Meet Our Board

Johanna Hawfield Foster is a native North Carolinian who remained in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro area after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1997.  She is a trained educator who believes in the transformative power of art to enhance learning and improve mental health.  She currently serves as Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs at UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Data Science and Society.  Johanna holds a B.A. in Spanish Education and a Master of Public Administration, both from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  She additionally holds a Master of Education from Harvard University.

Ellen Medearis, Vice President of Duke Health Development and Alumni Affairs (DHDAA) since 2011, has worked at Duke for more than 20 years.  Prior to joining DHDAA, Medearis served in leadership positions within Duke Medicine and Duke University Development: she was Director of Major Gifts for Duke Medicine Development and Alumni Affairs, followed by Director of Major and Leadership Gifts, Executive Director, and then Associate Vice President for Duke University Development.

During her tenure at DHDAA, Medearis developed a new strategic plan for development and alumni programs, including a campaign plan and budget increases.  The university-wide Duke Forward campaign was launched in September 2012, with a goal of $3.25B.  The Duke Health fund raising goal of $1.2B was surpassed with $1.4B raised at the conclusion of the campaign in June 2017.

Medearis and her team have established a comprehensive faculty engagement program, a new principal gifts program, and a gift officer metrics and training program.  In 2014, the DHDAA office was one of just two at the University, outside of the Health System, to conduct a culture survey in order to improve worker satisfaction and productivity.  Additional surveys, along with a work culture committee, continue to be a key part of employee engagement.

DHDAA seeks to secure philanthropic support across all of Duke Health, pursuing the priorities of the Schools of Medicine and Nursing, the hospitals, clinical and basic sciences departments.

Hathaway Pendergrass, a native of Carrboro, North Carolina works at Epting and Hackney law firm in Chapel Hill. He joined the firm in September, 2012, and focuses his practice on civil litigation and criminal law. He is a proud graduate of Chapel Hill High School. After high school, he entered UNC-CH, and graduated in 2006 with a BS in Business Administration from the Kenan-Flagler Business program. He entered North Carolina Central School of Law in 2009 where he served as Editor-in-Chief of the North Carolina Central Law Review and graduated Summa Cum Laude in 2012.

Hathaway is Chair of the Board of Directors for the Orange & Chatham Justice Initiatives affiliate, former President of the Orange County Rape Crisis Center Board of Directors, former President of the 15B Judicial District Bar, former Board Member of the Orange County Bar, a Teen Court Judge with Volunteers for Youth in Orange County, and volunteers as the attorney for EmPOWERment, Inc. Pendergrass previously served on the Carrboro Planning board, volunteered as the attorney for the Carrboro Farmers’ Market, and served as a volunteer in the 15B Judicial District Guardian Ad Litem program. He also enjoys running, attending Carolina sporting events, and spending time with his wife and kids.

Rebecca Moore is a ceramic artist living and working in Carrboro. She has been involved in education-related endeavors for many years, most recently as a college counselor for high school students. Rebecca homeschooled her children for many years (8 to be exact) and she served as head of administration for a Waldorf school in Chicago for three years. Prior to having children Rebecca worked at the University of Chicago under the head bibliographer for South Asia.

Rebecca has her BA from Michigan State University in Religious Studies and Women’s Studies, her MA from the University of Wisconsin at Madison in South Asian Studies, and an MS in Library Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Helen Kalisher is an artist, designer and business owner living in Chapel Hill, NC. Born in the UK, she spent many years traveling independently around the world before settling in the the U.S. She is a graduate of Chelsea College of Art in London, and spent her creative career designing for clients such as Apple, Dorling Kindersley and HP before starting her own Hospitality Art company (Kalisher) alongside her late husband, Jesse. Since retiring in 2018 she has been focusing on personal art projects, parenting her two teenagers, and exploring new skills ranging from advanced SCUBA diving to search and rescue volunteering.

Emily Evens is a North Carolina native who has lived in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area for 25 years. She is the director of health research at FHI 360, an international NGO based in Durham, NC. In her work, she collaborates with national and regional governments and community stakeholders in lower- and middle- income countries to strengthen health programs through the application of research results. Her research interests include maternal and child health, sexual and reproductive health, infectious diseases, supporting new innovations in health service delivery, and quality improvement. She has worked in more than 25 countries throughout East, Southern and West Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia.

Emily holds an BA in Anthropology and Religious Studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and master’s and doctoral degrees in Public Health from The Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also a board member at the North Carolina Global Health Alliance. She enjoys traveling, reading, cooking, and spending time with her husband, children, and dog.

