Meet the 2018 Conference Speakers!

Jump to:    Thursday Morning    Thursday Afternoon     Friday Morning     Friday Afternoon

Keynotes: Dr. Deborah L. Mack     Stephen Abram

Plenary Speakers:  Michael Bach     GLAM Panel     Can Museums Be Brave?

 

Keynote Presentation: Dr. Deborah L. Mack
Thursday, 9:45 am
 

 
Dr. Deborah L. Mack
 
Dr. Deborah L. Mack is the Associate Director in the Office of Strategic Partnerships at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), Smithsonian Institution. She is responsible for overall planning, management and coordination of professional partnership programs and international activities. The Office of Strategic Partnerships (OSP) at the National Museum of African American History and Culture serves as an outward-facing division responsible for leveraging NMAAHC research, programmatic initiatives and other museum professional resources that benefit African American and African Diaspora museums and related cultural institutions. OSP fulfills its mandate in the following ways: 1) Establishes strategic alliances to promote capacity building, organizational sustainability, professional development and institutional best practices, 2) Cultivates relationships within the Smithsonian, nationally and internationally with museum service, research and member organizations that serve cohorts of institutions, and 3) Supports NMAAHC research and programmatic initiatives. 
 
 
Collaborative Models for Millennial Engagement
Thursday, 11:00 am
 
Kimberley Lai
 
Before joining the Council in 2016, Kimberley worked for over 10 years as an educator and communications specialist in not-for-profit and public institutions. Over her career, Kimberley has gained a deep appreciation for doing work that inspires and supports inclusive communities. She is passionate and committed to improving awareness and engagement in Ottawa’s heritage and cultural sector.

Kimberley holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ryerson University and a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Education from the University of Toronto, focusing on cultural and public education.
 
Laura Gibbs
 
Laura Gibbs started her museum career in Australia, working for the Australian Tennis Museum and the Macquarie University Sporting Hall of Fame.  She worked for the Ottawa Museum Network, and has worked for City of Toronto museums for the past four years.  She holds an MBA in Management, an MSc. in Museum Studies and a BA in Classics. 
 
Clara Weng
 
Clara Weng is EYA’s current Executive Director who joined the organization at its early stage, and has helped growing the team from 10 to 27 active members between 2016 and 2018. Outside of running EYA, her full-time employment lies with HSBC as a Private Banker in downtown Toronto. 

Clara holds a Honor Specialization degree in Global Economics and a second major in Psychology from Western University. Her international background and profound interest in contemporary art practices since childhood impels her to continue investigating how art can strengthen and unite people from different walks of life. 

In 2017, with over 12 months of preparation and training, Clara stayed in Nepal during Jan/Feb 2017 to deliver an art-therapy program to 27 sexually abused minors. Her strong believes in the transformational power art can have on people makes Clara passionate about contributing further to more communities.
 
Jessica Hall-Cummings
 
Jessica Hall-Cummings began her formal career in fundraising at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) Governors in 2009 and is now the Director of Donor Circles & Annual Giving. Jessica has spent most of the past nine years closely working with the ROM's Young Patrons Circle (YPC), the first program of its kind in Canada when it launched in 2005. She is passionate about finding ways to engage millennial donors and convert them into lifelong supporters. Jessica holds a BA in Art History from McGill University. 
 
Bringing Women's History into the 21st Century
Thursday, 11:00 am
 
Alyssa Gomori
 
Alyssa Gomori has been the Curator of the Erland Lee Museum National Historic Site in Stoney Creek for three years. She is a graduate of the Master of Museum Studies Program at the University of Toronto, with an undergraduate degree in Anthropology from McMaster University. Alyssa is a co-founder of a new Women's Institute branch in Stoney Creek.
 
Irene Robillard
 
Irene Robillard, a member of the Women’s Institute (WI) for nearly 40 years, has been their volunteer Digitizing Coordinator for Ontario for eight years.  Enjoying both history and genealogy, she is the author of three books on local history in the Ottawa Valley, president of a local archives, and received a Certificate of Achievement from the Ontario Heritage Trust in 2008.
 
Shawna White
 
Shawna White is the Curator for the Aurora Museum & Archives. A graduate from the University of Toronto's Museum Studies program, she has held a series of volunteer and professional positions in the cultural sector including:  the Ashmolean; the ROM; the State Museum of New York in Albany; Sotheby's; McMichael Canadian Art Collection; and as a founding partner of Cultural Asset Management Group. A consummate learner, Shawna is continually exploring new ways to make history exciting and relevant to modern audiences.
 
Amy Bowring
 
Amy Bowring (Hon. BA Fine Arts, York University; MA Journalism, University of Western Ontario) is the Director of Collections and Research at Dance Collection Danse. Amy has published numerous writings on dance and curated several live and virtual exhibitions. She teaches dance history in the School of Performance at Ryerson University, is the writer for the NL Dance Project in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and is the editor of her grandfather Derrick Bowring’s memoir Down To Bowring’s (Creative Book Publishing, 2015).
 
 
Archival Skills and New Digital Methods
Thursday, 11:00 am
 
Paulina Rousseau
 
Paulina Rousseau is a Liaison Librarian for Arts, Culture, and Media at the University of Toronto Scarborough. She is the initiator and one of the organizers for the Digital Pedagogy Institute, now in its fifth year. She is currently completing an M.P.C at Ryerson University, with a thesis focusing on Feminist Media Production. Previously, she was a program coordinator for the planning and development department at North York Central Library. Her research interests lie in the areas of digital pedagogy, best practices in education, as well as digital editions. 
 
