For more information, contact:
Jennifer Thomas
Executive Director
Phone: 804-506-3238
Email address: jthomas@vamuseums.org
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Virginia Association of Museums Welcomes New Board Members
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Richmond, VA - The Virginia Association of Museums (VAM) is honored to announce the addition of museum leaders, government officials, and partners to the association's Governing Council.
Joining VAM's leadership group during the 2021 Virtual Conference in March, were: Victoria Dietz, Vice President, The Curtis Group; Seth Feman, Deputy Director for Art & Interpretation and Curator of Photography, Chrysler Museum of Art, Norfolk, Virginia; Barbara Gruber, Ph.D., Assistant Director of Education, School Programs, National Air and Space Museum, Washington, DC; Samuel McKelvey, Executive Director, Menokin Foundation, Warsaw, Virginia; Cameron Patterson, Executive Director, Robert Russa Moton Museum, Farmville, Virginia.
Additional members were voted in during the July board retreat, to include: Christonya Brown, Coordinator for History and Social Science, Virginia Department of Education, Richmond, Virginia; Delegate Betsy B. Carr, Virginia House of Delegates, Richmond, Virginia; Kimberly Robinson, Staff Curator and Planner, Harpers Ferry Center, Harpers Ferry, West Virginia; and Dorette Sobolewski, Research Coordinator, Frontier Culture Museum, Staunton, Virginia.
Reflecting on the new members and projects underway that the Council will tackle over the coming years, including the association's initiatives to tackle challenges facing the museum field, training on diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusion (DEAI), and organizational strategic planning, VAM's Executive Director, Jennifer Thomas, notes, “I look forward to working with this amazing group of professionals to help Virginia’s museums succeed!”
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Christonya Brown - Ex-Officio Member
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Christonya Brown knew in fifth grade she would be a teacher, and her passion continued through college. For the past 26 years, Christonya has worked in education in the Commonwealth of Virginia. In 2013, Ms. Brown moved to the Virginia Department of Education to take on the job of Coordinator for History and Social Science. Today, she is responsible for history and social science education, training, and programming for the students, teachers, parents, and communities of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
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Betsy B. Carr - Director-at-Large
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Delegate Betsy B. Carr serves portions of the City of Richmond in the Virginia House of Delegates. Betsy represented the fifth district of the City of Richmond on the Richmond School Board from 2006-2010, and then was elected to the Virginia House of Delegates in 2009. Delegate Carr has a background as outreach director at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, supervisor of statewide programs at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, community relations and resource development chairperson at the University of Richmond’s Women’s Resource Center. Betsy is a proud mom and grandmother.
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Victoria Dietz - Director-at-Large
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Victoria Dietz's experience covers an array of activities in development, from annual fund work to major gift and corporate development. In her role as Vice President for The Curtis Group, she oversees a client portfolio spanning from Delaware through North Carolina. A sought-after speaker and presenter, Victoria has served on the faculty of Tidewater Community College’s Academy for Nonprofit Excellence, Charlottesville’s Center for Nonprofit Excellence, the Virginia Fund Raising Institute, and the Hampton Roads Community Foundation. Victoria holds a B.A. from The College of William & Mary.
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Seth Feman - Director, Art
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Seth Feman is the Deputy Director for Art & Interpretation and Curator of Photography at the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia. At the Chrysler, he oversees the curatorial, education, and registration departments to develop dynamic exhibitions and engaging public programming. Seth has taught at the College of William and Mary and Lewis and Clark College, and served as educator at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. He received his B.A. in art history from Vassar College and his masters and Ph.D. in American studies from The College of William and Mary
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Barbara Gruber - Director, Science, Nature & Planeteria
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Barbara Gruber, PhD CETL, is the Assistant Director of Education, School Programs at the National Air and Space Museum. Her programs focus on student and educator experiences with the Museum. Barb has an extensive background in education, including serving as the Loudoun County Public Schools' Aerospace Educator in residence, a position at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center. She holds a Ph.D. in Education from George Mason University, a masters in Education in Administration and Leadership from The University of Phoenix, as well as a masters in Education in Educational Technology from San Diego State University. You might just find Barb flying a 1957 Cessna Skyhawk.
