CURRENT BOARD MEMBERS
KRISTIN COX - Board Co-Chair
Term Start: December 2020
Treasurer: June 2021 - Dec 2023
Co-chair: Jan 2024 - present
Manager of Quality Control for Gas & Electric Programs, Baltimore Gas & Electric
Kristin Cox is a Towson, MD native. She holds a Mechanical Engineering Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland and a Masters of Business from Loyola University. Kristin has been teaching dance since the age of nine at the Greater Loch Raven Recreation Center serving a diverse group of students in a variety of dance styles. Kristin’s professional career started as an engineering intern for BGE in their Gas Operations before moving into a variety of leadership positions across the company. She now lives in Bel Air, MD with her family.
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CHRISTEN CROMWELL - Board Co-Chair
Term Start: January 2021
Co-chair: Jan 2024 - present
English and Theater Arts Educator, Baltimore City College
Christen Cromwell is a theatre artist from Baltimore, MD with 20 years of experience. After becoming passionate about equity in education, she earned her MAT in Secondary English and Theatre Education. Her resume includes acting, directing, and writing credits in theatre and film, primarily comedy. She currently teaches English and Theater Arts for Baltimore City Public Schools, a faculty member at her alma mater, Baltimore City College. She is the Director of Play Development for the newly founded Two Strikes Theatre Collective, an organization whose primary goal is to prioritize stories by Black women. She also serves as a board member for The Strand Theater Company.
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BYRONE BROWN - Treasurer
Term Start: May 2023
Treasurer: Jan 2024 - present
Senior Healthcare Consultant, Noblis
Byrone Brown is a Senior Healthcare Consultant at Noblis, an independent, nonprofit organization with a history of objectively providing federal clients with the highest caliber of scientific and technical excellence. Mr. Brown’s leadership in the healthcare profession spans over 15 years and includes project management, strategic planning, data analysis, health policy, and using data analytics to achieve health equity and reduce health disparities.
Mr. Brown is impassioned about Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEI&A). As a cisgender African American male, and member of the LGBTQ+ community, he embraces the importance of a cross-cultural environment where there is a true sense of belonging and equity. He is a founding member of the DEI&A Champions League at Noblis, where he wrote a white paper on the importance of DE&I and coined the name “Champions League.” Mr. Brown served as a member of the Champions League Steering Committee alongside members of the CEO suite and co-wrote the DE&IA corporate strategy. He is an active member of the Black Employee Network resource group, the Pride resource group, and the Community Outreach task force at Noblis, where his service reinforces how organizations can benefit from diverse backgrounds and perspectives.
SHEILA GIBBS - Board Member
Term Start: June 2021
Of Counsel, Kramon & Graham, Attorneys at Law
Sheila Gibbs practices in the firm's litigation group. She focuses on business litigation and government contracts. Sheila represents individual clients, as well as corporations. She has also represented clients in the defense of medical-malpractice and toxic tort claims and in corporate litigation. In addition, Sheila has experience preparing homeowner association documents for developers of residential housing projects. Before joining with the firm, Sheila practiced law in Chicago in the areas of business litigation and personal injury.
BARBARA LIEDAHL - Board Member
Term Start: June 2025
BJLFELTCLAYMAKER LLC
Barbara Liedahl of BJLFELTCLAYMAKER LLC specializes in Educational Consulting, Professional Development, and Makerspace Support. She is a Professional Development Provider for Infosys Foundation USA’s Online Pathfinders Summer Institute, where she facilitates her “Space Suits in Progress: Sewable Electronics” course. Recently retired, she served as a Media Arts Instructional Specialist for Prince George's County Public Schools in Maryland, overseeing 105 instructors and producing the Student Digital Film Festival for 13 years.
Ms. Liedahl is an experienced conference workshop facilitator focusing on Media Arts, Computational Thinking, and Technology Integration, and advocates for cross-curricular collaboration through technology and the arts. As an artist, she integrates electronics into various media, including wet- and needle-felted wool, paper arts, and polymer clay jewelry, creating interactive and innovative designs.
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HEATHER MOORSHEAD - Board Member
Term Start: June 2025
Product Analyst, T. Rowe Price
Heather earned her master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Loyola University Maryland shortly before joining the firm of T. Rowe Price in 2016. In October 2024, Heather co-led a breakout session alongside a workplace colleague at the national “Neurodiversity in the Workplace” conference, hosted by Kennedy Krieger. She additionally served as Communications & Marketing lead for one of the firm’s business resource groups across that same year.
Heather feels passionately about combating stigma surrounding mental health, as well as enhancing holistic wellness support for children via their educational environment. She enjoys seeing the love of the arts developing in her two young children in the form of drawing, singing and dance, and in her spare time can often be found reading a good fantasy book or snuggling up with her Bernedoodle.
