The Grand Prior
The Order’s Grand Prior is His Excellency the Most Reverend the Chevalier William Myers GCJ, SSM, JD, MBA. Chevalier the Most Reverend Myers was ordained in the Old Catholic tradition and now serves as Superior General of the Society of Mercy. In addition to his ecclesiastical training for ministry, he holds advanced degrees in law and business. He utilizes this training to advocate for the vulnerable in non-profit executive capacities. He is active in various non-profit agencies and also serves as Prior of the Order of Saint Joachim’s American Commandery and leads the Order’s Knight Errant Commandery.
Chevalier Myers is an Honorary Colonel and Aide-de-Camp to the Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and received the Freedom of the City of London in 2020. He also holds membership in other chivalric organizations.
The Most Reverend Chevalier William Myers GCJ can be reached at grandprior@stjoachimorder.org.
The Grand Chancellor
H.E. The Chevalier Dr. David A. Douglas GCJ, OMC, PhD, FSAScot serves as The Order’s Grand Chancellor. He previously held positions as the Vice Grand Chancellor, the Grand Capitular, Commander of Canada, and continues as the Commander of Canada Emeritus.
David retired early from a successful career in senior management roles with the retail and manufacturing furniture industry specialising in marketing, sales and merchandising. He now focuses on his chosen activities covering archaeology, teaching, volunteerism, adjudicating, world-wide travel, music, the military and veterans support.
H.E. The Chevalier Douglas GCJ holds a research PhD degree in Archaeology. He is a volunteer, senior member with the Toronto Signals Band and is their Regimental Liaison Officer, an elected member of the Regiment’s Advisory Council, an appointed member of their Regimental Family Association, and the Past-President of Jimmy and Associates, a veterans and serving-members support organisation. He received the Commanding Officer’s Commendation from the 32 Signal Regiment (Toronto) and the Communications and Electronics Branch Commendation (CFB Kingston), all associated with the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals.
The Grand Chancellor has arms granted by the Canadian Heraldic Authority. He is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal, awarded the Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteerism, the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation Canada, and was honoured with the Queen Elizabeth II Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship.
Among his many other honours H.E. The Chevalier Douglas GCJ is a Freeman of the City of London (UK), a commissioned officer with the 78 Fraser Highlanders, a member of the Cameronian Scottish Rifles Association (UK), a Kentucky Colonel and Aid-de-Camp to the Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and appointed a Kentucky Ambassador by the Secretary of State (US), and is the Deputy Commander of the Toronto Chapter of the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels. David is a Major General (Ret’d) with the Knighthood of Honour and the Past Grand Prefect of Canada in the Lazarus Union, Corps St Lazarus International (CSLI– Austria). He is a Knight in The Order of Saint George (Canada) and a life-member with the Clan Douglas Society of North America (US) and served as their Canadian Regent.
He is is a Fellow in the Society of Antiquaries Scotland, a member of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada, the Royal Canadian Legion, a member of The Royal Canadian Military Institute, and is a Freemason and a Shriner. David is married to Dame Carol Goldman DJ, and has two sons and two grandsons.
He succeeds the previous Grand Chancellors, including H.E. the Chevalier Leslie Rosan GCJ, Lord of Haverhill, and H.E. the Chevalier Price William Basztyk GCJ, who continues as the Grand Chancellor Emeritus.
H.E. The Chevalier Douglas GCJ can be reached at gc@stjoachimorder.org.
The Coadjutor to the Grand Master
H.E. The Chevalier U. Peter Mueller GCJ, M.A. was born in Switzerland. He has a Master’s degree in Finance and Accounting from the University of Saint Gallen – Switzerland. He owned a packaging company in Switzerland for 15 years, selling the business in 2004 to join Partnerinvest Business Brokers in Zurich. He immigrated to Canada in 2011, becoming a Canadian citizen in 2016 while maintaining his roots in Switzerland.