Rick Halpern
 
Rick Halpern is a social historian whose work has focused on race and labour in a number of national and international contexts.  His most recent publication, co-authored with Alex Lichtenstein, is Margaret Bourke-White and the Dawn of Apartheid. He also has written about meat and meatpacking, sugar and plantations, and regionalism.  Currently he is researching the long interplay between photography, race, and class in the United States over the course of the twentieth century.  He is the Bissell-Heyd Chair of American Studies at the University of Toronto.
 
Karen Black
 

Karen Black is former Manager of the City of Toronto Museums and passionate advocate for making history accessible and relevant to contemporary urban issues. She is on the Board of the Sharon Temple National Historic Site,  Director of Communications for The Sashbear Foundation and a mental health advocate.

 
Kelly Morrison
 
Kelly Morrison is a Masters student in the Graduate History Department at the University of Toronto.  Her research focuses on the study of memory and commemoration, particularly in response to war, genocide and conflict. She is also interested in archival studies and is currently contributing to an ongoing digital project for the Dufferin County Museum and Archives, that aims to identify and detail the personal histories of all war veterans from the area.
 
 

Inclusion 2025: Where Are We Now?
Thursday, 12:45 pm
 
Michael Bach 

Michael is internationally recognized as a thought leader and subject matter expert in the fields of diversity, inclusion and employment equity, bringing a vast knowledge of leading practices in a live setting to his work. He has deep experience in strategy development, stakeholder engagement, training and development, research, solution development and execution, employee engagement, data analytics, measurement and diversity scorecards, targeted recruiting strategies, marketing and communications, Employee Resource Groups, Diversity Councils, and diversity related legislation (Employment Equity Act, AODA, etc.) among other skills and experiences.

Previously, Michael was the National Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for KPMG in Canada, a role he created and held for seven years.  Additionally, Michael completed a 2½ year secondment as the former Deputy Chief Diversity Officer for KPMG International.

At KPMG Michael was responsible for the overarching diversity strategy for the firm’s operations in Canada, including the development and implementation of diversity related programs and initiatives.  During his tenure, KPMG received several prestigious diversity related awards – including being named one of Canada’s Top Employers for Diversity and one of Canada’s Best Employers for New Canadians.  KPMG is the only organization that has won both awards in all five years they have been awarded.
 
 
Collaborating Across Experience for Succession Planning Success
Thursday, 1:45 pm
 
Madeline Smolarz
 
Madeline Smolarz (BA Hons, MMSt) is an Emerging Museum Professional currently working as the Operations Coordinator of Ruthven Park National Historic Site. She is also the Communications Chair of the Group of Ontario Emerging Museum Professionals Committee. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community living with an invisible disability, Madeline is deeply interested in the experiences of diverse populations in museums (workforce and visiting public). She previously co-presented an intercultural learning program she co-designed at the 2016 OMA Conference.
 
Petal Furness
 
Petal Furness began her museum career at Grey Roots Museum & Archives in 2004. She led the passionate Heritage Interpretation team. In 2014, she became Manager. An Indigenous woman born in Vancouver and raised in foster care, Petal chose to pursue Native Studies post-secondary. She worked summers at Fort Langley NHS, portraying an 1858 fur trader’s wife. Storytelling is her life’s passion. Petal’s 4 children and 2 grandchildren are the light of her life. She is serving a term as President of the OMA.
 
 
Breaking the Glass Case
Thursday, 1:45 pm
 
Tom Strnad
 
Bio coming soon!
Andrea Wilson 
 
When she’s not producing films, she is inspired by collections, colleagues and communities. A sign of success for her is when loud exclamations of amazement erupt in Craigleith’s tiny gallery!  Andrea revels in shining a light on the heritage of Nottawasaga Bay and the Niagara Escarpment. Her formal museum training, her experience in museums of all sizes and her work with diverse collections continue to fed her curiosity and growth as a museum professional. 
 
 
Collaboration & Consultation: Working Toward Better Collections Management
Thursday, 2:45 pm
 
Nathalie Guenette
 
Nathalie Guénette has a degree in museology from Collège Montmorency in Laval, Quebec, and has many years of experience in cataloging and applying standards for documentation, digitization and research on museum collections. She has held many positions at the Canadian Museum of History since 1999, from Digitization Officer, to Registrar to Information Specialist. She joined the Canadian Heritage Information Network in October 2017 as Heritage Information Analyst.
 
Nathan Etherington 
 
Nathan Etherington was born and raised in Brant County where he oversees the collection of the Brant Historical Society. Receiving a Science Degree from the University of Waterloo, an Education Degree from Western University, and a Certificate in Museum Studies from the OMA, he brings a diverse skill set to the museum sector. In addition to his work, he is a Board Member of the Paris Museum, Chair of the Brantford Heritage Committee, Co-Chair of the Regional Museum Network, and a Councillor for the OMA.
 
Sim Salata
 
Sim Salata, is a graduate of Queen’s University with a BA (Hons.) in art history and a certificate in Museum Management and Curatorship from Sir Sanford Fleming College. Having served as Director/Curator in two Simcoe County community museums, Sim has been the Collections Manager at Grey Roots Museum & Archives for the past 10 years. She manages Grey County’s permanent collection of over 13,000 artefacts and is part of a team that ensures era-appropriate building design, finishes, and furnishings in Moreston Heritage Village at Grey Roots.
 
