Your Museum Leadership

Carl is the Founder and CEO of Customized Solutions Company; a boutique consulting
firm specializing in commercial development partnerships, marketing, business analysis,
IT solutions and process improvement. His firm has public and private clients that
include local, state, and national project oversite and partnerships exceeding $2 billion
in total spend and value.

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Carl is Board President of The Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. He serves on the
Executive Board of Trustees for Metropolitan Inter-faith Association (MIFA); and is the
current Board Member for the Center City Development Corporation. Carl serves on the
Board of Commissioners for Memphis Light Gas & Water. He a member of the
American Public Power Association’s (APPA) Policy Makers Council (PMC). Carl serves
on the Gospel Music Association (GMA’s) Foundation Board of Directors and is a
member of Partnership Tennessee Leadership Group reporting to Governor Bill Lee’s
Administration and other State of Tennessee elected officials. He is past Chairman of
The Downtown Memphis Commission Board of Directors, Former State of Tennessee
Department of Education CTE Advisory Board Member and Former Civil Service
Review Board Chair for Shelby County Government. Carl is a recipient of the 2022 &
2024 Memphis Business Journal Power 100 recognition award.

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Carl graduated Suma Cum Laude from Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee. He has
over 35 years of leadership experience with FedEx and UPS. Carl and his wife Valerie,
have three adult children and five grandchildren.

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Milton Lovell is the President and Chief Investment Officer of Element40 Management, a family office based in Memphis.  Milton previously served as the Chief Financial Officer and General Counsel of nexAir.  Prior to joining nexAir, Milton practiced business and transactional law with Burch, Porter & Johnson.

At the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Milton is the Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee, Chair of the Building Committee and Co-Chair of the Endowment Committee and previously chaired the Executive Director Search Committee.  Milton is also as the Vice Chair of the Presbyterian Day School Board of Trustees and serves on the Truist Bank Memphis Community Advisory Board and the Crosstown Redevelopment Cooperative Association Board of Directors.  Milton was previously the Chair of the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association Board of Directors.  

Milton is a graduate of the University of Mississippi, New York University School of Law and Harvard Business School.  

Tanya Hart is Chief Human Resources Officer & Executive Vice President at First Horizon National Corporation which is headquartered in Memphis, TN. She is a member of the Executive Management Committee and the Operating Committee. She has a quintessential First Horizon story beginning as a teller while completing her degree in finance at the University of Memphis. She completed her MBA at Christian Brothers University. Tanya has been in other key roles in the organization including total rewards, talent development and financial planning. She has led many programs at First Horizon such as the Women’s Initiative, United Way and is the former chair of the Diversity & Inclusion Council. Tanya was instrumental in developing and leading the inaugural class of First Horizon’s Emerging Leader Program, expanding the company’s associate resource groups and developing a formal mentoring program.

In addition to her professional studies, Tanya earned the Certified Financial Planner and the SHRM, Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) designations. Tanya has become a recognized voice on HR topics. Specifically, she is a regular contributor to panels and speaker at conferences. She is a graduate of the 2019 cohort of the executive program of Leadership Memphis. Named as one the top 25 Black Women in Business by the Network Journal, 2022 Most Influential Black Business Leaders in Savoy Magazine, Memphis Business Journal’s 2019 HR Impact Leader and 2023 Super Women in Business and First Horizon’s DEI leader of the year (2021). Tanya is actively involved with a variety of civic and professional institutions. Her community outreach includes her role as a board member and chair of the Nomination and Governance Committee of the University of Memphis Foundation Board as well as an advisory member of Christian Brothers University’s Business School and the Brooks Museum of Art. She is a previous member of the board of directors of Junior Achievement of Memphis and 1St Eight.

Sol Aponte is a visionary co-founder behind Art Melanated, a vibrant platform empowering emerging and mid-career BIPOC visual artists. Backed by two Emmy nominations, his TV production finesse and narrative zeal shine. Alongside wife Jennia, he established Full Frequency Media, a conduit for Black excellence via commercials, short films, and a captivating docu-series. Through Art Melanated, he illuminates narratives of BIPOC artists, sparking an active and engaged art community. Now on the Brooks Museum board, Sol's dedication to amplifying marginalized voices radiates, fostering inclusive and impactful art experiences.

