Board of Directors

Learn about the ACM Board of Directors and find out how you can get involved.

Topics:

Current ACM Board of Directors

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ACM President
Laura H. Foster, Executive Director, Please Touch Museum® (Philadelphia, PA)

Foster has been a member of the senior staff of Please Touch Museum since 1991, and served on the ACM board four years prior to becoming ACM's vice president of marketing. She came to Please Touch after two other careers, working first in public health policy and law for the federal government and then in association management.

For the last six years, she has been part of the leadership team planning the expansion and relocation of the museum, first to Penn's Landing and now to Memorial Hall in Fairmount Park. The new Please Touch Museum will restore a national historic landmark (Memorial Hall is the site of the 1876 Centennial) that has been neglected for many years. The museum is also helping to create a new cultural district that will include the Zoo and the Mann Music Center. Memorial Hall is adjacent to the Parkside community that for 30 years has been working to realize their vision of neighborhood renewal. Please Touch Museum's relocation should serve as a catalyst for accelerating the kinds of change that Parkside is seeking.

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ACM Vice President of Governance
Connie Martinez, Executive Director, Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose (CA)

Martinez is the executive director of Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose. She served as an ACM program co-chair for InterActivity 2005. She has lived in California since 1986, holding multiple leadership positions within the community including director of strategic initiatives for University of California Santa Cruz, vice president for Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network and deputy city manager, planning director and general services director for the City of Mountain View, California.

She is the former-chair of the San Jose Arts and Culture Roundtable and a founder of the 1stACT (Arts, Creativity & Technology) collaborative. In addition to serving on the ACM Board, Martinez is a board member of the American Leadership Forum-Silicon Valley (ALF-SV), Los Lupenos and the recipient of ALF-SV's 2005 John W. Gardner Leadership Award. She has a BS in Finance and an MBA in Information Systems from the University of Colorado.

Prior to moving to Silicon Valley, Martinez lived in Boulder, Colorado, where she developed business plans and marketing strategies for manufacturing companies in the Rocky Mountain region and in Rochester, New York, where she worked for Manufacturers Hanover Trust as an operations analyst.

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ACM Vice President of Programs
Neil H. Gordon, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Boston Children's Museum (MA)

Gordon has been with the Boston Children's Museum for nearly 10 years; his responsibilities include planning, program development, exhibits, the visitor experience and education programs. Additionally, he is currently overseeing the capital expansion of the museum.

Gordon was program co-chair for InterActivity 2005 and treasurer of the New England Museum Association. He has consulted with several museums on strategic and financial matters and taught graduate level public management and public finance. Gordon is the past-treasurer of the Museum Management Committee of the American Association of Museums and a member of the Cultural Institution Financial Management Group of Massachusetts.

Prior to joining Boston Children's Museum, he served as the budget director for the City of Boston for two years, having served as the deputy director for five years. Previously, he was the associate director for the Mayor's Office of Jobs and Community Services. He holds a Masters Degree from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and a BS from Dickinson College. His main claims of qualification to work in a children's museum are his four children aged 15 through 5.

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ACM Vice President of Marketing
Charlie Walter, Chief Operating Officer, Fort Worth Museum of Science and History (TX)

Walter has worked for the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History since 1986, where he has administrative responsibility for the collections, exhibitions, visitor programs, Museum School, Noble Planetarium, school services and evaluation areas of the museum. He has an undergraduate degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science with an emphasis in Museum Science from Texas A&M University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Texas. Much of his work over the past decade has involved utilizing a systems strategy to connect the museum to broader communities.

Walter currently serves in leadership roles with the Youth Museum Exhibit Collaborative, the Association of Science-Technology Centers' Leadership and Professional Development Committee, the National Center for Informal Learning in Schools, the Science Museum Exhibit Collaborative and the Informal Science Education Association of Texas. He has served as a principal investigator or senior staff member on three National Science Foundation grants, and co-authored a chapter entitled "Supporting Systemic School Science Education Reform Through Free-Choice Learning: A Texas Case Study" for the recently published book Free-Choice Science Education: How We Learn Science Outside of School, edited by John Falk.