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Samuel McKelvey - Director, Historic House
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Sam McKelvey is the Executive Director of Menokin Foundation in Warsaw, Virginia. During his tenure, he has managed a re-branding of the site, a shift in mission, launching dedicated research on the enslaved and their descendants, overseeing the planning and building of the Menokin Remembrance Structure, and is overseeing a $8.5 million capital campaign to bring the Glass House Project to reality. Prior to joining Menokin, Sam managed multiple museums with Henrico County Historic Preservation and Museum Services including Meadow Farm Museum, Dabbs House, Clarke-Palmore Museum, and Walkerton Tavern. Sam holds a B.S. in Geography and History from James Madison University and an M.A. in History from Virginia Commonwealth University.
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Cameron Patterson - Director, Central Virginia
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Cameron Patterson is the Executive Director of the Robert Russa Moton Museum, a National Historic Landmark that preserves and constructively interprets the history of Civil Rights in Education, specifically as it relates to Prince Edward County and the leading role its citizens played in America’s transition from segregation towards integration. Before joining Moton, Cameron worked in numerous roles within Student Affairs at Longwood University. Actively involved in the local community and across the Commonwealth, he was appointed by Gov. Ralph S. Northam to serve as a member of the Virginia African American Advisory Board and the Board of Directors for the New College Institute. Cameron also serves as a member of the State Board of Directors for the Virginia Center for Inclusive Communities, Chairman for the Farmville Area Chamber of Commerce, Vice Chairman for the Farmville Planning Commission and the Virginia Children’s Book Festival. A Lynchburg, Virginia native, he graduated from Longwood University with a bachelor of science degree in history, and a master's degree in counselor education.
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Kimberly Robinson - Director, Northern Virginia
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Kimberly Robinson has just joined Harpers Ferry Center as a Staff Curator and Planner. She most recently served prior to joining HFC as Museum Curator at the George Washington Memorial Parkway, a National Park Service unit in the Washington Metropolitan Area that includes Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial and Clara Barton National Historic Site. She graduated from the George Washington University’s Museum Studies Graduate Program with a Master of Arts degree with a concentration in Collections Management in 2006. Her research interests are focused on 19th Century Fine and Decorative Arts as well as architecture, in particular the art, architecture and design of the Victorian Era. Ms. Robinson has given numerous talks on historic homes and museum collections management and recently taught collections management at the George Washington University.
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Dorette Sobolewski - Director, History
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Dorette Sobolewski is the Research Coordinator at the Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia in Staunton, VA. Born and raised in Northern Germany, Dorette developed a passion for American history and culture during her undergraduate and graduate studies in Scotland. Her passion for museums and public history deepened during internships with the National Park Service. Before coming to the Frontier Culture Museum, Dorette worked as an Interpretive Guide at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Her current interest is on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in museums, and in using museums as safe and trusted places for discussing difficult topics. In her spare time, Dorette volunteers at the Blue Ridge Children’s Museum, an emerging children’s museum in Waynesboro, VA. She also enjoys cooking and eating foods from different cultures, traveling, and exploring the beautiful Appalachian region with her husband Eric, and her spoiled rescue dog Abbie.
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About the Virginia Association of Museums
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The Virginia Association of Museums (VAM) is the largest state museum service organization in the United States, with over 3,500 members. VAM focuses its efforts on professional and career development opportunities for museum professionals and advocacy at the state and national levels. VAM has taken the lead in providing Virginia’s museums with the tools necessary to face the challenges of the 21st century, and make constructive and adaptive changes to improve the stewardship of our historic and cultural heritage. It is a network of museum staff and volunteers who work together to promote professionalism in the museum field, and best practices at all museums in the Commonwealth.
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