Governance

Ed Chwyl has over forty years of business experience, primarily in the energy industry in Calgary and currently serves on the Board of three companies. The Chwyl family have been residents of Victoria since 2001 when Ed retired after a long career in the Calgary oil patch. Their two children have benefited from music lessons, theory and history, and the Collegium program at the Conservatory. Ed previously served as a Vice-President of the Board (2005/06) and is a graduate engineer (University of Alberta, MSc 1968). Ed has served as Chairman of the Calgary YMCA, Chairman of the Petroleum Society, plus various other volunteer positions with Not for Profit organizations in western Canada.

Hon. Roy Cullen earned his B.A. in Business Administration, and a Master of Public Administration. He qualified as a Canadian Chartered Accountant in 1972. Initially elected to the House of Commons in Ottawa in a by-election in 1996, he was re-elected in the 1997, 2000, 2004, and the 2006 general elections. He retired from the Canadian House of Commons in 2008. As a member of the Prime Minister Jean Chrétien’s government, and later under Prime Minister Paul Martin, Mr. Cullen served as chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance, as parliamentary secretary to the minister of finance, as parliamentary secretary to the deputy prime minister and the minister for public safety and emergency preparedness; and as chair of the Ontario Liberal caucus. In 2006 he was sworn-in as a member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada.

It is with deep sadness that we share the passing of Gary Karr (1941–2025), world-renowned double bassist, devoted educator, and cherished friend of the Victoria Conservatory of Music.

Since moving to Victoria in 1995 with his partner Harmon, Gary enriched the Conservatory as a performer, teacher, and ambassador. He served on the Board of Governors from 2011 to 2017 and was later named an Honourary Member, leaving an enduring legacy of music, mentorship, and generosity.

Read more about Gary Karr’s life and legacy

Shelley Williams is a retired lawyer and advancement professional. Prior to being elected Chair in 2024 she chaired the Artistic and Academic Committee and sat on the Executive & Governance Committee for two years. Shelley holds a law degree from UBC and an Arts degree from the University of Alberta. After practicing law for 17 years she retired to raise her family, returning to work as Associate Director of Advancement at an independent school in West Vancouver. Before moving to Victoria, Shelley sat on the boards of the Lions Gate Hospital Foundation, BC Diving, North Shore Dolphins Dive Club and Collingwood School, and was a volunteer with numerous charities. She brings to the Conservatory over 30 years of experience in not for profit organizations, fundraising campaigns and events, alumni relations, and communications and marketing. A life-long music lover, she studied piano and violin for many years and played in a university orchestra.

Michael McEvoy is a lawyer, consultant and the former Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia from 2018 – 2024. He has served on the Board of Governors of the Victoria Conservatory of Music since 2019, most recently serving on the Executive Committee as Vice Chair and Chair of the Artistic and Academic Committee.

He has served the community in numerous roles; as a public school trustee for 12 years, including two terms as President of the British Columbia School Trustees’ Association and one term as President of the Canadian School Boards’ Association and as a campaign committee chair for the United Way of Greater Victoria. Michael obtained a Juris Doctorate from the University of Manitoba in 1985 and a Bachelor of Arts in 1980 from the University of Winnipeg.

Amanda’s varied career has encompassed public relations, communications and marketing for arts organizations on Vancouver Island and Toronto as well as businesses of all shapes and sizes. Through her work in local media and as the co-owner of Spark Strategic Group, she has become well known and connected within both the non-profit and business community in Victoria. Amanda is well versed in crafting engaging campaigns that drive revenue and awareness for brands and a big believer in authentic, honest strategies fueled by the selective and appropriate use of marketing tools.

Alison McCluskey is a Chartered Professional Accountant with considerable experience in the not-for-profit sector, both as an employee and as a board/committee member. Most recently, Alison was the Director of Finance at the Victoria Foundation and previously was the Director of Finance at Habitat for Humanity Victoria. Earlier in her career, Alison was a Senior Manager in a National CPA firm both in Vancouver and Victoria. Alison has been drawn to the not-for-profit sector from early in her career and through her employment and volunteer work, has experience with a wide variety or organizations, from small local grassroot not-for-profits to large, mature charities and foundations. Alison has served on the Boards of several organizations which include Story Studio Writing Society, South Island Division of Family Practice, Coastline Music Society and Victoria Youth Empowerment Society. Alison was born and raised in Saskatoon, but has lived in Victoria for almost 20 years, and now calls Victoria home. She is passionate about the importance of the Arts in our community and music plays a significant role in Alison’s family life. Both of Alison’s daughters are accomplished musicians and have worked with Daniel Lapp for many years as part of the BC Fiddle Orchestra through the Victoria Conservatory of Music.