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ACM Treasurer
Henry Schulson, Executive Director, Creative Discovery Museum (Chattanooga, TN)

Schulson has worked in museums most of his life, beginning as a high school volunteer at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. Since that time, he has been manager of membership and then development at the American Museum, director of the Dallas Museum of Natural History and, since 1997, executive director of the Creative Discovery Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Schulson has served on the ACM Council since 2000 and has been involved with InterActivity as a presenter, and as both a member of the roundtable committee and program committee. He has also served on the executive committees of both the Texas and Tennessee Associations of Museums, been a presenter at American Association of Museums and a reviewer for the National Science Foundation and Institute of Museum and Library Services' General Operating Support grants.

In his seven years at the Creative Discovery Museum, working with board and staff, the museum has transformed from an institution facing severe financial difficulties to one of Chattanooga's most innovative cultural organizations, operating with a balanced budget and noted for its community collaborations and educational programs.

Schulson is especially interested in issues related to community development, resource sharing, diversity and institutional start-ups. He believes museums must constantly search for the best ways they can meet the needs of their communities. He also believes that it is important that museum boards, staff and audience reflect the communities in which they serve.

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Secretary
Julia Bland, Executive Director, Louisiana Children's Museum (New Orleans)

In 1997, Bland became the executive director of the Louisiana Children's Museum (LCM), an organization she had gotten to know first as a mother, later as a volunteer fund-raiser, then a board member and finally leading the organization as its director. Like many children's museums, LCM's origin was a grass roots effort, and has grown and evolved over its 18 year history into a proud destination and attraction for families all across the world. In 2004, LCM hosted Interactivity 2004.

Bland has worked in a variety of positions in New Orleans as a community activist, always with a focus on education and young children. She has chaired the boards of local organizations such as Trinity Episcopal School, the Tulane Institute of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health's Advisory Board and served on the Museum Studies Advisory Committee of the Master of Arts in Museum Studies Program at Southern University at New Orleans. She was selected in 2001 as a City Business Woman of the year and is currently serving on the rector search committee for Trinity Episcopal Church. Nationally, she has presided over the museum collaborative MC2 and is a founding member of Quality Management to a Higher Level (Qm2)'s New Orleans Roundtable.

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Past President
Beth Fitzgerald, Executive Director, The Magic House, St. Louis Children's Museum (MO)

As The Magic House's first and only executive director, Fitzgerald has had the opportunity to guide the growth and development of a fledgling institution into one that is now nationally recognized.

She has had extensive participation in InterActivity, serving as Co-chair in 1995 and 1996, and on various panels in other years. In May 2001, The Magic House hosted InterActivity. Since then, Fitzgerald has served the field in the role as vice president of marketing of the ACM Council and is the current president of the ACM Board of Directors.

She has committed her professional and personal life to children and learning. Fitzgerald has a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education and serve on the Boards of many youth organizations. Besides her work at The Magic House, she is also an elected official serving in the capacity of vice president of the Rockwood School District Board of Education, the fourth largest school district in Missouri.

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Board Members

Carmen L. Vega, Executive Director, El Museo del Niño de Puerto Rico (San Juan, PR)

A native of New York City, Vega is the founder and executive director of El Museo del Niño de Puerto Rico since 1993. Her post at the Museo was preceded by many years of academic and professional preparation in the field of education. Prior to moving to Puerto Rico in 1983, she worked as the director of a Clinical Family Counseling Training Program in Miami while simultaneously teaching English-as-a-Second Language at Miami-Dade Community College. She also worked as a public school teacher in Boston, Massachusetts.

With the support of an active Board of Directors composed of 11 prominent island executives from the private sector, she is also immersed in constant efforts to raise operating funds from foundations, corporations and generous Puerto Ricans of all strata of society. In the decade since the Museo began to take shape, she have successfully raised over $4.0 million for the Museo while obtaining government underwriting of the museum's Calle Cristo location.

Vega was awarded the Elizabeth Arden "Belleza Inteligente" Award, and recognized for professional achievement in the Oxfords Who's Who Annual Registry. She received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, and a Masters Degree in Education from Harvard University. She currently resides in the town of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, and has two children.