Chevalier Mueller is member of the Swiss Canadian Chamber of Commerce and an active Angel investor. In addition to his many philanthropic projects, he is a Director on the Board of Kinsip Fine House of Spirits, a founding member of the European Bourbon and Rye Association, and an enthusiastic Bourbon and Art collector. He is an active helicopter pilot and an Honorary Colonel and Aide de Camp to the Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
As Coadjutor, Chevalier Mueller assists the Grand Master, and in the event that the position of Grand Master becomes vacant works together with the Grand Prior and Grand Chapter to arrange for the nomination and election of a new Grand Master by the Chapter General. He is also a director of the Canadian Commandery’s registered charity, The Noble Hearts Foundation.
He may be reached at mueller@stjoachimorder.org.
The Grand Military Knight
The Chevalier James Dickaty KCJ, FdEng, GCGI, CEng, FIMechE, CMgr, FCMI, is a European Engineer, Chartered Engineer, Chartered Manager, and works in the UK Nuclear Industry as a senior engineering manager, commissioning new nuclear facilities. He is a retired Chief Petty Officer of the Royal Navy where he was a UK Royal Navy Submarine Veteran of 15 years’ service. His charitable volunteer roles include: President of the Seascale Royal British Legion; working as a STEM Ambassador in local schools teaching children engineering; volunteering with the City of London’s Worshipful Company of Engineers; sitting on the UK Commandery’s St. Joachim Trust board; and with his wife Dame Perdita Dickaty DJ founded and co-chairs the Cumbria Ukraine Refugee Sponsor & Supporter Network (CURSSON), where they facilitate support to Ukrainian refugees and their sponsors, as well as personally hosting 4 different Ukrainian families in their own home since May 2022.
He is a Fellow of both the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and the Chartered Management Institute, is a Freeman and Liveryman of the City of London, an Honorary Colonel and Aid-de-Camp to the Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and an armiger in his own right from the English College of Arms. In 2012 he was the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and UK Armed Forces Veteran Badge.
As Grand Military Knight, the Chevalier Dickaty is responsible for the maintenance of the honourable standards of all members of the Order regardless of rank, including conduct, proper wear of insignia and general good order.
Chevalier Dickaty may be reached at gmk@stjoachimorder.org.
The Grand Herald
Captain the Chevalier Jason Burgoin KCJ, CD, FSA Scot. is the current president of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada and was honoured with the Society’s Meritorious Service Award (MSA) in 2019. With a long and passionate interested in heraldry Captain the Chevalier Burgoin KCJ was elected 1st Vice President in 2019. In 2023, he was elected as the 27th President of the Society. He is also editor of Hogtown Heraldry, the newsletter of the Toronto Branch, and is international correspondent for the Society.
He was sworn into the Canadian Armed Forces in 2001 and currently holds the rank of Captain. During his career he has had the opportunity to work in numerous roles in Windsor Ontario, ASU London, CFB Trenton, and is presently posted at CFB Borden at the Regional Cadet Support Unit (Central) as the J5 Plans Officer (CTC). Captain the Chevalier Burgoin KCJ also serves as Commander of the Order’s Gore-Niagara Sub-Commandery (Canada). Captain the Chevalier Jason Burgoin has worked with St. John Ambulance in a number of roles at the Branch level for the past decided and sits as the Honours & Awards Chair for the Hamilton Branch.
The Grand Herald of the Order is responsible for confirming entitlement to arms, titles and honours and advising Grand Chapter.
Our previous Grand Herald, Capt. The Chevalier David Birtwistle KCJ, BA, BSW, MSW, RSW, KCTJ is Grand Herald Emeritus.
The Chevalier Burgoin may be reached at burgoin@stjoachimorder.org.
The Grand Registrar
The Chevalier Frank A. Blazich, Jr., KCJ, PhD, is a curator of Military History at the National Museum of American History Smithsonian Institution. He is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and the National Curator and National Historian Emeritus of the Civil Air Patrol with the rank of colonel and recipient of five Distinguished Service Awards. He serves as the Secretary of the Air Force Historical Foundation and is on the board of directors for the National Museum of Civil Defense.
