Margaret “Meg” Dunwoody Hausberg, Chair, has ties to The Ringling dating to the 1980s, when her circus enthusiast parents, James and Millicent Dunwoody, retired to Sarasota and became active volunteers in the museum’s circus archives. A graduate of Wellesley College with an M.A. from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London, Meg has a varied career in the field of art – at galleries and an auction house in New York and London, as an author and publisher of fine art reference books, an instructor in the Appraisal Studies Program at NYU, and a research associate and co-author of the University of Glasgow’s online catalogue raisonné of James McNeill Whistler’s etchings. She sat on the Committee for Prints and Drawings at the Art Institute of Chicago and was co-curator of the Art Institute exhibition “Whistler and Roussel: Linked Visions” in 2015. Currently a member of the Print Council of America, Meg previously served on the boards of the Ragdale Foundation in Lake Forest, Illinois, and the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, New York. She was a Trustee of the Village of Bronxville, New York, in the 1990s, and she facilitated the gift of her parents’ circus collection to The Ringling in the early 2000s.

H. Michael Bush, Vice-Chair, is the President/Owner of Home Resource, Inc. located in Sarasota, FL. He and his wife, Kathy, are design and home furnishings industry professionals headquartered on Central Avenue. Situated within the boundaries of the city’s historic Rosemary District, the area represents Sarasota’s Design District with its collection of architects, interior designers, home builders, cabinet makers and showrooms devoted to flooring, home entertainment, furniture and decorative accessories. Since 1995, Home Resource has been the place in Southwest Florida to shop for contemporary and licensed modern furniture. Over the last several years, the Home Resource showroom has also been converted into a “fringe theatre” where live performances have been conducted. Home Resource has been Mr. Bush’s most recent business turnaround; where he has taken an essentially bankrupt company and successfully led it back to profitability and success. Mr. Bush has held senior executive positions in Europe and the United States for Exxon Mobil, Domino’s Pizza, Red Hot Concepts (Chili’s), and other smaller publicly traded companies. His specialty is start-up and turnaround environments. In addition, he was a key executive in the creation of Mobil Chemical’s Global Petrochemical Operations.  Mr. Bush is a licensed CPA.  He has served on the boards of the Sarasota Ballet, Sarasota Contemporary Dance, West Coast Black Theatre Troupe, Theatre Odyssey, SaraSolo, Sarasota Season of Sculpture, and the Sarasota Architectural Foundation in addition to a 14 year term as the President of the Rosemary District.

David W. Benfer, Treasurer, currently serves as the Chairman of The Benfer Group LLC, which provides advisory services to healthcare providers and suppliers. From 1999 to 2009, Mr. Benfer served as President and CEO of the Saint Raphael Healthcare System and Hospital of St. Raphael in New Haven, Connecticut. Prior to that he served as President and CEO of Provena-Saint Joseph/Morris Health Network in Joliet, Illinois from 1992-1999. Mr. Benfer served as the Senior Vice President of Hospital and Urban Affairs and CEO of Henry Ford Hospital from 1985 to 1992. Prior to that he served as CEO of Bon Secours Hospital, Grosse Pointe , MI. and Executive Director of the Medical College of Ohio Hospital, Toledo, OH. He served as Chairman of the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE) from 1998 to 1999 and on the Board of Governors from 1992 to 2000. He was awarded Fellowship status in 1981 of the ACHE. From 2003 to 2009 Mr. Benfer served on the Board of the Catholic Health Association of the United States. He currently serves as a director of a privately held financial institution in Illinois and Vice President of Sun and Surf Colony, Inc in Sarasota , Fl. He is also on the Board of Stereotaxis, Inc (STXS) and serves as the lead independent director. Mr. Benfer earned a BSBA from Whittenberg University and MBA from Xavier University. David and Mary have three adult children and six grandchildren and reside in Lakewood Ranch, Florida.

