Diversity and collaboration are hallmarks of Smithsonian’s emerging leaders
The participants in the 2017 Smithsonian Emerging Leadership Develpment Program were honored at a graduation ceremony Feb 6.
The Smithsonian Emerging Leadership Development Program was created in 2007 to cultivate the next generation of leaders at the Smithsonian. The program provides professional development, training and mentoring designed to create a pan-Institutional team ready to face the Smithsonian’s future challenges and opportunities. The participants, announced last May after a competitive selection process, were honored at a graduation ceremony, Feb. 6.
Secretary Skorton assured the graduates that their hard work will be reflected in the leadership skills they have honed. “Leadership at all levels—distributed leadership—is vital at a large organization like the Smithsonian,&rdquo he said. “There’s no question that leadership programs like ELDP help us fulfill our mission. But more important to me are the skills that I hope you take with you. They will be valuable whether you stay where you are, change jobs within the Smithsonian, or go elsewhere.”
“As your colleague Sophia Greenbaum from the Office of Advancement noted,” Dr. Skorton continued, “One of the most important takeaways from the experience was the different skill sets, different approaches, and different ways of thinking that everyone brought to the table. That’s the power of diversity, not just of background or ethnicity, but of perspective. It’s what makes collaboration such an effective way to maximize results.”
“At the end of the day, collaboration is at the heart of our new strategic plan that revolves around the concept of One Smithsonian. By taking part in the ELDP, you embody that slogan. You make it real. And in so doing, you are leading by example, helping insure that the Institution will continue to do important work on behalf of people in the D.C. area, across the United States, and around the world.”
Congratulations to all of the graduates of the 2017 Smithsonian Emerging Leadership Development Program!
Jay Anderson
National Air and Space Museum
Jay Anderson is a Budget Analyst in the Office of Advancement at NASM. Jay started with Smithsonian in February 2010 as an Operations Specialist in the Office of Investments and moved to NASM in May 2013 as a Financial and Administrative Specialist. In his current role, Jay manages the execution and reconciliation of both the Advancement and National Air and Space Society membership program budgets and expenditures and oversees all incoming major gift and membership revenue. He also serves as property custodian, timekeeper, travel approver, and purchase card approver for the entire department. In addition, Jay is the primary liaison with the NASM Finance Office where he tracks gifts received, cash flows and funding for the $250 million campaign to transform the National Mall building and prepares this financial information for the Castle and the NASM Board. He earned his Masters of Business degree from Strayer University and his Bachelors of Business Administration from James Madison University.
Adam Bartelt
Office of Protection Services
Adam Bartelt is the Human Resources liaison for OPS, which ensures the safety and security of the staff, visitors, and National Collections of the Smithsonian Institution. He oversees OPS recruitment and ensures that prospective employees come on board in a seamless fashion. He works to provide quick and accurate responses to human resources related inquiries from the entire OPS staff. He also coordinates with the Veteran’s Administration to provide select Compensated Work Therapy (CWT) veterans with permanent employment opportunities within OPS. Along with assisting prospective employees and providing human resource related support to OPS, he also created and manages OPS’ SharePoint sites. These SharePoint sites have played a vital role in streamlining the record keeping process for various departments within OPS. Adam has been with SI since 2014; prior to joining SI, he worked at the Department of Defense/Marine Corps Recruiting Command.
Carrie Beauchamp
National Museum of Natural History
Carrie Beauchamp is the Collections Data Manager for the Department of Anthropology at NMNH. She is part of a small team that cares for about 3 million artifacts that document human cultures around the world, from prehistory to the present. In this role, she oversees a variety of digitization, cataloging, inventory, and data management projects. She also works with diverse visitors, including scholars, artists, Native community groups, and fellows, to facilitate hands-on access to the collections. Her mission is to make the collections and its documentation more accessible and relevant for all users, both online and in person. She joined the Smithsonian in 2001, shortly after earning her MA in Anthropology from the University of Denver. She also has a BA in Anthropology and Government from Beloit College.
