Staff & Board of Directors
Want to contact us? All staff e-mail addresses are formatted as follows: firstname.lastname@creativemoco.com
Core Staff
AHCMC's highly experienced and effective core staff serve a variety of constituents including organizations, individuals, educators and the general public. Core staff lead the key functional areas for AHCMC which includes: grants, communications, program services, advocacy, policy development, strategic planning and administration.
Suzan E. Jenkins, Chief Executive Officer
Recognized as one of the Top CEOs You Need To Know in 2009 by The Gazette of Politics and Business, and featured in Women Business Leaders of Maryland 2010, Suzan Jenkins is a visionary CEO with a knack for leading cultural initiatives. She has over 20 years extensive experience spearheading organizational and programmatic development in the non-profit arts and culture sector from world renown organizations such as the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution and the Recording Industry Association of America to name but a few.
She is a strategic thinker and team builder who develops innovative projects that respond to and cultivate communities and is ingenious at crafting policy and forging partnerships and collaborations in the global marketplace. Her career has been dedicated to encouraging creativity and scholarly excellence in arts and cultural organizations; she was an Executive in Residence in the College of Music at Loyola University, New Orleans during the 2007/2008 academic year.
Over the course of her career Jenkins has created local, national and international initiatives and educational programs which celebrate constituents and provide opportunities for creative expression; identified and framed strategies for sustainability; encouraged and developed initiatives for lifelong learning in the arts and humanities; and heightened awareness regarding art, culture and non profit management. She has produced several recordings and is the Conceptual Producer of the Peabody Award winning series Let the Good Times Roll, produced for Public Radio International.
Michelle Grove, Director of Grants
Michelle Grove joined the Arts and Humanities Council staff in 2007. At AHCMC, Michelle is responsible for providing oversight and strategic direction for the grants program, in addition to administering the various grant award and related roster processes.
In December 2009, she was elected to the national Emerging Leaders Council, an advisory council to Americans for the Arts, where she currently serves as co-chair. Michelle has also served as an active member of Washington Grantmakers’ Arts and Humanities Working Group, as co-chair of Emerging Arts Leaders DC and is the founder of the annual Emerging Arts Leaders Symposium hosted by American University.
Michelle’s background includes work as the Events and Grants Manager at AHCMC, a private violin instructor and a musicians’ contractor. She has served on panels for the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, the Maryland State Arts Council and The Arts Council of Fairfax County. She has also served as a presenter and facilitator at Americans for the Arts' annual convention and as a guest lecturer at American University. She holds a B.A. in violin performance with a minor in French from the University of Maryland and a M.A. in Arts Management from American University where her thesis focused on leadership development.
Megan Pagado, Digital Communications and Outreach Manager
Megan Pagado joined the Arts & Humanities Council staff in 2008 as an intern while completing her undergraduate education. She has had experience in marketing, PR and development at arts organizations in the Los Angeles and D.C. areas, and has served as Entertainment Coordinator and Director of the Tastes of Takoma festival.
At AHCMC, Megan is a key member of the Marketing team with special attention to cooperative marketing opportunities, the DOandGO.org calendar and AHCMC’s web presence, including its social media platforms and online communities. Megan also works with advocacy initiatives and serves as the producer for the yearly Executive's Awards ceremony.
Megan also volunteers as Director of Communications of Sulu DC and works to present the Sulu Series, a monthly performance showcase of emerging and established Asian-American and Pacific Islander artists in poetry/spoken word, music, theater and multidisciplinary performances.
Megan holds a B.A. in Public Communication with an emphasis in Public Relations and a minor in Music from Washington Adventist University (formerly Columbia Union College).
Shellie Williams, Deputy Director
Shellie Williams has been active in the cultural field for 20 years, specializing in marketing, programming and policy development that help cultural institutions make meaningful connections with diverse audiences groups. She has been with the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County since October 2005. Prior to that, Shellie spent nearly 17 years in the museum field including seven years as a management Consultant and Director for LORD Cultural Resources, Inc., an international museum planning firm with US offices in Washington, DC and San Francisco. At LORD, Shellie worked on over thirty projects around the US including: The Smithsonian Affiliations Program, Princeton University Art Museum, the Arts & Science Council of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, and the August Wilson Center for African American Culture in Pittsburgh.
Between 1989 and 1998, Shellie held a range of museum education and curatorial roles at art museums in Michigan, Florida and South Carolina. Shellie holds a B.F.A. in painting from the Ringling School of Art + Design in Sarasota, Florida, and a M.A. in Art History and Classical Archaeological from Florida State University.
Consulting Staff
AHCMC contracts with consultants who are recognized specialists in their fields to manage discreet programs and provide key services. With the assistance of our consulting staff, AHCMC maintains an active public art program, a vibrant arts education program and is undertaking the development of a web-based multimedia exhibition on the folk and traditional arts of Montgomery County.
Fran Abrams, Betty Mae Kramer Gallery and Music Room Manager
Fran Abrams has worked for more than 20 years in nonprofit organizations. Before joining AHCMC in 2000, she worked with the Montgomery County government, nonprofit organizations, and was Executive Director of The Musical Theater Center in Rockville, a nonprofit organization that trains young people in musical theater skills. She has worked in a variety of programs, including early childhood education, arts and the environment.