Jackie Tanner was born in London then lived in Brussels until age five when her family moved back to the UK. After graduating from high school she traveled extensively both in Europe and around the world, and while an undergraduate at the University of Nottingham met her future american husband. Since landing in downtown Carrboro in 1994, Jackie has served on the Head Start Policy Council, served as Vice President of Childcare Matters (a local non profit preschool), multiple committees within the Orange Chatham Association Of Realtors, and currently serves as the Chair of PlayMakers Advisory Council and Vice Chair of The ArtsCenter. As a local real estate agent since 1999, and now a member of the Guskiewicz Tanner team, Jackie feels it is important to remain knowledgeable about all aspects of the communities she serves and enjoys giving back to organizations that are a part of maintaining their diversity & vitality.

Riza Jenkins is a Senior Consultant with ICF in the Energy, Environment, and Infrastructure operating group. Riza worked as the Vice President of Asset Management for Summit Ridge Energy (SRE), managing its growing community solar portfolio. Riza also managed Strata Solar’s Asset Management department overseeing its 900 MW portfolio of solar projects.

In addition to her participation as a board member for The ArtsCenter, Riza serves on the board for the North Carolina Sustainable Energy Association (NCSEA). Riza currently serves on the NCSEA’s Strategy-Development board committee and is the former chair for the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion board committee and Secretary. Riza was elected to the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools (CHCCS) Board of Education in 2021 and serves on the Student Success board committee and chair for the Finance, Facilities, and Operations board committee. Riza is a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University and has her JD-MBA from Howard University. Riza lives in Chapel Hill with her three children

Becky Woodruff is the Owner/Manager of the Frame & Print Shop at University Place and The Frame & Print Shop North in Timberlyne Village. In her previous employment as a therapist at UNC Hospitals, Becky was involved in multiple community events with multidisciplinary teams to include education outreach, reunions, and teaching for Burn Survivors and Rehabilitation patients. Becky was co-chair for the SECU Family House Capital Campaign and continues to assist her team The SECU House Woodruff Warriors, with monthly meals. Becky was a collegiate and US National Team Springboard/Platform diver in her youth and mid-twenties.

She presently volunteers with the UNC Collegiate Diving Program as their announcer at meets and also announces at the ACC Swimming & Diving Championships. Becky started a summer league diving program 30 years ago which provides grassroots learning opportunities for children of all ages and abilities, and it continues to this day. Becky & her Husband, Bob, purchased the Frame & Print Shop 9 years ago with no retail or framing experience. Most important to Becky is costumer service, community involvement and opportunities to give back to her community. Last year she started The Artist Frame HUB which offers artists free gently used frames and supplies and also offers wholesale framing supplies to make preserving their art for shows and events affordable. She supports and donates to local art groups such Orange County and Chatham County Artist Guilds, and the Orange County Art Council.

Mark Kleinschmidt grew up in the Air Force and spent his childhood living all around the country. He ultimately landed in Chapel Hill where he earned a B.A. in Education from the University of North Carolina, and after teaching high school for several years in Charlotte, received his J.D.  from UNC School of Law in May 2000.He currently serves as the Orange County Clerk of Superior Court having first been elected to that office in 2018.

Mark served on the Chapel Hill Town Council from 2001 to 2009. He was elected Mayor of Chapel Hill in November 2009 and served as mayor until 2015.  Prior to being elected Clerk, Kleinschmidt practiced law for more than 18 years, first at the Center for Death Penalty Litigation, then as Executive Director of the Fair Trial Initiative and finally with the firm Tin Fulton Walker & Owen.  He also continues to serve as an adjunct professor at the UNC School of Law teaching trail advocacy and at the Friday Center where he teaches Trusts and Estates in the UNC-Chapel Hill Paralegal Certificate Program. He has served on several non-profit boards including EqualityNC, the ACLU of North Carolina, Kidzu, and Eyes Ears Nose and Paws.

Mark continues to live in Chapel Hill with his husband Mat DeBellis and their dog Ellie.

Kamal A. James is founder and Chief Educator at JamesEducation.com. He uses the SAT and ACT to promote college preparation and opportunity for students from across the socioeconomic spectrum.

Kamal has extensive experience teaching grades six through twelve at public, charter, and independent schools, along with early career experience at Wall Street brokerage firms. He holds an MBA from Temple University and a B.S. in Finance from Hampton University. He is a second-year student in the Higher Education Leadership masters degree program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Bernadette came to Chapel Hill in 1975 to study at UNC and received her Ph.D. in Sociology in 1980. Bernadette’s career focused on the evaluation of mental health programs in community and prison settings. She first spent five years in research and evaluation at the Durham County Community Mental Health Center. She subsequently became Chief of Research at the Federal Correctional Institution in Butner and retired in 2006. She directed a multi-center national project evaluating drug treatment programs. She served on eight boards and commissions before her election to the Orange County Board of Commissioners in December 2008.

Fabrizio Bianchi is a third-generation Latinx artist living and working in Durham, NC. With a Bachelors degree from East Carolina University and a Masters degree from the University of New Mexico in fine arts, he has been actively involved in the art scene in the Triangle including The ArtsCenter. From curating to displaying his mixed mediums, he uses a wide range of materials and tools including painting, woodburning, and laser engraving. 

