ARTS MIDWEST - Key Persons
Ailithir McGill is an artist, museum education expert, and community development professional with more than 15 years of experience engaging audiences in history, science, and art programming. Since October 2012, McGill has served as the Executive Director of Nickel Plate Arts, a unique nonprofit organization that builds community around the arts in five towns along the Nickel Plate Railroad from Fishers to Atlanta, Indiana. In her role, McGill seeks to employ the arts and local artists to address community needs and provide experiences that enrich and strengthen the community as a whole. Nickel Plate Arts also seeks to support the work of the Noblesville Diversity Council to celebrate the achievements of people of color in Hamilton County, Indiana.
Alana Horton (she/her) has been working at Arts Midwest since 2020 and is the Communications Officer. Before that, she oversaw communications at The Cedar Cultural Center, a nonprofit all-ages world music venue, and the now-defunct Bedlam Theater, a hybrid event space focused on radical works of theater.
At Arts Midwest, Alana spends her days amplifying storytelling, communications, and marketing efforts across the organization. She collaborates across Arts Midwest teams on all public-facing messaging, including annual reports, program and grant announcements, podcasts, and more. She also works closely on Arts Midwest's new storytelling initiative that celebrates Midwestern creativity, overseeing partnership development and commissioning efforts. She does this by using her skills in content creation, writing, website administration, graphic design, and press outreach gained through 10 years of working as an arts marketer.
Alana's contributions to Arts Midwest include her implementation of the new Arts Midwest strategy frame, brand, and website in December 2022. She also led the strategic direction and launch of the Ideas Hub, pulling from her past experience as a participant in the 2019 Arts Midwest ArtsLab Cohort. Inspired by the ArtsLab curriculum for creative leaders, articles in the Ideas Hub make work easier by simplifying complex concepts, sharing real-life examples, and providing the framework for turning ideas into reality.
A couple of Arts Midwest resources Alana helped to create include:
In Rushville, Indiana, Art is Welcoming New Futures
Going Beyond Land Acknowledgments
Creativity Amplified: Arts Midwest's New Brand + Strategy
Alana Horton (she/her) is the Communications Officer at Arts Midwest. She specializes in organizational storytelling, communications, and marketing, and has been working in the nonprofit arts field for 10 years.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Executive Director, Hancher and the Office of Performing Arts & Engagement
- Writer
Andre Perry is a writer and arts worker based in Iowa City. His debut nonfiction book, Some of Us Are Very Hungry Now, was hailed by NPR as "extraordinary" and Foreword called him "a fresh American voice that demands to be heard." His work also appears in The Believer, Catapult, Granta, The Paris Review, Guernica, and other journals. He co-founded and continues to produce Iowa City's Mission Creek Festival, a celebration of music and literature, as well as the multidisciplinary festival creative process, Witching Hour. In 2015-2017, Andre participated in the inaugural cohort of the Association for Performing Arts Professionals' Leadership Fellows Program and later returned as a group leader for Cohort III.
Perry served as Executive Director of The Englert Theatre, one of Iowa's most robust presenting and producing arts organizations. During his 11-year tenure, he elevated the theater's profile into a nationally recognized, locally valued arts institution.
He currently works as Director of Arts, Engagement, and Inclusion and Senior Advisor to the Executive Officer at the University of Iowa's Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DDEI).
Angela Zonunpari (she/her/hers) has been working at Arts Midwest since 2022, and is the Managing Editor. Before that, she was a Writer & Public Relations Manager at Fresh Produce and Ipso Gallery.
At Arts Midwest, Angela spends her days overseeing a new multimedia storytelling initiative sharing stories of Midwestern creativity, working with creatives to commission stories, and planning partnerships to amplify these stories. She works with the Communications team to collaborate on story planning, production timelines, and design. She does this by using her writing, editing, multimedia production, and project management skills that she gained while working in marketing, public relations, art communication, journalism and video production at Fresh Produce and Ipso Gallery, No Business Magazine, Bonhams, BRIC, and Hindustan Times.
Angela Zonunpari (she/her) is the Managing Editor at Arts Midwest. She specializes in copywriting, editing, and creative storytelling and has worked in advertising and art communications for over 10 years.
Anna Bagiackas (she/her) has been working at Arts Midwest since 2022 and is the Board & Leadership Liaison. Before that, she worked as a writer and editor for Stars and Stripes Europe in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and supported the Arts Midwest Conference from 2016 to 2018.
