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Meet the Board of Directors
 Director Sanam Aldag Manager of Technology Library University of Michigan-LSA Technology ServicesAnn Arbor
Favorite Quote? “Becoming a doctor is easy, becoming a decent human being is much harder”— My father, Dr. Seifoddin Arab (1934-2004)
.jpg) Director George Bayard Executive Director Grand Rapids African American Museum and Archives (GRAAMA) Grand Rapids
Favorite Quote? I grew up listening to his music after hearing mostly soul, R&B, and gospel music, he was a departure from the norm and the best guitarist ever. Unfortunately, in today’s society, peace seems much harder to achieve as the love of power has become dominant. What is your museum background? How did you get involved with MMA? What is your favorite thing about MMA?
Director Favorite Quote? "You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me." - C.S. Lewis What is your museum background? I've only been in the museum world for two and a half years. Before Covid, I was working for the Alzheimer's Association and heard numerous times from our support group members that there were no opportunities for social engagement unless they went to the greater Detroit area. When I saw that the Flint Institute of Arts was looking for someone to help restart their memory loss programming, I jumped at the opportunity to make that connection for my community. How did you get involved with MMA? With being new to museum work, I was looking for ways to make connections with other professionals in the field. I saw that MMA was hosting their annual conference in Flint and was looking for volunteers. I joined the activities committee and assisted during the conference with hosting events and tours at the FIA along with the service project with Flint Handmade. What is your favorite thing about MMA? The opportunity to meet and collaborate with others in the museum world from around our great state!
 Director Emily Lanctot Director and Curator Northern Michigan University’s DeVos Art Museum Marquette
What is your favorite thing about MMA?
 Director Megan McAdow Director Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum University Center Personal Motto? "Hope is not a plan!" With my background in collections management this has been a mantra. What is your museum background? McAdow’s career working in museums spans 20 years and six Michigan museums. She began as an intern at the Oakland County Pioneer and Historical Society, now called the Oakland History Center. McAdow credits this internship for her initial love of museums and has worked hard to provide paid internships whenever possible. McAdow joined the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum as Director in December 2018. Prior to this position she served as Director of Collections & Education at Applewood Estate for the Ruth Mott Foundation in Flint. She was in that position for over five years and had the rare opportunity to open the historic estate as a museum, including tours inside the Mott home for the first time ever. Before Applewood McAdow worked for over eight years as the Collections & Exhibitions Manager at the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores. Prior to that role she served in the Collections Department at the Detroit Institute of Arts. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Nonprofit Leadership from University of Michigan – Dearborn, a Graduate Certificate in Museum Collections Management and Care from George Washington University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from Oakland University where she also minored in Studio Art focusing on photographic and video media. Megan was born and raised in Oxford, Michigan and had been living in the Royal Oak area for the last 10+ years until moving to Flint with her husband four years ago. How did you get involved with MMA? What is your favorite thing about MMA?