Jennette Toews’ career has focused on the management of federal and provincial health programs, policies and data across the life course, recently retiring as director of chronic disease surveillance at the Public Health Agency of Canada. She has significant experience in engaging with provincial and territorial governments as well as with Indigenous and non-governmental organizations. She managed the federal maternal and child health programs supporting vulnerable women and children and developed safety and security initiatives for at-risk seniors including initiating the national seniors falls prevention program and the first national report on seniors falls in Canada, which was adopted as a model by the World Health Organization. She has an enduring passion for music and has studied piano, flute, and voice and has taught flute and participated in several music ensembles, including the Calgary Youth Orchestra. Jennette has a deep appreciation for how music can enrich lives and bring community connections.

Neil Barman is an architect in Victoria, BC Canada who originally moved to the city from Montreal approximately 35 years ago. He has worked with a number of architecture firms in Victoria and is now an industry product specialist with Vectorworks, Inc. a company that creates design software for architects, landscape architects, interior designers, and entertainment designers. In his role at Vectorworks he thoughtfully creates a variety of marketing resources to foster brand awareness, produces thought leadership material, guides customers towards the most effective use of Vectorworks software, as well as assists with the development of the software. His professional areas of interest are energy analysis, future-conscious building practices, project collaboration, and presentation methods. He is also a co-designer of Victoria’s first LEED Platinum home, located at Harling Point. En route to practicing architecture he completed degrees in Environmental Studies and Architecture (Waterloo) and Visual Arts (UVic). He has always been interested in the arts and their connections to communities and has previously served on the Board of Intrepid Theatre.

Thorsten Hanisch is an economist, executive coach, and former senior executive at Bertelsmann, the German global media group and parent company of BMG Music and Penguin Random House. During his 25 years of international leadership experience, he has worked at the intersection of digital transformation, corporate governance, and customer experience strategy. His career began with the nonprofit Bertelsmann Foundation before he moved into corporate leadership roles within the group, ultimately serving on the executive management board of Arvato, Bertelsmann’s services division. Thorsten is also a co-founder of the I2A Network, an international team of independent coaches and advisors, where he focuses on supporting executive leaders through digital and organizational change.

Originally from Germany, Thorsten immigrated to Canada in 2021 with his Canadian wife and two children, relocating family and businesses to Victoria. As a long-time “music parent,” he supported his daughter’s violin studies from early childhood through competitive youth orchestra programs in Germany and her years at the Victoria Conservatory of Music. This experience has shaped his appreciation for the Conservatory’s mission and its role in the cultural life of Victoria, which he and his family are proud to call home.

Debbie Hlady has a long career in educational leadership and teaching. She served as the Dean of the School of Arts and Science at Camosun College, where she had the privilege of working with Conservatory staff promoting and developing post-secondary programs, and celebrating students pursuing their musical education. Prior to becoming Dean, Debbie served as the Chair of the College’s English Department, and taught English at Camosun, the University of Victoria, and overseas in Kitakyushu, Japan.

Debbie’s administrative and leadership experience includes being the Chair of the BC Deans of Arts & Science group; a member on Camosun’s Board of Governors and Education Council; a systems liaison for the BC Council on Admissions and Transfer; and a committee member on Degree Quality Audit Board reviews for the Ministry of Advanced Education. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Manitoba, a Graduate Diploma in Education from Monash University, and a Master of Arts degree from the University of Victoria. Debbie’s lifelong love of music began with participation in school choirs and bands, and she believes in the power of music to enhance everyone’s education and wellbeing.

