that comes from close relationships with those from different backgrounds and cultures. For 15 years she worked as Director of Markham Museum. Early on a new program direction was developed, one where the entire community feels welcome to tell their stories. Through the examination of basic human technologies that we have in common, Markham Museum creates a shared understanding of our past and present day. Cathy’s educational background is a mix of archaeology and accounting, with work experience in both the corporate and museum world.

“Although we have come a very long way, Museums still struggle to validate their relevance to their community. Many government and business leaders recognize the benefits that Museums bring to quality of life and economic development. However, we need to continue to work with our stakeholders to ensure we stay connected to our communities. The OMA is a venue to help all Ontario museums learn and develop, and help us continue the good work that we all do. I look forward to working with the OMA and the larger Museum community.”

             
         

SASCHA PRIEWE, DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE

Fourth Term

Sascha Priewe is the Director of Collections and Public Programs at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. Before joining the Aga Khan Museum, he was the Associate Vice President, Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships, at the Royal Ontario Museum, and Curator: Chinese and Korean Collections at the British Museum. He is a co-founder of the North American Cultural Diplomacy Initiative, author of Museum Diplomacy: Parsing the Global Engagement of Museums and co-editor of the forthcoming Museum Diplomacy: How Cultural Institutions Shape Global Engagement. He serves on the boards of ICOM Canada, is the inaugural chairperson of the Global Leadership Council of the Idaho Museum of International Diaspora, and is a Senior Fellow of Massey College. Sascha holds a PhD from Oxford University.

“For me, museums have a striking claim to increased relevance in the world today. Thrown into relief by the pandemic, museums should be catalysts for social cohesion, pluralism, learning/education and self-development, democratic citizenship and collective expression. They also connect global trends and their local manifestations. The OMA is a crucial forum to advance an ambitious agenda for Ontario’s museums. As a member of the OMA Board, I trust that my global experience as a museum professional and a practicing museum diplomat will be of benefit to and support our museum community.”

             
         

KRYSTA LONGBOAT, DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE

First Term

“Sge:no! My name is Krysta Longboat, I am Mohawk Nation, Wolf Clan from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. I am the Manager of Education at the Woodland Cultural Centre. I graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University and Nipissing University in the Concurrent Education program and have worked in the museum education sector for 7 years and within the last year have moved over to the Woodland Cultural Centre to manage the education department.”

 
             
         

DENIS LONGCHAMPS, DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE

First Term

Denis Longchamps is the Executive Director & Chief Curator at the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery. From 2013 to 2018, he was the Artistic Director and Chief Curator at the Art Gallery of Burlington. He received his PhD in art history in 2009 from Concordia University, where he was the administrator of the Jarislowsky Institute for Studies in Canadian Art from 2006 to 2011. Longchamps also taught art and craft history at Concordia University, York University and at Dawson College. He has contributed essays, articles and reviews to magazines and journals such as Espace-Sculpture, Ceramics Monthly, and Ceramics Art and Perception. Recent curatorial projects include The Decorated Surface (2023), Voices (2022) and Confined (2022). He is the co-founder of the Canadian Craft Biennial (2017) that included four exhibitions, two residencies, workshops and an international symposium. He was the publisher and managing editor of Cahiers métiers d’art: Craft Journal (2006-2016). In 2020, Denis was the recipient of the Craft Ontario John and Barbara Mather Award for Lifetime Achievement. In 2023, Denis received the Barbara A. Tyler Award in Museum Leadership from The Canadian Museum Association.

“My interest in joining the Board of the OMA stems from my experience here at the Canadian Clay & Glass Gallery navigating through staff changes and a pandemic to initiate and implement a new vision and mission that put its community at the core of its programming. I want to share my experiences with colleagues, and contribute actively, in continuing the OMA’s mission of strengthening capacity among institutions and individuals in Ontario’s museum sector, facilitating excellence and best practices, and improving the communication and collaboration of its membership. As a college and university teacher, and a mentor for ArtsBuild Ontario, among others, I quickly realized that many institutions do not have capacity, both in human resources and financially, or the tools to adopt new inclusive strategies, and to grow as an institution. Too often the daily operations take all the resources available. Yet, change is necessary, sometimes rapidly, to address the many contemporary social and cultural issues for museums to remain relevant. I sincerely think I can contribute to make this happen.”

