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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.

Ten members of the Arts Midwest Board, plus President & CEO Torrie Allen, posing for a photo.
  • Headshot of a smiling person of dark skin tone and very short black hair and beard/mustache, wearing a striped suit jacket with a red tie and flower. In the background many gold and red glass light fixtures hang from the ceiling.

    Rishard Allen

    Grants & Community Manager, Pop Culture Collaborative

    Rishard Allen is an emerging philanthropic professional and creative consultant with a proven track record in grants management and administration, program and project management, and racial equity initiatives. As the…

  • Headshot of a smiling person of medium dark skin tone, with black hair in a bun on top of their head, and wearing a bright yellow shirt.

    Dionne Custer Edwards, DEIA Committee Co-Chair

    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…

  • Headshot of a person of dark skin tone and short curly black hair pulled back, wearing hoop earrings and a pendant necklace over an emerald green shirt and black jacket.

    Jasmin DeForrest

    Managing Director, Creativity, Heinz Endowments

    Jasmin DeForrest is the managing director of Creativity at The Heinz Endowments. She is responsible for leading the Creativity portfolio at the Endowments through designing, implementing and assessing the impact…

  • Headshot of a smiling person of light skin tone and long black hair, wearing hoop earrings, a necklace, and a maroon shirt under a black jacket.

    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;…

  • A smiling person of medium light skin tone, with pink, purple and black curled hair, wearing red lipstick and red rimmed cat eye glasses, and a red sweater with the outline of Iowa and various images drawn within it and the phrase: "#yeskindness"

    Christine Her

    Executive Director, ArtForce Iowa

    Christine Her is the daughter of former Hmong refugee parents from Laos. She pursued her B.A. at Drake University. She’s a Mid-Iowa Health fellow focusing her project on developing diverse…

  • Close up of Craig Howe, speaking with a smile and both arms up, holding a pencil in one hand.

    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…

  • Headshot of a smiling person of light skin with long dark brown hair, wearing a red shirt under a black blazer.

    Mia Khimm, DEIA Committee Co-Chair

    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…

  • A smiling person of medium light skin tone with long light brown hair, wearing blue hoop earrings, and a black top with a red rose pattern

    Megan Langley

    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…

  • Headshot of a smiling person of light skin tone with red hair pulled back, wearing a gray collared shirt and a beaded necklace.

    Ailithir McGill, Governance Committee Chair

    Executive Director, Noblesville Creates

    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,…

  • A smiling person of light skin tone with short hair wearing a blue shirt under a gray blazer.

    Miah Michaelson

    Executive Director, Indiana Arts Commission

    Miah Michaelsen is the Executive Director of the Indiana Arts Commission. As Executive Director, Michaelsen has led a comprehensive programmatic review at the agency focusing on ensuring the broadest possible access…

  • Headshot of a person of medium dark skin tone with short curly black hair, wearing a black and white striped shirt, and sitting in front of a vibrant flower mural.

    Andre Perry, Vice Chair

    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…

  • Headshot of a smiling person of light skin tone with short brown hair, wearing dangling earrings and cream and black wool blazer.

    Jane Rasmussen

    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…

  • Headshot of a smiling person of light skin tone, short brown hair and dark framed glasses, wearing a striped tie, a dark blue button down shirt and a black suit jacket.

    Brian Tiemann, Chair

    Partner, 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…

  • Headshot of a smiling person of medium light skin tone, short dark hair and glasses, wearing a light blue button down shirt under a black jacket.

    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…

  • Headshot of a smiling person of medium light skin tone, short peppered hair, wearing a light blue shirt under a black suit jacket with a purple patterned tie.

    Gregory Volan, Secretary/Treasurer

    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…

  • Headshot of a person of light skin tone in a blue button-down shirt in front of a light brown wall.

    Joe Williams

    Freelance Artist

    Joe Williams (Waȟpéthuŋwaŋ Dakota from the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate/Lake Traverse Reservation in South Dakota) works as a freelance artist. He previously served as the Director of the Native American Programs…

  • Headshot of a person with medium light skin tone, dark hair, and a black turtleneck sweater.

    Christina Woods

    Executive Director, Duluth Art Institute

    Executive Director with 35 years of leadership experience, Christina brings an extensive range of non-profit experience as a board member, executive director, and business leader.  Utilizing an Anishinaabe and community leadership…

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, Director Emeritus (Mt. Morris, MI)
  • Flávia Bastos, Director Emeritus (Cincinnati, OH)
  • Brian J. Bonde, Director Emeritus (Sioux Falls, SD)
  • Peter Capell, Chair Emeritus (Minneapolis, MN)
  • Sandra Clark, Director Emeritus (Bloomington, IN)
  • Ken Fischer, Director Emeritus (Ann Arbor, MI)
  • David Fraher, President Emeritus (Minneapolis, MN)
  • Matthew Harris, Director Emeritus (Des Moines, IA)
  • Kendra Whitlock Ingram, Director Emeritus (Pittsburgh, PA)
  • Sylvia Kaufman, Director Emeritus (Chicago, IL)
  • Kymm Martinez, Director Emeritus (Minneapolis, MN)
  • Rhoda Pierce, Director Emeritus (Highland Park, IL)
  • Mary Pickard, Director Emeritus (St. Paul, MN)
  • Omari Rush, Director Emeritus (Ann Arbor, MI)
  • Michael Louis Vinson, Director Emeritus (Green Bay, WI)
  • Matthew Wallace, Director Emeritus (Grand Forks, ND)
  • Jan Webb, Director Emeritus (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)
  • Barbara Robinson (Cleveland, OH)