Melanie Blanchard
National Museum of American History
Melanie Blanchard is the Acting Acquisitions Program Manager and Collections Management Specialist in the office of Registration Services at the NMAH. In this position she is responsible for the management of both the current and historical acquisition history of NMAH and facilitating access to the history of collecting at the museum and the Smithsonian Institution. Melanie joined the staff of NMAH in 2012 as a Collections Management Specialist in the office of Collections Documentation Services. Between 2012 and August 2016 she worked with both Collections Documentation Services and the Acquisitions Program, managing data projects, processing acquisition files, and assisting curatorial staff. Melanie transitioned full-time into her current position in August 2016.
Nicole Bryner
National Museum of African American History & Culture
Nicole Bryner is a Museum Program Specialist in the Office of Strategic Partnerships at the NMAAHC. As a member of this outward-facing department, she is tasked with using the resources of SI and NMAAHC to advance the African American and African Diaspora Museum field through collaborations that focus on professional development, capacity building, and organizational sustainability. Nicole’s portfolio includes international programs, internship programs, and partnerships with local and national networked groups. Before joining NMAAHC in 2014, Nicole worked for the National Endowment for the Arts, and prior to that was a Museum/Theatre Educator at Ford’s Theatre, the Folger Shakespeare Library, and the Shakespeare Theatre Company. She has an M.S.Ed. from Bank Street College of Education’s Leadership in Museum Education Program and a B.S. in Theatre from Franklin & Marshall College.
Kate Earnest
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Kate Earnest is the Senior Corporate and Foundation Relations Officer at SAAM. In this role, Kate works to raise funds from corporations and foundations to support exhibitions, educational initiatives, public programs, and other major projects, including the recent renovation of the Renwick Gallery. This involves cultivating and stewarding existing and new prospects for funding, writing proposals, managing the grant calendar to ensure deadlines are met, and conducting meetings with prospects and donors to discuss sponsorship and partnership opportunities. Kate works closely with other development colleagues and the Director’s office, curators, educators, program staff and others throughout the museum to ensure all fundraising efforts are carefully coordinated. Kate joined SAAM in 2013 after six years at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. Prior to that, Kate began her career in the art world working at Sotheby’s in both New York and London. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from James Madison University.
Kevin Etherton
National Museum of African Art
Kevin Etherton is the Installation Coordinator for NMAfA. As part of the Design and Production team he manages all exhibition components. He Supervises the Exhibit Specialist Mount Maker and hires and oversees contract art handlers and other specialized installation experts. He initiates scheduling between museum departments and manages installation budgets. His role also includes managing the lighting department where he performs lighting design and installation of all gallery lighting. He also performs lead art handling assignments, maintains exhibit component inventories, oversees and/or performs all matting and framing duties, and manages security systems. Kevin joined NMAFA in 1996. Prior to joining the Smithsonian, he worked as a contract archaeologist for three years, doing field work and historical research on a number of sites in the Mid-Atlantic area. Kevin was also Manager and Buyer for two different outdoor specialty retail companies over an eight year period. He earned a BA in Anthropology in 1993 from the University of Maryland, College Park.
Anne Evenhaugen
Smithsonian Libraries
Anne Evenhaugen is the head librarian for the Smithsonian American Art and Portrait Gallery Library. Her background has been primarily in art museums and libraries and caring for collections. Anne manages the day-to-day operations of the specialized research library, which contains over 180,000 volumes, including rare and unique books and a large ephemera collection. She also supervises acquisitions and special projects in support of the mission of the American Art Museum and National Portrait Gallery. With her particular interest in art and artists’ books, Evenhaugen was central in the effort to make the Smithsonian’s large collection of artists’ books more searchable online. Prior to joining the Smithsonian, Anne held previous positions at the American Alliance of Museums, National Gallery of Art Library and Corcoran Art Library, among others. She holds degrees in art history, library science and art curation from Mary Washington College, the University of Maryland and Stockholm University in Sweden.