At Arts Midwest, Anna spends her days providing administrative support to the President & CEO and Vice President, coordinating events with State Arts Agency partners, planning upcoming board meetings, assisting with ongoing committee work, and collaborating with state advocacy organizations. She regularly works with the Development team to collaborate on events and relationship building. Additionally, she coordinates with the Grantmaking and Programming teams to share program goals and outcomes to company stakeholders. With her experience managing Arts Midwest conferences in Milwaukee, WI, Columbus, OH, and Indianapolis, IN, and planning annual panel review meetings, she has worked closely with many of the organizations and individuals across the Arts Midwest region. Her work in copywriting, proofreading, and copy editing has also helped in creating communications, reports, and articles throughout her various projects.
Anne Romens (she/her/hers) has been working at Arts Midwest since 2009 and is the Vice President. Before that, she worked across various nonprofit sectors with roles in museums, higher education, and social services.
At Arts Midwest, Anne spends her days leading national and regional arts programs, building and supporting teams, and making big ideas actionable. She works across the leadership, development, communications, grants, program, and research and evaluation initiatives to support those teams in advancing Arts Midwest's mission, vision, and values. She does this by using skills in program development, fundraising, communications, public relations, financial management, strategic planning, and impact assessment to direct initiatives that drive innovation and growth for the organization, advance Arts Midwest's partnership and donor strategy, and test new ideas that celebrate Midwestern creativity in all its forms. Anne serves as a primary staff leadership liaison to the Board of Directors and to its member State Arts Agencies.
Anne has held a variety of positions during her tenure at Arts Midwest, including roles in development and fundraising, as well as communications. From 2015 to 2021, she directed Arts Midwest's national Creating Connection program, where she presented at more than 20 national conferences and workshops hosted by organizations such as the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, Chorus America, Michigan Museums Association, Ohio Arts Council, Michigan Arts and Culture Council, Barr Foundation, Minnesota State Arts Board, League of American Orchestras, Western Arts Alliance, and Grantmakers in the Arts, among others. She has been a panelist for the Metropolitan Regional Arts Commission and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Prior to her work at Arts Midwest, Anne served as an AmeriCorps VISTA for CommonBond Communities and held a variety of fundraising and support positions at the Art Institute of Chicago, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum.
A couple of Arts Midwest resources Anne loves to share include
Anne is a lifelong Midwesterner and is excited to celebrate Midwestern creativity in all its forms. She loves to learn about new creative efforts and hear big ideas about how we can collaborate to honor this incredible and vibrant region. She also loves a good coffee chat, both in-person and virtual, and welcomes a chance to connect.
Anne Romens (she/her) is Vice President at Arts Midwest. She oversees all fundraising, communication, grants and program initiatives and has been at Arts Midwest for 13 years.
Job Titles:
- Consultant
- Consultant, Advanced Certified Fundraising
Brian J. Bonde is a consultant to nonprofit organizations through his firm, Advanced Certified Fundraising, LLC, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Brian provides services in fundraising, capital campaigns, staff development, board development, marketing communications, planning, as well as being a noted speaker and author. He has been involved in raising over $165 million for several organizations and holds the highest professional certificate in his field, the Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive (ACFRE). This certification by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the largest community of professional fundraisers in the world, is available only to exceptional senior-level fundraisers and has been earned by just over 100 fundraisers internationally. He has been recognized with the AFP International Award for Excellence in Fundraising and the national Showcase Award for Planned Giving from the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP). Brian has held senior positions with Sanford Health, Children's Care Hospital, Augustana University, and other organizations.
Brian is the immediate past-chair of the U.S. Association of the Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Foundation for Philanthropy, and founded and chairs Arts South Dakota. He is past president of the South Dakota Arts Council, South Dakotans for the Arts, Sioux Falls Jazz and Blues Society, Sioux Empire Community Theatre, Sioux Falls Arts Council, South Dakota Association of Fundraising Professionals, and South Dakota Advertising Federation. He has served on many other nonprofit boards, most recently the AFP International Board, AFP Canada Foundation Board, Washington Pavilion Performing Arts Center, and Black Hills Playhouse.
Brian Tiemann is a partner in the employee benefits and executive compensation practice group of McDermott Will & Emery LLP in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to law school, Brian was the National Touring Manager for the Education Department of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C.