Janet Reid
 
Janet Reid, Curator, assumed responsibility for the collections and exhibitions at Markham Museum in 2009. Shortly after joining the staff she transferred and consolidated the museum’s artifacts and archives into a new centralized facility. She also  initiated the museum’s online collections programs. Working collaboratively with the program staff she is currently endeavoring to bring the collections and exhibitions in line with our new strategic direction. She collaborates with partners internally and externally in the development of exhibitions.
 
 
Collapsing Silos, Building Communities: GLAM Sector Collaborations
Thursday, 2:45 pm
 
Michael Rikley-Lancaster
 
Michael Rikley-Lancaster studied Fine Arts at Fanshawe College and has a diploma in Applied Museum Studies from Algonquin College. He was Assistant Curator at the Diefenbunker Museum and a Program Coordinator for Young Canada Works in Heritage Organizations with the Canadian Museums Association. He has been a board member with heritage organizations throughout the Ottawa area and has served as Executive Director/Curator of the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum since 2007. Michael is a board member of the OMA.
 
Kaven Baker-Voakes
 
Kaven Baker-Voakes is a former member of the Parliamentary Press Gallery and has volunteered or worked at several Ontario museums and heritage organizations. He holds an honours B.A.in Political Science and Canadian Studies and an M.A. in European, Russia, and Eurasian Studies from Carleton University. Kaven has researched, lived and worked in several countries including Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Turkey, and Latvia. Presently, he is nearing completion of a Museum Studies Certificate from the OMA.
 
Kerry Badgley
 
Kerry Badgley is Ontario Library Association’s 2018 President. He received a BA from Trent University, and an MA and PhD from Carleton University, all in Canadian History. He served as Editor, Journal of the Canadian Historical Association, and has published in the areas of social and political history, and archival theory. He currently co-edits InsideOBLA. Kerry previously served as an archivist at LAC, and in 2005 he joined the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, where he is currently Manager, ATIP.
 
Lisa Snider

Lisa Snider is currently the Archeion Coordinator for the Archives Association of Ontario, and MemoryBC Coordinator for the Archives Association of British Columbia. Lisa has been a digital archivist since 2010, and has worked at archives such as: the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin and Brock University. Lisa was a professional web developer for over 17 years, and is an internationally recognized expert on archival accessibility for people with disabilities.
 
 
Thursday, 3:00 pm
20 minutes
I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts
 
Lisa Terech

Lisa Terech has been part of the Oshawa Museum since 2010.  In the role of Community Engagement, Lisa participates with the Museum team in developing and delivering creative, engaging and consistent public programs, she co-ordinates youth initiatives, and co-ordnates the OM’s Social Media channels.  Lisa truly enjoys going out in the community and being a champion for Oshawa's history and its future.  An avid knitter, you’ll find her in a yarn shop when she’s not sharing stories from Oshawa’s past.
 
Collaborative Dynamics in Ad Hoc Volunteer Groups
 
Lana Tran
 
Lana Tran is a first-year Master of Museum Studies and Environmental Studies student at the University of Toronto. After completing her undergraduate research in palaeontology at the Royal Ontario Museum, Lana recontextualised her museum practice with the artist-run community centre 3331 Arts Chiyoda (Tokyo), where she oversaw cross-cultural programs and exhibitions. Lana's current research addresses natural and heritage conservation, translocal interaction, and implications for community sustainability. 
 
Collaborations on Community Cable
 
Speaker TBC
 
GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums) Plenary Panel
Thursday, 3:45 pm
 
Shelley Falconer
 
Ms. Falconer is the President and CEO of the Art Gallery of Hamilton. Her 25-year career includes national and international experience as a consultant, curator, educator and administrator. She has worked as a senior manager and consultant with a variety of important cultural/educational organizations including the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, University of Toronto, Centennial College, the Art Gallery of Ontario, the Toronto District School Board, Department of Heritage, Government of Canada, Sotheby's London and Waddington Galleries, England. Ms. Falconer has directed and managed numerous award winning projects including exhibitions and installations for Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Canada House in London, England and the Canadian Embassy in Washington D.C. She has also authored and produced numerous exhibition texts and catalogues including the publication Stones, Bones and Stitches: Storytelling through Inuit Art. Her award winning Art2Life: the Canadian Century digital project won a prestigious United Nations World Summit award for best in e-content and creativity. Ms. Falconer was also awarded a York Region District School Board Applause Award for outstanding contributions to education and the community.
 
Vickery Bowles
 
Vickery Bowles is the City Librarian at Toronto Public Library (TPL), a 100 branch library system serving 2.8 million people. She believes passionately in the difference public libraries make in the lives of individuals, in communities and cities. Vickery has worked in a number of leadership positions, spearheading service development that support capacity building, civic engagement, economic development and social cohesion. She is currently working to advance TPL’s new strategic plan and its digital strategies that support new service models, digital literacy, the customer experience, e-learning, and innovation. Vickery is vice-chair of the Board of the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) based in Washington, D.C., a member of the Canadian Urban Libraries Council (CULC), the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOPL) and the Toronto Region Board of Trade Smart Cities Working Group.
 