Nathan Bicks has been a lifelong participant in the Brooks Museum. Beginning as a child, when his parents would drag him to art museums across the world, the Brooks Museum always served as home base. From the basic visual literacy he acquired there, Nathan learned to appreciate artistic expression in all forms. After living in the northeast for almost a decade, Nathan and his wife, Andrea Bienstock, returned to Memphis to start their legal careers and raise a family here. Nathan has been affiliated with Burch, Porter & Johnson for almost forty years as a litigator and municipal law practitioner. He has been on the Brooks board for over fifteen years, serving in various capacities on the executive committee including President. One of his most prized possessions is the model of the Titanic given to him at the completion of his term as Board President.

Gloria Roberts Boyland is an innovative global leader and an operations transformation strategist with over 20 years of experience in helping organizations increase value through breakthrough operations applications of automation, artificial intelligence, network optimization, data analytics, other advanced technologies, and quality management systems. Recently retired as Corporate Vice President, Operations & Service Support, FedEx Corporation, today Gloria lends her expertise to growth companies in the foods distribution, autonomy, alternative energy, and mobility sectors.  

Mrs. Boyland currently serves on the Boards of Aurora Innovation (NASDAQ: AUR), United Natural Foods, Inc (NYSE: UNFI) and Vontier Corporation (NYSE: VNT). Previously, she served on the Board of Chesapeake Energy Corporation. In 2016, Mrs. Boyland was appointed to the U.S. DOT Advisory Committee on Automation in Transportation.

Al Bright, Jr. counsels public and private companies in a diverse range of corporate law matters, serving as a trusted business advisor and outside general counsel to support his clients’ legal and business objectives. Al works closely with clients to navigate strategic corporate transactions, including navigating mergers and acquisitions ranging from $5 million to $1.2 billion. He also advises clients through securities offerings and capital raising activities, as well as cross-border transactions. Al leads teams in complex negotiations related to licensing and development collaborations as well as supply, distribution and sales agreements. His clients include biotechnology, pharmaceutical, life sciences and medical device companies, as well as manufacturers, distributors and other emerging companies. With significant experience handling transactional and corporate law matters, he provides clients with a holistic perspective and practical solutions to efficiently resolve challenges for clients ranging from start-ups to well-established corporations. Prior to joining Bass, Berry & Sims, Al was in-house counsel for medical technology company Medtronic Inc., and most recently, he was a partner in the Memphis office of Waller, Lansden Dortch & Davis, LLP.

• Leadership Council on Legal Diversity — Fellow (2015)
• New Memphis Institute (formerly Memphis Leadership Academy) — Fellow (2004)
• Leadership Memphis — Executive Class (2014)
• Evolve Bank & Trust — Board of Directors (2015-present)
• Economic Development Growth Engine for Memphis and Shelby County (EDGE)
• Chairman (2012-present), Board of Directors (2012-present)
• Seeding Success — Board of Directors (2018-present)
• Mid-South Regional Blood Center (d/b/a “Lifeblood”) — former member, Board of Directors (2010-2014)
• Memphis and Shelby County Community Redevelopment Agency — former member, Board of Directors (2008-2011)

Education: 

BA, North Carolina Central University, Durham, N.C.
MLS, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C.

Married to Tyrone Burroughs.  We are co-owners of First Choice Sales & Marketing Group, a global consumer marketing firm.  To further cement our commitment to the Memphis community, in 2013  we acquired R.S. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home so that the business would continue its legacy as an African American owned business.  Since then, it has expanded to 3 locations. Tyrone and I are also the owners of the Guthrie’s Fried Chicken franchise for west Tennessee and Mississippi.

Affiliations:  Serve on the Board of Directors for the National Civil Rights Museum. Also belong to the Memphis (TN) Chapter of the Links, Inc.,  Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.  Phi Lambda Omega Chapter, Philanthropic Black Women of Memphis.  Serve as President of the Burroughs Foundation.

My life’s mantra, “To whom much is given, much is required,” manifest itself through a deep commitment to philanthropy and community service, giving time as well as financial support.  We are blessed to have 3 children and 6 beautiful grandchildren. 

Hi my name is Kristi Carmichael. I am originally from Mobile, Alabama. I received my undergraduate degree from The University of Mississippi where I majored in Elementary Education. I moved to Memphis after college to teach in the Memphis City School system for 4 years.  I then went on to sell pharmaceuticals for 13 years. I am married to James Carmichael and have two children, Lucy (age 13) and Henry (age 11). I am passionate about a strong education for all and access to art in schools and in the community.