Brian graduated with honors from Saint John's University and received his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Job Titles:
- Director of Business Development & Customer Support at Northrop
- Director of Business Development & Customer Support, Northrop, University of Minnesota
Cari Hatcher is the Director of Business Development & Customer Support at Northrop at the University of Minnesota, where she is responsible for all marketing, communications, and ticketing at Northrop; ticketing services for customers on all five U of M system campuses; and the U of M Twin Cities Campus Events Calendar. Cari has 30 years of experience in marketing, communications, media relations, fundraising, campus and community engagement, education, analytics, and strategic planning, and has worked in arts administration for the last 17 years. She served on the Arts and Entertainment Committee of the 2018 Minnesota Super Bowl, University of Minnesota Institute for Advanced Study Advisory Board, St. Louis Park Community Foundation, and the City of St. Louis Park's Arts and Culture Grant Committee, and has done event planning and corporate sponsorships for Volunteers of America of Minnesota. She received her bachelor's degree in English from the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and is currently pursuing a master's degree in Arts and Culture Leadership, also from the University of Minnesota.
Carly Jorve has been working at Arts Midwest since 2020 and is a Grants Specialist. Before that, she worked in administrative support for six years.
Job Titles:
- Program & Accessibility Manager
Carly Newhouse (she/her/hers and they/them/theirs) has been working at Arts Midwest since 2018 and is a Program & Accessibility Manager. She previously supported the annual Arts Midwest Conference. Before that, she worked in event coordination at the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center and youth arts education at the Trout Museum of Art in Appleton, Wisconsin.
At Arts Midwest, Carly spends her days exploring ways to cumulatively increase accessibility in the arts. They facilitate an internal access working group and oversee the implementation of Arts Midwest's Commitment to Accessibility, as well as support and collaborate with State Arts Agencies and advocates across the region in accessibility efforts. They also work closely with the programs team to align and implement our program portfolio, and love supporting the connectivity and great work that happens within program communities.
She previously co-facilitated the Community Creativity Cohort and Arts & Social Justice conversations, and now supports World Fest and communications. Across these roles she draws on what she's learned from disability community conversations, active learning through conversation and professional development, using six years of skills in arts administration and project management, volunteering with the Minnesota Access Alliance, and embracing versatility.
A couple of Arts Midwest resources Carly supported and loves to share include:
Two Accessibility Resources Designed for Your Organization
Not Just Any Kitchen: Sharing Knowledge at Sitting Bull Visitor Center by Helene Pfaendtner
The most common questions Carly gets asked about her work are:
Carly Newhouse (she/they) is a Program & Accessibility Manager at Arts Midwest. She specializes in program administration, event management and accessibility coordination, and has been working in programs at Arts…
Job Titles:
- Development and Database Specialist
Chelsea Brown (she/her) has been working at Arts Midwest since 2018, and is the Development and Database Specialist. Before that, she held roles as an administrative assistant and development associate. Prior to Arts Midwest, Chelsea held various other roles in the performing arts including as a freelance stage manager, project manager for a live-event production company, program manager for a children's performing arts theater, and executive assistant at a theater.
At Arts Midwest, Chelsea spends her days writing grant proposals, preparing funder reports, maintaining donor and funder data, and researching new ways to make our data systems even more effective. She works with other departments across the organization to collaborate on proposal writing and reporting and to assure data is easy to access and maintain for everyone on staff. She does this by using skills in research, project management, and teamwork that she gained from her years of management experience in the performing arts.
Chelsea Brown (she/her) is the Development and Database Specialist at Arts Midwest. She specializes in gift processing, grant writing, and managing organizational data and has been working in the arts…
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Executive Director of ArtForce Iowa
Christine Her is the daughter of Hmong refugee parents from Laos. Christine graduated from East High School in Des Moines, Iowa, and pursued her B.A. at Drake University, studying Creative Writing, Philosophy, and Political Science. She was named "One of 15 people to watch in the State of Iowa" for 2021. Christine is a HealthConnect Fellow with the Mid-Iowa Health Foundation, focusing her project on developing diverse and healing-centered texts reflecting authentic stories of individuals who are minoritized and marginalized. She is also part of Capital Crossroads' DSM USA 4 Equity Collective and the Des Moines Performing Arts (DMPA) Equity Diversity Inclusivity (EDI) Community Task Force.
Christine currently serves as the Executive Director of ArtForce Iowa, a nonprofit organization based in Des Moines. Founded in 2012, ArtForce Iowa has a mission to transform youth in need through art. The organization is pioneering a non-pathologizing approach to working with youth who have court involvement or identify as refugee and immigrant, offering a critical humanizing perspective using art and music.
Christine is highly motivated to interrupt social and systemic injustices with hope and art while helping others rise in their own power and lean into their purpose.