John Roberts
 
John Roberts is the Chief Privacy Officer and Archivist of Ontario at the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services since September 2015. He has over twenty-five years of experience ranging from operational, policy and senior leadership roles to government information management and digital government initiatives, in both the New Zealand and Ontario public services. His extensive knowledge of information management and privacy protection has contributed to his numerous achievements, which include: successfully creating and leading the policy design and implementation of new public recordkeeping legislation in New Zealand; supporting major organisational change in the New Zealand public sector; and leading strategic engagement with New Zealand state sector agencies to support their involvement with the Government Chief Information Officer and Government Chief Privacy Officer. Since arriving in Ontario he has overseen the development of the OPS Recordkeeping, Access and Privacy Transformation Strategy, the Archives of Ontario’s successful Ontario 150 commemoration program, and been part of multi-ministry leadership on enterprise data integration work.
 
Christina Tessier
 

Christina Tessier was appointed to the position of President and CEO of Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation in June 2018. Prior to her appointment, Christina served since 2014 as Director General of the Canada Science and Technology Museum where she led the fast-tracked renewal of the exhibition galleries and visitor experience elements for the Museum which reopened in November 2017. Prior to her role as Director General, Christina was Director of Operations at Ingenium’s Canada Aviation and Space Museum.

Christina has worked in the cultural field for close to 18 years at various institutions, including the Portrait Gallery of Canada, Parks Canada, where her work focused on National Historic Sites, and at Ottawa’s Bytown Museum. Christina is an active member of her community and currently sits on the Algonquin College Foundation Board. She has also served on a number of committees and juries for the Canadian Museums Association, Ontario Museum Association, and the City of Ottawa. She was President of the Council of Heritage Organizations in Ottawa and the founding Chair of the Ottawa Museum Network.

Christina is a graduate of the University of British Columbia, with a degree in Classical Studies, and she also holds a diploma in Applied Museum Studies from Algonquin College.
 
Petal Furness, Moderator
 
Petal Furness began her museum career at Grey Roots Museum & Archives in 2004. She led the passionate Heritage Interpretation team. In 2014, she became Manager. An Indigenous woman born in Vancouver and raised in foster care, Petal chose to pursue Native Studies post-secondary. She worked summers at Fort Langley NHS, portraying an 1858 fur trader’s wife. Storytelling is her life’s passion. Petal’s 4 children and 2 grandchildren are the light of her life. She is serving a term as President of the OMA.
 
 

 

Keynote Presentation
Friday, 9:00 am
 
Stephen Abram

Stephen Abram, MLS, a strategy and direction planning consultant for libraries, the culture sector and the information industry, is principal of Lighthouse Consulting Inc. He is also executive director of the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries where he represents Ontario’s over 300 public library systems to all levels of government.  He is a library trend watcher, keynote speaker, innovator and author of Stephen’s Lighthouse blog – the top blog in the sector globally – as well as hundreds of articles and a number of books.  He teaches at the graduate level at the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information.  He has held executive leadership positions in libraries and at Cengage Learning (Gale), SirsiDynix, Thomson Publishing, ProQuest and IHS.  He has been president of the Ontario Library Association, the Special Libraries Association and the Canadian Library Association.
 
Stephen led a team that received an ARIDO (Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario) Bronze Award in 1989.  Stephen has been the Canadian Library Association, Outstanding Librarian of the Year 2011, the Special Libraries Association, John Cotton Dana Award 2003 and Fellow of SLA. Library Journal listed Stephen as a “Stephen Abram: Visionary - Top 50 People Who are Shaping the Future of Libraries and Librarianship”,Library Journal, March 2002.  Stephen has won the University of Toronto, Faculty of Information iSchool, Alumni Jubilee Award 2001 and the Outstanding Teaching Award 2010.  He was honoured with the AIIP Roger Summit Award winner 2009 and the Special Libraries Association, Public Relations Achievement Award 2000 and SLA LMD Management Leadership Award.  He has served as a Dalhousie University, Visiting Scholar 2005, 2013, Chicago Public Library, Scholar in Residence 2006, and Edmonton Public Library, Leader in Residence, 2013.
 
 
Reaching out to the World: Microsoft's Virtual Field Trip Program
Friday, 10:10 am
 
Karen Taylor

Karen Taylor is the Director of Programs at the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, ON. She has been at the Museum since 2007 in various roles including school program facilitation as an Education Animator and team leadership as Education Manager. Past volunteer roles outside the Museum include Executive Director of the Peterborough Folk Festival and Board Member of Children’s Stage Lakefield. Karen holds a Bachelor of Arts Joint Honours in History and Anthropology from McGill University.
 
 
Elise Brunet
 
Elise Brunet studied anthropology in Montreal before pursuing museum studies at the University of Toronto. She eventually found the perfect museum job, which just happened not to be in a museum. She remains the Curator at the Law Society of Ontario, where she cares for the art and artefact collections, implements outreach, writes a historical column and manages construction projects involving her largest artefact, Osgoode Hall. She is currently on the Board of the National Historical Site Alliance of Ontario.
 
Collaborative Teaching for Collaborative Learning
Friday, 10:10 am
 
John Summers
 
Drawing on more than two decades of work at cultural institutions in Canada and the United States, John Summers brings a wide variety of skills and perspectives to the planning and design of museum exhibits. Through his experience with every aspect of exhibit development, his teaching and practice combine a curator’s attention to detail and authenticity with an educator’s sense of audience, a designer’s eye for colour and layout, a fabricator’s knowledge of tools and materials and a manager’s ability to lead collaborative teams and keep on top of budgets and schedules. He is currently Manager of Heritage Services and Curator for the Regional Municipality of Halton, where he leads, develops, designs and fabricates exhibit projects. He has taught students about museology, material culture studies, museums and technology and exhibition design and planning for the Ontario Museum Association, the Fleming College Museum Management and Curatorship Program, the University of Victoria’s Cultural Resource Management Program and the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Information, where he is an Adjunct Lecturer in the Master of Museum Studies Program. His new book, Creating Exhibits That Engage: A Manual for Museums and Historical Organizations, will be published by Rowman & Littlefield in March 2018.
 