Jane Fortune
National Museum of American History
ane Fortune is a Supervisory Museum Specialist at NMAH. She manages the Exhibitions and Collections Management Office, which is responsible for the care, handling and record-keeping of objects slated for exhibition and for the coordination of object related work including conservation, mounting, staging and photography in preparation for exhibition installations and publications. As a part of ECMO she is also responsible for planning and executing complex collections moves for storage spaces impacted by the museum’s Public Space renewal plan and by other building construction projects. Jane has been with SI since 1992. She serves as collections manager for 10 of the National Museum of American History’s current exhibitions.
Evan Goodhue
Smithsonian Facilities
Evan Goodhue is an Administrative Services Specialist with the Office of Facilities Management and Reliability. He is stationed at the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, which is part of OFMR’s SERC-NY (New York) Zone, which also includes NY’s National Museum of the American Indian and the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum. In his administrative role, Evan provides inputs, analysis, and outputs for most human resource and financial needs of his Zone (and occasionally others). Work examples include: serving on interview panels, procuring goods/services, contract COTR duties, overseeing purchasing agents, coordinating travel, editing/assembling the Smithsonian’s Sustainability Matters Newsletter, and analyzing the Zone’s budget. Evan joined the SI in 2004 after performing administrative work for Anne Arundel County. Evan earned a Bachelor of Science for the majors of Systems Analysis & Design and Psychology from the University of MD in 2001.
Eileen Graham
Office of Fellowships and Internships
Eileen Graham is the Partnerships Manager at OFI. Her work focuses on the expansion of academic appointment opportunities across the Smithsonian with the goal of increasing applicant diversity. She works with universities, federal agencies and other organizations to develop new programs bringing more students and researchers into contact with our experts, collections, and facilities. Prior to joining OFI, Eileen was the Program Manager for Scientific Collections International, a consortium of organizations dedicated to the promotion and use of scientific collections with a Secretariat Office based at NMNH. In that role she focused on creating a unified voice for collections by forging relationships across disciplinary and international lines. Trained as a marine biologist, Eileen spent her time prior to the Smithsonian studying coastal and oceanic ecosystem. Most notably, she managed the collection and analysis of thousands of samples related to the biological impact assessment of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Sophia Greenbaum
Office of Advancement
Sophia Greenbaum is the assistant director for foundation relations within the Smithsonian’s Office of Advancement. As a member of the Institutional Relations team, she works across the organization to strengthen foundation fundraising for museums and research centers and pan-institutional priorities. Her responsibilities include building relationships with philanthropic partners, collaborating with colleagues on fundraising strategies, and ensuring donors are thoughtfully stewarded. She is currently focused on coordinating approaches to major arts funders and broadening support for the arts. Before joining the Smithsonian, Sophia served as associate director of development at the Brookings Institution and spent nearly a decade in the building industry. She earned an MA in art and museum studies from Georgetown University and a BA from Wellesley College, where she majored in architecture and art history. Along the way, Sophia interned at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and volunteered at the National Museum of Natural History.
Larry Hyman
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
Lawrence Hyman is the Manager of Exhibition and Curatorial Planning at HMSG, where he oversees general project management, budgets, scheduling, and contracting for the Museum’s full program of modern and contemporary art exhibitions (approximately 7 opening each year, with an equal number in development at any time). Working closely with department heads, curators, and exhibition project teams, he is responsible for running project team meetings; tracking the exhibition calendar and deliverable schedules; drafting and tracking exhibition budgets; negotiating contracts with artists and exhibition tour partners; and managing traveling exhibitions. He also supervises the Hirshhorn’s publications editor and manages the Curatorial Department’s budget and contracted assistants. He drafts and edits special documents for the Deputy Director and serves as an active participant in all Senior Staff meetings. Before joining the Hirshhorn in 2007, he served as a Project Director for Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES), and has also worked for the Smithsonian Institution Libraries.
