Board

President

Britt first joined the Board of CHC in 2020, serving as secretary in 2020-21 and President since 2021. She works at the Canadian Museum of History and Canadian War Museum as the Advisor, Strategic Planning of Exhibitions. Britt values CHC’s role in promoting and facilitating collaboration and mutual support within the heritage sector.

With a Master of Museum Studies (2009) and a Juris Doctor (2007) from the University of Toronto, and a Bachelor of Arts & Science (2004) from McMaster University, her passion for cultural heritage was ignited as a student intern at the Immigration Museum in Melbourne, Australia. Since then, she has put this into practice, developing exhibitions, programs and online offerings with the Multicultural History Society of Ontario (Toronto), the Canada Science and Technology Museum, the Canadian War Museum, and the Canadian Museum of History. Her work focuses on exhibition storytelling, as well as promoting accessibility and inclusion in museums. She has a strong interest in mentorship, serving as a mentor through CHC, as well as an internship supervisor through many different academic institutions.

Treasurer

Patricia is an Exhibitions Project Manager at the Canadian War Museum. She holds a Master of Museum Studies from the University of Toronto, a Master of Arts in War Studies from the Royal Military College of Canada, and a Bachelor of Arts from Queen’s University. Her passion for museums began at a young age and continued right up to her first job in the field as Assistant Curator of the Fort Frederick Museum in Kingston (Ontario), and then as Curator of the Royal Canadian Regiment Museum in London (Ontario) before joining the Canadian War Museum in 2002.

Since then, she has continued to develop and implement numerous temporary exhibitions and online offerings, as well as traveling exhibitions and updates to the permanent galleries. Her work focuses on taking an exhibition proposal and turning it into reality, all the while keeping the project on track and on budget, resulting in the best visitor experience possible for today’s CWM audiences.

Director

Ana Villegas is an emerging museum professional (EMP) based in Ottawa. Growing up, a career in heritage increasingly appealed to her as she became aware of the power behind storytelling, curious in how communities make meaning, and skillful in critical analysis. She completed a B.A. Honours in History in 2021 and a Master of Museum Studies in 2023. She specializes in historical research, communications, and writing, with long-term aspirations in becoming a curator. In previous roles, she has written articles on local history for the Thunder Bay Museum, co-designed an exhibit for the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies, and supported the marketing department at the National Trust for Canada in preparation for Historic Places Days 2023.

She has steadily volunteered in organizations for the past three years. She was an Associate Editor for the iJournal, an executive committee member of UofT’s Museum Studies Student Association, and a casual writer for The Commandant, a military history & science journal. Not one to stay idle, she is actively volunteering in three other heritage-related organizations: the Group of Ontario Emerging Museum Professionals; Old World Order; and the Emerging Museum Professionals Canada Collective where she currently leads the Communications Committee. 

Director

Elizabeth is the Strategic Initiatives Manager at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission where she spearheads their National Volunteer Program. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (History) from Carleton University, a Diploma in Museum Studies, and Certificate in Project Management from Algonquin College. She has worked in the museum and heritage field for 25 years as an Exhibition Project Manager and Collections Manager including time at the National Gallery of Canada, Canadian Museum of History, Canadian War Museum, Library and Archives Canada and the Canada Science and Technology Museum. She has also worked as a consultant for the Omàmiwininì Pimàdjwowin / Algonquin Way Cultural Centre and the Arnprior & District Museum.

Elizabeth has been a part-time Professor for the Algonquin College Applied Museum Studies program for the past 7 years and enjoys teaching and mentoring the next generation of heritage professionals. As a member of CHC|CPC, she hopes to continue this important work by helping the organization grow its membership, heritage networking opportunities and programming.

Director

Kyola Fakah is a dynamic professional with expertise in Human Resource Management, Administration, and Client Service Management in both public and private sectors spanning 15 years.

he has a master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) and is a member of the Human Resource Professional Association with a keen interest in managing projects. Kyola’s passion for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the workplace and in the society at large motivates her continuous learning in this field.

As a Human Resource Generalist with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, she has carried out a variety of mandates related but not limited to recruitment and selection, training and development, employee relations, as well as compensation and classification.

Kyola has travelled globally and has lived in Nigeria and the UK. In her spare time, she enjoys road trips, gardening, and DIY projects. She also loves to write and has a growing interest in interior design.