Staff & Board
OUR BOARD
Jill Miles
President
Jill brings years of experience running a small accommodation business and has been active in local groups like Harmony Glen Seniors Housing and the Sointula Recreation Association. She offers strong leadership and a deep commitment to community life.
Darryl Luscombe
Vice-President & Treasurer
Darryl manages the museum’s finances and helps guide planning. He is also a photographer, sharing his work under the name Sointulart, and brings a creative eye to the board.
Tracey Buker
Secretary
Tracey joined the board in 2024. A lifelong history enthusiast, she has researched her Finnish roots in Sointula. Before retiring, she ran her own drafting and design company for over 20 years. She now volunteers at the community garden, helps with seniors’ carpet bowling, and enjoys gardening, reading, photography, baking, sewing, and beachcombing.
Ross Weaver
Director
Ross has served on the board since 2022. He studied sculpture and welding at the Alberta College of Art and has past board experience with the Sointula Water Works. He contributes both artistic and practical insight to the museum.
Sisko Salo
Director
Sisko joined the board in 2023. A retired researcher and translator from Finland, she brings valuable cultural knowledge that supports the museum’s efforts to share Sointula’s Finnish heritage.
Jenefer Marshall
Director
Now in her second year on the board, Jenefer moved to Sointula in 1981. She worked as a teacher in School District 85 after earning degrees in English and education. She has also served on school committees and the Sointula Co-op board.
Gail Mussell
Director
Gail is in her second year on the board. She moved to Sointula eight years ago from Salt Spring Island, where she worked as a registered nurse and raised four children. This is her first board position, and she enjoys being involved in museum events and community life.
Paul Prestie
Director
Born in Alert Bay in 1957, Paul grew up in Sointula before leaving in his late teens to work in logging camps along the BC coast. Throughout the years, he always enjoyed returning to visit friends and family. After a long career in the logging industry, he and his wife chose to retire in Sointula—a place they felt there was nowhere better to be. Now a volunteer at the museum, he’s glad to lend his knowledge to restoring old tools and artifacts and helping out wherever he can.
Robyn Wenner
Director
Robyn joined as a board member in April 2025, brings senior management experience as a Director in leading Canadian and International businesses, specializing in Organizational Development and Human Resources Management. Robyn is a Certified End of Life Guide and has provided Executrix services for several Estates. Robyn brings a willingness to be of service to the Sointula Museum, wherever needed.
OUR STAFF
Mary Harrison (currently on Maternity-Leave)
Community Engagement & Development Coordinator
Mary Elizabeth Harrison, currently serving as the Community Engagement and Development Coordinator, brings extensive museum experience to the Sointula Museum. Her educational background includes BA in Art History, a diploma in Cultural Resource Management and Certificates in Visitor and Community Engagement and Collections Management, all obtained from the University of Victoria. Mary has contributed her expertise to prominent institutions such as the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Delta Museum and Archives Society, and the Vancouver Maritime Museum, where she held various roles, including Associate Curator and Lead Curator. Actively engaged in the cultural community, she sits on the organizing committee for the Lower Mainland Curators Group.
Kathy Gibler
Manager
Kathy Gibler, serving as the Manager since 2017, has a rich background in cultural management. Having first moved to the island in the early 1970s, Kathy’s experiences extend globally, including five years of living and working in China, where she became fluent in Mandarin. She played a significant role on the board of the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, serving from 1998 to 2005 and as president from 2002 to 2004. Kathy’s leadership continued as the Executive Director of the Garden from 2006 until her retirement in 2016. She has also contributed her expertise to various advisory boards, including the UBC Arts Co-op Advisory Board and the City of Vancouver’s Cultural Tourism Task Force and Arts and Cultural Advisory Board.
plan your visit
Every journey to Sointula begins and ends with a boat trip – it’s part of the adventure!