Job Titles:
- Program Manager
- Program Manager / Gerente De Programas
Crystal Celeste Price (she/her/hers and ella) has been working at Arts Midwest since 2022, as a Program Manager. Before that, she was working in the areas of arts-based and museum education, youth advocacy, and sustainable community development. She has taken leadership on grassroots initiatives, in school settings and not-for-profit organizations based out of Bucheon, South Korea, Talamanca, Costa Rica, and Minnesota, USA. To give a few examples of her experiences she founded and operated a local artist gallery and jewelry metals studio in Northern Minnesota from 2008 to 2009, participated as an artist in residence at the Bucheon Art Forum in 2012, organized a youth mural project at Colegio Indigena Shiroles in 2016, and lead a global youth exchange program at the Minneapolis Institute of Art from 2019 to 2020. Crystal values process-based learning, relationship-building, mentorship, and humility in her approach.
At Arts Midwest, Crystal spends her days communicating with arts and culture-based organization partners, thinking critically about the tensions, roles, and responsibilities of arts administrators, developing creative resources, and collaborating with colleagues on equity and social justice-based projects. She oversees the We the Many program, a community-based BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) artist in residency program. Crystal is especially energized by engaging with and prioritizing BIPOC community members and colleagues, as she is dedicated to shifting power and enriching narratives across the creative landscape of the Midwest.
Crystal Celeste Price ha estado trabajando en Artes del Medio Oeste (Arts Midwest) desde 2022, como gerente de programas. Antes de esto, ella trabaja en el campo de educación de museos y artes, abogacía juvenil, y desarrollo comunitario sostenible. Ella ha liderado iniciativas en ambientes escolares y en organizaciones sin fines de lucro en Bucheon de Corea del Sur, Talamanca de Costa Rica y Minnesota de los Estados Unidos. Para dar unos ejemplos de las experiencias, Crystal fundó y manejó una galería de arte local y un taller de joyería de metales en el área norte de Minnesota en 2008 a 2009, participaba como artista en residencia en un centro de artes de Bucheon en 2012, organizó un proyecto de un mural juvenil en el Colegio Indigena Shiroles en 2016, y lideró un programa global de intercambios juveniles, en el Instituto de Artes de Minneapolis de 2019 a 2020. En el enfoque del trabajo, Crystal valora el aprendizaje basado en el proceso, desarrollo de relaciones, mentoría y humildad.
Crystal Celeste Price (she/her and ella) is a Program Manager at Arts Midwest. She specializes in in youth development and arts-based education and has been leading creative community-building initiatives for…
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus Board
- President Emeritus, Arts Midwest, Minneapolis, MN
Job Titles:
- Artist
- Director of Learning & Public Practice
- Director of Learning and Public Practice, Wexner Center for the Arts
In 2005, Dionne Custer Edwards, Director of Learning & Public Practice, joined the Wexner Center for the Arts. Her work at the Wex has included pioneering and managing several groundbreaking education programs. Embedded in her art and education practices is Dionne's commitment to work in diversity, equity, inclusion, and access. Alongside colleagues and community partners, Dionne leads institutional equity work at the Wex and helped to conceptualize and sustain the work of the Shumate Council's group of Wex supporters, ambassadors, and volunteers; committed to diversity, inclusion, and access.
In addition to being an arts educator, arts administrator, and programmer, Dionne is also a practicing artist. She has published critical and literary writing, internationally and nationally.
Dionne has an MA, Antioch University and a BA, The Ohio State University.
Job Titles:
- Director, Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies
- Founder and Director of the Center for American Indian Research
Dr. Craig Howe, founder and director of the Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies, earned a Ph.D. in architecture and anthropology from the University of Michigan.
Howe has authored articles and book chapters on numerous topics, including tribal histories, Native studies, museum exhibitions, and community collaborations. He has developed innovative tribal histories projects and creative museum exhibitions, lectures on American Indian topics across the U.S., and provides professional development and cultural awareness training to schools and organizations.
Howe was raised and lives on his family's cattle ranch in the Lacreek District of the Pine Ridge Reservation where he is designing and building Wingsprings, an architecturally unique retreat and conference center that is featured in New Architecture on Indigenous Lands. He is a citizen of the Oglala Sioux Tribe.
Ellen Mueller (she/her/hers) has been working at Arts Midwest since 2022 and is the Director of Programs. Before that, she was the director of various programs at both public and private institutions of higher education.