Bep Schippers
 
Bep Schippers is the Professional Development Program Manager for the Ontario Museum Association. She began her career as a volunteer in the Entomology department at the Royal Ontario Museum in 1996; 20+ years later she continues to enthusiastically find new and nerdy ways to explore world cultures and natural history. Throughout her career, Bep has been focused on advancing public engagement. She has served as Manager of Adult Programs and at the Royal Ontario Museum and Manager of Education and Community Outreach at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum (UBC). She has extensive experience in leading innovative gallery and program initiatives - both the Beaty and Schad Gallery of Biodiversity (ROM) opened to the public under her purview. With a background in Anthropology, Education and Biodiversity Conservation, she has a passion for art intersecting science, a commitment to embracing diversity and creating inclusive spaces, as well as an unrelenting curiosity for how things work. Or don’t.
 
Meredith Leonard
 
Meredith Leonard is currently the Education and Community Coordinator at Halton Region Heritage Services. A certified teacher with more than ten years of experience in the heritage field, she previously served as Education and Community Relations Officer at Museum of Ontario Archaeology, Curator for Marketing, Programming and Exhibitions at Fort Erie Museum Services and Visitor Services Coordinator at the St. Catharines Museum & Welland Canals Centre. Meredith holds a Hons. BA in History and Political Science from McMaster University, a Master of Museum Studies degree from the University of Toronto, and a Master of Science in Adolescence Education from D'Youville College in New York. She was a 2015 fellow in the Getty Leadership Institute's NextGen Program at Claremont Graduate University and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Workers Arts and Heritage Centre.

 
 
The Making of Voices of Chief's Point
Friday, 10:10 am
 
Bimadoshka (Annya) Pucan
 
Bimadoshka (Annya) Pucan is an Anishnaabe woman from Saugeen First Nation, Turtle Clan. Pucan successfully completed an undergraduate degree in Psychology and First Nations Studies at Western University in 2013. More recently, she received a Masters’ in Public Health (MPH). Pucan is now in the final stages of her Ph.D. in anthropology. Pucan has also worked to improve the lives of indigenous students at Western through her commitment to integrating Indigenous Knowledge into student services and programs. 
 
Amber Lloydlangston
 
Amber Lloydlangston has a Master of Museum Studies and a Ph.D. in Canadian Women’s History. Since August 2014, she has been the Curator of Regional History at Museum London. Prior to that, Amber was an assistant historian for 10 years at the Canadian War Museum. Amber shares her love for the museum profession as a sessional professor within the University of Western Ontario’s Public History program, teaching “Introduction to Museology.” Amber also supervises the OMA online course, “Museums in Context.”
 
Room for Mystics: Visualizing Sound
Friday, 10:50 am
 
Vox Aeris Trio
 
The Vox Aeris Trio was formed in 2015, and is based in Toronto, ON. The Trio is singular as a small brass ensemble on the Canadian Arts scene. Passionate about forming connections with their listeners, the Trio focuses on innovative performance, interactive education, and community partnerships. They are actively expanding brass repertoire through recordings, collaborations, and newly commissioned works. More information on bookings, collaborations, and upcoming events can be found at www.voxaeristrio.com.
 
Sandra Meigs
 
For over 35 years Sandra Meigs has created vivid, immersive, and enigmatic paintings that combine complex narratives with comic elements. She derives the content of her work from her own personal experiences, and develops these to create visual metaphors related to the psyche.
 
Through her work, Meigs wants the viewer to feel richly engaged, jubilant, and most of all, transported to an imaginary universe.

Meigs is dedicated to painting and to the possibilities of enchantment that painting presents through colour and form. She believes that the very authenticity of one’s experience offers proof that what is imagined when looking at a painting is as real as anything else that one experiences in the world. She has also inter-woven sculpture, film, sound, and other media in her works.
 
Born in Baltimore in 1953, Meigs studied at the Rhode Island School of Design, the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (B.F.A. 1975) and Dalhousie University (M.A. 1980). She has lived and worked in Canada since 1973. Sandra Meigs has been a dedicated teacher at the University of Victoria for over 20 years, and has mentored hundreds of visual art students throughout her professorship.
 
 
LiDAR for Museums and Example of Technical Collaboration and Open Thinking
Friday, 10:50 am
 
Steve Cory
 
Steve Cory is President and Founder of Objex Unlimited Inc., a full service 3D solutions provider.
After more than 20 years Operations and Logistics Management roles for a variety of companies big and small, Steve came across 3D Printing technology and was hooked.    
From an initial focus on printing parts on-demand, Steve and his team branched into equipment sales, services and developing workflows to leverage 3D Scanning, Design and Additive Manufacturing to solve problems and increase efficiency.  Steve loves challenging, complex and difficult projects - every day still brings a sense of wonder at the incredible things that can be done with this technology.
Scott Pustai
 
