Vinny Barraza is the Head of Archives & Special Collections and Faculty Associate Librarian at Xavier University of Louisiana, where he has served since 2015 in roles including Archivist & Digital Preservation Librarian. He also serves as President-elect of the Louisiana Archives & Manuscripts Association (LAMA) and President of the Greater New Orleans Archivists (GNOA). He holds an MA in Museum Studies from Marist College’s Lorenzo de’ Medici International Institute in Florence, Italy, and a BA in Art History from California State University Channel Islands. Vinny is recognized for his leadership in archival practice, digital preservation, and community engagement, with a strong record of professional presentations, publications, and grant-funded projects. He has contributed to the field through service on national committees, including the Society of American Archivists, receiving multiple awards and scholarships for his work. Vinny’s expertise is further demonstrated by his involvement in initiatives supporting diversity, digital sustainability, and the preservation of underrepresented histories, particularly within Black Catholic and African American communities. 

Terri L. White is President & CEO of the Charlotte Museum of History, where she is guiding the city’s oldest history museum through a period of significant operational and financial growth. Known for her bold personality and strategic vision, she works at the intersection of business strategy, historic preservation, and public engagement. Terri is a proud alumna of Howard University and holds advanced degrees from George Mason and University of Pittsburgh. Currently a PhD in Arts Administration student at the University of Kentucky, her research examines how systems theory can strengthen the long-term sustainability of small to mid-sized museums. She currently serves on the Leadership Nominating Committee for AASLH and is excited to continue service to the museum sector with AAM. 

Elise Solomon is the Director of Learning & Outreach at the Taft Museum of Art, where she leads award-winning, community-centered initiatives that expand access to the arts. With over 15 years in art museum education, she has developed nationally recognized programs and held progressive roles at institutions including the New Orleans Museum of Art. Elise holds a BS in Management from Florida State University and an MA in Arts Administration from the University of New Orleans. Beyond her role at the Taft, she is an active advocate for museum education and civic engagement, serving on various boards and committees, teaching art history at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, and contributing as a peer reviewer for the American Alliance of Museums.  

Megan Wood has been the Executive Director and CEO for the Ohio History Connection since August 2022. Megan obtained a B.A. in Public History from Western Michigan University and a M.A. in History Museum Studies from the Cooperstown Graduate Program. Most of her career has focused on education and learning in museums. 

Lizzi Meister is the Public Programs Manager at the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience. She’s originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she went to Jewish summer camp in the north woods and developed a love for experiential learning. Lizzi got her BA in Anthropology at the University of British Columbia. Her love for the South came during her time as a Community Engagement Fellow at the Institute of Southern Jewish Life in Jackson, Mississippi. Before moving to New Orleans to work at the Museum, Lizzi lived in Seattle, getting her Masters in Museology at the University of Washington. She enjoys continuing to weave her love of museums, programming, and Jewish stories at the MSJE. 

Ghazala Salam is the founder and president of Peace Pavilion and a museum leader focused on using storytelling and cultural engagement to foster empathy and cross-cultural understanding. She previously served as Director of the International Museum of Muslim Cultures and as Executive Director of the Dunedin History Museum, where she led exhibitions and communitycentered programming connecting diverse audiences with history and culture. She is the visionary behind the development of Beyond Horizons initiative, an immersive storytelling institution exploring the lived experiences of Muslim communities across time and place. Salam works at the intersection of museums, community dialogue, and human-centered storytelling to help cultural institutions bridge social and cultural divides

Jonathan Goldman is Chief Curator of the B&O Railroad Museum in Baltimore, where he leads exhibitions, collections, archives, education, restoration, and visitor experience for one of the world’s most significant railroad heritage sites and collections. His work integrates scholarship and design to create cultural experiences that contribute to positive social impact. He led research documenting Freedom Seekers who passed through the museum’s campus, resulting in its designation as a National Underground Railroad site and a permanent exhibition interpreting this history. He is currently leading development of a major exhibition on the future of railroad technology as part of the museum’s $38 million campus transformation. Goldman previously served as curator of the Inter-American Development Bank’s Cultural Center. 

Jen Tobias is the Associate Director of Exhibitions and Art Collections and Curator of Art at Denver Botanic Gardens, where she leads exhibition development to combine art, science, and creative technologies for meaningful and unexpected experiences. Tobias holds an MA with Distinction in Museum Studies from the University of Leicester, where her studies focused on museums in the metaverse, and a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. In exhibitions as in life, Tobias feels that the design of experience reflects the arrangement of thought, and seeks to curate exhibitions that offer delight and surprise in both regards. She’s a metadata evangelist and an art history nerd who is interested in how virtual experience changes (and is changed by) physical experience. 