Mercedes Soler-Martinez, Secretary, currently works with her husband, Tom Martínez, at Solmart Media, LLC.  Solmart Media, LLC is their radio and digital media company. As President of the company, she oversees editorial content, community outreach, advocacy and marketing. Tom serves as CEO. Prior to this, she coached media/press strategies to high placed leaders, executives and diplomats as a subcontractor for the US State Department. She is a renowned bilingual keynote speaker at women-girls empowerment and media conferences. Mercedes has been awarded 5 Emmys from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, as well as 1 Peabody and 1 GLAAD award, for her contributions to Spanish television in the U.S. From 2010 to 2016, she anchored a daily, live, news issues, and women’s show for CNN Español. Prior to that, she spent two decades at Univision News as an international investigative correspondent. Mercedes co-authored the book Dish & Tell: Life, Love and Secrets (Entre Nosotras de Mujer a Mujer) [Harper-Collins, 2005] with a group of five girlfriends. The book was adapted for the stage as a musical. She has been a columnist for El Nuevo Herald and is well versed in current U.S. and hemispheric affairs.  She taught journalism in Spanish through the University of Miami. Mercedes sits on the boards of the following non-profit organizations – The Community Foundation of Sarasota and the Ringling Museum of Art. Mercedes and her husband Tom raised two wonderful children who are pursuing their parents passions in their own careers of art and broadcasting.

Jasleen “Ritu” Anand is an author, artist, and writer of children’s books. In January of 2022, she joined Coffee House Writers while maintaining her status of being a “self- employed” writer at PathBinder Publisher. Mrs. Anand also owns “Ritu Writes 4 Kids.” Mrs. Anand most recent children’s book, Kara’s Dreams, debuted as a picture book and was acquired by PathBinder Publishing. She also has a second manuscript titled, I Am My Language in submission. Mrs. Anand is currently working on a middle grade novel titled, Jokhee and Samara. Mrs. Anand’s sketches and artwork are on quality clothing and jewelry manufactured in Montreal, Canada. She is a member of the American Library Association and Book Trailers Creating Services, as well as  an organizer and member of Indian Festival Sarasota. She graduated from St. John’s University with a BS in Business and Criminal Justice and is married to Harvinder “Harry” Anand.

The Honorable Dennis Archer is the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Dennis W. Archer, PLLC. He is also Chairman Emeritus of Dickinson Wright, PLLC. Mr. Archer is a trial lawyer and has taught as an associate professor at the Detroit College of Law and an adjunct professor at Wayne State University Law School. He was appointed to the Michigan Supreme Court in 1985, by Governor James Blanchard. In 1986 he was elected to an eight year term. Mr. Archer resigned from the Court in 1990. In 1993 he was elected to become the city of Detroit, Michigan’s 59th Mayor. While in office, he had a balanced budget and a surplus every year he was in office. His Administration attracted $20.2 Billion dollars of investment in the City of Detroit.  He declined to run for re-election in 2001 and rejoined Dickinson Wright. He has been president of the National Bar Association and in 2003, he became the first member of color to become president of the American Bar Association. Mr. Archer currently serves on the corporate board of Alix Partners Inc., and he has been a member of the boards of Johnson Controls, Compuware Corporation, MASCO, Top Build and the Global Senior Policy Advisory Board of Jefferies Group. He has been a Circle Member since 2014.

Adele Fleet Bacow recently retired as President of Community Partners Consultants, has extensive experience in urban planning, cultural economic development, and the arts, consulting for a wide variety of clients nationally, including public agencies, community development corporations, cultural organizations, and foundations. She created the state-wide program and served as Director of Design and Development at the Massachusetts Council on the Arts, receiving a Federal Design Achievement Award for this work. Previously she served as Deputy Director of the Massachusetts Government Land Bank, a state authority responsible for redevelopment of blighted properties and former military bases. Ms. Bacow is the author of Designing the City: A Guide for Advocates and Public Officials. She received her Bachelors Degree in Urban Design from Wellesley College and Masters Degree in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her TED talk on the role of arts on urban development may be viewed here. Ms. Bacow is on the Board of Artists for Humanity Boston, a Cummings Foundation reviewer, and an honorary Trustee of Temple Emanuel.

Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Florida State University

James Clark is the Provost and Executive Vice President of Florida State University. He graduated from Siena College (B.A. 1980), the University of Kentucky College of Social Work (MSW 1983) and the University of Chicago (Ph.D. 1995).  From 2015-2021 he served as Dean of the College of Social Work at Florida State University. Prior to that he served for three years as the Director of the School of Social Work at the University of Cincinnati, as well as Associate Director for Research and faculty member at the University of Kentucky from 1991-2012. Clark co-founded the UK Center on Trauma & Children, a nationally recognized clinical research center. He has published in the areas of evidence-based behavioral health, forensic mental health, child and adolescent traumatic stress, criminal justice, ethics and accountability, and psychobiography and the study of lives. Clark is married to Elizabeth Croney, a social worker and entrepreneur. They have three adult daughters, Cameron, Meg, and Pearson, who recently wed Pierre Tribolet.

James Clark is an Ex-Officio Member of The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Foundation, Inc Board of Directors.

Larry J. Cuervo, Jr. has served as Senior Vice President and Wealth Advisor for Truist Financial Corporation since 2014. He offers more than 25 years of financial services experience working with financially complex, high net-worth families, C-level executives, and entrepreneurs/business owners. Mr. Cuervo provides solutions for multigenerational wealth transfers, asset protections, retirement planning, estate planning, credit solutions, and fiduciary investment management. Larry was raised in Tampa, Florida, and moved to Sarasota in 2021. He is a graduate of Florida State University. Larry is involved with the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce and Leadership Florida and was on the Board of the Straz Center for Performing Arts for 8 years. He enjoys fishing, golf, painting, and playing guitar. Larry is the father of two daughters, Lauren and Hailey.

Rebecca Donelson is a former art dealer. After working at the Corcoran Museum, Washington DC, The National Gallery of Art, Washington DC and at The Art Institute of Chicago, she opened her own gallery, The Dart Gallery, in Chicago specializing in Contemporary Art representing some of the great artists of the last forty years: Robert Motherwell, Helen Frankenthaler, David Smith, Jim Dine, Jules Olitski, Larry Poons, Sam Gilliam and Frank Stella. Rebecca worked on retrospective exhibitions at The Art Institute of Chicago with Robert Rauschenberg, William Dekooning, Georgia O’Keeffe, Alexander Calder and The Estate of Salvador Dali.  She serves on the International Council of Anderson Ranch, Snowmass, CO, the Board of the Edis-Neeson Fooundation in Chicago, is a Fellow at The Aspen Institute and works with the Aspen Film Festival and Youth Entity in Carbondale, CO. Rebecca shares her time between Sarasota and Aspen.

Andrew M. Economos was born in Sarasota, graduated from the University of Florida with a BS and MS in Mathematics, worked in the Aerospace industry in California, and earned a Ph.D from UCLA. Afterward, he joined NBC where he headed up the computing activity for 14 years. He then started and led his software company which was a business leader supplying broadcasting software with a client base all over the world. In 2005, after 30 years, Economos sold his company. In 2015, he moved back to Florida and now resides in St. Armond Key. The Ringing Museum played a big role in his Sarasota childhood. He states he owes its presence to his current an ongoing relationship with art. His home is full of paintings, sculptures, and drawings (some of them are his own). He learned to love architecture and practiced it as well as furniture building. He remembers being surrounded by great examples The Ringling offered and is grateful for the gentle education in art it gave him.