Father of 4, Scott T. Pustai is the owner of TOTAL Transportation Solutions Inc and the TOTAL Fine Arts division. His career in the field of transportation and logistics spans 32 years. Starting as an entry level mover, Scott has worked his way up through various positions while working for 2 large movers. Seeing an opportunity to become a specialist, he incorporated TOTAL Transportation Solutions Inc., in 1994. The company now offers focused services in 3 areas; moving high value products, hoisting and rigging services, and handling fine arts and artifacts on a global scale. Scott is also a proud graduate of the OMA CMS.
Scott McKever
 
Scott McKever is the owner of Canyon Logics, a 3D Laser Scanning, Building Modeling and Project Management company. Scott has over 30 years of professional private and public-sector business and project management experience implementing multimillion-dollar projects. Over the course of his career Scott has worked in GIS, architecture, land use planning, property valuation, land law, teaching, 3D laser scanning, building modeling and business management. 
Graeme Watson
 
Graeme Watson works as a Remote Sensor for the Ministry of Transportation. He is also the volunteer Director of the Murney Tower Museum, and has recently completed the OMA CMS. He attended Queen's, Waterloo, and the Royal Military College. Prior to entering the Geomatics field, he spent 17 years in the Royal Canadian Navy, finishing his career as a Naval Officer at a Leadership Training Establishment. He has experience in Project Management, innovative technology solutions, facilitation and team integration. 
 
Event Collaboration through Regional Museum Networks
Friday, 10:50 am
 
Adrian Petry
 
Adrian Petry is a public historian and Visitor Services Coordaintor at the St. Catharines Museum with over 10 years of experience in interpretive settings in museums and parks throughout Ontario. Adrian is a graduate of the MA Public History program at Western University and holds a BA in History from Brock University. Adrian also serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of Chorus Niagara. 
 
Amy Klassen
 
Amy Klassen has been the Society Administrator at the Niagara Historical Society & Museum in Niagara-on-the-Lake since 2006.  She holds an Honours BA in Anthropology from the University of Guelph and a Post-Graduate diploma in Human Resource Management from Niagara College.  As Society Administrator she is responsible for financial administration, public relations, member services, volunteer coordination, event management and program development. She has been on the Executive of the Museums of Niagara Association for three years and is currently their Treasurer.
 
 
Pathways to Toronto: Voices from Toronto's Settlement Sector
Friday 11:30 am
 
Irina Mihalache
 
Irina D. Mihalache is Assistant Professor in Museum Studies, Faculty of Information, University of Toronto. She researches how (and what) people eat in museums; the history of women’s committees in art galleries in North America; and historic women’s magazines and recipe competitions. Her main area of expertise is museum interpretation and she is very interested in how collaborations with diverse communities can shape the work of storytelling.
 
Randa Tukan
 
Randa Tukan is a Master of Museum Studies candidate at the Faculty of Information, University of Toronto and also the Curatorial and Programming Intern for Pathway to Toronto. Randa has gained extensive experience in the field of art and design as Director of Interior Design at HOK Canada Inc. Prior to this, she did an MA in Liberal Arts at Harvard University. Randa is interested in museum activism around issues of migration, displacement and refugeeism.
 
Gracia Dyer Jalea
 
Gracia Dyer Jalea is co-founder and founding executive director of the Toronto Ward Museum. She has worked in the non-profit sector for over a decade. Most recently, she was the Programming Director for Friends of the Pan Am Path. Prior to the Games, she worked for the Montreal Life Stories Project based at Concordia University. In 2012, Gracia produced the Montreal Life Stories Rencontres, a series of events that focused on the life stories of newcomers and refugees to Quebec. She holds a BA in Cultural Studies and World Religions (McGill) and a MA in Media Studies (Concordia).
 
 
Museums and Post-Secondary Institutions Working Together
Friday, 11:30 am
 
Bronwyn Jaques
 
Bronwyn Jaques is a PhD student in Cultural Studies at Queen's University with research on settler-colonial tourism, dark heritage, and cultural diplomacy in the Canadian context. She was the Oral History Coordinator for "In Our Own Words: The Links Between Kingston and its Penitentiaries," a project with Canada's Penitentiary Museum. For this work, she received the Lieutenant Governor's Ontario Heritage Trust Award for Excellence in Conservation in 2018. Bronwyn is the Project Coordinator for the North American Cultural Diplomacy Initiative.
 
Cara Krmpotich
 
Cara Krmpotich is Director and Associate Professor, Museum Studies, at the University of Toronto. She researches, teaches, and collaboratively works in the areas of museum and indigenous relations, museums and political activism, collections management and material culture. She has contributed to the OMA's Indigenous Collections Symposium and Inclusive Museum Leadership program. 
 
Amy Bowring 
 
Amy Bowring (Hon. BA Fine Arts, York University; MA Journalism, University of Western Ontario) is the Director of Collections and Research at Dance Collection Danse. Amy has published numerous writings on dance and curated several live and virtual exhibitions. She teaches dance history in the School of Performance at Ryerson University, is the writer for the NL Dance Project in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and is the editor of her grandfather Derrick Bowring’s memoir Down To Bowring’s (Creative Book Publishing, 2015).
 
 
How Permanent is a Permanent Loan?
Friday, 11:30 am
 
Kelley Swift-Jones
 
Kelley Swift Jones is Curator for the Simcoe County Museum in Minesing, Ontario.  A graduate of McMaster University, Kelley has worked in the museum field since 1990 and has held a variety of positions, including Interpreter, Curatorial Assistant, Education Director, and Curator.  Those varied roles have formed her belief that the needs of the museum visitors are equally as important as the needs of museum collections, and that every visitor, like every artifact, has a unique story to share.
 