 Director Lisa Plank Executive Director Lowell Area Historical Museum Lowell Favorite Quote? “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” - Audrey Hepburn What is your museum background? I have always been fascinated by history. I think it began in my grandparents basement where generations of family memorabilia were tucked in corners. In middle school, I began volunteering with the Public Museum of Grand Rapids. They graciously took an eager 12 year old under their wing and let me spend the next 5 years as a volunteer and intern in the collection department. My time there solidified my interest in history and in my conviction that the public loves history. To present the exciting things I had seen behind the scenes to others was something I wanted to pursue. I went on to do a Public History degree at Western Michigan University and graduate coursework at the University of South Carolina in Applied History. My time at Western was enhanced with internships at the Michigan Maritime Museum and the Allegheny Heritage Development Corporation in Pennsylvania and a summer of Archaeology field school. My Sophomore year was spent at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. For a history major, it was a bit of dream. The town is rich in history. Studying early Scottish history in the actual buildings that it occurred in was remarkable. My career has included work at the Voigt House, Hackley & Hume Site with the Lakeshore Museum, Carver County Museum- Minnesota, Richfield Historical Society- Minnesota, and currently the Lowell Area Historical Museum. I have worked as a volunteer coordinator, site manager, assistant curator and director. Every position has allowed me to pursue presenting history to the public and bringing it alive for them. How did you get involved with MMA? I began by attending conferences and then serving on the program selection committee for the joint conference with AASLH. I was elected to the Board in 2016 and appointed Treasurer in 2017. What is your favorite thing about MMA? The Michigan Museums Association provides an opportunity to connect with other museum professionals. This networking strengthens our organizations and our state’s museum professionals. It also provides us with a way to give back to the museum community and mentor an upcoming generation.   Director Ken Yarsevich Advertising Specialist Michigan Economic Development Council/Travel Michigan Lansing Favorite Quote
Director Joel Zwart Curator of Exhibitions and Collections Grand Valley State University Art Gallery Favorite Quote “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take” – Wayne Gretzky What is your museum background? I grew up in Southern Ontario and my neighbor, who worked for Parks Canada, helped instill a sense of wonder and respect for the historic sites, parks, and museums in the area. This led me to study history and art in my undergraduate education, and eventually to internships at the Grand Rapids Public Museum and the Muskegon Museum of Art. These experiences brought together my love of art and history in a museum setting. I was hooked. After completing my M.A. in Historical Administration in 2000 I joined the museum field. Over the past 25 years, I have been an independent consultant, exhibition designer, and curator and held positions as the Director of Education at the Holland Museum, the Director of Exhibitions at Calvin University, and currently as the Curator of Exhibitions and Collections at the Grand Valley State University Art Museum. I also serve as a peer reviewer for the IMLS granting program and on various committees and boards at museums and non-profit organizations. How did you get involved with MMA? In 2000 I was fresh out of graduate school and working at the Holland Museum. My director encouraged me to attend the MMA annual conference on Mackinac Island. It was the first professional conference of my career, and I immediately felt like I was among my peers who understood the challenges I faced in the museum field. Since then, I have increasingly become more active, attending annual conferences, workshops, and events as well as volunteering on planning committees and teams. What is your favorite thing about MMA? Over the years I have been a member and attended conferences for other State, Regional, and International museum organizations, but MMA has been the most consistent source of support, friendship, and learning in my museum career.
Caitlyn Perry Dial, Ph.D. I started getting involved with MMA in 2009 at the conference in Kalamazoo. I was in my first year of my PhD studies and realized right then that I had found my people. What is your favorite thing about MMA? My favorite thing about MMA are the connections and friendships I have gained over the years. It's not just a group of like-minded, museum loving people, but MMA has a culture of "helping up" where those within this organization reached down the ladder and pulled me up as they moved along. I've tried to do the same.  Vice President Dominick Miller Chief of Marketing Mackinac State Historic Parks Mackinaw City/Mackinac Island Favorite Quote? “It’s a great day for a ballgame – let’s play two!” - Ernie Banks I’m a big baseball fan, and he’s one of the all-time great players from my favorite team. He’d say that pretty often, no matter what the day actually looked like, and despite the fact that he played on some historically bad teams. I like the sentiment of going into each day like that. What is your museum background? My museum background comes completely from Mackinac State Historic Parks (MSHP). I started with the organization in September 2014 as the Group Travel and Special Events Coordinator. In March 2017, I became the Marketing Manager, in charge of marketing and group sales, and was promoted in October of 2020 to Chief of Marketing. In this role, I’m part of the executive staff of Mackinac State Historic Parks, and oversee all aspects of marketing, including museum stores. How did you get involved with MMA? What is your favorite thing about MMA?
Melanie Parker CuratorIlitch Holdings Detroit
What is your museum background? How did you get involved with MMA? What is your favorite thing about MMA?
Director Rochester Hills Museum at VanHoosen Farms Rochester Hills Favorite Quote While not at the museum, I have been a part time firefighter for 33 years. On my off time, I visit every museum I can find throughout Michigan trying to get as smart as all the museum people I meet! How did you get involved with MMA?
 Past-President Jason Dake Director of Education Edsel & Eleanor Ford House Grosse Pointe Shores Favorite Quote? |
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