At Arts Midwest, Ellen spends her days directing and implementing a portfolio of regional arts programs in collaboration with a stellar team of program managers. These programs include Arts Midwest World Fest and We the Many, with other programs to be developed. She works with Communications and Development to collaborate on promotional campaigns and reports for all programs. She does this by using communication and assessment skills that she has gained in her time leading departments at West Virginia Wesleyan College and Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
Ellen has also published three textbooks: Elements and Principles of 4D Art and Design (2016, Oxford University Press), Remixing and Drawing: Sources, Influences, Styles (2018, Routledge Focus), and Some Social Practice (2020, Creative Commons). Currently, she is under contract with SUNY Press for a forthcoming book, Walking as Artistic Practice (expected 2023). She also founded the CAA Conversations Podcast in 2017 and works as a freelance artist-career coach. Ellen's contributions to Arts Midwest include helping facilitate the creation of the Programs team.
Ellen Mueller (she/her) is the Director of Programs at Arts Midwest. She specializes in strategic project management, and has been directing programs since 2013.
Job Titles:
- Chief Administrative Officer
Emily Anderson (she/her) has been working at Arts Midwest since 2012 and is the Chief Administrative Officer. Before working in operations, she worked across programs at Arts Midwest. She started her nonprofit career at the Housing Authority of the City of Austin and then found her way into the arts by working for a quilt festival and the Weavers Guild of Minnesota.
At Arts Midwest, Emily spends her days nurturing a supportive organizational culture while navigating the day-to-day implementation of Arts Midwest's operations strategy. She leads the operations team and oversees human resources, IT, and facilities. She is particularly passionate about equity in the work environment and pay structure, and she works with the leadership team to develop policies, create systems, and test new ideas toward those goals. She loves that her role connects her with every other team in the organization and that there is an opportunity to apply her broad range of skills, including facilitation, coaching, and creative problem-solving.
A few of Arts Midwest resources Emily loves to share include
Emily Anderson (she/her) is the Chief Administrative Officer at Arts Midwest. She leads the operations team, overseeing human resources, IT, and facilities, and has worked at Arts Midwest since 2012.
Emma Bohmann (she/her) is the Development Officer at Arts Midwest. She specializes in nonprofit fundraising and partnership development, and has been securing support for Arts Midwest since 2016.
Job Titles:
- Distinguished Fellow of the National Art Education Association
- Professor of Visual Art Education, University of Cincinnati
Flávia Bastos, Ph.D. is Professor in the School of Art, in the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning at the University of Cincinnati. Her research and scholarship are indebted to her Brazilian roots, experiences with social and cultural diversity, and inspired by the educational philosophy of educator Paulo Freire. Her research and teaching honor diverse communities and celebrate creative potential of all people.
Flávia is a Distinguished Fellow of the National Art Education Association, a Distinguished Research Professor at the University of Cincinnati, the chairperson for the Council of Policy Studies in Art Education, and former Director of the Higher Education Division of the National Art Education Association. She received the 2009 Ziegfeld Award of the International Society for Education through Art (InSEA) for her distinguished service in international art education and the Mary J. House Award of the National Art Education Association Women's Caucus in 2007. She is past senior editor of the Journal of Art Education and has published and lectured extensively in the United States and other countries such as such as South Africa, Brazil, Chile, Indonesia, Spain, Portugal, and Canada.
Her books include Transforming City Schools through Art: Approaches to Meaningful K-12 Learning, a co-edited volume published by Teachers College Press (2012), and the anthology Connecting Creativity Research and Practice in Art Education: Foundations, Pedagogies, and Contemporary Issues (2014) released by the National Art Education Association.
Frenz Cabagnot (he/him) is an IT Manager at Arts Midwest. He has worked as an IT professional for 11 years in the education, broadcasting, and manufacturing industries before working at…
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Executive Director of the Arts Board
- Executive Director of the Wisconsin Arts Board
- Executive Director, Wisconsin Arts Board
George Tzougros is the Executive Director of the Wisconsin Arts Board, the state agency that nurtures creativity, cultivates expression, promotes the arts, supports the arts in education, stimulates community and economic development, and serves as a resource for people of every culture and heritage. Tzougros works with the creative industries, Wisconsin Arts Board members and staff, the Governor, and state legislature to create funding programs and services to meet the needs of the people of Wisconsin. Tzougros is a member of the Governor's Council on Tourism and the Cultural Coalition of Wisconsin. He is also the chair of the National Creativity Network; a co-founder of the Wisconsin Science Festival; a board member of Arts Midwest and the Robert E. Gard Wisconsin Idea Foundation; and Past President of both Wisconsin/Chiba Incorporated and Film Wisconsin.