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Deborah Spiegelman, Executive Director/CEO, Miami Children's Museum (FL)

For the past six years, Spiegelman have been Executive Director of the Miami Children's Museum where she is involved with long range planning, development, the creation and implementation of exhibits and educational programs. Under her leadership, the museum's capital campaign raised more than $25 million to build the permanent facility where the museum has resided for the past two and a half years. The Museum targets all audiences in Miami's changing and diverse community and has become a town center for the children of South Florida. Many families living in urban and impoverished neighborhoods in Miami have had little or no exposure to museums or to arts programming. Through the museum's partnership with the City of Miami, local schools, and community-based organizations in low-income communities, the Museum has been able to provide free and reduced programs, admission, and scholarships for children living in these neighborhoods. It is through these programs that the museum fulfills its mission to the community.

Spiegelman's professional background includes 25 years of non-profit experience in marketing, public relations, board development, management and fundraising. She has previously held positions with The Children's Home Society Foundation, University of Miami Miami Project to Cure Paralysis/Buoniconti Fund, Mount Sinai Medical Center and Greater Miami Jewish Federation. Spiegelman has fourteen years experience in the museum field, serving as director of the capital campaign, consultant to board of directors, and providing leadership development in all aspects of non-profit management and business development.

In addition to her position as ACM Board Member, she is an active participant in the Children's Cultural Coalition; National Society of Fund Raising Executives; Children's Museum Charter School Board of Directors; the Cushman School Board; Temple Beth Shalom Board of Education, City of North Miami Educational Committee; Board Member Girl Scouts; and WPBT's KidVision Advisory Board Member.

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Shelley Goode, (formerly of National Children's Museum) Vice President, Philanthropic Marketing
Lipman Hearne Inc. (Washington, DC)

Shelley Goode oversees fundraising communications at Lipman Hearne. She has more than 26 years of experience in fundraising and development with a diverse set of clients in the nonprofit, educational, and cultural sectors. Shelley has gained a broad understanding of the needs of donors and organizations through her diverse experiences in fundraising positions at Johns Hopkins University, Syracuse University, and Spelman College. She was also part of the team that helped to open Port Discovery, the Children’s Museum in Baltimore; and more recently worked in Development and External Affairs with the Smithsonian Institute.

Prior to joining Lipman Hearne, Shelley was the Vice President for External Affairs at the National Children’s Museum in Washington D.C, where she developed and directed a $130 million capital campaign to enable the creation of the National Children’s Museum scheduled to open in 2009. Shelley holds a B.A in Arts Administration and Political Science from Mary Baldwin College in Staunton, Virginia.

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Loretta Yajima, President & Chief Executive Officer, Hawaii Children's Discovery Center

Yajima has served as President & CEO of the Hawaii Children's Discovery Center as a full-time volunteer for the past 20 years. As Chair of the Center's volunteer Board of Directors, she is responsible for the implementation of the organization's overall strategic and business plans and oversee the operations of the museum.

The initial success of the museum, which was located in a storefront in the Dole Pineapple Cannery, prompted us to look for a permanent home for the museum, one that could serve both local audiences as well as the large tourist population visiting the islands. After a $15 million campaign, the Hawaii Children's Discovery Center opened at its present location in the Kaka'ako Waterfront Park in December 1998.

Prior to becoming part of the Children's Discovery Center team, Yajima was an educator and former school administrator. She has degree in Elementary Education from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY, and a Master's Degree in Education. Formerly a Head Start teacher, she also taught at the University of Hawaii Laboratory School as a demonstration teacher for Hawaii English Program (HEP), developing curriculum for the public schools in Hawaii. She left a position as Administrative Director at a private elementary school in Honolulu in 1986 to help start the first children's museum in Hawaii. The Museum received the Community Recognition Award from The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii in 1989; the First Lady's Outstanding Volunteer of the Year Award for the most innovative project in 1990; and the Award of Excellence from The College of Education at the University of Hawaii in 1992.

In 1991, she was honored to receive the JC Penny's Golden Rule Award for Volunteerism and, in 1992, the George Washington Medal of Honor Award for Individual Achievement from the Valley Forge Freedom Foundation. According to Yajima, it was truly a team effort! All of her volunteer efforts over the years include work with organizations that focus on education and issues related to families and children. Past boards that she have served on include the Cancer Research Center of Hawaii, Assets School, the University of Hawaii Foundation and the Hawaii Museums Association.