 

             
         

AMLEET MANGAT, DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE 

First Term

Amleet Mangat has over 15 years of project management experience at the ROM and has recently joined the City of Toronto, Museums and Heritage Services as a Senior Project Manager. Amleet holds a Bachelor of Near Eastern Archaeology (BA), Master of Museum Studies (MMST) and Project Management Professional certification (PMP).

             
         

DANIELLE MARSHALL, DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE 

First Term

I currently live on the territory of Treaty 3, the traditional land of the Anishinaabe people and the Métis Nation, in Fort Frances, Ontario. I have over 10 years of experience in the cultural heritage sector in both not-for-profit and private settings. Since November 2022, I have been the Museum Curator at the Fort Frances Museum & Cultural Centre and have extensive experience in digitization, collections management, exhibit development and grant writing. I have been working with a Private Collector on a complete collection inventory of over 7,000 objects ranging from ceramics, metals, ephemera, and textiles. In my role as curator of the Murney Tower Museum National Historic Site of Canada, in Kingston Ontario, I oversaw a complete inventory of the museum’s collection which had not been done in over two decades as well as updates to the displays. I also worked and volunteered at the Agnes Etherington Arts Centre at Queen’s University helping to digitize the European Works on Paper collection and cleaning up the database., as well as contract with the Royal Military College Museum to digitize 1088 archival objects and provide advice on proper storage. Most recently I worked at the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum, Smiths Falls, Ontario as the Special Projects Coordinator. While at the Smiths Falls Heritage House Museum, I wrote grants and designed and led a 5-year strategic plan. With Inclusive Voices Incorporated I contributed to The ArQuives: Canada’s LGBTQ2+ Archives Collection and Community Engagement Review – Recommendations Report 2022.

“I believe that museums are a vital part of our communities. Collaboration has been a main theme in my professional practice. I believe that being a Board member will allow me to collaborate with a wider range of sector colleagues. I believe that the Board has an opportunity to foster innovative, sustainable and dynamic solutions to the challenges that face the museum sector emerging from the realities of COVID-19. I am interested in promoting inclusivity and diversity within museums, ensuring that exhibits and programs reflect a broader range of perspectives and cultures. I believe strongly that people should be able to see themselves in museums.”

             
         

BLAIR NEWBY, DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE 

First Term

Currently the Coordinator of Museum Programs for the Municipal Museums of Chatham-Kent, Blair Newby holds a Master of Museum Studies degree from the University of Toronto as well as an Honours BA in History from the University of Waterloo. To say that history has played in integral part in Newby’s life would be an understatement. In fact, she has chosen to live by the nine words that her mother, the late Alice Newby, taught her, “WHEN YOU KNOW YOUR HISTORY, YOU KNOW YOUR GREATNESS”. It was this passion for history that led Newby to work at the Buxton National Historic Site and Museum as a Historical Interpreter for six years. From 2010-2015 Newby was the Executive Director of the Chatham-Kent Black Mecca Museum. Following that, Newby worked in the Special Events Department at Black Creek Pioneer Village in Toronto for several years before returning to the Chatham-Kent area. As custodians of the intellectual and cultural treasures left by our ancestors, Newby firmly believes that we have an obligation to safeguard our heritage and share it with the public.

“My goal through joining the Ontario Museum Association Board is to further my commitment to this while also having opportunity to provide a voice for smaller communities, smaller institutions as well as IBPOC museum workers. I look forward to learning from my colleagues and hopefully helping to further advocate for the importance of museums in our communities. Because I believe if I had that “A-HAH” moment regarding museums at such a young age, that through engagement and advocacy more and more youth can too. Which in turn will create museumgoers all over the province.”

             
         

KENN NORMAN, DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE 

First Term

At the turn of century my husband and I decided to move to the Niagara Region and restore a mid-Victorian rural house. Dreaming of creating work for ourselves that was fulfilling and that incorporated our collecting addiction with personal interests, we at first built a successful antiques business on eBay while honing our personal collection. Eventually parting with great items became too heart breaking and together we co-founded the Fashion History Museum (FHM) which quickly became all-consuming as we went through the process of formal incorporation as a national charity and installing the first Board of Directors. Travelling exhibitions, loaning to others, and consulting, led to eventually finding a pilot gallery space to gage audience response. After much debate the current home of the FHM in Cambridge was secured to deepen connections with the public and today has become a local destination point with an international reputation. I am proud of the work I have been a part of but tend to think more about the work still to do. Admittedly I am a workaholic, and this keeps me mentally very engaged with the world around me. I continue my life coaching practice part time specializing in working with people who are in public service in the non-profit sector, and fellow coaches who are committed to making a difference; I find this incredibly rewarding to witness the talent and dedication in others and it inspires me to always want to do more.