He was awarded the 2019 recipient of the Michael Newton Award from Americans for the Arts.
Tzougros has served as Executive Director of the Arts Board since 1996; prior to that date he served four years as the Arts Board's Assistant Director, and was responsible for arts education, community arts development, and presenting and touring.
Job Titles:
- Director of Finance & Operations / North Chicago School
- Director of Finance and Operations for North Chicago School District 187
Gregory Volan is the Director of Finance and Operations for North Chicago School District 187. In this role, he serves as the chief financial officer and treasurer of a school district serving approximately 3,400 students from pre-K through high school. North Chicago is approximately 40 miles north of Chicago and the home to Naval Station Great Lakes, the navy's only basic training facility.
Previously, Gregory served as a senior budget manager for Chicago Public Schools, the country's third largest school district. He oversaw the school budgeting process and was responsible for developing and implementing the funding models that allocate more than $2.5 billion of resources to 660 schools.
Prior to joining Chicago Public Schools, Gregory served as the Chief Information Officer for the City of Bloomington, Indiana, and later as the CFO and Chief Administrative Officer for a technology services start-up company. He began his career in law, as an associate attorney with Winston & Strawn in Chicago and served as a law clerk to the Hon. Donald S. Russell on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.
He graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a B.A. in Liberal Studies (a great books program), and he received his J.D. degree from the University of Michigan Law School. Gregory has previously served on the boards of several arts organizations in Bloomington, Indiana, and he currently is a board member for the North Chicago Public Education Foundation.
He lives in Evanston, Illinois, with his wife Katarina and his children.
Holly Doll (she/her) is the Equity Grantmaking Program Manager at Arts Midwest. She specializes in relationship building, racial equity, and community connection, and has been working in arts and cultural…
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus Board
- Arts Patron, Bismarck, ND
Job Titles:
- Leader
- Member - at - Large
Jane is a leader and advocate for the arts in South Dakota and in her home community of Sisseton, located in the Lake Traverse Reservation. Founder and director of the…
Job Titles:
- Director, Arts and Culture, Gilbert Family Foundation
Jasmin DeForrest is a native Detroiter, inspired by creativity, vision, and strategy.
Jasmin leads and maintains a diverse portfolio of Detroit-based strategic community investments to support inclusive arts and culture programming that attracts diverse audiences and contributes to the creative economy of Detroit. With extensive experience in sponsorships, event production, and partnership development, she manages funding decisions that support thriving neighborhoods and communities while also curating artistic programming. During her time at the Rocket Community Fund, she has transformed the traditional idea of sponsorships by building mutually impactful community partnerships.
Jasmin lives by a simple work mantra: "I do what I can, while I'm here." It is her hope that she's made an impact on the city and people that she loves so much.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus Board
- Retired, Mt. Morris, MI
Job Titles:
- Grants Specialist
- Specialist
John Kaiser (he/him) is a Grants Specialist at Arts Midwest. He specializes in Grantmaking and has been in the Arts Administration field for over 10 years.
Joshua Feist (he/him) is the Director of Grantmaking at Arts Midwest. He specializes in grantmaking operations, federal compliance, and databases, and has been working in arts administration for over 15…
Katelyn Shehu (she/her) joined Arts Midwest in 2023 as the Chief Financial Officer. Previously, she held the position of Associate Vice President of Finance & Controller at the University of…
Job Titles:
- Program Manager
- Program Manager, International
Katie Ortman (she/her/hers) is a Program Manager at Arts Midwest. She specializes in artist residency planning and community engagement, and has been working in arts programming since 2014.
Kayla M. Schubert (she/her/hers and ye/kšto) is a Program Manager at Arts Midwest. She specializes in relational self-determination with rural and Native organizations and has been working at the intersection…
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus Board
- President Emeritus, University Musical Society, Ann Arbor, MI
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus Board
- President and CEO, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh, PA
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus Board
- Chief Marketing Officer, American Cancer Society, Minneapolis, MN
Job Titles:
- Principal Advisor at GHR Foundation
Recently retired as the Principal Advisor at GHR Foundation, Mary led the strategic direction and implementation of GHR Foundation's Global Development Program. She managed grant making focused on advancing local development priorities by empowering women, employing inter-religious approaches, and keeping children in families. Mary also led GHR's partner Better Way Foundation, which is focused on early childhood education.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Mary was president of the Travelers Foundation and vice president of community affairs at Travelers, formerly The St. Paul Companies. Having served there for 35 years, she grew the insurance provider's community citizenship program from a $600,000 contributions program to a broad-based community affairs function including a $16 million foundation and corporate giving program, a corporate sponsorship program, volunteerism, and social purpose investments.