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Georgina Niobe Ngozi, Executive Director, Children's Museum of the Lowcountry (Charleston, SC)

As the relatively new Executive Director for the Children's Museum of the Lowcountry, Ngozi believes she's been given a platform to apply the entirety of her 30 years of knowledge and experience, working on the behalf of children. She entered the Children's Museum field as the Director of Art Education for the Children's' Museum of Houston (CMH), an environment that nurtured her creative spirit and allowed Ngozi to create opportunities for children to discover their creative spirits. She worked at CMH for six years and in 2001, she returned to her native Brooklyn, NY, to serve as the Director of Education for the Brooklyn Children's Museum (BCM), a museum she visited as a child. BCM, a collecting museum enveloped Ngozi in an environment of cultural richness, which can be found throughout the museum, as a backdrop to the diverse beauty of the people themselves.

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Barry A. Van Deman, President and CEO, Museum of Life and Science (Durham, NC)

The Museum of Life and Science in Durham, NC, began 50 years ago as a children's museum and at some point in its history focused its content on science, especially on the animals entrusted to its care. Today, the museum continue to serve families as its largest audience with exhibits and programs indoors and out. The museum clearly sees a fit with ACM's mission.

Children's museums and science museums share a common goal in nurturing a sense of wonder in children. In her book, A Sense of Wonder, Rachel Carson implored us to share the sense of wonder, rediscovering with the child the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in. This work is noble, joyful, and it requires effort.

The work of children's museums demands that the field continually learns from its experience with children, from research, and from each other. When Van Deman served as Section Head of Science Literacy at the National Science Foundation managing the Informal Science Education Program, he had the privilege to work with leaders in children's museums to fund some imaginative and impactful projects. He also observed areas where he thought the children's museum profession needed to grow.

Van Deman had the pleasure (and the pain) of working in museums for 23 years. He has taught elementary school and authored elementary science textbooks. His is the proud father of two adorable young children and the husband of a seasoned professional in children's and science museum work.

Sarah Orleans, Executive Director, Portland Children's Museum (OR)

Orleans was appointed to the Board in 2006 to complete a former board member's term and was elected to the Board in 2007.

Orleans has spent the last 30 years as an educator and museum professional: from her early years as an environmental educator in the Pinelands of New Jersey, through her years as Director of Programs at the Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia, and as co-founder and Director of the Garden State Discovery Museum, one of the first, and most successful for-profit children's museums. Orleans' passion has been to explore and experiment with hands-on education and what it can look like in many forms and environments.

In 2004, she was invited to lead the extraordinary team at the Portland Children's Museum (PCM) in beautiful Oregon. Over the past six years, PCM has been rethinking, rebuilding and reinventing itself inspired by the work of the early childhood centers in Reggio Emilia, Italy. The Museum's inquiry-based learning approach and five years of research and documentation of children's learning in its Pre K- Grad 5 public charter school have inspired the museum to develop programs and exhibits where children learn and become themselves through interaction and relationships with other people, ideas, objects and environments. Children at PCM are invited to make their thinking visible to us in many ways — words, drawing, clay, dance, painting, construction, music and more. The museum views the adults in the child's life as partners, researchers and co-creators in a child's learning journey.

Orleans believes it is more important than ever that adults are given opportunities that encourage them to view children as intelligent, competent, resourceful, and creative with imagination and wonder about the world around them. She believes that children's museums play an important role in that process.

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Lindy Hoyer, Executive Director, Omaha Children's Museum (NE)

Hoyer has been the executive director for the Omaha Children’s Museum since June 2002. Under her leadership the Omaha Children’s Museum has increased its annual attendance by 78 percent, doubled its membership, developed award winning exhibits and attracted blockbuster-traveling exhibits.

Her combined experience in the children’s museum field has spanned 19 years, and in fact began at the Omaha Children’s Museum in 1986. Shortly after graduating from Doane College in Crete, Nebraska, with a dual degree in Theatre and English, she was in charge of volunteer management and recruitment, program planning, visitor services and exhibit management at the museum.

