BOD nominations 2008

Art historian Aldona Jonaitis studies Northwest Coast Native art. She has published several books on aspects of the art, including From the Land of the Totem Poles: Northwest Coast Art at the American Museum of Natural History (1988), Chiefly Feasts: The Enduring Kwakiutl Potlatch (1991), The Yuquot Whalers’ Shrine (1999), and Art of the Northwest Coast (2006). She was on the faculty and served as an administrator at the State University at Stony Brook from 1975-1989, then became Vice President for Public Programs at the American Museum of Natural History where she stayed for four years. Currently she serves as Director of the University of Alaska Museum of the North in Fairbanks. She has served on the board of the American Association of Museums, and is currently on the boards of the National Science Collections Alliance and AAM-ICOM as well as WMA. Aldona lives happily in Fairbanks, Alaska with two horses, three dogs and one cat, and bakes fancy cakes for relaxation.

“WMA is a wonderful organization, both for experienced and relatively new museum professionals. I urge all my staff to attend meetings, become involved in the organization, and propose papers. Everyone who does so returns to Fairbanks inspired with new and exciting ideas.”

Senior VP Development & Marketing, California Science Center Foundation, Los Angeles, California

William has twenty years of advancement experience with particular expertise in capital campaigns, major and special gifts, gift planning and annual fund programs. Prior to joining the California Science Center to direct a $140 million campaign, William held positions at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) as Director of Major Gifts for the College of Letters and Science, Director of Social Sciences Development, and Director of Development for the RAND/UCLA Center for Soviet Studies. He serves on the AAM Development and Membership (DAM) Board of Directors, and served as DAM’s Vice Chair, Programs for the 2004 annual meeting. He continues in this capacity for the 2005 AAM annual meeting.

William has represented the AAM Development and Membership Committee on the WMA board since 2002. He has also served on the WMA program committee for the 2002, 2003, and 2004 annual meetings. William is Host Committee Co-Chair for the WMA 2005 annual meeting in Pasadena & Los Angeles.

“I share the WMA's values of advancing the important role of museums, science centers, zoos, aquariums, historical societies and other cultural institutions through building camaraderie, collaborations and advancing best practices. Never self-satisfied, the board constantly explores and acts on ways to better meet the needs and address the challenges of our membership. I see my role as keeping a focus at the board level and in the annual meeting programming on the importance of marketing, communications and fundraising as a component of ensuring the vitality of our institutions. As a member of the Board, I believe that I can help keep the WMA thriving and relevant to our members.”

Cheryl Hinton has been Director/Chief Curator of the Barona Cultural Center and Museum since 1999 and helped open the facility for the Barona Band of Mission Indians. She received her MA in Anthropology from San Diego State University and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, American Anthropological Association, the American Association of Museums, and the Western Museums Association. She served on the WMA Program Committee in 2005 and is an IMLS Peer Reviewer. In 2007, Cheryl was named Woman of the Year in Art and Culture by the San Diego/ East County Chamber of Commerce Women in Leadership Program. Her former museum experiences include Museum Anthropologist at the Palm Springs Desert Museum, first Curator of the Agua Caliente Tribal Museum in Palm Springs and Southwest Curator at the San Diego Museum of Man. As adjunct faculty at University of San Diego and Grossmont College in Anthropology and Cross-Cultural Studies, Cheryl specializes in Southern California Indians, from archaeology to contemporary culture; American Indian stereotypes; and repatriation (NAGPRA). (Her publications also appear under the name Cheryl Sanders Jeffrey). She and folk musician Jim Hinton, their five children, two grandchildren and two dogs live in La Mesa California. Whenever possible, they camp along the California coast or in the desert Southwest--in between wildfires.

"It is an honor to serve the WMA as a Board Member. As the tribal museum representative for the sovereign nation of the Barona Band of Mission Indians, we welcome a growing WMA partnership that facilitates diversity and cultural understanding among our audiences. Personally, I look forward to working more closely with the warm, supportive group of Museum professionals that comprise the WMA."

Julie K. Stein was appointed in 2005 as Director of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. The Burke is the Washington State Museum of natural history and cultural heritage and is located on the University of Washington campus. The Burke Museum serves the public with scientific and cultural exhibits, resources for schools, and a wide range of programs for families and adults. Academic programs of the museum include collections, college classes, and research in each of its three scientific divisions-- anthropology, biology, and geology.