I am a native Memphian , however, I lived elsewhere most of my life until I married Peter Formanek in 2008. I graduated from Peabody College ( now Vanderbilt ) and had 2 years of post graduate at O’More School of Design. I had my own design business in Nashville for 25 years.I consider myself lucky to be back in Memphis.

Deborah Craddock is a past Partner of Southeastern Asset Management. She is a graduate of Rhodes College and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). She has previously served as Board Chair of the Brooks Museum of Art as well as Ballet Memphis and is currently Chair of the Rhodes College Board of Trustees. She has also served on the Board of MIFA and is currently Chair of the MIFA Investment Committee. Deborah served on the Architect Selection Committee for the new museum and as Chair of the Building Committee.

Brandice Daniel is a proud fashion outsider from Memphis, TN. Daniel has experience in fashion buying, production, and has a talent for bridging the gap for designers of color.  In 2007, Daniel founded Harlem’s Fashion Row (HFR). Ten years later, Daniel led the collaboration between HFR, Nike and Lebron James on the HFRxLBJ16 shoe, the first Lebron sneaker designed by and for women. The shoe sold out in less than 5 minutes. Since then, she has led partnerships with LVMH, Tommy Hilfiger, Tiffany & Co, Levi, Gap Inc, Tapestry, and more. In 2020, Brandice started a non-profit organization, ICON360 that has donated over $2 Million to HBCU Fashion Departments and Black designers. 

Her perspective on winning as a proud outsider has been shared on many stages including TedX Memphis, the Forbes 30 under 30 summit, and the Forbes CMO Summit. She’s been a guest judge on Project Runway and a repeat guest on the Tamron Hall and Drew Barrymore Show. 

She’s been featured in the Wall Street Journal, NY Times, Good Morning America, ESSENCE Magazine, BET, Harper's Bazaar, and Vogue. In 2022, Brandice received the Alumni of the Year award from the Fashion Institute of Technology and the Social Impact Award from Footwear News. 

Brandice is a proud mom to Sky Daniel and wife to Richard Daniel.

Derek Fordjour was born in Memphis, Tennessee to parents of Ghanaian heritage. He was awarded 2016 Sugarhill Museum Artist-in-Residence, the 2017 Sharpe Walentas Studio Program in New York City, and named the 2018 Deutsche Bank NYFA Fellowship Award. He is a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta Georgia, earned a Master’s Degree in Art Education from Harvard University and an MFA in painting from Hunter College. He was appointed The Alex Katz Chair at Cooper Union and served as a Core Critic at Yale University School of Art. In 2018, he was awarded commissions for the Whitney Museum of American Art Billboard Project and the Metropolitan Transit Authority Arts & Design program. Recently, he was the inaugural artist for the Building Art Series on the façade of MOCA Grand Avenue in Los Angeles. His work has been reviewed in The New York Times, Financial Times, The Los Angeles Times, and Hyperallergic. He has also been featured in several publications such as The Wall Street Journal, Juxtapoz, Vanity Fair and Forbes Magazine. His work is held in the private and public collections of The Studio Museum of Harlem, Guggenheim Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, SFMOMA, Brooklyn Museum, Perez Museum, The Whitney Museum and LACMA. Fordjour is the founder of Contemporary Arts Memphis Summer Fellowship program.

Gail George serves as an ex-officio member of the Board representing the membership of Decorative Arts Trust, the support group which has since 1985 played a major role in building a world-class decorative arts complement to the fine art collection of the Museum. Ms. George is an organization development and corporate training professional who has applied her talents to a variety of roles within Decorative Arts Trust including Program Chair and President. Her consulting practice, GPG Consultants, provided services to health care, financial services, media, and retail organizations in the US and Canada. A Georgia native, Ms. George relocated from Washington, DC in 1989 and calls Memphis home.

Adam Hanover is Co-Founder & CEO of Union Main Group, which owns and operates three businesses focused on essential home services, health care and energy efficiency employing 1,500 people in cities across the US.

Adam was born and raised in Memphis. He attended Ridgeway High School, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and worked at Lazard Frères and The Carlyle Group. He left Carlyle to build Archer Systems, successfully selling it in 2018.