Trained as a journalist, Mary worked briefly as a newspaper reporter and publications editor and also has experience working in human resources. Mary is past chair of the Minnesota Council on Foundations and a former board member of the national Council on Foundations. She has served on the boards of directors of several community-based nonprofit organizations.
She earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and mass communications from the University of Minnesota.
Job Titles:
- Secretary / Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority
- Secretary, Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority ( DART )
As Business & Community Partnerships Manager for the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART), Harris works to generate private sector revenue for the agency by expanding access to transportation through partnerships with employers and community organizations. In this role, he manages relationships with businesses and corporations, oversees mobility coordination and outreach initiatives to local human service agencies and leads fundraising strategy for the agency's art in transit initiatives. Harris came to DART after nearly 15 years in public administration and the nonprofit sector following positions with the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, and Des Moines Performing Arts.
Harris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications/Public Relations from the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) and is a 2013 Business Record Forty Under 40 honoree, a 2013 recipient of the UNI Distinguished Young Alumnus Award and a 2010 graduate of the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute. His professional and volunteer service on local, state and national boards has included the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, the Les Hale Endowment Fund, Cedar Falls Community Main Street, the University of Northern Iowa Central Iowa Alumni Club, and the Governor Robert D. and Billie Ray Center at Drake University.
He currently serves as a member of the Arts Midwest Executive Committee. He resides in Des Moines.
Matthew Pawlowski (he, him, his) is the office manager at Arts Midwest. He focuses mostly on operations-based projects/systems and human resource services. Matt has been involved in community based/non-profit management…
Job Titles:
- Executive Director / North Dakota Museum of Art
Matthew Wallace was born and raised in the Spirit Lake Reservation near Devils Lake, North Dakota.
In 2010, Wallace received a Masters of Liberal Arts from Minnesota State University of Moorhead following his 1999 Bachelors of Arts in Literature from the University of North Dakota. He spent two years in the Peace Corps in Romania before interning with Senator Byron Dorgan in 2004, followed by a stint as Legislative Correspondent through an internship with Senator Joe Lieberman.
He is a board member of Arts North Dakota and served as President of the Board of The Third Street Gallery in Grand Forks, North Dakota, from 2005-2011. In 2012, Wallace was appointed Associate Director of the North Dakota Museum of Art and was named Executive Director in 2022. He joined the museum in 2004 to inaugurate and direct the museum's Rural Arts Initiative. Under the Rural Arts Initiative, Wallace installs exhibitions in up to 15 rural communities each season and organizes week-long art workshops for communities throughout the state. In addition, Wallace started and organizes the museum's Concerts in the Garden, an annual music series that takes place in the museum's sculpture garden.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Founder
- Founder & Executive Director of Strengthen ND
Megan Laudenschlager is the Founder & Executive Director of Strengthen ND.
Laudenschlager's areas of expertise include board and staff development, fundraising planning, grant writing, strategic planning, organizational action planning, program design and evaluation, succession planning, and meeting facilitation. In addition to her position at Strengthen ND, Laudenschlager is active in the community and across North Dakota by serving in leadership positions with numerous organizations and initiatives. Through her experiences, Laudenschlager has been able to refine her approaches to rural community fundraising, organizing, and advocacy.
Laudenschlager is a graduate of Minot State University with a B.A. in Mathematics and has obtained a Certificate in Fundraising through the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University.
Job Titles:
- Culture Program Director / Joyce Foundation
Mia Khimm has worked for 13 years across the nonprofit, philanthropic, academic, and commercial arts sectors in Chicago, developing collaborative cultural programs and partnerships. As Joyce's Culture Program director, Khimm collaborates with community leaders and other partners throughout Chicago and the Great Lakes region to advance the Foundation's culture grant making strategy, anchored in support of BIPOC-led organizations and artists.
She also oversees the Foundation's signature Joyce Awards.
Job Titles:
- Communications Specialist
Mia McGill (she/they) is a Communications Specialist at Arts Midwest. She specializes in copywriting, design, and social media strategy, and has been working in arts nonprofit communications for six years.
Michael Johnson (he/him) is Program Manager at Arts Midwest. He specializes in community engagement and arts advocacy and has been at Arts Midwest since 2018.