Growing up in a bicultural household in eastern NC, Fabrizio considers himself an artist ambassador actively seeking ways to connect his art practice with different members of local communities. As a graphic designer, painter, and teacher of traditional and digital art classes in the Triangle, he aims to expand his teaching practice and connect with a broader audience through podcasts and virtual instruction.

Chieko Murasugi is an artist who was born in Tokyo, raised in Toronto, and based in San Francisco for 20 years before moving to Chapel Hill in 2012. She is a trained Experimental Psychologist, specializing in human and monkey visual perception (PhD. York University, Postdoctoral fellow Stanford Medical School). She also has degrees in Studio Art (BFA York U, MFA UNC-CH 2019). Chieko creates paintings, mixed media, and textile works. Her art has been exhibited nationally in galleries and museums, and resides in the City of Raleigh, Durham, and Duke University collections. She is featured in Liza Roberts’ book, “Art of the State: Celebrating the Visual Art of North Carolina” (UNC Press, 2022). In 2019, Chieko co-founded BASEMENT, a curatorial group that promotes works by experimental artists with roots in the Southeast.

Joe Daley is a North Carolina native who grew up in Wilmington and stayed in the triangle after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2017. He currently serves as the Associate Dean for Finance and Operations with the School of Data Science and Society at UNC-CH where he leads the School’s HR, Finance, IT, and Facilities areas.

Joe holds a B.A. in economics and political science from UNC-CH, and an M.S. in Information Science from North Carolina Central University. Outside of work, he enjoys traveling, spending time with friends, and doting on his dog, Charlie.

Allyson is a Rhode Island native who relocated to the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area in 2016 and quickly made it her home. A professional in the business travel industry, she has served on the board of the Global Business Travel Association – North Carolina chapter and actively supports initiatives by the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Foundation.

Allyson holds a B.A. in International Programme for Hospitality Studies from Endicott College in Beverly, MA. Outside of her professional commitments, she enjoys exploring the community with her husband, son, and dog, and can often be found running or hiking throughout the Triangle.

Victoria (Vicki) Rovine is Professor of Art History at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Director of Carolina Public Humanities, the public outreach arm of the College of Arts and Sciences. She studied art and art history as an undergraduate at Grinnell College, then spent a year at Chicago’s Field Museum of Natural History as a museum educator. While there, she first encountered African art and went on to graduate study in African art history at Indiana University, where she earned her MA and PhD. Before coming to UNC, she was a curator at the University of Iowa and a faculty member at the University of Florida. She served two terms on the Carrboro Arts Committee.

Vicki’s research is focused on African textiles and dress practices. She has conducted research in Mali on weaving, dyeing, and embroidery since the early 1990s, and more recently she has researched clothing and textile design in Senegal, Niger, France, and South Africa. Her book Bogolan: Shaping Culture through Cloth in Contemporary Mali focused on a textile from Mali that has been transformed by artists and entrepreneurs in contemporary West Africa. Her 2015 book African Fashion, Global Style: Histories, Innovations, and Ideas You Can Wear explores the work of African fashion designers from across the continent, and it addresses the image of Africa in Western fashion design. She is writing a book on the French colonial era in West Africa, addressing the roles of cotton, cloth, and clothing in the interactions between African communities and the French colonial system that sought to transform the colonies’ economies and cultures. Throughout her career, her research has highlighted the changing meanings of tradition for African artists and communities, where textiles and dress styles associated with tradition fuel constant innovations. She has also explored how Western designation of African people and cultures as traditional distorts and misrepresents them, creating an imagined Africa with profound implications for our understanding of this immense, diverse, and innovative continent.

Before taking up her position at Carolina Public Humanities, Vicki was Director of UNC’s African Studies Center, where she created public programs on Africa and pursued linkages with African institutions, including the Université Cheikh Anta Diop in Senegal. She also organized yearly graduate symposia and facilitated faculty-organized symposia. She worked with the Center’s Associate Director to engage the Chapel Hill/Carrboro community in African Studies events, and she collaborated with graduate students to organize a series of online art exhibitions featuring early-career African artists who have not previously exhibited their work outside their home countries.

At Carolina Public Humanities (CPH), Vicki works with an amazing staff to create public programs (including a new collaboration with the Carrboro ArtsCenter) as well as extensive K-12 and community college outreach initiatives. Each program brings the work of Carolina’s scholars to audiences across the state. She is also laying plans for other collaborations in North Carolina communities, always with the goal of making CPH’s programs more accessible, interesting, and welcoming to everyone. She is passionate about the value of the arts and humanities, which enrich lives and foster learning about the world, our communities, and ourselves.

Vicki is grateful to be a resident of Carrboro and wants to do her part to help its arts and artists flourish. She and her wife especially love Carrboro’s galleries, markets, and cafés.