Chevalier Blazich is currently also a Knight Grand Officer in the Order of Prince Danilo I of the House of Petrović-Njegoš. He is the author of numerous books and articles and received the 2022 Smithsonian Secretary’s Research Prize awarded for recognizing and promoting excellence in scholarship across the institution.
Grand Chapter thanks Captain the Chevalier Arjeh van der Sluis KCJ, for his service as the Grand Registrar of the Order since 2009, and now becomes the Order’s Grand Registrar Emeritus.
The Chevalier Blazich can be reached at registrar@stjoachimorder.org.
The Grand Registrar is assisted by Assistant Registrar the Chevalier Edward Denbeigh KJ, who works for the Government of Canada and has served in the Canadian Forces Reserves. The Chevalier Denbeigh can reached at gr2@stjoachimorder.org.
The Grand Capitular
The Chevalier Anthony McVeigh KCJ, MA, ACSI is a Senior Director at Shawbrook Bank, City of London, with an extensive background in banking and credit risk management. He is an Associate of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment and has spent his entire career in the City. Amongst his academic credentials, Chevalier McVeigh holds a Postgraduate Diploma with distinction from Oxford University and has written two prize-winning research theses on business topics.
His charitable endeavours include supporting Pembroke College, Oxford, funding student scholarships and he also raises donations for a range of charities by competing in sponsored endurance events. He received his Freedom of the City of London in 2008 and is a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of International Bankers where he is active in their educational and mentoring initiatives. In the 1990s, Chevalier McVeigh served as a reservist in the British Army for five years with the Royal Signals.
The Chevalier McVeigh can be reached at capitular@stjoachimorder.org.
The Grand Secretary
Dame Anne Mitchell DJ is Grand Secretary of the Order and personal Assistant to the Grand Master.
As The Order’s Grand Secretary Dame Mitchell is responsible for communications within Grand Chapter and is frequently the first point of contact for members and prospective members of The Order. She forwards petitions and requests for advancement to the Grand Chancellor for consideration and also responds to members’ questions and requests for regalia.
Dame Mitchell has worked as Operations Manager for a TSX-listed resource company, and as manager of corporate services for other publicly-listed companies.
Dame Mitchell is the recipient of the Grand Master’s Medal for her service to The Order and Grand Master, and in 2012 was the second recipient awarded the Naval Cross of Honour of the Lazarus Union Corps Saint Lazare International (CSLI). Dame Mitchell lives in Toronto.
Dame Mitchell DJ can be reached at mitchell@stjoachimorder.org.
The Grand Scribe
H.E. Lieutenant (N) the Chevalier Sean E. Livingston GCJ is the Order’s Grand Scribe. Grand Scribe is responsible for assisting the Grand Master is organizing and minuting meetings of Grand Chapter. H.E. Lieutenant (N) the Chevalier Livingston previously served as the Commander of Canada and currently also heads the Gore-Niagara Sub Commandery.
H.E. Lieutenant (N) the Chevalier Sean E. Livingston GCJ, MStJ, CD, MSEd, Hon. BA, OCT, is a published author, reservist, and secondary history/law teacher. He has served over twenty-two years in the military, joining the Canadian Armed Forces in 1997, initially as Non-Commissioned Member. He’s served in both the Primary Naval Reserves and Cadet Organization Administration and Training Service, presently holding the rank of Lieutenant (Naval).
Over the years, H.E. Lieutenant (N) the Chevalier Livingston has championed preserving the memory of HMCS OAKVILLE, a Flower-Class Corvette that served with distinction in the Second World War. He also spearheaded the creation of a monument to honour Oakville’s naval history at Tannery Park, Oakville, which was unveiled on May 15, 2016. The Chevalier Lt (N) Livingston continues to promote Canada’s naval history, regularly doing presentations, museum exhibits, interviews, and other speaking engagements. He is the author of several books of Canadian military history.
He can be reached at livingston@stjoachimorder.org.