Joanne Hyppolite
National Museum of African American History and Culture
Joanne Hyppolite is a museum curator at NMAAHC with expertise in African American and Afro-Caribbean diasporic material culture. At NMAAHC she curates, collect artifacts about and interprets the cultural traditions and history of African Americans, black immigrant Americans and Afro-Caribbean people and explores the connections between these groups. She is the curator of the inaugural exhibition, Cultural Expressions, located on the museum’s 4th floor and co-curator of A Century in the Making: Building the National Museum of African American History and Culture, located on the concourse level. Prior to joining the museum in 2014, she was the Chief Curator at HistoryMiami Museum for eight years, where she led the collections and exhibition team. Joanne is Haitian-American and grew up in Boston, MA, but considers Miami her home after living there for twenty years. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Miami, an M.A. from UCLA and a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Ryan Lavery
National Museum of Natural History
Ryan Lavery is the science press officer at NMNH. He is responsible for the management of the museum’s research publicity and partners with museum scientists and colleagues to advance the museum’s reputation as a curiosity-driven research institution that helps connect people everywhere with Earth’s unfolding story. During his time with the museum, He developed and manages a strategic charter for science research communications, a communications framework to share research stories over diverse platforms and a workflow for rapid internal collaboration. Ryan also work with his colleagues to manage the museum’s broader media relations efforts and developed and stewarded the museum’s media partnerships, including a monthly series collaboration with the Washington Post featuring stories behind the scenes collections and science at the museum. He graduated from the University of Chicago in 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Studies of Science with a minor in Biology. He is a member of the DC Science Writers Association.
Briana Millage
Office of Advancement
Briana Murray Millage is the Assistant Director for Corporate Relations in the Smithsonian’s Office of Advancement. In this central role, she develops strategies to cultivate and solicit corporate support of programs across the Institution’s museums and research facilities. Her role includes consulting with unit develop officers on corporate sponsorship materials and prospect development, upholding Smithsonian sponsorship policies, managing a portfolio of pan-Institutional corporate donors. Prior to joining the Smithsonian in 2014, Briana held corporate fundraising roles with Destination DC and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Originally from Houston, Texas, she holds a Master of Arts Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Music from Boston University.
Maria Murray
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Maria Murray is the Program Manager for MarineGEO, a pan-institutional Signature Program dedicated to understanding the causes, manifestations, and consequences of change in coastal ecosystems around the world. In this broad role, Maria is responsible for program governance and execution, financial planning and administration, fellowship and internship coordination, partnership development, and outreach. By collaborating with a team of researchers, technicians, curators, educators, and administrative staff across SI and partners spanning the globe, Maria works to grow and shape MarineGEO and facilitate excellence in networked science. Before joining SI in 2015, she worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Maria earned a M.Sc. and Ph.D. from the University of Maryland—College Park and a B.A. from the University of Virginia, all in Biology emphasizing Ecology and Evolution.
Tim Nolan
National Museum of American History
Tim Nolan is a Program Manager in the Office of Curatorial Affairs at NMAH. In this capacity, he provides high-level administrative and programmatic support to the Associate Director for Curatorial Affairs and assists the Associate Director in managing, planning, evaluating, and analyzing the department’s work in research, collections documentation and management and exhibitions. His role also includes managing a wide range of internal and external curatorial related projects. Before joining NMAH in 2011, Tim spent five and a half years as a Government Relations Specialist in the SI Office of Government Relations where he served as the Director’s assistant and oversaw congressional affairs pertaining to the Smithsonian’s National Outreach Programs. Tim received a Master of Arts in History from American University and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Randolph-Macon College.
Arwen Nuttall
National Museum of the American Indian
Arwen Nuttall is a Writer/Editor in the Publications Office at NMAI. She is responsible for carrying out the museum’s mission of advancing knowledge and understanding of the Native cultures of the Western Hemisphere through written paraphernalia including, but not limited to, books, exhibition text, program guides, and brochures. She has recently been tasked with revitalizing the NMAI’s children’s and young adults’ book program and associated educational products. These publications and products will initially be in support of the museum’s activity centers located in DC and NYC. Arwen has been with the NMAI since 2001, working first as a curatorial research assistant on the inaugural exhibitions and then as an information specialist in the museum’s Resource Center before finally settling into her current position. She graduated from Tulane University with a double major in anthropology and psychology and from The University of the Arts with an MA in museum education.