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CARY MICHAEL ROBINSON - Board Member
Term Start: June 2025
Founder, Artbae; Teaching Artist
Cary Michael Robinson is an interdisciplinary artist based in Washington, D.C. with a BS in Fine Arts from Florida A&M University and an MA in Design Management from the Savannah College of Art and Design. He is the founder of Artbae, an award-winning organization that offers arts education, advocacy, and events in the D.C. area. Artbae hosts creative events like sip-and-paint parties, art therapy sessions, and unique art buying opportunities.
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In 2020, Artbae received the Emerging Creative Award at the Mayor’s Arts Awards, and Cary has since earned numerous grants, including the D.C. Commission on the Arts & Humanities Fellowship and the Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council Artist Fellowship. He was honored with the GAIN Power IDEA Award for Transformational Talent and Leaders in 2022 and the Creative Spirit Award in 2023.
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Cary is also a Teaching Artist with the Maryland State Arts Council and has mentored youth through organizations like Best Kids, Inc., the YMCA, and Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. His work has been featured at prominent events such as the 2016 BET Awards and the Harlem Fine Arts Show.
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Cary's mission is to inspire through creativity, promoting equity, sustainable living, and improving the quality of life for all. He is passionate about creating meaningful art experiences that encourage growth and community empowerment. Learn more about Mr. Robinson by visiting https://www.carymichael.com/
KATIE WEXLER - Board Member
Term Start: June 2024
Senior Director of People & Culture, Repair the World
Katie Wexler (she/her) is the Senior Director of People & Culture at Repair the World and brings extensive human resources experience to her new role as board member of AEMS. Katie is a graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder and holds certification from SHRM (The Society for Human Resources Management). As the parent of an active and artistic 3rd grader in Montgomery County, Katie is excited to advocate on behalf of arts education for all students in Maryland. Katie lives in Kensington, MD with her family and in her spare time enjoys all things Broadway, baking and books.
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JESSIKA WILLIAMS - Board Member
Term Start: August 2023
Director of Development, American Heart Association
Jessika Williams is an accomplished development professional with a wealth of experience in the non-profit sector. Throughout her career, she has held pivotal roles in various organizations across Maryland, including Arts Education in Maryland Schools and the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. She is currently the Senior Manager of Partnerships at the Greater Baltimore Committee. Jessika graduated from Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland with a degree in Applied Liberal Studies and a minor in Music. Her musical talents have taken her around the world, performing in esteemed concert halls across North America, South America, Africa, Australia, and Europe.
Prior to pursuing her career in non-profit development, Jessika worked as a music educator in Baltimore City Schools. She taught General Music, Choir, Theater, and Movement, and was dedicated to fostering creativity and passion for the arts in her students. Jessika is actively involved in several community organizations, including the Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity Inc., where she serves as Chapter President of the Baltimore Alumnae Chapter, and the Harford County NAACP where she serves on the executive committee.
HIGHER EDUCATION IN THE ARTS TASK FORCE
(H.E.A.T. Force)
HEATForce consists of arts education faculty from higher education throughout Maryland. Virtual meetings are held quarterly via Zoom with the mission of identifying gaps in arts education and bridging the divide between primary and tertiary education to promote paths to arts education pursuits in Maryland’s colleges and universities.
Jessica Hebron (Chair)
Arts for Learning Maryland​
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Elizabeth Ahearn
Goucher College
Mya Ajanku
Coppin State
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Truly Austin
Bowie State University
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Steve Barker
Maryland Theatre Education Association
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Kay Broadwater
Towson Arts Integration Institute (Emeritus)
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Katie Coogan
University of Maryland
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Tamara DeSilva
Bowie State University
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Crystal Davis
University of Maryland​
Julia Di Bussolo
Arts Every Day
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Jennifer Dorsey
Bowie State University
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Wyletta Gamble-Lomax
Coppin State University​
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Lisa Hochtritt
Maryland Institute College of Art
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Jaye Knutson
Towson University
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Diane Kuthy
Towson University​
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Julian Lazarus
Maryland Theatre Educators Association
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Morna McDermott
Towson University​
​Glendola Mills
Morgan State University
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Lizzie Morales
Maryland State Arts Council
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Diya Hafiz-Slayton
Baltimore City Schools, Director of Fine Arts
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Kathy O'Dell
University of Maryland Baltimore County (retired)
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Nan Park
Maryland Institute College of Art
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Susan Rotkovitz
Towson University
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Margaret Walker
University of Maryland College Park
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Anna Winthrop
University of Maryland College Park
Address
190 W. Ostend St.
Baltimore, MD
21230