Stein remains a Professor in the Department of Anthropology, at the University of Washington. She received her M.A and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota, with research interests in geoarchaeology, especially studies involving sediments found within archaeological sites and archaeological stratigraphy. She emphasizes coastal adaptations of prehistoric peoples, specializing in the Northwest Coast, and the geoarchaeological problems associated with historical sites

Jim has served as a Trustee of the Museum of Moab since 2004. During this time he has held the position of President for two terms (2005 - 2006), and is currently Treasurer. As in many small museums, Trustees at the Museum of Moab are called upon to stopgap a number of staff functions. During his tenure on the Board, Jim has initiated and guided the successful completion of the Institutional MAPS program, developed a new website, guided the implementation of Past Perfect (including successful conversion of all accession records, photo collections, and physical inventory of all 2,500 objects in the Museum collections). Currently Jim is assisting the Director in launching its accreditation initiative. In 2006, Jim was a member of the WMA program committee and presenter for its conference in Boise. Since attending a Getty program for Board Presidents and CEO’s, Jim has been an avid student of issues relating to governance and the dynamic relationship between Boards and Staff.

Beyond the Museum world, Jim has served on the Board of the Moab Youth Garden Project and works intimately with the Board of the Moab Music Festival. Other work in the non-profit world has included a variety of volunteer positions ( e.g. for In God’s Love We Deliver, for the National Park Service) and advising local non-profit boards on governance and financial issues. Retired for several years, Jim was formerly in systems development for Citibank.

“As a person on a steep learning curve, I have truly benefited from WMA as a source of knowledge and very important personal contacts. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with such a dedicated group of museum professionals as we have in the WMA. I hope I can help in the Association’s professional development efforts, and particularly hope I can expand the Association’s reach into Museum’s Boardrooms throughout the region.”

Melanie has more than ten years of art museum education experience and over three years of classroom experience as an art educator for students pre-k through ninth grade. As a member of Boise Art Museum’s senior management team, Melanie directs BAM’s education program and coordinates education department employees and interns as well as the museum’s docent program, which is comprised of 55 volunteers who provide free interactive tours and hands-on workshops for more than 10,000 students each year. In addition to her education role at BAM, she also served as BAM’s Interim Executive Director for 14 months in 2006 and 2007 during the search for a permanent director. Melanie is currently a member of the WMA Program Committee, the Meridian Technical Charter High School Advisory Committee and is adjunct faculty for Boise State University and the University of Idaho.

Melanie has implemented many new educational programs and initiatives at BAM and holds a leadership role in developing and sustaining collaborative community partnerships. Melanie is passionate about the importance of the inclusion of visual art in the experiences of students young and old. She has witnessed its impact on many students who cannot otherwise be reached, and believes that art provides tangible entry points for learning and for exercising cognitive skills. She especially enjoys sharing strategies with teachers for integrating the arts with traditional classroom curricula and creatively meeting and exceeding standards across grade levels including pre-school through college.

Redmond Barnett
Head of Exhibits, Washington State Historical Society, Tacoma, Washington

Redmond has headed the exhibits department at the Washington State Historical Society, which operates the Washington State History Museum, since 1996, helping to create exhibits interpreting the second most populous state in the West while also presenting Smithsonian and other national exhibits. He has raised funds and managed a major construction project. He has served on WMA Program Committees, committees and board of historical and educational organizations, has organized WMA panels, helped bring the WMA to his city in 2004, and now serves on the AAM Curators Committee. Trained as an historian (A.B., A.M., Ph.D. Harvard University), he embraces complexity, firm decision-making, and (he hopes) collaboration and common sense.

“With the change in executive directors, the Board has an unusual responsibility and opportunity to examine WMA’s operations, preserve what is best and improve what isn’t.”

Associate Professor, John F. Kennedy University, Museum Studies, Berkeley,California.

Spero has taught at the acclaimed museum studies program at JFKU since the early nineties. She is an expert in the Visitor Experience, and teaches learning theory, programming and planning, as well as museums interactive technologies and collections access. Her university responsibilities include overseeing student internships held across the country.

Spero has over 20 years experience developing educational programs and curriculum including projects for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Copia: The American Center for Food, Wine and the Arts, The Bay Area Discovery Museum, and The San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. She served as Docent Coordinator for both the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; and the Columbus Museum of Art in Columbus, Ohio. She has spoken widely at museum conferences including AAM, WMA, and CAM. She is currently serving as an editorial advisory member for the Museum Education Roundtable, Journal of Museum Education.