Leon R. Ellin held a number of senior financial and operating positions, in both large and mid-sized companies. From 2003 through 2016 he was an operating partner/consultant with Littlejohn & Co., a private equity partnership. At Littlejohn he worked primarily with the Information Technology and Financial Management functions of the portfolio companies. He spent the 20 years immediately prior to his service at Littlejohn managing turnaround, restructuring and strategic business refocusing tasks at a number of mid-sized companies, including Wilton Industries, ITCO Holding Company, Edward Don & Company, Champion Products, Inc. and Voit Corporation. His prior experience includes ten years with Colgate-Palmolive, including Director of Corporate Strategic Planning and as CFO of Helena Rubinstein, Inc., a Colgate subsidiary company.  His educational background includes a MBA from the Wharton Graduate Division (member of Beta Gamma Sigma) of the University of Pennsylvania and an AB from the University of Chicago (National Merit Scholar). He served for over ten years on the Board of AgriLabs, Inc. until it’s sale in early 2018 and was active on a charitable foundation board in his home of Sarasota, FL.  He volunteers at Marie Selby Botanical Gardens and the John & Mable Ringling Museum in Sarasota.

Elma Felix is an Urban and Regional Planner with a professional background in architecture, urban design and land use policy. As such, Elma is a Maker of Places. She is a designer at heart, who works to advance urban design and architecture for the betterment of society by bringing visibility and voice to the issues concerning underserved communities. With over 17 years of experience, Elma has worked on a variety of global projects at every scale. Her research includes topics on resiliency, public engagement, and the relationship between urban design and the social equity of places. Elma is also the author of Ti Kay Nou, a publication meant to recapture the essence of traditional vernacular architecture in Saint Lucia; and, the Creative Director of Ebijou, a wearable art brand creating bespoke pieces for the discerning.

Allison spent the majority of her career in product development, user experience and project management roles for a number Internet-based companies. These have spanned a variety e-commerce innovators, including Hotels.com, Macy’s, Restoration Hardware, PayPal, Williams Sonoma and Sephora. This broad experience across many channels has armed Allison with keen insight into what works (and doesn’t) in delivering best-in-class digital experiences.

More recently, Allison pivoted to pursue her passion for fitness and wellness. She became a certified Pilates instructor and opened the largest private Pilates studio in Lakewood Ranch, FL. Allison brings operating experience to analysis of the evolving personal health industry. Working one on one with a wide range of clients has also armed her with the understanding of the needs of individuals and where current medical options fall short.

Primarily focused on investing in start ups in the health and wellness sector, she also oversees all charitable contributions for the fund.

Allison has a Bachelor’s of Science degree from Florida State University and is active in a number of environmental and civic causes.

Dr. Ronald A. Johnson is a highly experienced business leader, board director, and recognized academic professional. He has served on almost two dozen boards and held the chairman position on six of them. Most recently, Dr. Johnson served as president of Clark Atlanta University and Chairman of the Consumer Advisory Board of the US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Prior to joining Clark Atlanta University, he was the dean of the Jesse H. Jones School of Business at Texas Southern University. Dr. Johnson also served as dean of the College of Business at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, NC. He previously taught and developed innovative curriculum at Florida A&M University, Northeastern University, and Howard University. Dr. Johnson is an accomplished researcher and has developed expertise in the design of learning-focused business curriculums. His earlier work includes appointments to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as an economist under Paul Volker, division chief at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, and the International Monetary Fund. Dr. Johnson’s private sector leadership roles include President and Chief Investment Officer at Smith Graham & Company, Director of Fixed Income Research, at Templeton Worldwide Inc., as well as Chief Strategist and Chairman of the Investment Committee for America’s Trust Bank. His distinctions include the Center for Houston’s Future Leadership Forum, The One Hundred Black Men of Atlanta, and recipient of the National Diversity Council’s 2018 Leadership Excellence Award. Dr. Johnson’s incredible experience at the top level of academia, combined with repeated successes in the global investment management industry, gain him tremendous credibility in all board rooms. His insights on governance, fiduciary accountability, and sustainability have gained him recognition as an outstanding and sought-after board leader.