“Coming out of Covid I find that I am still determining how to best respond to changes demanded brought on by and since the Pandemic. Expectations are high as we have expanded our horizons online but also crave human contact in person and with that comes an additional demand for quality after having online access to vast collections, research, lectures, performances, dialogue, and so much more without geographic constraints.

My keenest interest in this moment is being a part of the refreshed strategic planning for what lies ahead. The scope is vast with so many segments of the OMA ranging from the infrastructure of the association itself and how it serves members, to how museums themselves engage and interact with their communities. The amount of awareness gained in the last 4 years for equity and inclusiveness has been at times overwhelming and tense as the industry reflects the many stories untold and wants to give voice to many who were underrepresented pre-Covid. To do this sensitively and welcomingly to become more appreciative of each other individually yet part of a collective for everyone to jointly celebrate our differences and our commonalities is to me very exciting. To also create a strategic plan that will be meaningful and achievable is vital as we see a shift in how museums are perceived and valued.”

             
         

AUDREY ROCHETTE, DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE 

First Term

Audrey Rochette is Anishinaabe from Waabadowgang-Whitesand First Nation. She is Executive Director at Anishnawbe Health Foundation. As Director, Indigenous Initiatives, she led George Brown College’s efforts to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) Calls to Action and oversaw Indigenization measures as part of the college’s Vision 2030/Strategy 2022 initiative. Audrey's role as director marked her return to George Brown. In 2019 and 2020, she worked with the college to develop recommendations and a reconciliation framework in response to the TRC Calls to Action, as well as frameworks for anti-racism initiatives. 

Prior to her current role, Audrey worked with the City of Toronto as a Business Analyst where she provided critical evaluations to inform programming and measure success, secured Indigenous partnerships to advance the city’s commitment to reconciliation, and produced a report that addressed the spiritual care of ancestral objects in collections management. Audrey also worked at the University of Toronto as an Indigenous Partnerships and Relations Specialist at Woodsworth College, where she advanced partnerships that facilitated the reciprocal exchange of knowledge. Audrey's passion for Indigenous relations was cultivated through her roles in the Indigenous community as the Senior Development Officer with Indspire, an Indigenous-led registered charity that invests in the education of Indigenous people, and with imagineNATIVE, the largest Indigenous film festival in the world. She currently sits on several committees in different sectors committed to reconciliation work. She is the daughter of a residential school survivor.

Audrey holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Science, Aboriginal Studies and Religion, and a Master of Arts with research focused on decolonizing museums, as well as Indigenous voices, language and ceremonies in museums, both from the University of Toronto.

             
         

EMILY STOVEL, DIRECTOR-AT-LARGE 

First Term

After a career as an archaeologist with a specialization in the South-Central Andean region, I left academe to serve as a museum administrator in Chile and New Mexico. I have now returned home to Canada, excited to take on a newly created position as Curator and Manager of Culture just west of Ottawa. I am committed to rethinking how museums can change how then function inside and out to foster more community involvement and share decision-making.
 
“After leadership positions in the state museum association of New Mexico, I am interested in connecting with the pressing issues in the Ontario heritage sector. I have experiences elsewhere which might be helpful, while open to the unique important issues here in Ontario. There are so many changes through and post-COVID that we can only resolve together. I am particularly interested in working toward alternative financial models … Rebuilding institutional budgets are key to this work, and that of seeking more diverse community connections, such as paid internships and co-directorships. I am also interested in regional collections management. There are so many similar collections in our province that it would be worthwhile to encourage the development of living history collections that spark more community connections and plan this work across regions. This will create space for new collections and new exhibit initiatives for community members as leadership diversifies. Finally, I am interested in sustaining and supporting the valuable work OMA already does to create collaborative training spaces for museum sector workers. This is more important post COVID during which we saw such a significant restructuring of employment in our sector.’
             

 


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