Kirk McNally is a recording engineer, music producer and sound artist living in Victoria, British Columbia on the unceded territories of the Lekwungen-speaking peoples, now known as the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations. He received his Master’s of Music in Sound Recording from McGill University. As a recording engineer he has held positions at the Tanglewood Music Centre (Lenox, MA), Reaction Studios (Toronto, ON), and the Warehouse Studio (Vancouver, BC), working with artists including, The Boston Symphony Orchestra, Bryan Adams and REM. Kirk is the assistant professor of Music Technology for the School of Music at the University of Victoria, where he is the program administrator for the school’s undergraduate combined major program in music and computer science and the graduate program in music technology. His research and creative work has been supported by the Deutscher Akademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD), the Canada Council for the Arts, the University of Victoria’s Learning and Teaching Centre, the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

Cameron Rice-Gural is a Chartered Professional Accountant with significant experience working with not-for-profit organizations. Cameron is currently a Senior Manager in audit at KPMG. Her portfolio serves over 40 clients with a focus on not-for-profit and government entities. As an auditor she understands the importance of financial integrity in building trust in stakeholders and building long-term organizational resilience. Cameron has spent most of her life in Victoria, and as a child, spent most of her time studying piano at the Conservatory. She credits her time on the keyboard as a critical factor in shaping who she is today. Cameron appreciates how music connects people, enriches cultures, and supports youth —it’s an essential part of life for her.

Kyron Basu is a voice teacher and baritone. He has taught voice at the Victoria Conservatory of Music since 2016 and at the University of Victoria since 2020. He works with students with a broad range of experience levels and ages, and strives to create supportive and encouraging learning environments to nurture students’ love of music. In addition to one-on-one voice lessons, Kyron has taught vocal pedagogy in the VCM’s AIMS program, as well as Lyric Diction (substituting for Kiiri Michelsen).

An active performer in the Victoria area, Kyron has appeared as a soloist with groups such as Victoria Baroque, the Victoria Philharmonic Choir, the Sooke Philharmonic, Pacific Baroque Festival, Bach on the Rock, CapriCCio, and the Victoria Children’s Choir.

Kyron holds an MA in Musicology with Performance and a BMus from UVic, where he studied under Benjamin Butterfield. During his MA, Kyron was a recipient of the SSHRC CGS-M scholarship for his musicological research, exploring the relationship between phonetics and crafting singable translations, particularly of German lieder. Kyron completed his Diploma in Music and AVCM in Vocal Pedagogy at the VCM, where he studied with Ingrid Attrot (voice) and Nancy Argenta (pedagogy).

Prior to becoming Dean at the Victoria Conservatory, Tricia served as Director of the Isabel Bader Centre for the Performing Arts at Queen’s University, where in order to develop the next generation of arts leaders, she co-founded and taught at Queen’s M.A. in Arts Leadership program. She launched impactful initiatives such as the Isabel Human Rights Arts Festival, the Ka’tarohkwi Festival of Indigenous Arts with curator Dylan Robinson, the Isabel Digital Concert Hall, the IMAGINE Arts Incubator for multi-platform delivery, and three national music competitions in collaboration with CBC. As the artistic director and curator for performing arts and multi-disciplinary programming at the Isabel, she significantly expanded and diversified the Isabel’s major performing arts series and its audiences. Previously, Tricia was Managing Director of Canada’s internationally renowned Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra, where the venue renovation of Tafelmusik’s historic home venue, national and international tours, numerous award winning recordings garnering five JUNO Awards and films and the establishment of the Tafelmusik Media label and digital concert hall, and the creation of the Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute were co-created by the collaborative artistic and staff leadership team during her leadership there. Most recently, she was Executive Director of the Kwanlin Dün Cultural Centre where initiatives and funding secured enabled the deepening the centre’s role as a First Nations cultural knowledge-keeper with the creation of a multi-media Digital Collection of Kwanlin Dün Cultural Knowledge. Ry Moran, Victoria Conservatory Guest Faculty in Music and Reconciliation, served as a consultant on the latter project.

A recipient of the Canada Council for the Arts’ John Hobday Award, the Queen’s University Human Rights Initiative Award, and a scholarship winner to Harvard University’s Strategic Perspectives in Non-Profit Management professional development program, Tricia’s wide-ranging career has included senior posts at high-profile Canadian artistic institutions. Tricia has served on national, provincial, and municipal arts juries, national JUNO Awards classical music juries, and has been a member of boards, advisory committees, and local and national initiatives.  Tricia Baldwin is a graduate of the Faculty of Music at University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Music in Performance and the MBA program at the Schulich School of Business, York University, and in addition, studied clarinet at the Royal Conservatory of Music as well as with Mitchell Lurie, faculty member at USC in Los Angeles following her undergraduate degree.  As a music student, she was a member of National Youth Orchestra of Canada, Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the North York Symphony.