Zarah Walpole
 
Zarah Walpole is the Director of Legal Services for the County of Simcoe, including the Simcoe County Museum. She was called to the Bar in 1998 and has extensive experience in municipal, real estate, corporate commercial and information technology law. She is a member of MLDAO, the OEA, and the CBA (Ontario). In her spare time she is chair of Theatre by the Bay, a professional theatre company located in Barrie, Ontario.   
 
 
Collaborating for a Multi-Visit Field Trip Program
Friday, 11:50 am
 
Amy Cubberley
 
Amy Cubberley has been involved with the St. Marys Museum for eleven years, first as a volunteer and summer student and currently as the Curator and Archivist. Amy holds a BA in Geography and History from the University of Western Ontario and a diploma in Cultural Resource Management from the University of Victoria. She has also worked at the Museum of Ontario Archaeology and Gallery Stratford. Outside of work, Amy enjoys traveling overseas and going camping as often as possible.
 
 
Helpful Hiccups
Friday, 12:00 pm
 
Jessica Chase
 
After completing a degree in History and Classics in her hometown of Peterborough, Jessica Chase decided to pursue a career where she could share her passion for history with others. A postgraduate program led to museum jobs in Toronto, St. Catharines, and London, England, where she worked for the Royal Collection Trust at Buckingham Palace. Since 2016, she has been Assistant Curator for the Museums of Prince Edward County, and she is thoroughly enjoying her time in wine country.
 
 

 

Healthy Partnering: Alzheimer Society and KWAG
Friday, 1:15 pm
 
Annabelle Girard
 
Annabelle Girard is currently the Director of Public Programs at the Kitchener –Waterloo Art Gallery.  Her focus in this position includes fostering community partnerships, developing programs in response to community needs, and engaging all audiences through inclusive and accessible programs. Previous to this position, Annabelle worked for over nineteen years in the cultural sector at the City of Kingston where she developed, delivered and evaluated arts and heritage programs.
 
 
Living HR Policy Documents in the World of #MeToo
Friday, 1:15 pm
 
Jeanne LeSage

Jeanne has a 25+ year career in arts management, starting as a stage manager working across Canada; 10 years at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in Theatre Operations as well as starting TIFF’s first Human Resources department; 6 years in international arts projects including the Arts Management Fellowship at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Managing Producer of the Abu Dhabi Film Festival, Deputy CEO of the Royal Opera House Muscat in Oman; and then acting as Executive Director of the Kay Meek Centre for Performing Arts, a multi-disciplinary presenting centre in West Vancouver.  Jeanne is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL), holds an MBA in Management Consulting, and has launched the LeSage Arts Management consultancy in Toronto with a focus on Human Resources, Organizational Effectiveness, Strategy, and Facilitation.  She is pleased to serve as a board member for Volcano Theatre, Department of Imaginary Affairs, and S.M.Arts Stage Managing the Arts.
 
 
Organizational Transformation - Putting the 'Service' in Heritage Services
Friday, 1:15 pm
 
John Linton
 
Jon Linton is a Director of TCI Management Consultants and a Certified Management Consultant (CMC).  He has specialized in the arts and culture sector for over 30 years and worked extensively with museums and historic sites across Canada throughout that time.  Other clients in the cultural sector have included archives and libraries, as well as the performing and visual arts.  His specialty lies in strategic planning for these cultural organizations and ‘all that that entails’ (which might include analyses that would precede a strategic planning project such as an audience survey, market assessment, environmental scan or policy evaluation) or the follow on requirements that might come out of the plan (such as an organization review, feasibility study or business plan, policy development, etc.).  Jon helped develop the OMA Strategic Plan in 2010 and has led webinars for the organization on the topics of strategic planning and implementing the strategic plan. With Reich + Petch he worked on the Halton Region Museum project that will be profiled here.  Jon is also an Adjunct Professor at the George Brown School of Consulting and the book reviewer for Municipal World magazine.
 
Pauline Dolovich
B.E.S., B. ARCH., OAA, AAA, AIBC, MRAIC, LEED, GA

Pauline is a licensed architect who has specialized in museums and exhibit projects since she joined Reich+Petch in 1998. In 2011, she became a Principal of the firm. Pauline has produced many projects both locally and internationally for clients such as the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, ON and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. She specializes in working on large-scale museum projects that involve large teams of specialists and object-rich and complex installations. Her award-winning work at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History began with the Behring Hall of Mammals and since that time she has worked on four major galleries for the Museum. Her experience there continues with Smithsonian’s newest gallery, Deep Time. Pauline is skilled at pushing the boundaries of design to create something new and meaningful. She is highly experienced with Universal Exhibit Design Guidelines and works to promote the concepts of accessibility and sustainability to the larger museum community. A LEED Green Associate, Pauline is a member of the American Alliance of Museums, Canadian Museums Association, Ontario Association of Architects, and the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada.
 
John Summers
 
John is Manager of Heritage Services and Curator for the Regional Municipality of Halton where he is guiding the transformation of the Halton Region Museum into a public-facing service delivery organization that supports regional heritage partners.
 
 
Collaborating on Experience Development
Friday, 2:25 pm
 
Phil Casey
 
Phil has a Retail Diploma at Sheridan College and has been a guest speaker and consultant for several organizations in the past such as Club Links, Sun Life Financial and several regional Tourism organizations. Phil has been the Director of Business Development since 2005 and in that time has helped grow not only the organization through his sales but also through his partnerships.  He has built successful industry partnerships with Ontario 150, Hilton Brand, and has helped development several regional partnerships that have continued to grow over the years.
 