Adam and his wife Isabel are committed to advancing the city of Memphis economically and culturally as a healthy, secure and fun place to raise families and build lives. 

Debi Arend Havner grew up in Bentonville, Arkansas, graduating from the University of Arkansas with a BS, MA, post graduate hours, Phillips University, Enid, OK. Her interest in the arts began at a young age in the science department of the Bentonville public schools.  

She relocated to Enid, Oklahoma to teach hearing impaired children and later owned a flower and landscape business. While in Enid she served as President ,Enid -Phillips Symphony, Vice President, Enid Chamber of Commerce, JWL, and Board of Director of the Oklahoma Art Institute.

After returning to Bentonville she was Chair of the Bentonville Planning Commission and President of  the Bentonville School Foundation. Debi is currently active at Crystal Bridges, having helped develop and establish a Curatorial Internship program. She was appointed to the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion Commission and served as a trustee of AMFA. Her goals focus on City/Urban community regional planning quality of life.

In Memphis she is active in the Memphis Garden Club, and is a trustee, executive committee, of the Brooks Museum.

Rob Heard is Executive Vice President and West Tennessee Director of Private Client Financial Services at First Horizon Bank.  Since 2015, Rob has led a talented team of Private Banking professionals who serve as personal advisors to affluent clients with more complex financial needs.  In addition to traditional banking services, his team assists clients with financial planning, investments, wealth management, insurance, trust, and estate planning.  

Over his 40+ year career with First Horizon, Rob has prior experience in Retail, Commercial, and Correspondent Banking.  A life-long Memphian, Rob received his BBA from the University of Mississippi in 1980.

Mr. Herenton is a Founder, Co-CEO of Channing Capital Management, LLC., a $3.8 billion investment management firm headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.  Formerly, he was a First Vice-President within Morgan Keegan's investment banking division.  Prior to Morgan Keegan, Mr. Herenton was an Associate at Bear Stearns, where he was responsible for deal execution of mergers and acquisitions, equity and high-yield bond transactions.  Prior to Bear Stearns, Mr. Herenton was an Associate within the investment banking division at Lehman Brothers.

Mr. Herenton received a B.A. in Finance from Morehouse College (Phi Beta Kappa), and his M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Barbara Rosser Hyde is Chair and CEO of the Hyde Family Foundation, where she is a passionate advocate for education reform at the local, state and national levels and a leader for place-based
philanthropy in her hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.

Barbara graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she was a Morehead Scholar and later worked as executive director of the university’s Arts and Sciences Foundation. She served as national board chair for New York-based New Leaders and has been engaged on multiple local and national boards, including Shelby Farms Park Conservancy, Yale University Art Gallery, Teach for America, and Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. Currently, she is championing the effort to establish a new Brooks Museum of Art in downtown Memphis, a move that will serve as an iconic, cultural anchor to the city’s riverfront transformation.

Along with her husband, J.R. Hyde III, she has led the foundation they established together as a model for family foundations in the U.S. The Philanthropy Roundtable recognized the couple as recipients of the prestigious William E. Simon Prize for Philanthropic Leadership in 2017.

Linda Ivy-Rosser is a Vice President at Forrester Research headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Linda’s global research portfolio serves technology and marketing executives. She is responsible for the strategic research plans for analysts who advise business and technology leaders on how to innovate, use customer obsession to accelerate business growth, and give C-Suite leaders the confidence to put bold into action and lead their organizations through disruption and change.

Prior to joining Forrester, Linda served as an Executive Leader at Smith & Nephew (S+N), a British Multinational medical equipment and device company headquartered in England. Its advanced wound management, arthroscopy, and orthopaedic products are sold in over 100 countries, with North American manufacturing in Andover, MA & the largest of the manufacturing sites in Memphis, TN .  During her time at S+N, she led the company’s Global Operational Excellence Analytics and Business Insights Portfolio, as well as managed the Software Applications Delivery and Operations functions. It was at Smith & Nephew where she also served as chair of the global Executive Women’s Alliance & Inclusion Network. Linda has over 25 years of practitioner experience leading enterprise transformation, data and business intelligence practices, technology services and emerging platform solutions. She has spent her career in the financial services, pharma, and life sciences industries.

Linda earned her Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from Bloomington Indiana University Maurer School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.

