What We Do
The Castle Society's charitable mission is to protect, restore, and preserve the Castle, while bringing its stories to life. Visitors who have returned to the Castle over the years will appreciate how far we've come in preserving and restoring its rooms as well as the grounds. There is always a long list of important work to be done, and we also have some very exciting projects on the horizon. We invite you to be a part of the Castle's future.
Our Current Staff
John Hughes
Executive Director
John joined the Society in 2008. He has over 30 years of business management experience and as executive director; works closely with the Board of Directors to ensure that the policies set forth by the Board are implemented effectively. This position is responsible for the design, development and implementation of strategic plans for the organization and is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the organization. This includes managing committees and staff as well as developing business plans in collaboration with the board.
Frank Tosczak
Restoration and Maintenance Manager
Frank has over 30 years of service to the Society and is responsible for managing all restoration projects affecting the Castles’ structure, both inside and out. The building is our primary artifact and Frank is required to coordinate the duties of department staff and external contractors in order to complete projects with minimal impact to visitors.
Jenny Seeman
Curator
Jenny joins the Craigdarroch Castle team after eight years at Royal Roads University as archivist and manager of the Hatley Park National Historic Site museum collection. Originally from the UK, Jenny has worked in the heritage field for over 20 years in various religious, government, and academic institutions across Canada. She brings a wealth of experience in collections management, research and interpretation of historical materials.
As curator, Jenny works closely with the registrar to collect, maintain and preserve over 8000 artifacts and is responsible for overseeing the cataloguing and tracking of items in our collections. Other responsibilities associated with this position are researching the museum’s stories, artifacts and the building as well as maintaining the Societies historical records.
Catriona Wilson
Gift Shop Manager
Catriona brings a strong commercial background with extensive experience in the competitive retail environments both here and in the UK. She has managed shops in the giftware, clothing, and lifestyle sectors, attracting a mix of tourists and local customers. She has also worked in advertising as a media planner/buyer and uses these skills to help develop new retail opportunities at Craigdarroch.
Shawn Thibault
Building Conservation and Facilities Manager
Shawn brings 20 years of masonry conservation experience to the Society. As the owner of a masonry conservation firm responsible for the Castle’s stonework for the past decade, he joins the team as Conservation Manager—overseeing and undertaking conservation projects and developing new programs focused on traditional tools, materials, and current conservation practices
Bruce Davies
Retired - Curator Emeritus
The Board of Directors has appointed Bruce Davies to the honorary office of Curator Emeritus. In making this appointment, the directors of the Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum Society gratefully acknowledge Bruce Davies’ more than 50 years of stewardship, oversight, vision, expertise and artefact acquisition, and his regular appearances as the confident public face of Craigdarroch Castle.
The Board
The Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum Society is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors: Directors are elected by the membership at the Annual General Meeting and serve for a term of 3 years at a time, to a maximum of two terms. The Board of Directors is fiscally responsible for The Castle Society and makes policy decisions.
Current Board Members
Karen Aitken
Board Member
Karen Aitken is currently the Director of the Parliamentary Education Office at the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia where she has led this department since its inception in 2001. She leads a team of twelve permanent educators, guides, and researchers as well as mentoring twelve legislative interns each year and supporting 16 summer student staff.
Karen has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from Carleton University, an Early Childhood Education diploma from Algonquin College, a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Victoria and a Graduate Certificate in Leadership from Royal Roads University. She is the past President of the Parliamentary Visitor Services Association, a national groups of parliamentary educators in Canada. She was the board chair for 7 years at Fairfield United Church as well as a Board Chair of Castleview Child Care Society. She has volunteered with Equal Voice, Victoria Chapter and Dancing Backwards educational organization.
Karen is married to the love of her life (36 years),raised two amazing adult children, Fiona & Alistair, and is thrilled to be elected to the board at Craigdarroch
Jordan Archibald
Board Member
Jordan Archibald is a designer, creative director, and community advocate with a passion for heritage, service, and community building. As Principal of York Brooks Design, he creates thoughtful spaces that reflect the stories and values of the people who use them.
Rooted in a family tradition of community leadership, Jordan has a longstanding commitment to philanthropy and community involvement. After studying Art and History at the University of Saskatchewan, he spent a decade in Vancouver developing his interests in design, architecture, and heritage. He supports a variety of community initiatives, including CNIB, the Victoria Chamber of Commerce, and the Vancouver Island Society of Interior Designers.
Jordan shares his passion for design and historic preservation with his husband, Kelly, a past Craigdarroch Castle Board member. Together, they are committed to celebrating and preserving the architectural and design heritage that helps define our region. His dedication to history is reflected in his recent appointment as Chair of the Historian and Archivist Committee for the Victoria Commandery of the Sovereign Order of St. John.
