Stewards of public and private resources entrusted to us
Our stature as a model multi-purpose arts council and advocate for the arts is due — in large measure — to the enthusiastic and thoughtful efforts of our Board of Directors and staff. We work tirelessly through advocacy, grants to arts organizations, and innovative community-based programs — to encourage artistic development and growth.

Board of Directors
Meet our current Board members, whose passion for the arts, generosity, and commitment to community service enable so much of our work.
The Arts Council is governed by an independent Board of Directors and its bylaws. The Board is responsible for making strategic decisions, setting policy, ensuring legal requirements are met, and serving as a trustee of the Arts Council’s assets and resources. Our Board has established a legacy of responsible governance and strong fiscal management built on a commitment to excellence and diversity, thoughtful deliberation, and serving in the best interest of the Arts Council at all times.
Officers
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Adam Stull
President, Market Manager, AVP, SECU
Adam Stull
President, Market Manager, AVP, SECU
Adam Stull is Market Manager and AVP at SECU. He previously served as Vice President and Small Business Banking Team Leader at Howard Bank. Adam has over 26 years of banking experience. He has held various Retail Banking positions with a steady progression to higher authority and responsibility. He has extensive experience in the management of large groups of branches and in sales management.
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Andrea Magers
Vice President, State Farm Insurance
Andrea Magers
Vice President, State Farm Insurance
Andrea is the Agent/Owner of Andrea Magers State Farm Insurance. Andrea is a third generation State Farm Agent, she has worked in the insurance and financial services industry since 2008. She is a proud graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park. Andrea was raised in Carroll County, Maryland, and has fond memories of attending various art camps and classes as a child. She and her husband love traveling and make sure to pick up a piece of art from every trip to remind them of their adventures, a practice instilled in her by her parents and the gift of traveling from a young age. She currently resides in Catonsville with her husband Clint, and their daughter Charlotte. They look forward to Charlotte being old enough to attend classes and camps through the Howard County Arts Council to help foster a love of the arts in the next generation.
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Muriel G. Mitchell
Secretary/Community Liaison
Muriel G. Mitchell
Secretary/Community Liaison
Muriel Giles Mitchell grew up in Baltimore City, where she graduated from Western High School and continued her education at Morgan State College, now Morgan State University, where she received a B.S. degree in Elementary Education. Shortly thereafter, she was married and moved with her husband to Boston, Massachusetts, where she became a middle school teacher. While in Boston, Mitchell attended Northeastern University, receiving an M.Ed degree with a concentration in reading. She and her husband moved to Howard County in 1973, where her career path led her to the Montgomery County Public School System. During her thirty-eight years of employment there, before retiring in 2010, she worked as a reading specialist, a Title I specialist and special education coordinator.
As a Howard County resident, Mitchell is dedicated to community service. She serves as the coordinator of the annual Black History Expo, the National Panhellenic Council of Howard County’s Toys for Tots toy drive, and the MLK Food Drive. As a member of the Columbia (MD) Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., she has served in a number of elected positions, including president, and appointed positions such as parliamentarian and chairperson of The Scholars Leadership Program (Delta Scholars Program), implemented in all twelve of Howard County Public School System’s high schools. Mitchell and her husband serve as Family Ministries Coordinators at Locust United Methodist Church. Participation and leadership in other organizations provides her with opportunities to enjoy and engage in a variety of cultural events that highlight artistic talents throughout the metropolitan area.
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Ryan Rager
Treasurer, M&T Bank
Ryan Rager
Treasurer, M&T Bank
Ryan joined M&T Bank in the fall of 2019 through the M&T’s Executive Associate program. He has since worked on both the Baltimore and Chesapeake Middle Market Commercial Banking Teams. Ryan’s responsibilities have included credit portfolio management, client relationship management, and credit analysis.
Prior to joining M&T Bank, Ryan served as a Submarine Officer in the United States Navy from 2010 through 2017. He served as a junior officer onboard the USS MONTPELIER (SSN-765) out of Norfolk, VA, and held several positions in the both the engineering and operations departments. Following his tour onboard the MONTPELIER, Ryan completed his time on active duty as a Fleet Liaison at the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) in Washington, D.C.
Following his seven years on active duty, Ryan worked for a manufacturing firm near his home in Frederick, Maryland. While there he began working on his MBA in the evenings at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. Concurrent with his MBA coursework and following his time in manufacturing, Ryan completed a summer internship on the Baltimore and Chesapeake Middle Market Commercial Banking Teams. Following his internship, he returned to M&T full-time while completing his MBA in the evenings. Ryan earned his MBA from the University of Maryland’s Smith School of Business in the Spring of 2020 and is a 2010 graduate of the United States Naval Academy.
Ryan was born and raised in nearby Montgomery County, Maryland, where he graduated from Paint Branch High School. He currently lives in Woodbine with his wife Ellen and their two sons, Luke and Nolan.
