We’re excited to introduce our #AAM2018 Social Media Journalists, selected from a national pool of applicants who are passionate about museums, education, and social media. We were truly impressed by the amazing contribution each of the applicants makes in their museums and communities. These exciting voices will be important contributors to engaging discussions around the Annual Meeting theme—Educate, Engage, Elevate! Museums on the Rise.

If you’re coming to Phoenix and you see them Tweeting, Facebooking, and Instagramming, stop and say hi! If you can’t join us in person, follow them on social media using #AAM2018 #AAMSMJ and add your voice to the conversation.

Alicia Greene

Follow Alicia on Twitter @LadyOshun1, on Instagram @aliciaoshun, and on Facebook alicia.greene1

Alicia Greene is the community engagement program developer at the Boston Children’s Museum. She is a fierce educator, plus size model, and activist. She has trained at Kansas State University, Brown University, the Improv Asylum, and the American Academy of Dramatic Arts-NYC. Alicia has worked with nonprofit organizations for over 20 years in community engagement, community advocacy, performing arts, and education.

What are you most looking forward to doing at the Annual Meeting as a Social Media Journalist?

I am looking forward to investigating interesting new topics, events, and sessions at AAM’s 2018 Annual Meeting! I am also looking forward to interviewing/meeting a wide range of people in Phoenix. I love getting “connected” with people and learning as much as possible about our museum field. I can’t wait to share all the latest AAM Annual Meeting 2018 news with you!

Andrea Jones

Follow Andrea on Twitter @MuseumJones, and on Facebook at Peak Experience Lab

Andrea is an independent consultant and master educator with 18 years experience as a change agent and professional rabble-rouser. She is a cheerleader for immersive experiences, messy history, and big questions over trivial facts. She works with museums across the country to reinvent storytelling and interpretive methods to increase engagement and decrease “why should I care?” At home, she’s a queer, middle-aged, non-biological parent in search of a Hallmark card suitable for her station in life.

What are you most looking forward to doing at the Annual Meeting as a Social Media Journalist?

I’m a designer of immersive experiences, so I plan to use my tweets to help people who are not in the room, feel like they are in the room. The feeling, flavor, mood, reactions . . . if I’m there, YOU are there.

Alison Kennedy

Follow Alison on Twitter and Instagram @museumqueer

Alison Kennedy is a gallery associate team captain at the Columbus Museum of Art. Alison is an out nonbinary trans museum professional looking to create change in the museum world by living their most authentic life and encouraging others to do the same. Since joining the field, they have worked in historic houses, niche history museums, and art museums, landing their current position in visitor experience at the Columbus Museum of Art.

What are you most looking forward to doing at the Annual Meeting as a Social Media Journalist?

I’m most looking forward to connecting folks who can’t make it to the annual meeting with the conversations happening, as well as connecting with my fellow EMPs!

Grace Astrove

Follow Grace on Twitter @gracieastrove, @CAJMcon, and @The_GEMMuseums

Grace Astrove is the senior development officer for exhibitions at the Jewish Museum. Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Grace graduated from Connecticut College in 2010 with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History and Religious Studies and studied abroad during her junior year in Paris with New York University. She received a Master of Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University, where she specialized in Post-Holocaust art responses. She has been with the Jewish Museum since then.

What are you most looking forward to doing at the Annual Meeting as a Social Media Journalist?

This will be my third AAM annual meeting, but my first as a Social Media Journalist, so I am looking forward to connecting with other attendees and presenters in a new way. I am especially looking forward to live-tweeting panels related to Gender, Equity, and Diversity as these are topics of great interest to both organizations I am representing: the Gender Equity Museum Movement and the Council of American Jewish Museums.

Jina Lee

Follow Jina on Twitter @blackmuseums

Jina Lee is the museum research & program specialist in the Office of Strategic Partnerships at the National Museum of African American History & Culture (NMAAHC.) She also currently chairs the Smithsonian’s Asian Pacific American Heritage Committee. Jina has previously worked at the Smithsonian American Art Museum as the Exhibitions Assistant in the Exhibitions (Design & Productions) Office and has also previously worked as a Management Support Specialist for the Office of Curatorial Affairs at NMAAHC. Jina holds an MA in Museum Studies from the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, and a BA in Music from Rice University, Houston, TX.

What are you most looking forward to doing at the Annual Meeting as a Social Media Journalist?

I will be representing the Association of African American Museums (@blackmuseums) to highlight the educational initiatives and museum work of African American museums in the Southwest!

Kelley Moore

Follow Kelley on Twitter @kelleykathleen, and @azsciencecenter

Kelley Moore is the PR and Social Media Manager at Arizona Science Center. She has worked in social media and content marketing for over nine years and holds a bachelors degree in journalism and public relations from Arizona State University. She’s an avid hiker, a news junkie, and a travel addict.

What are you most looking forward to doing at the Annual Meeting as a Social Media Journalist?

I’m looking forward to connecting more deeply to the museum industry and the incredible community that is working to elevate museums across the nation.

Seema Rao

Follow Seema on Twitter and Instagram @artlust, and on Facebook at brilliantideastudio

Seema Rao is the principal for Brilliant Idea Studio. Seema has worked in museums for nearly 20 years at the interstices of visitor experience, education, and technology. She heads Brilliant Idea Studio, a firm that helps museums develop the best experiences for their visitors. Additionally, she employs her drawing and teaching skills to develop books that blend meaning-making, creativity, and visual appeal. Her third book, Self-Care for Museum Workers, was released in November 2017.