As a member of the Craigdarroch Castle Board, Jordan brings expertise in design, community engagement, and heritage stewardship, helping ensure this iconic landmark, and the history of the Dunsmuire legacy continues to inspire future generations.
Amy Hinrichs
Board Member
Amy Hinrichs is the Senior Development Manager at Victoria Symphony. After a robust career managing organizational growth, in 2003 she centered her career on philanthropy and since then has managed portfolios ranging from fundraising and donor relations to strategy and systems implementation.
Raised in Victoria, she lived abroad before returning to the city in 2014. Amy previously served on the board of Craigdarroch Castle from 2015 to 2021 and as vice-president in her second term. “I am endlessly curious about the world and my work has always been driven by both passion and purpose. I love creating opportunities for people to connect, learn and collaborate.”
Stephen Lyons
Board Member
Stephen is returning to Craigdarroch Castle having served as director and treasurer of the Society from 2014 to 2020. He currently serves on the boards of directors of the Victoria Heritage Foundation, established by the City of Victoria to administer grants for owners of heritage-designated homes, and Gasket Games Corp., a video game studio in Vancouver.
Stephen is the founder and managing director of Lyons Law Corporation, which opened as a full-service law firm in downtown Victoria in 2018. A software developer for 20 years before he became a lawyer, Stephen earned a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies (Honours) and History and a Master of Arts in Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology from the University of British Columbia, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Victoria.
Tess McNaughton
Board Member
While new to Victoria, Tess is not new to museums. She has worked in a variety of positions, from Collections and Archives to Community Programming, at the Galt Museum & Archives in Lethbridge, Alberta. Tess is passionate about making museums accessible and interesting for all ages. Currently, she is a student at the University of Victoria pursuing a Master’s degree in History, with a focus on the history of lesbian publications in BC.
Jacquie Miller
Board Member
Jacquelyn E. Miller (Jacquie) is a lawyer and writer living in lək ̓ ʷəŋən territory in Victoria. She founded Artemis Advocacy (artemisadvocacy.ca), a law practice serving Indigenous governing authorities, organizations, and individuals in Victoria and remotely across the province. Before becoming a lawyer, Jacquie spent many years working in governance, intergovernmental relations, negotiations, and strategic advising. She has served in a variety of board roles, often in executive leadership capacities. She currently serves on the Victoria Bar Association as Treasurer and on its Governance Committee, and on the Canadian Bar Association-BC (CBABC) as Chair of the Women Lawyers Forum Vancouver Island Section and on the CBABC’s Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Jacquie holds a Juris Doctor and Juris Indigenarum Doctor and Master of Arts in Political Science and Cultural, Social and Political Thought from the University of Victoria, and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Philosophy from Simon Fraser University. She is exploring ideas for a PhD in legal history. Her writing includes “Camas Nullius?,” a BC Studies article using míqən / Beacon Hill Park to consider historic and ongoing land relations between Indigenous Peoples and settlers on the south Island. She is also co-writing a book on Indigenous knowledge, science, and shared ecological challenges.
Julie Murtha
Board Member
Julie Murtha spent her working career in the media business, holding senior positions at National Post, the Toronto Star and LexisNexis. A graduate of Queen’s University in Kingston with a masters degree in Industrial Relations, Julie began her career in the executive training program of Thomson Newspapers Canada. She took a break from media to launch her own small business, The Boutique Caterer, after graduating from a culinary arts program at George Brown College in Toronto.
After retiring from the Toronto Star, Julie and her husband moved to Victoria, a wonderful basecamp for the hiking and travelling they enjoy. Julie currently volunteers at The Mustard Seed.
Jeff Osgarby
Board Member
Jeff Osgarby is a retired banker, recently returned to British Columbia and Victoria after a 20 year absence. A graduate of Dalhousie University in Halifax, Jeff holds a Masters in Business Administration. He is a volunteer in various capacities with the Mustard Seed, Our Place Society, Literacy Victoria, YMCA/YWCA of Vancouver Island and the Victoria SPCA.
As a resident of Rockland, Jeff is excited about his involvement with the castle and the richness it brings to his neighbourhood and city through presence and conservation.
Moira Dann
Past President
Moira Dann is a journalist by trade (stints with both CBC and the Globe and Mail) and a history enthusiast by inclination (to earn an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from King’s in 2016, she wrote a book about the Mothers of Confederation).
She currently works as Communications Manager at the James Bay Community Project and has written a book about Craigdarroch to be published by Touchwood Editions in 2021.
Moira served six years previously on the Craigdarroch board 2013–19.
Support Staff & Volunteers
The Society’s department heads are supported by eleven full and part time staff who help maintain the museum’s collection, the building and deliver our extraordinary visitor experience. These individuals are in turn supported by over twenty generous volunteers who give their time as docents.
It takes a lot of effort and dedication to care for the museum and present the stories associated with the castle and we are thankful to everyone who helps us open the doors every day.