You are here

Home

Staff Members

    Phyllis Van Wanseele

    Phyllis Van Wanseele
    Museum Chairwoman

    Phyllis Van Wanseele was born and raised on the Barona Indian reservation to Elenore (Curo) Brown, from Barona, and Edward Brown, from Viejas. Ms. Van Wanseele graduated from San Diego State University with a BA in Public Administration and has enjoyed a career in the public sector including working for the City of San Diego, the San Diego Community College District, the State of California, and retired in 2004 after 20 years with the US Postal Service Human Resources department. She is a member of Save Our Heritage Organization (SOHO) and the Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Parish, on the board of Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) and the Barona Kuhmii Tepchuurp (Circle of Elders). She is the wife of Craig Van Wanseele, mother of sons Brian and Kevin and daughter-in-law, Lillie, and grandmother of three.

    Cheryl Hinton

    Cheryl Hinton
    Museum Director/Chief Curator

    Cheryl Hinton has been Director/Chief Curator of the Barona Cultural Center and Museum since 1999 and helped open the facility for the Barona Band of Mission Indians. She received her MA in Anthropology from San Diego State University and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, American Anthropological Association, the American Association of Museums, and is former Vice President of the Western Museums Association and a current Board member. She is an IMLS Grants Peer Reviewer and NEH Panelist. In 2007, Cheryl was named Woman of the Year in Art and Culture by the San Diego/ East County Chamber of Commerce Women in Leadership Program. Her more than 20 years of museum experience includes Museum Anthropologist at the Palm Springs Desert Museum, first Curator of the Agua Caliente Tribal Museum in Palm Springs and Southwest Curator at the San Diego Museum of Man. As adjunct faculty at University of San Diego and Grossmont College in Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Studies, Cheryl specializes in Southern California Indians, from archaeology to contemporary culture; American Indian stereotypes; and repatriation (NAGPRA). (Her publications also appear under the name Cheryl Sanders Jeffrey). She and husband, folk musician Jim Hinton, have developed and teach a class in Irish Culture.

    Laurie Egan-Hedley

    LAURIE EGAN-HEDLEY
    Assistant Director and Curator

    Laurie Egan-Hedley is the Museum’s Assistant Director and Curator. Laurie comes to us with a B.S. in Anthropology from U.C. Riverside and Master of Arts in Anthropology and Museum Studies from California State University, Chico and has a strong collections and curatorial background with over 15 years of museum experience. Her museum experiences include Curator of Collections at San Diego Historical Society and Registrar at Agua Caliente Cultural Museum. Laurie and her husband, David, enjoy antique shopping and taking their two young nephews snowboarding.

    John George

    JOHN GEORGE
    Collections Manager

    John George joined the Barona Cultural Center & Museum in September 2008 as Collections Manager. Mr. George has over ten years of collections management experience between Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian and the National Park Service Chaco Culture National Historical Park. He has assisted with packaging, inventorying, re-housing, moving, and upgrading storage conditions for collections at the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of the American Indian, the National Park Service-Chaco Culture National Historical Park, and the National Park Service-Yellowstone National Park. He has a BA in Anthropology from San Diego State University and studied Native American Art at University of New Mexico.

    Robin Edmonds

    ROBIN EDMONDS
    Museum Store Coordinator

    Robin M. Edmonds is known in her community as Awujoola Ifalola. Her names come from the Yoruba people of Nigeria, West Africa. Awujoola meaning “converging wealth,” and Ifalola meaning “only God’s wisdom alone can bring forth wealth.” Robin is a professional harpist, having traveled through several European countries with the San Diego Youth Symphony. She teaches musicianship, harp, piano, and hand bells to local youth. She is a past historian for the American Harp Society, local chapter, and a current member of the American Harp Society, national chapter. She is also a current member of the Friends of Malcolm X Performing Arts Center/Valencia Park Library. Robin is also a returning student majoring in mediation and conflict resolution. Robin is currently studying the ‘Iipay aa and Yoruba languages.