She currently serves as a trustee on the Executive Board of Directors at Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and on the Board of Directors for the Regional One Health Foundation. Linda is an advocate and supporter of the arts, education, and healthcare services.

Linda, with her husband Glenn, owned and operated Dessert Therapy Bakery in Germantown, TN before closing their doors in 2020. Linda and Glenn reside in Shelby County. Her sons live in their hometown in Ohio. Her favorite daughter is a graduate of St. Mary’s Episcopal School and attends University of Tennessee Knoxville c/o 2024-25.

She shares, “I’ve been in many rooms, but delight in the ones where humanity is celebrated.” Linda serves on the executive committee and continues to facilitate corporate and community partnerships that accelerate us towards transformation and expansion of the Brooks.

Greg Jackson is the Director of IT Technical Services at International Paper. In this role, he has responsibility for data center & cloud infrastructure, telecommunications, collaboration, client services & support, service management, delivery management, enterprise architecture, and IT innovation.

Greg was born in Clarksdale, MS, and attended Mississippi State University, where he earned a B.S. degree in Computer Engineering. He also has an MBA from Union University and is a graduate of the Leadership Memphis Executive Class of 2020.

Greg enjoys traveling, watching movies, and spending time with family.  He and his wife Romona live in Collierville, TN, and attend Harvest Church.

Joining Adams Keegan in May 1997, Jay currently serves as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the company. He is the founder/director of The James Group, LLC and Staffline, LLC. Jay is also a founding partner of Mempho Music Festival, and his civic involvement also includes membership in St. Jude Children's Research Hospital's Memphis Club, Memphis Brooks Museum of Art board member, past director of the Navy League Memphis, and association with New Memphis Institute. Jay holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Colorado and a Master of Business Administration from the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC Chapel Hill.

Logan serves as a President of A2H - Engineers • Architects • Planners, a full-service planning and design firm serving public and private clients for the built environment. Founded in 1986, A2H is home to more than 100 employees. Headquartered in Lakeland, Tennessee, the firm operates out of five offices in the region. Logan is responsible for leading the company in strategy, day-to-day operations, and coordination of all in-house architecture and engineering disciplines. He also serves in a leadership role focused on enhancing ongoing relationships with clients and the business community. 

Notable projects in the Memphis area that Logan has overseen include the new STEM Research and Classroom Building for the University of Memphis, the new Frayser Community High School in Memphis, the Memphis Health Center in downtown Memphis, the Forest Hill Elementary School for the Germantown Municipal School District, the Methodist Medical Office Building in Olive Branch, the Baptist Medical Group Primary Care Clinic in midtown Memphis, and numerous FedEx projects at the Memphis Hub and other campuses.

As a structural engineer, Logan participates in the engineering community statewide through his leadership in numerous organizations. He is a member and past President of the American Council of Engineering Companies of Tennessee. He is member and past President of the Tennessee Structural Engineers Association - West Region. He is member and past Director of the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers – Memphis Chapter.

Beyond his leadership role at A2H, Logan is an active member of Memphis’ philanthropic, civic, arts, and cultural community, serving as board member emeritus of the Benjamin L. Hooks Institute for Social Change, board member of the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, past board member for the Urban Land Institute, and is past President and current board member for RegionSmart. He is a current member of the University Club of Memphis.

Logan was born and raised in Missouri, received a Bachelor of Engineering from Vanderbilt University, and moved to Memphis in 2002. He currently lives in Memphis with his wife and their daughter.

Born and raised in Memphis, Wendi earned her undergraduate degree in International Business from the University of Memphis and went on to earn her Masters of International Business from the University of South Carolina after living and working in France for two years. Wendi currently owns Trifecta Travels, a travel company specializing in international travel with a focus on food, wine and adventure. Wendi is an avid traveler, food and wine enthusiast, and tennis player. She is married to Marc Mihalko of Campbell Clinic and has two sons, ages 14 & 17.

Logan Scheidt joined the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art Board in July 2022 as a way to continue his family’s legacy of celebrating Memphis’s diverse culture through inclusive avenues like the arts. As a native Memphian who was inspired by his grandparents’ lifelong passion for our vibrant city, Logan actively embraces ways to encourage our city’s growth and promise. Beyond the Brooks, Logan is a dedicated residential real estate broker and an avid fan of both the University of Memphis Tigers and the Memphis Grizzlies.