Born in Los Angeles and raised in Palo Alto, California, David Blackburn has a BA in Anthropology from the University of Arizona and a MA in Cultural Resource Management from Sonoma State University. His MA thesis focused on the identification and interpretation of cultural landscapes. David has 40 years of experience working in the heritage field, 35 of them with the National Park Service. After a three-year stint as the Director of the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum, a Pennsylvania state managed heritage property in Lancaster, he joined the Chester County Planning Commission as the Heritage Preservation Coordinator in November, 2023. 

Tony Pankuch is a museum educator, public historian, and LGBTQ+ advocate based in Akron, Ohio. Tony is the Education and Outreach Coordinator at the Cummings Center for the History of Psychology, where they have worked since 2020. They also serve as Co-Lead of the Akron LGBTQ+ Archive at The University of Akron, an oral history and collecting initiative focused on preserving local LGBTQ+ history. Tony previously served as Co-Chair of the American Alliance of Museums’ Task Force for Transgender Inclusion, developing educational resources and connecting with LGBTQ+ museum professionals worldwide. 

Victoria Gerard is a museum executive and cultural leader with 18 years of experience in museum operations, exhibitions, public engagement and institutional strategy. As Deputy Director of the Laguna Art Museum, she works in close partnership with the Executive Director to translate institutional vision into measurable success, recently supporting the most successful year in the museum’s history. Victoria’s work is grounded in the belief that museums are essential institutions, and that strong operational leadership, thoughtful programming, and community connection are inseparable. 

A native New Orleanian with a lifelong commitment to preserving and interpreting Louisiana’s cultural heritage, Jenny has built a distinguished career across the state’s museums and historic sites. Most recently, she served with the Louisiana Landmarks Society at the Pitot House Museum and Maritime Museum Louisiana, where she honed her skills in engaging storytelling and community-focused programming. Her leadership and impact have earned wide recognition: she received the Emerging Museum Professional Award in 2018, was profiled as one of “The Champions of New Orleans’ Forgotten Places” in Country Roads magazine (2021), and contributed the insightful article “Historic Houses in the Shifting Landscape of Climate Change” to the American Alliance of Museums’ Center for the Future of Museums blog. Jenny holds a Master’s in Public History from Southeastern Louisiana University and a Bachelor’s from Loyola University New Orleans, where she served for many years on the Alumnae Board of Directors. She currently serves as President of the Louisiana Association of Museums (LAM) and on the planning committee for the Southeastern Museums Conference (SEMC). Inspired by the mission to honor and educate visitors about Louisiana’s National Guard legacy, Jenny currently manages exhibits at the Louisiana National Guard Museums at Historic Jackson Barracks in New Orleans, La and Louisiana Maneuvers & Military Museum in Pineville, LA.

Melissa has been working in the museum field for twenty years, with experiences at corporate museums, historic homes, and state and county historical societies in the Twin Cities region. Her work emphasizes educational and collaborative initiatives with a focus on inclusivity, sustainability, and innovative partnerships. With a background in professional theater, she also strongly believes in arts integration as a tool to make history feel relevant and vital to the public. In addition to her varied experience in the arts, storytelling, and education, she brings an empathetic and collaborative leadership style that responds to community needs in unique and ever-changing ways. She strives to develop museum spaces that function as community centers for preservation, connection, inspiration, and community storytelling.

After starting her career in retail management, Laura quickly moved into human resources and pursued a master’s degree in that field. She worked in HR for several organizations in both Chicago and Indianapolis, most recently as Senior HR Director at Newfields. By 2018, she had taken on volunteerism responsibilities and additional responsibilities by overseeing the Guest Experience Team. In 2021, a decision was made to split HR out from her other areas, and she chose to stay with guest experience and volunteerism. She believes that her HR background, as well as her passion for serving guests and guiding their team, gives her a strong foundation to help lead this Affinity Community.

Amanda Blake is the Chief Learning and Experience Officer at the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, where she serves on the leadership team and leads a team of more than 40 educators and front-line staff dedicated to creating a welcoming, meaningful, and equitable experience for all visitors. With nearly 20 years of museum experience, she leads audience-centered program development and interpretive strategies that foster meaningful connections with works of art for people of all ages and backgrounds. Her work emphasizes sustainable, multigenerational community engagement and expanding access to art, supported by expertise in program development, visitor research and evaluation, interpretive planning, and staff mentorship. Prior to her current role, Blake held positions at the Dallas Museum of Art and the Wichita Art Museum and holds a BFA in art history and studio art from Oklahoma State University and an MA in Art History and a graduate certificate in art museum education from the University of North Texas.