Adrienne Carter
 
Adrienne received her Master’s Degree in Cultural Anthropology and is a certified Project Manager. She also has extensive collections and exhibition experience.  Adrienne is the Destination Development Manager for Hamilton Halton Brant.  She helps communities promote themselves by bringing partners together to showcase their attractions as a collective and develop tourism experience opportunities.  Major projects include the Bicentennial for the War of 1812, Ontario Celebration Zone for 2015 Pan Am Games and developing programming for the Quilt of Belonging for Canada 150.
 
 
In a Good Way... Prioritizing Indigenous Education & Learning
Friday, 2:25 pm
 
Sarah Chu
 
Sarah Chu is the Digital Learning Specialist at the ROM, where she oversees the onsite digital learning and online distance learning initiatives. Her professional practice and academic research focus on learning through creative making and informal learning in games. She has designed and conducted research on digital games for learning and social impact at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Ryerson University. Sarah holds an Hon. BA from the University of Toronto, an MEd from York University, and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
 
Wendy Ng
 
Wendy Ng is Manager, Learning at the ROM. Diversity, equity, and inclusion have been a conscious practice in her museum education work with students and teachers at the Art Gallery of Ontario, US Holocaust Memorial Museum, National Gallery of Art, and Science Museum. She holds a BFA and BEd from York University, a MAT in Museum Education from George Washington University, and is certified by the Ontario College of Teachers.
 
J'net Ayayqwayaksheelth
 
J'net Ayayqwayaksheelth, B.A., M.A. (One who gives away and still stands tall) is the Indigenous Outreach and Learning Coordinator. As part of the Learning Department, J'net leads the development and implementation of relevant Indigenous content and perspectives in School Visits and community outreach programs to advance awareness, understanding, and appreciation for Indigenous cultures and heritage in both historical and contemporary contexts. J’net also developed an Indigenous Advisory Circle of knowledge keepers, elders, youth and artists to assist ROM with the authentic representation of Indigenous peoples in educational programming, youth programs, and expand our outreach throughout the province.
 
Sadia Zaman
 
Sadia Zaman, ROM Canada, Managing Director, has an extensive career history in media, cultural industries and not-for-profits.
Most recently, Sadia was Director, Original Program Development, CBC News and Centres.  She led the development and acquisition of hundreds of hours of Canadian themed programming through an independent production fund tied directly to the President's regional mandate.  Prior to joining the CBC, Sadia was the Executive Director of Women in Film and Television-Toronto, a high profile not-for-profit.  Before she moved to WIFT-T, Sadia helped create hundreds of hours of original, critically acclaimed content for VisionTV and led many teams.
 
 
Confessions of a Museum Professional
Friday, 2:40 pm
 
Diane Pellicone
 
Diane Pellicone received her MA in Art History from Carleton University in 2013. Since graduating, she has worked with various institutions in cultural sectors across Montreal, Ottawa and the Greater Toronto Area. In 2015 she joined the Royal Ontario Museum as a Project Assistant. Her interests include exhibition coordination, provenance research, and heritage preservation.
 
 
Can Museums Be Brave? Plenary Panel
Friday, 3:15 pm
 
Henry Kim
 
An ancient history scholar and classical archaeologist by training, Henry Kim joined the Aga Khan Museum from the University of Oxford where he taught, curated collections, and managed capital projects at the Ashmolean Museum from 1994 to 2012. Educated at Harvard and Oxford, he served as curator of Greek coins and university lecturer in Greek numismatics at Oxford. From 2004 to 2011, he was the Project Director for the Ashmolean Redevelopment Project, a £70 million redevelopment and transformation of the museum. He then became Director of the University Engagement Programme, a three-year project sponsored by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation aimed at expanding the use of the museum’s collections in teaching across the university.
 
Ross Laird

Ross Laird, Ph.D. is an author, clinical consultant, educator, and scholar. His work focuses on the interconnected themes of mentorship, trauma, addictions, mental health, and creativity. Ross has worked with hundreds of organizations and thousands of individual clients and students, from Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside to corporate boardrooms and university classrooms across North America. Ross is interested in the spaces between things, in the unspoken, in the unexamined and unexpressed. In his consulting work he focuses on difficult and complex themes such as educational innovation, mental health, addictions, trauma, childhood development, conflict resolution, creativity, leadership, and technology. He has worked with large corporate clients governmental organizations, post-secondary educational institutions, professional organizations, independent schools, nonprofit organizations (such as the National September 11 Memorial and Museum), and many other groups.
 
Cheryl Blackman, Moderator

Cheryl is Director, Museums and Heritage Services at the City of Toronto. Formerly Assistant Vice-President, Audience Development at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM). Her responsibilities included ensuring a quality experience for the front of house, and diversity and inclusion for the museum. Cheryl was the main point of contact for more than 1300 volunteers, and she lead the ROM's Community Access Network (ROMCAN) which she created and has grown into more than 60 partnerships with organizations across the GTHA. Cheryl’s leadership and commitment to inclusion has grown this area into a highly successful part of the ROM where the Museum regularly achieves high satisfaction levels amongst visitors, and wins awards for innovation in all aspects of access and community building. 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 Incoming Vice Chair at the Robert McLaughlin Gallery and an Officer of the Diversity committee at the American Alliance of Museums.