PORTLAND MUSEUM - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- VP of Development for the Portland Investment Initiative
Caroline Behrle is the VP of Development for the Portland Investment Initiative, where she has worked since 2016. Through Pii, Behrle was introduced to the rich history of the Portland neighborhood and has been able to meet so many wonderful and inspiring folks. She has learned about non-profits, local businesses, and artists who all love and care about this community and work every day to add to it. Behrle became more familiar with the Portland Museum when she joined the Portland Art and Heritage Planning Committee in 2019 and has loved being a board member for the museum. She is so grateful to have this opportunity to gain knowledge of how non-profits work and learn from so many talented people. Behrle is looking forward to the future of the museum and knows that this experience has and will continue to provide so much insight and education for herself and others.
Danny loves Portland, Kentucky and misses his pug Geddy Lee. His favorite color is rainbow. Here's some stuff he's done in life:
Jimmy Soto is an accomplished, highly motivated, and versatile solutions architect with over 20 years of experience delivering Information Technology solutions, project management, and executive leadership. Although he is a competent executive, he also possesses problem solving tenacity which allows him to span the technical and management realms. He has participated on numerous projects, varying from concurrent small efforts to global, multi-site implementations. His customers have been from a broad range including Government, Finance, Insurance, Media, Fashion, Manufacturing, and Health Care industries. He is a compassionate mentor and has participated in capability development, team building, and career management programs.
Jimmy Soto is a part-time resident of Louisville, who has invested in the Portland neighborhood as well as in the greater Louisville metro area. Jimmy is also a member of the board of directors for Adelante Hispanic Achievers, a non-profit organization in Louisville, KY devoted to empowering Hispanic and Latinx youth. Jimmy previously served as President of the Portland Museum board and continues on to provide assistance and guidance.
As an IT professional with an MBA, Jimmy contributes to the museum board and to the advancement of the museum through use of his skills and experience. Jimmy also has a strong interest in history, genealogy, and dog rescue. Jimmy is actively learning to enjoy everything that Louisville has to offer and is a current LouCity season ticket holder and supporter.
KATY DELAHANTY, Executive Director of Portland Museum, merges her passion for art, community, and social justice. Hailing from a family with deep roots in the Portland neighborhood, her ancestors emigrated from Ireland in the mid-1800s, forging a path that Katy proudly continues. As the granddaughter of civil rights activists Dolores and Robert Delahanty, she carries their legacy with unwavering determination. After graduating from the prestigious Cooper Union, Katy pursued a career as a social justice advocate, impacting marginalized individuals' lives. She returned to her cherished Portland neighborhood, buying a fixer-upper home and immersing herself in its vibrant history.
Katy's involvement in the Portland neighborhood flourished. She joined the US Marine Hospital and the Portland Museum's board, dedicating herself to preserving the community's arts and heritage. As Treasurer of Portland Now, Katy plays a key role in shaping the neighborhood's future. Her contributions were recognized by The Louisville Defender as a changemaker and was on Creative Capital's Artists shortlist of 2022.
With a decade of experience as a facilitator and mediator, Katy excels at bringing people together. She dedicated fifteen years to crisis work, advocacy, and case management, supporting individuals with disabilities while championing inclusivity.
Beyond her role at the Portland Museum, Katy actively engages with organizations like the Phoenix Global Humanitarian Foundation and Open Air Project in NYC. She serves on the KY Board of Licensure for Art Therapists, recognizing art's healing power. Katy is an artist herself, creating murals and illustrated books.
Katy's passion for journalism and cultural preservation shines through her work with Portland Anchor Newspaper and the revival of Black Scene Magazine. She facilitated significant murals, including the March on Washington Mural and the Henrietta Helm Mural. Katy helped establish an endowment honoring Henrietta Helm, funding a scholarship for University of Louisville BIPOC students.
Katy Delahanty currently spearheads the capital campaign for Adventure House of You (AHOY), Kentucky's premier Children's Museum. Her exceptional leadership has successfully raised nearly 2 million, providing crucial support for the creation of an immersive play space in an old Victorian home adjacent to the museum. Through her involvement in this Children's Museum Expansion, Katy continues to build upon her diverse background in art, mediation, social justice, and community engagement. Her role as a driving force behind the transformation of the Portland Museum and the revitalization of the Portland neighborhood is strengthened.
Job Titles:
- Economic Development Reporter for Louisville Business First
- Journalist
Michael L. Jones is an award-winning journalist, author, and music historian based in Louisville, Kentucky. He has worked as a staff writer for the Louisville Defender, the Jeffersonville Evening News, LEO newspaper, and Kentuckiana Parent (a Courier-Journal publication). His freelance writing has also appeared in Louisville Magazine, Oxford American Magazine, and the Unte Reader.
Jones is currently the economic development reporter for Louisville Business First.
In addition to being a journalist, Jones is the author of Second-Hand Stories: 15 Portraits of Louisville and Louisville Jug Music: From Earl McDonald to the National Jubilee (winner of the Louisville Historical League's 2015 Samuel Thomas Book Award for best local history).
Jones cocurated the "Celebrating the Sounds of Kentucky" music exhibition at the Frazier History Museum in 2019. Jones cofounded and is the editor of Black Scene Millennium magazine.
Alongside his placement on the Portland Museum's board, he sits on the boards of the Louisville Historical League and the National Jug Band Jubilee, a nationally-renowned festival that celebrates Louisville's jug band legacy.
Tad Myre is a Partner at Wyatt, Tarrant & Combs. Myre concentrates his practice in the areas of health care, taxation, nonprofit organizations, and general business law. He is the former Co-Chair of the Firm's Health Care Service Team, and he has extensive experience in the areas of health care organizations, including hospitals and physician practices, tax-exempt organizations, small business and joint ventures. He has since 2001 annually received Woodward/White's The Best Lawyers in America award in the areas of Health Care Law and Tax Law. Myre is also an Adjunct Professor for Health Care Transactions and Contracting and Health Care Law and Regulation at the University of Louisville's Louis D. Brandeis School of Law. Myre has since, and before, joining the Portland Museum board been an invaluable help.
Job Titles:
- Administrative Coordinator
- Co - Director of Printed
As Administrative Coordinator, William Smith will likely be the first face you see upon a visit to Portland Museum! He proudly works at the front desk, greeting visitors and giving tours of our various exhibits. William also coordinates events, handles outreach, installs exhibits, and more. Basically, he does whatever's needed.
William is also the co-director of Printed, a Louisville community zine project.