Nick Partridge
National Air and Space Museum
Nick Partridge is a Public Affair Specialist at NASM. He divides his time between the Communications department and the NASM Innovation Lab. Nick oversees speechwriting and publishing, with additional duties in media relations and marketing. As a member of the Innovation Lab, Nick forges new partnerships with industry leaders to explore new technologies and techniques to expand the visitor experience. Nick started at NASM as an intern in the Visitor Services division and the office of the Director. He returned as a Visitor Services staffer in 2013, and helped coordinate the Smithsonian’s largest volunteer corps until 2015, when he joined the Communications team. Nick came to the Smithsonian by way of Athens, Georgia, where he was a producer and announcer on the local NPR member station. His previous experience includes non-profit management and work with state and foreign government agencies.
Melanie Pyle
Smithsonian Facilities
Melanie Pyle is a horticulturist with Smithsonian Gardens, the newest accredited Smithsonian museum. She is primarily responsible for managing the interior plant displays and designing special exhibits within 13 Smithsonian museums. These exhibits include an annual orchid show produced in collaboration with the U.S. Botanic Gardens, decorative holiday displays as well as multiple horticultural installations designed in conjunction with museum exhibits. Melanie has been with the Smithsonian for 23 years, five of which were spent as a horticulturist in the National Zoological Park’s Amazonia Exhibit. Prior to joining the Smithsonian, she was a financial research analyst for two brokerage firms and the National Association of Securities Dealers. Melanie’s educational background includes an associate’s degree in Horticulture from Northern Virginia Community College and an undergraduate degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Richmond.
Angela Roberts Reeder
National Museum of Natural History
Angela Roberts Reeder is an exhibitions writer/editor in the Office of Exhibits at NMNH. Her mission is to pique visitors’ curiosity about the natural world through engaging stories and plain language. She works closely with exhibition, education, and scientific staff to craft exhibition messages, ensure scientific accuracy, avoid jargon, and negotiate word counts. From 2003 to 2008, she was a writer/editor at the Smithsonian Office of Exhibits Central (now Smithsonian Exhibitions) where she massaged and polished exhibition scripts for SITES, Smithsonian Gardens, the International Gallery, and the Archives of American Art. Prior to joining the Smithsonian, she managed the interpretation of the gardens at Hillwood Estate, Museum and Gardens. She received her Masters of Arts in Teaching from the Museum Education Program at George Washington University in 1998.
Gale Famisan Robertson
National Museum of Natural History
Gale Famisan Robertson is the Manager of Youth Experiences in the Office of Education and Outreach at NMNH. She oversees the strategic design, development, and implementation of high-quality youth programs that support informal science learning during out-of-school time, such as the Q?Crew youth volunteer program, the Youth Engagement through Science (YES!) internship program, and art+science workshops. An advocate for diversity and inclusion, Gale is a charter member of the NMNH Diversity Council and an alumna of the Association of Science and Technology Centerʼs Diversity and Leadership Development Fellows Program. She focuses her work at NMNH on breaking down the barriers to STEM participation for communities underrepresented in STEM. She holds a Masterʼs degree in Museum Studies from the University of Leicester and a Masterʼs degree in Environmental Science from the University of Arizona.
