2004-2005 Steering Committee
Chair
Laura Joseph is Manager of Education at the New York Transit Museum. Prior to joining the Museum Laura was Program Manager at Sony Wonder Technology Lab, developing programs for adult, family, and youth audiences. In her former capacity at Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Laura assisted with the preparation of exhibit curriculum and public programs for adult and school audiences. Laura has an M.S. Ed. from Bank Street College of Education and a B.A. in English Literature from George Washington University.
Vice Chair
Jennifer Rothman is the Manager of Public and School Programs at the New York Botanical Garden. Prior to her move back to New York, Jennifer was the Education Director and Interim Director of the Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo in California. She holds a B.A. in Biology with a concentration in Environmental Science from Colby College and an M.A. in Museum Studies from John F. Kennedy University.
Secretary
Helena Vidal joined El Museo del Barrio in July 2004 as the Director of Education and Public Programs. In her former capacity as the Assistant Director of Education at the Whitney Museum of American Art, Helena was responsible for overseeing School, Youth, and Family Programs. Prior to joining the Whitney in 1999, she was the Associate Director of Student Programming at New York University. She held this position while working toward her Master of Arts degree from the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University, with concentrations in Arts Management, Museum Studies, and Latin American art history. Helena received her Bachelors degree in Art History and Economics from Emory University.
Treasurer
Lynette Morse worked for the past three years at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine, where she was responsible for school, family, and adult group programs as well as overseeing educators and volunteers. Previously, taught school for five years in Kansas, two years of fifth/sixth grade and three years of eighth-grade English. She received her B.A. in Elementary and Middle Level Education from Bethany College, and an M.S. in Museum Education at Bank Street College.
Members-At-Large
Archivist
Debbie Ardemendo is the Learning Programs Coordinator at the Museum of the City of New York. She has worked at several museums in the NYC area as a museum educator, creating public and school programs for children of all ages. She has created and implemented several ongoing programs at the Intrepid Sea Air Space Museum for early childhood and school-age children. She has a B.A. in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Art History/Studio Arts and a M.S. Ed. from Bank Street College of Education with a concentration in Museum Education.
Editor, The Interpreter
Judith Cramer is the Educational Technology Specialist at Teachers College, Columbia University. She began her career as a technology educator at the Bronx Museum of the Arts, where she developed a curriculum in computer graphics for children ages 12 through 18. A frequent conference presenter on the use of technology in arts and humanities education, Judith has written for Learning and Leading with Technology, Communication Arts, and ID magazines. She earned a B.A. from Cornell University, a B.F.A. from Parsons School of Design, and an M.Phil. from Yale University.
Membership Coordinator
Greer Kudon joined The Jewish Museum as the Manager of School Programs and Outreach in November 2003. Prior to this, Greer was Head of School Programs at the Whitney Museum of American Art overseeing all programming for students, and teachers. She was also a classroom teacher in the New York City public schools—teaching 5th grade bilingual at P.S. 28 in Washington Heights and 3rd grade at John A. Reisenbach Charter School in Harlem. Greer has an M.A in Arts Administration from New York University and a B.A. in Art History from Washington University in St. Louis.
Web Site Coordinator
Ted Maclin is the Manager of Children's Gardens and Exhibits a the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. He has a BS in Biology and a MS in Botany from the University of Tennessee. He has worked as a botanical surveyor, naturalist, college biology instructor, farmer, prairie restoration ecologist, and Aikido instructor.
Members-At-Large, Continued:
Hilary Eddy is the High School Partnerships Manager for South Street Seaport Museum, acting as the liaison between the Museum and the High School for History and Communication (HSHC). Ms. Eddy develops curricula and provides professional development for HSHC staff based on the Museum�s collections. Ms. Eddy has previously worked at the Brooklyn Historical Society, The Morgan Library, and the New Jersey Historical Society. Ms. Eddy holds a B.A. from Smith College and an M.S. in Museum Education from Bank Street College.
Janet Lo is Manager of School and Docent Programs at the American Folk Art Museum. Prior to AFAM, she developed cultural and community programs at the Brooklyn Children's Museum and was Senior Museum Educator at the Brooklyn Museum. She has a BA in archaeology and anthropology from Tufts University with a minor in studio art.
Susan McCullough is currently the Director of School and Family Programs at The Museum of Modern Art. Prior to working at MoMA she held several different positions in education at the Brooklyn Museum including School Programs Manager. Susan holds a Master's degree in Cultural Anthropology from Columbia University.
Nili Schiffman is the Manager of Education Programs at the Museum of Jewish Heritage--A Living Memorial to the Holocaust. She is responsible for overseeing teacher trainings, internships, and gallery educator programs, and other curricular and educational initiatives. Nili began her association with the Museum as an intern during her undergraduate years at Boston University, where she received a BA in Art History and Religion. She then received her MA in Art History from Johns Hopkins University. Nili has been employed at the Museum for nearly four years, in a variety of capacities within the Education department.
Rebecca Shulman Herz is Education Manager of the school outreach program Learning Through Art at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, where she has worked since 1998. At various times she has also coordinated the intern and docent programs and managed the on-site school programs at that institution. Previously, she served as Director of Education at an after school program in Washington, DC. She has a Master's degree in Museum Education from George Washington University.
Nadine Stewart, Development Associate, works to complete the restoration of the historic Eldridge Street Synagogue. She was on the NYMER 2004 Conference Committee and has also been an educator/writer at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum. Before that, she was a television correspondent and producer, working for NBC, CNN and local stations from Florida to Colorado. She is also a textile artist and teacher.
Maria Velez works at the Lower East Side Tenement Museum as an Education Associate. She acquired her B.A. from Penn State University and M.A. at the University of the Arts. Maria currently manages the Confino Living History programs and has recently been asked to present at the 2004 Conference of The Association for Living History, Farm and Agricultural Museums about first person interpretation at the Museum.
Chair Ex-Officio
Allison Day Allison Day is Youth and Family Programs Manager at the Brooklyn Museum. Prior to her arrival at the BMA in 1996, she worked for The Art Institute of Chicago and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She holds a B.A. in art history from Yale University and an M.A. in art history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
New Steering Committee Members for 2005-2006
Cristina Scorza
Brooklyn Children's Museum
cscorza@brooklynkids.org
Elyssa Arnone
BASE Program Manager
elyssaarnone@bbg.org
Justine Rae Spilotros
Manager of Youth and Family Programs
The Hudson River Museum
jspilotros@hrm.org
Lauren Monsein Rhodes
Education Coordinator
The Weeksville Society
lauren@weeksvillesociety.org
Mayrav S. Fisher
Whitney Museum of American Art
945 Madison Avenue
Mayrav_Fisher@whitney.org
Sandra Jackson
Director of Education and Public Programs
Studio Museum in Harlem
sjackson@studiomuseum.org
Nathan Sensel
Brooklyn Museum
nathan.sensel@brooklynmuseum.org