E. Marie McKee is a retired SVP of Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW).For over 170 years Corning Incorporated has combined expertise in glass science, ceramics and optical physics with deep manufacturing and engineering capabilities to develop lifechanging innovations and products including the glass envelope for Thomas Edison for the light bulb, the first glass television tubes and more recently flat screen glass/Gorilla Glass for flat screen TV’s, environmental substrates for clean air emissions and optical fiber for the Intranet. During her career at Corning, Marie served in a variety of positions including SVP for Human Resources, the President and CEO of Steuben Glass and the operating President and CEO of the Corning Museum of Glass which is a museum about the material of glass. The museum hosts approximately a half million visitors each year to experience the art, history and science of glass. The visitor has the opportunity to “See Glass, See Glass being Made and Make Glass themselves.” Marie is a member of the Duke Energy Board of Directors and served on the Progress Energy Board prior to the merger with Duke Energy. Marie has served on a variety of not for profits boards focusing on community needs and the arts. Marie holds a BS and MS degree from Purdue University. Marie and her husband Robert Cole have 2 wonderful adult daughters. Marie races dinghy sailboats with her husband on Sarasota Bay and Upstate NY in the Finger Lakes. When not participating in sailboat regattas they loves to ski and travel extensively. Since moving to Florida, Marie has learned to grow orchids and loves the challenge of growing orchids outside and on trees at their home near Selby Gardens. They spend their summers in Upstate NY and traveling.

Janice Tibbals Mobley of Sarasota, Florida and Knoxville, Tennessee, has been an active supporter and advocate for The Ringling Museum for almost 30 years. A resident of Sarasota, she was born and raised in LaFollette, Tennessee. Janice and her husband Howard have three children, five stepchildren, sixteen grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. Since their marriage in 1991, Janice has dedicated herself to supporting Howard’s passion; working with him to install The Howard Bros. Circus model in venues around the country and engaging with the community to build support for the Circus collections at The Ringling. In 2000, and again in 2008, Janice and Howard donated funding, which was matched by the state, for the construction of both phases of the Circus Museum’s Tibbals Learning Center. The building project initiated a period of growth at the museum in its early years under the management of Florida State. The building project initiated a period of growth at the museum in its early years under the management of Florida State University. Their gift also established the Tibbals Endowment, providing funds for the ongoing care of circus collections, staffing, and programing. Today, the Howard Bros. Circus model is the centerpiece of the Circus galleries and Tibbals Circus Collection is an unparalleled collection of Archival holdings documenting the history of the circus. Janice believes strongly in an ongoing commitment to personal and financial involvement in the care, growth, and improvement of the Museum and its collections.

Howard D. Noble, Jr. is a retired Board-Certified Diagnostic Radiologists who served our military veterans for 24 years in the Radiology Departments at, initially the VA Medical Center (VAMC) in Hampton, VA (his home), then at the VAMC in Gainesville, FL. He graduated from Lincoln University, PA with a B.A. degree in Mathematics, followed by a M.S. degree in Space Technology from the Johns Hopkins University. He received his M.D. degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY. He worked as an Engineer for the Westinghouse Aerospace Corporation in Baltimore, MD, then as an Engineer for the General Electric Reentry and Environmental Systems Division in Philadelphia, PA. As a doctorial candidate at the University of Pennsylvania, he worked as a research scientist at the General Electric Research and Development Center in Schenectady, NY. While on the Board of Trustees for the Gainesville Dance Alive National Ballet, he served as Secretary. He also served on the Advisory Board of Directors for the University of Florida Performing Arts and on the Board of Directors for the Gainesville Friends of Jazz. As an avid sailor, Howard served as the Commander of the Gainesville Sail and Power Squadron before serving as the Administrative Officer for the Sarasota Power and Sail Squadron. These Squadrons are local components of the United States Power Squadrons, an educational organization dedicated to making boating safer and more enjoyable by teaching classes in seamanship, navigation, and related subjects.