Directors
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Katrina Caldwell
Vice President for D&I, John Hopkins University
Katrina Caldwell
Vice President for D&I, John Hopkins University
Dr. Katrina Caldwell is Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) and Chief Diversity Officer Division of Academic Affairs, Office of Diversity and Inclusion at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD. She oversees the Office of D&I (ODI) and provides strategic leadership for D&I initiatives across the university and in partnership with key stakeholders, including staff in dedicated diversity positions, school leadership, faculty, and students. Her previous experience includes serving as Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Community Engage at the University of Mississippi, in Oxford, MS, and Assistant Vice-President for Diversity and Equity at Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL. Katrina earned a Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Illinois-Chicago, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She lives in Ellicott City.
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Khensani Carter
Director of Business Process Improvement, Tenable
Khensani Carter
Director of Business Process Improvement, Tenable
Born and raised in South Africa, Khensani Carter has over 20 years of experience in business process improvement and transformation in hi-tech start-ups, mid-size, and large companies. With a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and master’s degree in Industrial Engineering, she started her career in manufacturing at John Deere and transitioned to high tech software companies like Ciena and Gemalto before joining Columbia-based cybersecurity company Tenable. In her current role as Director of Business Process Improvement, she manages a Business Operations project team that solves end-to-end, complex, mission-critical business problems and implements strategic projects sponsored at the executive level. Khensani is a lover of music and musical expression and enjoys playing the saxophone in her spare time.
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Michelle Dunn
Community Liaison
Michelle Dunn
Community Liaison
Michelle brings a dynamic blend of arts and business experience to her role on the board. With a decade in marketing and communications, she has a proven track record in enhancing operations and data performance for diverse businesses. Her artistic journey includes co-organizing an international art exhibit in Istanbul, creating and teaching multidisciplinary art, and leveraging her background as a Massachusetts College of Art and Design graduate.
A Columbia resident since 2009, Michelle and her husband Brian have built a life centered around their children, Brianna and Aiden, who have actively participated in swim teams, various sports, plays, and musicals. The family enjoys traveling, summers cheering swim teams at the local pools, and music events at Merriweather Post Pavilion. Michelle is passionate about the arts and is eager to contribute to the arts council’s mission, balancing her extensive business acumen with a deep commitment to fostering artistic growth.
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Ricardo Flores
Johns Hopkins Medicine, Howard County Medical Center
Ricardo Flores
Johns Hopkins Medicine, Howard County Medical Center
Ricardo Flores is an enthusiastic Financial Analyst with professional finance experience in financial planning and budgeting, hospital financial operation, monthly accounting processes, and tax accounting and preparation. Ricardo currently serves as a Senior Financial Analyst for Johns Hopkins Medicine at the Howard County Medical Center in Columbia. He held prior analyst and accounting positions with WVU Medicine and Adventist HealthCare. Ricardo has a MBA from West Virginia University and Bachelors of Science in Accounting and Finance from Washington Adventist University. He is also an accomplished cellist.
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Renée Lennon
Neuberger Berman
Renée Lennon
Neuberger Berman
Renée has spent 18 years in Financial Services serving institutional and high net-worth clients for Fidelity Investments, the Bank of New York, and most recently, Neuberger Berman. She began her career in Fidelity’s MBA Training Program rotating across the Fidelity enterprise. Upon completion of the program, Renée accepted a position as a VP Relationship Manager supporting Fidelity’s institutional clearing clients including Truist Bank, Comerica Bank, American International Group (AIG), Orion Advisor Solutions, and Neuberger Berman, among others.
Renée moved back to her homestate of Maryland in 2001, continuing to work remotely for Bank of New York and Fidelity, before joining Neuberger Berman in the fall of 2022 as their Head of Sales Administration, supporting all their remote offices across the country. In her current role, Renée is responsible for a team of 22 Client Associates and Marketing Coordinators supporting over $10B in assets under management.
Motivated by a passion and desire to support the needs of clients, Renée has spent her career focused on building strong relationships, collaborating with internal partners, and identifying creative ways to solve complex business challenges.
In her spare time, Renee loves ballroom dancing, cycling, and spending time with her husband, their four children, and their 15-year-old pup!
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Brian Liu
Assistant Professor of Music, Washington Adventist University
Brian Liu
Assistant Professor of Music, Washington Adventist University
Dr. Brian Liu holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Violin Performance from the Catholic University of America and a Master of Music in Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music. His principal professors include Mikhail Kopelman, Charles Castleman, Jody Gatwood, Christian Teal, and Mark Reneau. He has performed with numerous orchestras, chamber groups, and has appeared as soloist with the East Tennessee Symphony Orchestra, SAU Symphony Orchestra, and the New England Youth Ensemble.
An academic at heart, Dr. Liu serves as Assistant Professor of Music at Washington Adventist University. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, he holds the position of Assistant Conductor of the New England Youth Ensemble, Artistic Director of the Anna H. Wang Presidential Concert Series, and Director of the Community Music School at the university.
Liu has previously taught at Augusta State University and Keuka College. In addition to his teaching, he has previously held the position of Music Director of the East Tennessee Symphony Orchestra. When not teaching or performing, you can find him out running, cooking in the kitchen, planning his next dream trip, or hanging out with his wonderful wife, Esther, and two beautiful children, Caitlin and Joshua.