In 1994, she joined the Lincoln Children’s Museum (NE) where she was responsible for all marketing and public relations, management of new and existing exhibits, program planning, grant writing and supervision of Visitor Services staff. Prior to her departure, Hoyer managed the design and installation of the museum’s new exhibits and the renovation of the museum’s permanent home.

A native of Nebraska, Lindy is pleased to call Omaha home. Lindy lives with her husband, Michael; and has one son, Marc age 4, and four stepdaughter’s.

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Ex-Officio
Janet Rice Elman, Executive Director, Association of Children's Museums (Washington, DC)

In her role as executive director of the professional association representing children's museums around the world, Elman has led the Association of Children's Museums (ACM) in a successful transition from an entirely volunteer driven organization in 1994 to one of the leading museum professional associations in Washington, DC today. She recently led the launch of ACM's vision statement for ACM to be, "recognized as a global leader, advocate and resource among organizations serving the learning needs of children and families."

Prior to joining ACM, Elman was director of national programs for Very Special Arts (now VSA arts) where she developed national arts programs for individuals with and without disabilities. During her six-year tenure at Very Special Arts, Elman developed and piloted programs in all the art forms — dance, drama, creative writing, music, and visual arts — which served as models for the 50 Very Special Arts state affiliates. She worked on early childhood curriculum materials to support program initiatives and developed training workshops to assist state directors in program implementation. Prior to her departure, she directed the 1993 national conference and additionally served as acting director of state services.

She has also held positions in art consulting and management consulting firms, and has curated the slide collection of works of art in an academic setting. Elman holds a BA in Art History and Communications from The George Washington University and an MA in Humanities from Marymount University.

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ACM Board of Directors Job Description

Accountable to: ACM membership and representatives through the leadership of the Board President and Executive Director.

Functions
The ACM Board of Directors collectively functions in four major areas:

1. Policy-making
   

2. Strategic planning

3. Fund development
   

4. Financial oversight

In carrying out these functions, the board of directors assumes the legal responsibility for its actions.

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Responsibilities of the Board of Directors (collectively):
(Adapted from BoardSource)

1. Determine the Association's mission and vision.

2. Select the Chief Executive.

3. Provide proper financial oversight.

4. Ensure adequate resources.

5. Ensure legal and ethical integrity and maintain accountability.

6. Ensure effective organizational planning

7. Recruit and orient new board members and assess board performance.

8. Enhance the Association's public standing.

9. Monitor the Association's programs and services in line with the mission and vision.

10. Support the Chief Executive and assess his or her performance.

While the Board of Directors functions as a body in its deliberations and policy-level decisions, the members are elected as individuals.

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Responsibilities of Board Members (individually):
(Adapted from BoardSource)

General Expectations

• Know the organization's mission, purposes, goals, policies, programs, services, strengths and needs.

• Suggest possible nominees to the board who are clearly leaders and who can make significant contributions to the work of the board and the organization's progress.

• Participate in board member self-assessment.

• Serve in leadership positions or undertake committee assignments willingly and enthusiastically when asked.

• Avoid prejudiced judgments on the basis of information received from individuals and urge those with grievances to follow established policies and procedures.

• Follow the trends in the children's museum and related fields.

• Bring a sense of humor to the board's deliberations.

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Meetings

• Prepare for and participate in board and committee meetings, including appropriate organizational activities (such as InterActivity).

• Ask timely and substantive questions at board and committee meetings consistent with their convictions, while supporting the majority decision on issues decided by the board.

• Maintain confidentiality of the board's executive sessions, and speak for the board or Association only when authorized.

• Suggest agenda items periodically for board and committee meetings to ensure that significant policy-related matters are addressed.

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Relationship with Staff

• Counsel the Chief Executive as appropriate to offer support in his or her often difficult relationships with groups or individuals.

• Understand that the Chief Executive reports to the Board of Directors and the staff reports to the Chief Executive.

• Avoid asking for special favors of the staff, including special requests for extensive information or waivers of policies.

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Avoiding Conflicts

• Serve the organization as a whole rather than any special interest group or constituency.
  

• Avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest that might embarrass the board or the organization, and disclose any possible conflicts to the board in a timely fashion.
  

• Maintain independence and objectivity and do what a sense of fairness, ethics and personal integrity dictate even though not necessarily obliged to do so by law, policy or custom.
  

• Never accept (or offer) favors or gifts from (or to) anyone who does business with the Association.

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Fiduciary Responsibilities

• Exercise prudence with the Board in the control and transfer of funds.
  

• Faithfully read and understand the organization's financial statements and otherwise help the Board fulfill its fiduciary responsibility.

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Fundraising

• Give an annual gift according to personal means.
  

• Assist the development committee and staff by implementing fundraising strategies through personal influence with others (corporations, individuals, foundations).

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Joining Committees, Subcommittees and Taskforces

To support ACM's priority to be as inclusive as possible, the Association welcomes any representative of a member museum that is in good standing to consider joining an ACM committee, subcommittee or taskforce. There are a total of seven committees that are open to member participation (the Executive, Human Resources and Governance Committees are for Board Members only.)

Contact the committee chair if you are interested to join a committee, listing your background and talents that would contribute to the committees' knowledge.

Overview

• Committees are aligned with the strategic objectives and staff organization.
• Every committee, subcommittee and taskforce incorporates diversity as a key value.
• Committees are ongoing and may have subcommittees; taskforces are generally time-limited.
• Each committee and taskforce is chaired by a member or former member of the Board and assigned a staff contact who will coordinate the work of the committee.

Committees, Subcommittees and Taskforces

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Executive Committee

Strategic Goal: Ensure the future of ACM with strong leadership and sound financial practices.

Chair: Laura Foster (The Executive Committee is chaired by the Board president.)

Members: Connie Martinez, Neil Gordon, Charlie Walter, Henry Schulson, Julia Bland and Beth Fitzgerald

Primary Staff Liaison: Janet Rice Elman, Executive Director; Sharon Witting, Program Officer, Development (for Advocacy)

Role: The Executive Committee is comprised of the seven officers of the Association: President, Vice Presidents, Treasurer, Secretary and Past President. The Executive Committee ensures that the priorities of the Association are in alignment with the Strategic Framework. The Executive Committee serves as a representational body of the Board and is often empowered by the full Board to make decisions on behalf of the entire Board. Oversees the Human Resources Subcommittee.

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Human Resources Subcommittee, a Subcommittee of the Executive Committee

Strategic Goal: Ensure the future of ACM with strong leadership and sound financial practices.

Chair: Laura Foster (The Human Resources Subcommittee is chaired by the President.)

Members: Beth Fitzgerald, Connie Martinez, Henry Schulson

Primary Staff Liaison: Janet Rice Elman, Executive Director

Role: The Human Resources Subcommittee works with the executive director to ensure that ACM remains a fair and competitive employer and recruits and retains the most talented staff.

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Governance Committee

Strategic Goal: Ensure the future of ACM with strong leadership and sound financial practices.

Chair: Connie Martinez (The Governance Committee is chaired by the Vice President of Governance.)

Members: Beth Fitzgerald, Laura Foster and Neil Gordon

Primary Staff Liaison: Janet Rice Elman, Executive Director

Role: The Governance Committee reviews bylaws and Board structure in order to advance the strategic framework. Oversees Board advancement including the formation of a Nominating Subcommittee each year.

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Nominating Subcommittee, a subcommittee of the Governance Committee

Strategic Goal: Ensure the future of ACM with strong leadership and sound financial practices.

Chair: Beth Fitzgerald

Members: Laura Foster, TBD, TBD and TBD

Primary Staff Liaison: Janet Rice Elman, Executive Director

Role: The role of the Nominating Subcommittee is to identify through the nominating process candidates for the Board of Directors and Officers and to ensure that Board members elect have a clear understanding of their responsibilities. The Nominating Subcommittee will work with the Diversity Taskforce to ensure representation of the diversity of the field on the ACM Board of Directors.

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Finance, Audit and Investment Committee

Strategic Goal: Ensure the future of ACM with strong leadership and sound financial practices.