What are you most looking forward to doing at the Annual Meeting as a Social Media Journalist?

I am truly excited and honored to share the voices of museum professionals who feel unheard.

Shaelyn Amaio

Follow Shaelyn on Twitter and Instagram @heyshaelyn

Shaelyn Amaio is the producer of public programs & community engagement at the New York Transit Museum. Shaelyn has been a public experience advocate since her days operating rides at an amusement park in Connecticut. She has worked in education at museums and tourist destinations in the Northeast and the Deep South and has also held roles in project management and content development at design and consulting firms in New York City.

What are you most looking forward to doing at the Annual Meeting as a Social Media Journalist?

I am most looking forward to sharing my perspective and connecting those who are at the conference with others in attendance and with the wider community of museum professionals and enthusiasts online.

Jaclyn Roessel

Follow Jaclyn on Twitter and Instagram @grownupnavajo, on Twitter @jacroess, and on Instagram @jacroessel

Jaclyn Roessel is the director of decolonizing initiatives at the San Diego Museum of Man (Native American). Jaclyn was born and raised on the Navajo Nation. An alumnus from Arizona State University, she was the inaugural recipient of the Arizona Humanities Rising Star Award in 2013, which is given to young professionals whose work elevates the importance of humanities in the community. She’s been named one of Phoenix 100 Creatives You Should Know. Working in the museum field for over the past decade, Roessel confirmed her belief in the power of utilizing cultural learning as a tool to engage and build stronger Native communities. Through all her work, Roessel aims to expand her work to further inspire Native people to use their traditional knowledge as a catalyst to create change in our communities today.

What are you most looking forward to doing at the Annual Meeting as a Social Media Journalist?

I am thrilled to see colleagues’ responses to sessions who won’t be in Phx. Having their perspective integrated in this experience will be valuable – can’t wait to see folx take part!

Nicole Smith

Follow Nicole on Twitter and Instagram @nicole_from_stl

Nicole Smith is the membership coordinator at the Missouri Historical Society. Her daily job is to transform visitors’ love for the Society into membership, but her efforts don’t stop there. In her eight years at the Society, she has served on exhibit teams, written for the Society blog and member magazine, worked with numerous community partners, hosted over 100 events, and probably been on every committee imaginable. One of the most important aspects of her work is making the Society more welcoming to all visitors. In her accessibility work, she has helped push the focus to not just meeting physical accessibility standards but creating avenues for intellectual accessibility.

What are you most looking forward to doing at the Annual Meeting as a Social Media Journalist?

I am most looking forward to making the conference more accessible! I am trained in audio description; what that means is taking anything that is visual and being able to describe it to a person who is blind or has low vision. The conference has a fair number of visuals between sessions, the Expo Hall, and outings to local cultural institutions for me to describe and make sure we’re not leaving anyone out.

Gregory Stock

Follow Gregory on Twitter and Instagram @theradiantbaby

Gregory Stock is the senior manager of institutional giving at the Bay Area Discovery Museum. He is a design strategist, educator, and social impact leader. Other affiliated organizations include SFMOMA, Djerassi Resident Artists Program, Illuminate (The Bay Lights), and Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. He holds a Design Strategy MBA in Strategic Foresight from California College of the Arts and BA in American Studies from Saint Louis University.

What are you most looking forward to doing at the Annual Meeting as a Social Media Journalist?

I am excited to help drive a national conversation on how museums can be spaces for our best selves to thrive. I think digital media has the power to bring people together, to learn about one another, and craft positive futures for everyone. See you on Instagram and Twitter.

Juliana Venegas

Follow Juliana on Twitter @JVenegas_MuseEd, and on Instagram @jev9

Juliana Venegas is an emerging museum professional committed to making museums work for communities, especially by supporting literacy development for visitors of all ages. Juliana recently graduated from The George Washington University with her MAT in Museum Education. Her desire to help people has been fostered by her many leadership opportunities during her higher education journey, including her dedication to tutoring, writing, and serving her sorority, Phi Mu Fraternity for Women.

What are you most looking forward to doing at the Annual Meeting as a Social Media Journalist?

I am looking forward to connecting with colleagues and connecting them with each other by sharing new thoughts and exciting ideas from sessions!

Rebeca Richter

Follow Rebeca on Twitter @rifkarichter

Rebeca Richter is the head of communications & PR at the Museo Nacional de Arte in Mexico City. Before joining the Museo Nacional de Arte she collaborated with culture related jobs, such as art, dance, theater and music festivals and producing documentaries. She has a Bachelor of Media Studies and a masters in Social Anthropology.

What are you most looking forward to doing at the Annual Meeting as a Social Media Journalist?

I am looking forward to learning from other international colleagues from the AAM Getty International Program. I want to hear about their experiences, mistakes, goals, and dreams, and share all this with the AAM community.

Sari Custer

Follow Sari on Twitter @SariCuster and @AZSciencecenter, and on Facebook at the Arizona Science Center

Sari Custer is the vice president of curiosity at Arizona Science Center. She is a mom, wife, life-long science junkie, #SariOnScience. She loves the museum community and would love to showcase the incredible diversity of people, places, and experiences along with the engaging conversations and inspirational learnings that AAM showcases and creates. As a member of an organization in the host city, she is incredibly proud of the museums in Phoenix and wants to represent the culture you can find here while helping to make broader connections.

What are you most looking forward to doing at the Annual Meeting as a Social Media Journalist?

I am most looking forward to interviewing others– sharing the stories of the museum industry, and of our diverse people, places, ideas, and offerings to the world!