Gregory Parris, CPA, NACD.DC, Managing Director of Parris Associates, Inc. is a seasoned Financial Executive with deep experience in the diversified financial services industry open to opportunities for Corporate Board service. Experience has been focused in Corporate Audit, Operations, & Technology for large global organizations in the Commercial Banking, Investment Banking, and Broker-Dealer communities.

Areas of expertise:
– Financial Planning & Analysis
– Operations & Technology Management
– Risk Management & Internal Controls
– Strategy & Change Management
– Leadership & Team Building
– Corporate Governance

Frederic D. Pfening, III is the retired president of a 103-year-old family business. He began working at the Fred D. Pfening Company in 1976 and was the president since 1989. Under his leadership the company has continued to grow and has developed new product lines such as liquid ingredient handling. During this time the Pfening Company partnered with Advanced Food Systems to develop a high-speed mixer. Fred has a BA and an MA from Ohio State University. Beyond the business, Fred is a life-long circus enthusiast since 1955 when his father owned a circus. He has written over 50 articles on circus history and is recognized as an expert in the field. Fred is a board member of Helping Hands Health and Welfare Center in Columbus, Ohio, as well as a Trustee of the Circus Historical Society, Board member of Circus Fans Association and official historian of that organization. He is married to Janet Lynn Evans-Pfening.

Kelly Ann Romanoff is the Senior Vice President for Strategy and Evaluation for Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, in Sarasota, Florida. In her role, Kelly develops strategies to achieve the foundation’s mission, creates learning agendas in collaboration with nonprofit partners, and evaluates grants and initiatives. She also leads the foundation’s early childhood development and early learning initiatives. She began her career in 2005 at the statewide association for foundations, Florida Philanthropic Network, where she led research and policy efforts. She moved to Sarasota in 2008 to join the Gulf Coast Community Foundation team, where she contributed to marketing, grantmaking, community engagement, and donor development. In 2015 she joined the Barancik Foundation. Kelly earned a Master’s in Public Administration from University of Central Florida and she is also a trained nonprofit governance consultant and facilitator. Kelly serves on The John and Mable Ringling Museum Board of Directors where she chairs the Development Committee. She is vice chair of the Florida Education Funders Group of the Florida Philanthropic Network. She and her husband Burt, who practices tax and estate law, are raising two young sons.

Ellen Sandor holds a BA from Brooklyn College (1963) and an MFA in sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (1975). Ellen is a Visiting Scholar of Culture and Society, National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Ellen co-invented U.S. and international patents awarded for the PHSCologram process. She co-authored papers in Computers & Graphics, IEEE and SPIE. As PHSColograms and VR are collaborative endeavors, Ellen works with kindred artists, scientists, technologists and thinkers affiliated with distinguished institutions and universities including: Stevens Lab, Doudna Lab–University of California-Berkeley, NASA, Fermilab. These collaborations with trailblazing women scientists who are pathfinders for women in STEM, include Nobel Prize recipient Jennifer Doudna and Beth Stevens. In 2014, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In 2016, she was awarded Fermilab’s Artist in Residence. In 2017, she was honored by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists for her longstanding commitment to integrating art and science. She is a co-editor and contributor of New Media Futures: The Rise of Women in the Digital Arts, University of Illinois Press.

Ellen serves on several boards, including Chair of the Advisory Board of the Gene Siskel Film Center–School of the Art Institute of Chicago for which she received the Outstanding Leadership Award in 2013. Ellen is the co-holder of five U.S. patents, three for autostereography techniques and two for polymerization of lenticular images.