Gail Schledwitz is a lifelong Memphian, dedicated to improving the city through her philanthropic efforts and service on numerous non-profit boards. She is the proud mother of two daughters and grandmother to four grandchildren. She recently retired from a career in real estate that spanned interior design, home building, and investment property management. She and her husband, Karl, are known for their involvement and commitment to making Memphis a better place. Gail served on the Board of Directors for 14 years at Porter Leath, as they created their state of the art early education academies and expanded to 3 locations. In 2017, she served as Board Chair over their $36MM budget. In her 15 year involvement, she has helped raise significant capital for the non-profit, primarily through hosting an annual fundraising dinner at her home. Gail and Karl recently funded Porter Leath's new preschool and Head Start academy in Frayser, in the neighborhood where Karl was raised. Last year, she rolled onto the Board of Trustees for Porter Leath. Gail also served as President of A Step Ahead Foundation from 2015-2016. While President, the foundation opened 5 offices across the state of Tennessee, helping provide Long Acting Reversible Contraception to women to help them plan their families and lives. Gail has always had a passion for art. In the 1990s, she served a docent at Brooks Museum for 10 years and also helped sell the paintings of a local artist. She is excited about the next chapter at Brooks under the leadership of Zoe Kahr and the vision of making the museum inviting to all people.

Melyne works for Johnson & Johnson and has enjoyed a 23 year career there. She has been a member of the Brooks Museum and the Brooks Women’s League since 1992. In her free time, she volunteers weekly to increase literacy for second graders at Dunbar Elementary School. She is a past board member at Case Management, Inc. Melyne and her husband Jim have two children and love living in Memphis.

‍Amy Wright is the co-founder and CEO of Macro Solutions, an information technology consulting company focused on enterprise application and agile solutions. She founded Macro Solutions in 2000 and has grown the company from a small consulting practice to a leading provider of technology services. Macro Solutions was recently included in the 2016 Inc. 500 list and was recognized by both Washington CEO magazine and Bisnow for being one of the fastest growing companies in the Washington, D.C., region. She has a B.A. from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Georgetown University.

Amy also believes in giving back to the community. She’s currently serving on the Alumni Board of Managers for the University of Virginia and the Board of Directors of DC BUILD, a non-profit entity dedicated to providing at-risk kids a path toward high school graduation and college, and she also serves on the Americana Music Association Board. In addition, Amy’s an avid musician, and she and her husband founded an internet-based television network focused on Americana and Roots music, DittyTV.

Amy grew up in Memphis and graduated from Lausanne Collegiate School. She and her husband, Ronnie, have a home on South Main St. as well as in D.C., since she commutes regularly to Washington.

Zoe Kahr is the Executive Director of the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art (MBMA). Founded in 1916, MBMA is the City of Memphis’ art museum and the largest and oldest museum in the mid-South. Its collection includes over 10,000 objects reflecting more than 5,000 years of human creativity. The museum is currently engaged in building a new home designed by Herzog & de Meuron on the banks of the Mississippi River that will open in 2026.  

Prior to coming to Memphis, Dr. Kahr was the Deputy Director for Curatorial and Planning at the Los Angeles County Museum (LACMA), the largest museum in the Western US, where she oversaw LACMA's award-winning and innovative artistic program. Dr. Kahr has produced over 300 exhibitions, including Children of the Plumed Serpent: The Legacy of Quetzalcoatl (2012), Guillermo del Toro: At Home with Monsters (2016), and Betye Saar: Call and Response (2019). She initiated new partnerships to bring LACMA’s projects to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China, Australia, New Zealand, and Chile, as well as to tour LACMA’s collections within greater Los Angeles, expanding access to LACMA’s programs. Dr. Kahr oversaw the gallery design and curatorial process for LACMA’s new 350,000 SF facility, which will open in 2024, and secured significant funding for the project. She also led DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility) efforts for LACMA through its exhibitions and acquisitions, as well as through the development of programs to attract and retain staff from diverse backgrounds into the museum field.

Before coming to LACMA in 2010, she served as Assistant Director of Exhibition Planning at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She currently serves as an Accreditation Visiting Committee Member and Museum Assessment Program Peer Reviewer for the American Alliance of Museums. She holds a BA in Art History (Magna Cum Laude), and an MBA with a specialization in Nonprofit Management from Yale University, as well as a PhD in Art History from University College London.