Ms. Abrams holds a B.A. in Art and Architecture from Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and an M.A. in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
Michele Cohen, Ph. D., Consultant for the Public Art Trust
Principal of Michele Cohen Art, Dr. Cohen has over 25 years experience as an administrator, writer, curator, and professor in the field of public art. From 1989-2009, she served as the founding Director of New York City’s Public Art for Public Schools program, managing a collection inventory, extensive conservation program and new acquisitions. Prior to her tenure with the Public Art for Public Schools program, she directed the sculpture inventory for the Art Commission of the City of New York. Most recently an Assistant Professor of Arts Administration and Director of the Trustman Art Gallery at Simmons College, she curated group and solo exhibitions and taught classes on arts administration and public art. Through collection management, education, and advocacy, she will assist the Arts and Humanities Council to revitalize its public art program.
Dr. Cohen holds a B.A. in Art History and English Literature from the State University of New York at Buffalo and a Ph.D. in Art History from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.
Shelley S. Johnson, Arts Integration Specialist
Shelley S. Johnson has been involved in arts education for over thirty-five years. She has committed to working with teachers and arts specialists across the state as they learn, engage and implement arts integration lessons in their classrooms.
In 1995, she received recognition for her work with special needs students by the Montgomery County Parent and Teachers Association. This work integrated the arts into the curriculum with special adaptations for students with physical handicaps. The Maryland State Art Education Association awarded Shelley with the Outstanding Art Educator of the Year Award, 1995, for her contributions in the classroom. In 1999, she was the Montgomery County Teacher of the Year, representing the county at the state level.
For the past seven years, she has been the lead teacher at two Montgomery County Public Schools arts integration model schools. Each of her schools was identified at the state level for their outstanding arts programs and one of them was recognized in 2008 nationally.
Shelley is an adjunct professor for the Towson University Arts Integration Institute. Shelley has presented locally, state wide, nationally and internationally sharing best practices in implementing arts integration into the classroom.
John Murph, Montgomery Traditions Website Producer
John Murph 
writes about music and arts for The Washington Post, National Public Radio, The Root, JazzTimes, JazzWise and Down Beat. He's covered international events in Panama, South Africa, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Barbados, Spain, Belgium, Canada and Anguilla. In addition, he's also a web content producer, who's worked for NPR, Black Entertainment Television and Montgomery County's Park & Planning Department. Currently, he's creating a multimedia, web-based exhibition exploring Montgomery County's multicultural folkloric disciplines.
Crystal Polis, Works on Paper Coordinator
Crystal Polis has been working in museums and non-profits for the last seventeen years, with experience in both administrative and curatorial areas. She has worked at the Smithsonian Institution, American Swedish Historical Museum, Artists Archives of the Western Reserve, and the U.S. Navy Art Collection. She is currently a part-time consultant at Pyramid Atlantic Art Center in Silver Spring, Maryland.
While at the Navy, she was part of a three-person team that cared for 15,000 works, most of them on paper. Her duties were largely centered on handling, storing and preventive conservation of these works. She looks forward to inventorying the County’s collection and creating a database that will capture photographs and valuable information about the 500+ works. This database will help to make the collection more accessible to county employees, visiting artists, teachers, and students, as well as assist with the planning of future exhibitions by staff.
Interns
Interns provide invaluable support for the many programs presented by AHCMC.
Kayla Springer, Communications and Events Intern
Kayla Springer is a junior at the University of Maryland, College Park. She is a proud sister of Alpha Chi Omega sorority and an avid hockey fan. She has decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Communication with a minor in Art History, and her anticipated graduation date is May 2013. After college, Kayla would like to work in the field of Public Relations.
With previous experience in event planning and social media, she is excited to put her skills to work and learn many new ones. She is eager to become part of the lively, cohesive team at AHCMC. You can find her on many social media sites including Linkedin and Twitter (follow her @Kayla_Springer).
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors of the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County includes artists, humanities scholars, business leaders, civic activists, arts administrators, artists, and non-profit executives with a diverse mix of ethnic, economic, geographic, and employment backgrounds. The board is dedicated to the mission of the Arts and Humanities Council and welcomes interested individuals to contact them with questions about the Arts and Humanities Council. For more information, please call us at 301-565-3805.
Executive Committee
Jacqueline Manger
West Creek Capital
Chair & Chair of Governance
Erica A. Leatham, Esq.
Ballard Spahr LLP
Vice Chair & Co-Chair of Development
Mara Walker
Americans for the Arts
Treasurer & Chair of Finance
Joan Griggs
Griggs Associates
Secretary & Chair of Grants
Steven Snapp
Snapp Strategic Partners, LLC
Advocacy Chair
Mara Mayor, Ph.D.
Education Consultant
Audit Chair
Board Members
Michael Bobbitt
Adventure Theatre
Kim Baich
How Sweet It Is
Lyn Chiet
Cornicopia Designs
Amy Harbison
Open Window Creative Strategies LLC
Tony Hawkins
Montgomery College
Melvin L. Hardy
Milennium Arts Salon
Gary Rosenthal
The Gary Rosenthal Collection
Bobbi Shulman
Artist
Ricardo Trujillo, CPA, CITP
Grossberg Certified Public Accountants
Leslie S. Whipkey, CFP, CRPC
Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management
Julie Williams
National Parks Conservation Association
Ronald F. Wolfsheimer
Calvert Group, Ltd.
Adjunct to the Board
Kenneth A. Lechter, Esq.
Legal Counsel
801 Ellsworth Drive
Silver Spring, MD 20910
T: 301-565-3805 | F: 301-565-3809
©
Arts and Humanities Council of Mongomery County. All Rights Reserved.
Site developed by 
Wood Street, Inc.