Job Titles:
- Vice - Chair
- Sales Director at Schreiber Foods
- Sales Director at Schreiber Foods in Green Bay
Michael Louis Vinson is a Sales Director at Schreiber Foods in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He was previously a reporter and blogger at The Post-Crescent newspaper in Appleton, Wisconsin, where he covered city hall, state politics, and national politics.
Prior to joining The Post-Crescent, he was a Fellow and Wallace Engagement Associate at Steppenwolf Theatre Company in Chicago, Illinois.
He is a graduate of Harvard University, where he was a Jackie Robinson Foundation scholar. Michael also has a master's degree from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Michael lives with his husband, Todd, in Green Bay.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Executive Director, CultureSource
Omari Rush engages the arts as a passion and profession, and in each mode enjoys discovery and deepening impacts.
As executive director of CultureSource in Detroit, he advances efforts to have creative expression thrive in communities. His complementary civic service ranges from recently completing an appointment to the State of Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs (serving three governors, two as council chair) to currently being board chair of the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and a board member of Arts Midwest in Minneapolis and the Lewis Prize for Music.
Omari earned degrees in music from the University of Michigan and Florida State University, and extended his love for learning by completing fellowships with the Salzburg Global Forum and Association of Performing Arts Professionals, by managing the K-12 education program of the University Musical Society (UMS), and by serving on research advisory committees for the National Endowment for the Arts and Indiana University O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
A lapsed clarinetist, Omari now uses his voice to co-host a monthly arts-focused radio show on NPR's affiliate WEMU-FM, and he plays on a Rivendell Clem-L bicycle, which he rides daily on streets and trails.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus Board
- Arts Patron, Minneapolis, MN
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus Board
- Trustee, North Shore Water Reclamation District, Highland Park, IL
Job Titles:
- Equitable Initiatives Officer, the Indianapolis Foundation
Rishard Allen is an emerging philanthropic professional with multiple years of experience in grants management and administration, program management, and racial equity initiatives. He currently serves as an Equitable Initiatives Officer at The Indianapolis Foundation, an affiliate of the Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF), and is responsible for managing the foundation's role in a national cohort of community foundations developing a common strategy to dismantle systemic racism-entitled Nexus for Equity + Opportunity Nationwide (NEON)-along with other projects to expand support for grassroots community organizers and to expand the foundation's community leadership into the public policy arena.
Formerly, Rishard served as the Director of Grant Services at the Arts Council of Indianapolis and as a Program Director at Arts for Learning Indiana prior to that. He has also lent his talents to several local, regional, and national working groups and committees, including IndyHub, WolfBrown, Americans for the Arts, Arts Midwest, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Indiana Arts Commission, and the Community Foundation Opportunity Network.
Rishard obtained his B.S. in Arts Management from Indiana University Bloomington in 2017 and is currently pursuing his M.A. in Philanthropic Studies at the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
Sandi Clark is a counselor and consultant specializing in support, coaching, and strategies for clients in personal and career transition. Earlier positions at Indiana University, Cook Incorporated, and as a corporate trainer enhanced Sandi's expertise in facilitation of problem solving, goal achievement, and strategic planning for individuals, project teams, and organizations. Her community involvement has included serving as Neutral Chair for the worker adjustment committees during closing of Thomson Consumer Electronics and downsizing of Bloomington's GE plant. An active advocate for the arts, Sandi has served on the Corporation for Capital Improvements and Attractions and the boards of directors of Lotus Education and Arts Foundation, Buskirk-Chumley Theater Management, and the Bloomington Area Arts Council. She is a founding member of the Cardinal Stage Company board and recently ended her second term as its president. In 2000 Sandi received her first gubernatorial appointment to the Indiana Arts Commission and served until 2009. She was honored with Indiana Coalition for the Arts' Community Arts Leadership Award in 2011.
Job Titles:
- Principal
- Principal, SANDRA CLARK Counseling Consulting
Sandi Clark is a counselor and consultant specializing in support, coaching, and strategies for clients in personal and career transition. Earlier positions at Indiana University, Cook Incorporated, and as a…
Job Titles:
- Member of the Emeritus Board
- Director, Amstore Corporation, Chicago, IL
Torrie Allen (he/him) is President & CEO of Arts Midwest. He holds a range of experiences in executive and artistic management, fundraising, marketing, policy, adjudication, grantmaking, and international performance and…
Job Titles:
- Associate at Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Yumi Inomata (she/her) is Arts Midwest's Finance Manager. She handles accounts receivable and payable across the organization, parts of the payroll process, helping with grant disbursements and training staff on…