Lauren Rosenberg
Smithsonian Associates
Lauren Rosenberg is a program coordinator for the Smithsonian Associates, the cultural and educational programming division of the Smithsonian Institution. Since 2013, Lauren has worked with artists, curators, scholars, authors, chefs, and other dynamic speakers to produce educational and entertaining public programs, including lectures, workshops, screenings, tastings, and other special events. In her role at Smithsonian Associates, she is particularly focused on broadening access and reaching new audiences, and has played a key role in launching and developing SMITHSONIAN at 8, a series of after-hours gatherings for guests 21+ that combine music, food and drink, and unique settings, all inspired by the world of the Smithsonian. Previously, Lauren organized festivals, large-scale events, and other public programs for the University of Chicago, the Chicago Office of Tourism and Culture, and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs. Lauren holds a B.F.A from Washington University in St. Louis and an M.A. in Arts Administration and Policy from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Gwynne Ryan
Hirshhorn Museum & Sculpture Garden
Gwynne Ryan is the Chief Conservator at HMSG, where her responsibilities span the conservation of the outdoor sculpture garden and contemporary sculpture and installations. In this role, she oversees three full-time staff and between 2-5 interns and fellows annually. Gwynne manages the priorities and projects of the inter-disciplinary laboratory in order to support the Museum’s rigorous exhibition schedule. She is also responsible for identifying initiatives that promote collaborative practices and research in the field of contemporary art conservation, both within the museum and with external institutions and artists. Her current initiatives focus on documentation of the evolution of artworks by living artists and models for information dissemination and exchange as it pertains to the preservation of said works. Gwynne arrived at the Hirshhorn in 2009 as the Sculpture Conservator, having already spent 10 years working as a conservator in museums with diverse collections, deepening her knowledge and experience in the issues challenging those charged with the care of contemporary art.
Matthew Sellers
National Zoological Park
atthew Sellers is a landscape architect in the Office of Planning and Strategic Initiatives at the National Zoo. He provides oversight and direction for new development at the Rock Creek campus, and advises on short and long-term project planning. His office also provides concept design and development for proposed site improvements at the park, recently including new sloth bear caves, a new café plaza across from the Conservation Carousel, and a new playground near the Mane Restaurant. His work requires direct coordination with a wide range of Zoo departments, including Animal Care Science, Safety, Horticulture, and Exhibits as well as Smithsonian Facilities and the Office of Public Safety. Before joining the Zoo in 2015, Matthew had 12 years of experience working in the private sector as a professional landscape architect, designing and overseeing the construction of playgrounds, streetscapes, and rooftop gardens throughout the DC area.
Matt Shindell
National Air and Space Museum
Matthew Shindell is a historian of science and curator of planetary science in the Space History Department of NASM. Shindell’s work focuses on the development of scientific methods, instruments, and spacecraft used to explore the planets from the 1950s to today. He is the biographer of the American chemist and planetary scientists Harold C. Urey (forthcoming, University of Chicago Press). He holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego (2011), an MS from Arizona State University (2004), and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop (2001). He has held postdoctoral fellowships and/or taught at the University of California, San Diego, the University of Southern California, Harvard University, and Georgetown University.
Floyd Shockley
National Museum of Natural History
Floyd Shockley is the Collections Manager for the Department of Entomology at NMNH. In that capacity, he is responsible for all aspects of collection management, logistics, shipping, regulatory compliance, purchasing, property management and IPM for the National Insect Collection. He participates heavily in public outreach efforts for the Department and is the primary contact for media inquiries and the general public. He is Entomology’s liaison with collections and research staff from other departments, executive staff, exhibits, public relations, and non-scientific technical staff (security, building, facilities, and IT). Shockley has curatorial responsibility for ~20% of the collection and conducts original research on the evolution, taxonomy, morphology, and natural history of fungus feeding beetles. He earned his B.A. in Biology from Westminster College (1996) and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Entomology from the University of Missouri (2000) and the University of Georgia (2009), respectively. He joined the staff of NMNH in 2010.
Saul Sopoci Drake
Smithsonian Traveling Exhibition Service
Saul Sopoci Drake serves as an Exhibition Project Director for SITES. As part of the SITES’s Exhibit’s Department, he creates, fosters, and promotes new and unique ways to tell stories through exhibitions. Through his duties at SITES, he oversees all aspects of the traveling exhibition development, fabrication and tour process. He collaborates with external partners and with a diverse team of internal exhibition staff members who investigate, plan and execute the numerous stages of the exhibition development process to create excellent exhibition experiences. He has his M.S. in Cultural Anthropology and a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. He joined SITES in 2013.
Posted: 19 March 2018
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