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Meet our Board

From Ohio to North Dakota, our Board of Directors is made up of Midwesterners who are passionate about the arts. These leaders from the field have joined forces to help Arts Midwest make a bigger impact.

Photo by: Arts Midwest

Rishard Allen

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…
Flávia Bastos

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…
Brian J. Bonde

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,…
Sandra Clark

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…
Dionne Custer Edwards

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…
Jasmin DeForrest

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…
Matthew Harris

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…
Cari Hatcher

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;…
Christine Her

Executive Director, 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…
Dr. Craig Howe

Director, Center for American Indian Research and Native Studies

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…
Mia Khimm

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…
Megan Laudenschlager

Founder & Executive Director, 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…
Michael Louis Vinson, Vice-Chair

Sales Director, Schreiber Foods

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…
Ailithir McGill

Executive Director, Nickel Plate Arts

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,…
Andre Perry

Executive Director, Hancher and the Office of Performing Arts & Engagement

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…
Mary Pickard

Former Principal Advisor, 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…
Jane Rasmussen, Member-at-Large

Director, Sisseton Arts Council

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…
Omari Rush

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…
Brian Tiemann, Chair

Associate, McDermott Will & Emery LLP

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…
George Tzougros

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…
Gregory Volan

Director of Finance & Operations, 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…
Matthew Wallace

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…

Emeritus Board

Arts Midwest’s Emeritus Board of Directors is composed of former board members who served with distinction and excellence throughout their tenure. We are honored to recognize these leaders and are grateful for their continued support and guidance of our work.

John Bracey

Retired, Mt. Morris, MI
Peter Capell

Arts Patron, Minneapolis, MN
Ken Fischer

President Emeritus, University Musical Society, Ann Arbor, MI
David Fraher

President Emeritus, Arts Midwest, Minneapolis, MN
Kendra Whitlock Ingram

President and CEO, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, Pittsburgh, PA
Sylvia Kaufman

Director, Amstore Corporation, Chicago, IL
Kymm Martinez

Chief Marketing Officer, American Cancer Society, Minneapolis, MN
Rhoda Pierce

Trustee, North Shore Water Reclamation District, Highland Park, IL
Jan Webb

Arts Patron, Bismarck, ND

Honor Roll

Arts Midwest recognizes and honors those former Board members who have passed away. We are grateful to these individuals for their many years of dedication to and support of Arts Midwest.

Loann Crane

Columbus, OH
Peter A. Rand

Minneapolis, MN

Rishard Allen

Flávia Bastos

Brian J. Bonde

Sandra Clark

Dionne Custer Edwards

Jasmin DeForrest

Matthew Harris

Cari Hatcher

Christine Her

Dr. Craig Howe

Mia Khimm

Megan Laudenschlager

Michael Louis Vinson, Vice-Chair

Ailithir McGill

Andre Perry

Mary Pickard

Jane Rasmussen, Member-at-Large

Omari Rush

Brian Tiemann, Chair

George Tzougros

Gregory Volan

Matthew Wallace

Emeritus Board

John Bracey

Peter Capell

Ken Fischer

David Fraher

Kendra Whitlock Ingram

Sylvia Kaufman

Kymm Martinez

Rhoda Pierce

Jan Webb

Honor Roll

Loann Crane

Peter A. Rand

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