The Sandors have been collecting photography and outsider art for over 40 years, and have amassed one of the premier private art collections in America, with over 2,500 works spanning the period from the1840s to the present. The Richard and Ellen Sandor Family Collection contains definitive examples of photography that are complemented by paintings, drawings, sculpture and new media artworks The Sandors were active collectors when photography collecting was still in its infancy. In 1988, 2001 and 2002 the Sandors were listed by the Editors of Art & Antiques as one of “America’s Top 100 Private Collectors” and have been recently interviewed in B&W, Metropolitan Home, Chicago Tribune Magazine, Crain’s Chicago Business, Chicago Gallery News, and Private Air.

Mayra Niubo Schmidt was born and raised in Cuba and moved to the United States in 1966, living in New Jersey until 2014 when she and her husband John moved to Sarasota. She attended St. Peter’s College and Rutgers Law School, graduating in 1980.  After practicing as a sole practitioner, Mayra retired to raise three children.  She has served as a Board member in Hudson County Legal Services, the Garden Club of the Oranges, and the Orange Orphan Society which awards grants to organizations serving underprivileged children.  For 10 years, she served as a Commissioner in the West Orange Historic Preservation Commission as well as volunteering at the New Jersey Historical Society and the Thomas Alba Edison National Historic Site.  She is currently a member of the Garden Club of the Oranges, the Sarasota Garden Club, and a Circle member of The Ringling Museum of Art.

Debra (Deb) Short grew up in the Midwest and attended the University of Missouri, Columbia, majoring in art history. After more than 25 years in the retail management and buying arena for JC Penney, Saks, and Bealls Inc., she was fortunate to find her way back to her first love, the appreciation of art. Since 2013, volunteering in various roles at The Ringling has provided Debra with an avenue for personal growth, and the development of many friendships. Her primary assignment is as a museum of art ambassador, every Monday. She thrives on the action of the busiest day at the museum. For two years, she was a member and the designated secretary of the Orientation and Communications Committee (OCC) and served a 2-year term as secretary of the Volunteer Services Advisory Committee (VSAC). Debra currently serves in the elected role of VSAC Vice-Chair, representing all volunteers in the corps and continues her role as the co-editor of The Volunteer Voice newsletter. Additionally, Debra works closely with the education team; assisting with research, training materials, and hands-on help with programming. After retiring in 2013, Debra and her husband, Steve, became members of The Ringling. They have also been aggressively attacking their travel bucket list, visiting 27 countries in the past 6 years. They support both The Ringling and St Jude’s Hospital in their philanthropy. They live in Bradenton and generally keep a low profile in the community. Debra’s passion is truly the Museum of Art.

James B. Stewart is a Professor Emeritus of Labor Studies and Employment Relations and African and African American Studies and Management and Organization at Penn State University. He previously served as vice provost for Educational Equity and Director of the Black Studies Program. As vice provost he was responsible for planning, developing, coordinating, articulating, and advocating the university’s goals, policies, and procedures pertaining to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dr. Stewart’s research interests include Diversity Management, Globalization, and Africana Studies. His ten books include Black Families: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, The Housing Status of Black Americans, W.E.B. Du Bois on Race and Culture: Philosophy, Politics and Poetics, African-Americans and Post-Industrial Labor Markets, Managing Diversity in the Military, Flight in Search of Vision, and African Americans in U.S. Labor Markets. Dr. Stewart is the past-president of the National Council for Black Studies, he has also served as a consultant for many universities and the Department of Defense. He is the recipient of many awards and honors not the least of which is the Award for Outstanding Contributions Improving Equal Opportunity and Cross Cultural Relations, Penn State University.

Keebler J. Straz is President of the David A. Straz, Jr. Foundation of Tampa, Florida, which is dedicated to supporting performing arts, visual arts, private education organizations, and civic advancement. In her role as President, Straz is charged with furthering the organization’s commitment to advancing the arts as a cornerstone of Tampa’s cultural foundation and improving its accessibility to the entire community and has managed the Foundation’s generous increases in grants and contributions to other Tampa nonprofits.