Chair: Henry Schulson (The Finance, Audit and Investment Committee is chaired by the Treasurer.)

Members: Beth Fitzgerald, Laura Foster and Sarah Orleans

Primary Staff Liaison: Nancy Silverman, Director of Finance and Administration/Janet Rice Elman, Executive Director

Role: Responsible for fiduciary oversight of the Association's finances, audit process and investment policy. Responsible for oversight of Auditor.

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Member Services Committee

Strategic Goal: Build the capacity of ACM members to achieve sustainability and relevance to an ever-diversifying audience.

Chair: Julia Bland

Members: Carmen Vega, Lindy Hoyer, Debbie Spiegelman and Loretta Yajima

Primary Staff Liaison: Chandi Rajakaruna, Program Officer, Membership

Role: The Member Services Committee guides the development of strategies to recruit, retain, and better serve ACM's members. Constantly analyzes member benefits and ACM customer service.

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Communication Committee (formerly Marketing Committee)

Strategic Goal: Heighten the awareness, visibility and recognized value of children's museums.

Chair: Charlie Walter (The Communication Committee is chaired by the Vice President for Marketing.)

Members: Laura Foster, Beth Fitzgerald, Shelley Goode and Lindy Hoyer

Primary Staff Liaison: Diane Kopasz, Program Officer, Communication

Role: The Communication Committee guides the development of strategies to communicate ACM's unique appeal to potential members, donors and marketing partners. Oversees Research Taskforce.

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Education Committee (formerly Programs Committee)

Strategic Goal: Build the capacity of ACM members to achieve sustainability and relevance to an ever-diversifying audience.

Chair: Neil Gordon (The Education Committee is chaired by the Vice President for Programs)

Members: Henry Schulson, Sarah Orleans, Barry Van Deman, Loretta Yajima and Carmen Vega

Primary Staff Liaison: Korie Twiggs, Program Officer, Education; and Kathleen Kelly Ngo, Program Officer, Special Initiatives

Role: The Education Committee reviews research, programmatic and content opportunities for ACM, ensuring alignment with ACM's Strategic Framework.

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Development Committee

Strategic Goal: Leverage the collective power of the field.

Chair: Connie Martinez

Members: Shelley Goode, Debbie Spiegelman and Barry Van Deman

Primary Staff Liaison: Sharon Witting, Program Officer, Development

Role: The Development Committee guides ACM in its fundraising activities and works to identify new funding sources.

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Diversity In Action Commitee

Strategic Goal: Build the capacity of ACM members to achieve sustainability and relevance to an ever-diversifying audience.

Chair: Henry Schulson

Members: Georgina Negozi, Loretta Yajima, Rashida Walker (Chicago Children's Museum) Carol Enseki (Brooklyn Children's Museum), Jeri Robinson (Boston Children's Museum), Gwen Crider and Laura Huerta (National Multicultural Institute)

Primary Staff Liaison: Korie Twiggs, Program Officer, Education; and Lila Elliott, Program Coordinator, Education

Role: The Diversity Taskforce guides ACM in recognizing model programs in member museums that encourage the development of diverse staff and audiences, and spearheads national efforts to increase the diversity of staff and audiences.

For more information about the Diversity Taskforce, including a sample of its ongoing work, visit the ACM Diversity Initiative page.

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Nominating New Board Members

Serving on the ACM Board is an opportunity to share your individual perspective and skills with a collegial and committed group to further ACM's mission. In general, a Board Member is elected to serve a two-year term. Elections for the 2008-2010 term will take place in March 2008. Please Note: ACM's fiscal and board year runs from July 1 to June 30.

Items to Consider

• Do you have strong experience in one of more of the Board's four major functions: policy-making, strategic planning, fund development and financial oversight?

• Can you meet the all collective and individual responsibilities outlined in the Board Member Job Description?

• Finally, in consideration of those ACM Board Members whose terms will expire in 2008, the ACM Nominating Committee has identified three top priorities for Board candidates: ethnic diversity, leadership skills and fundraising abilities. Does your background and/or talents relate to these priorities?

If you or someone you know is interested in serving on the ACM Board of Directors, please contact ACM's Nominating Chairperson Beth Fitzgerald.

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