Jennifer Draffen, Director of Collections, Exhibitions, and Publications, joined MBMA in 2020. She was most recently the Assistant Director at the Art Museum of the University of Memphis (AMUM). Before moving to Memphis, Jennifer served as the Executive Director for Exhibitions and Registration at the Art Institute of Chicago, where she managed 26 staff members, a budget of $6M, and oversaw 25 exhibitions annually along with the preservation and documentation of over 275,000 artworks. Prior to AIC, she worked at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago for 14 years, serving as Registrar and then Director of Collection and Exhibition Services.

Kathy Dumlao is the Director of Education & Interpretation at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, having served in several roles at the museum over the last 24 years. In that time, Kathy has overseen school and teacher programs as well as programming for youth and families. While managing the staff and docents of the education department, Kathy currently oversees the museum’s Art Therapy Access Program, and serves as a member of the museum leadership team.

In addition to her work at the museum, Kathy served on the board of the Tennessee Art Education Association (TAEA) from 2009 to 2021. She was awarded TAEA’s Museum Educator of the Year in 2009, and the State Art Educator of the Year in 2023. Kathy was awarded NAEA Southeastern Museum Educator of the Year in 2023, and was elected to serve on the NAEA Board as Museum Division Director-elect in 2023.  Kathy received her B.A. in Art from Radford University in 1995 and her M.A. in Art History from the University of Memphis in 2003.

Dr. Rosamund Garrett is Chief Curator at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, where she stewards 10,000 objects spanning 5,000 years of global human history. Rosamund moved to Memphis from the United Kingdom in 2018 as Associate Curator of European & Decorative Arts, joined the Senior Team in 2019, and became Chief Curator in 2021. Since holding this position, Rosamund has built an award-winning curatorial team and has curated numerous exhibitions including Power & Absence: Women in Europe, 1500 – 1680, Mona Hatoum: Misbah, On Christopher Street: Transgender Portraits by Mark Seliger, and Andrea Morales: Roll Down Like Water. Prior to this appointment, Rosamund has worked in various museum positions in the UK including The National Trust and The Courtauld Gallery in London, working primarily with European Art and global contemporary art, with a specialty in the art of Northern Europe in the Late Medieval and Renaissance period. Rosamund gained her undergraduate at the University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh College of Art, before joining The Courtauld Institute of Art, London, for her MA (2011-12), and PhD (2012-2016). In 2021, Rosamund received her MBA from Quantic School of Business and Technology, Washington, D.C. She has written and contributed to numerous publications including Late Medieval and Renaissance Textiles, The Courtauld Gallery: A Vision For Impressionism, Harmonia Rosales: Master Narrative, and Andrea Morales: Roll Down Like Water. 

Johnny Hill has served in many positions within the Operation Department over the past 25 years. Johnny has developed a range of experiences over his career that includes, Security Management, Law Enforcement, HVAC Mechanical Systems, Life Safety, Emergency Management and Urban Forestry. He manages a staff of 21 and oversees an operations budget of more than 1.3 million. Johnny also develops and manages all Capital Improvement projects for the museum that are funded by the City of Memphis. He attended Rice College and State Technical College in Memphis, Tn.  Johnny believes that, "Leadership is practiced not so much in words as in attitude and in actions"

Jeff Rhodin has led marketing for titans of industry, cultural institutions, and billions in real estate development. He is driven by outcomes but is most proud of mapping collaborative strategies that meet the needs of many business functions always keeping audience and customer front of mind. As a marketer, Jeff believes in platforming the strengths of the people and programs that make an organization great. By leveraging this authenticity, he and his teams keep existing customers engaged while providing multiple inroads for new and diverse audiences. 

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Most recently served as CFO of the Memphis Leadership Foundation.  30 years of accounting and finance experience — and 20 in the non-profit sector(including 11 at the Memphis Bioworks Foundation) — Shawn has been the financial leader for a diverse group of area non-profits with budgets ranging from $1 million – $30 million annually.  Shawn thrives in helping organizations accomplish their mission by leading with compassion, integrity, effective communication and adaptability.

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Most recently served as Vice President of Development for BRIDGES.

Oversaw a $10M matching campaign and secured more than $15M in operating and capital support.  Grew annual operating fund by 30% and increased corporate and foundation giving by 50%. 

BA in Social Work, University of Memphis

MA in Social Work, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

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