Dedicated professionally and personally to philanthropic work, Straz is also a Trustee of the Board of Trustees for the Florida House on Capitol Hill, Lowry Park Zoological Society of Tampa, Inc., Metropolitan Ministries, the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center Foundation Board, Tampa Museum of Art, and most recently, the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Foundation, Inc. In these roles, Straz helps assure each nonprofit’s long-term strategic vision while guiding important donor relationships.

Her philanthropic work extends beyond the Tampa Bay area. Straz has provided passionate personal support and held significant leadership positions with her various alma maters. She currently serves on the Wake Forest University School of Law Rose Council. She also is a Managing Director for the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where she serves on both the Marketing and Strategic Direction Committees and has chaired past New Year’s Eve Galas for the Organization.

Straz is currently pursuing her LL.M in Taxation at the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law. While pursuing her education, Straz also clerked as Legal Extern for the Honorable  John L. Badalamenti, U.S. District Judge for the Middle District of Florida, and as a Law Clerk Intern for Chief Judge Nelly Khouzam for the Florida Second District Court of Appeal. She received her J.D. from Wake Forest University School of Law (‘21) and her Bachelors from Northwestern University, where she double majored in Theatre and Biological Anthropology with a minor in Classical Antiquity. She’s also an alumnus of Berkley Preparatory School in Tampa, Florida.

A lifelong Tampa resident, Straz is also a member of the Junior League of Tampa, and when she’s not actively volunteering in the community, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, cooking, boating, and playing with her two Goldendoodles.

Marla Vickers is Florida State University’s vice president for University Advancement and president of the FSU Foundation. An FSU alumna, she began in this position on October 1, 2022 after serving as associate vice president of Advancement at Emory University in Atlanta. She has more than 20 years of experience in higher education including stints at Yale University, The University of Chicago, George Washington University, Duke University, and Georgetown University. Vickers earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in public history and historic administration from Florida State University. Additionally, she has an MBA from George Washington University and is pursuing a Doctor of Education degree at Vanderbilt University where her studies are focused on leadership and learning in organizations. As vice president, she leads FSU’s fundraising, alumni relations, advancement services and real estate giving and will work closely with the Seminole Boosters.

Marla is an Ex-Officio Member of The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Foundation, Inc Board of Directors.

Kirk Ke Wang has been a Professor of Visual Arts at Eckerd College since 1993 and is a professional artist and an educational software developer. He was born in Shanghai, China, and received MFA degrees from the Nanjing Normal University in China and University of South Florida in the U.S. In 1986, Mr. Wang came to the U.S. as an exchange scholar continuing his graduate studies. After receiving his second MFA, Mr. Wang was appointed as the art director of a design firm and designed many projects for the entertainment industry, such as Disney World, MGM Studio, Sea World, and Bush Gardens, etc. In early 1990s, Mr. Wang taught at the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota. He joined Eckerd College as a tenured full-time faculty in the fall of 1993. Mr. Wang has exhibited his art in art galleries, not for profit institutions, and museums locally, nationally, internationally, such as the Museum of Modern Art, PS1 in NYC and the National Museum of Art of China in Beijing. His works have been collected by museums, galleries and private collectors in the US and Asia, including the National Gallery in Beijing. Mr. Wang was awarded the bronze medal by the Cultural Ministry of China, and he is also the recipient of numerous grants and awards from many distinguished institutions, such as, the National Endowments for the Arts, the Freeman Foundation, Ford Foundation, National Asian Network, Florida Arts Council, etc. In early 2000s, Mr. Wang lead a team of educators, artists and computer software engineers to develop a computer learning system for early education, which was implemented by many private and public schools nationwide. In 2020, Mr. Wang was appointed by the mayor of Tampa to serve on the Public Art Committee of the City of Tampa, Florida. Mr. Wang maintains a studio in Tampa and NYC, and he often travels back to his hometown, Shanghai.