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Darlene Richeson
MaZie Global Solutions, LLC
Darlene Richeson
MaZie Global Solutions, LLC
Darlene Richeson is President and CEO of MaZie Global Solutions, a specialty government relations firm, which advises client senior leadership teams on managing organizational change, advocating business policy, performing outreach, building coalitions, and developing relationships with members of Congress, government agencies, and relevant stakeholders. Prior to founding MaZie Global Solutions, Darlene was an executive with Travelers Insurance, Bell of Pennsylvania, AT&T, GTE, and Verizon. She has over 30 years of business experience.
Darlene is a Brookings Institution Congressional Fellow, holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, College Park, MD, and an MBA from Widener University, Chester, PA.
Darlene serves on the boards of non-profit organizations, the National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, Inc. (NCBA) and ArtStream, where she is Vice President.
Darlene and her husband have resided in Western Howard County for 20 years. They love to travel and have collected many pieces of art along the way. Darlene is looking forward to melding her business acumen with her desire to ensure that all who live, work and play in Howard County have an opportunity to be positively impacted by the vast and diverse artistic resources available.
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Nicole Scarborough
Export Import Bank
Nicole Scarborough
Export Import Bank
Nicole Scarborough has been a Federal employee since September of 2010. In her current role, she is a Senior Human Resources (HR) Advisor managing various elements within the areas of executive resources, staffing, classification, training and policy. She is also a subject matter expert (SME) in the areas of Candidate Development Program (CDP) management, Executive Core Qualification (ECQ) writing, and implementing successful corporate recruitment strategies in tandem with flexible hiring authorities. She has extensive experience with employee relations, drafting policies and SOPs, FMLA, benefits, unions, bargaining unit positions, labor negotiations, and grievances. Prior to joining the Federal government, Nicole worked as an HR professional for 15 years in both corporate America and the private sector. Nicole holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from North Carolina A&T University.
Outside of work, Nicole’s interests include contributing to meaningful community service initiatives. Specifically, Nicole thoroughly enjoys facilitating impactful job readiness workshops such as How to Navigate USAJOBS, How to Ace the Interview, and Resume Writing. In her spare time, she loves to cook, bake, and make sangria.
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Casey Simpson
Autodesk
Casey Simpson
Autodesk
Casey is excited at the prospect of serving her community through the arts. She has lived nearly her entire life in neighborhoods around Howard County. Casey is an Oakland Mills High alum and mom of a Long Reach senior. While she has moved away, she always comes back home to this area, and when she started a family, she wanted to raise her daughter in Howard County. In college, Casey studied Graphic Design and Visual Communication and spent time in Florence and Rome, Italy, learning painting restoration.
Casey’s 20+ year technology career has always been focused on software for the creative people who design and build our world. She has experience leading teams, running divisions of companies, and managing large enterprise accounts. And while she feels accomplished professionally, Casey felt she was missing a personal connection to the arts and specifically, the arts in her community. Her hope is to be able to find ways to be helpful and impactful, utilizing the skills and tools she has acquired over her career while being inspired and challenged by the creative people of Howard County. Click here to visit Casey’s LinkedIn.
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Debra Stepp
Community Liaison
Debra Stepp
Community Liaison
Debra is a longtime admirer of the arts and all its creative forms and colorful mediums. An early, traveled background provided a rich exposure and education with various cultures and languages. This channeled her interests in the arts and culinary worlds. Debra held various leadership and consulting positions in the information technology, marketing, and management arenas. She also enjoys working as an event manager and voiceover talent. Debra collects and promotes African American/international art and artists and supports history through art education. She initially joined the Arts Council as a volunteer on the Celebration of the Arts Committee, representing the Columbia, Maryland Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a public service organization fondly known to the Arts Council community as the ‘Ladies in Red.’
Debra sees life’s walk like a painter’s palette…every stroke, every mix of color is a building block for opportunity.
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Sabina Taj
Braitmayer Foundation
Sabina Taj
Braitmayer Foundation
Sabina Taj is a long-time Howard County resident and senior philanthropic leader supporting innovative K-12 educational initiatives. In 2018 she was elected to the Howard County Board of Education, running on a platform of representation and equity. Previously, she was Adjunct Professor at Howard Community College where she taught arts integration to future school teachers. Ms. Taj has long been active in the community, which she first got to know in her role as Columbia Foundation program officer. She is a Leadership Howard County graduate, previously served on the board of the Little Patuxent Review, and was an advisory board member to the Columbia Housing Center. Sabina has two daughters and loves to paint when she has the time.
Staff
Meet the passionate, dedicated group of arts professionals who work tirelessly to make the arts come alive in our community.
Our staff is responsible for managing the Arts Council’s programs and day-to-day operations and implementing Board policy. We bring over 40 years of convening, facilitating, and programming the arts; strong fiscal and administrative oversight; an exemplary record of working with arts groups and distributing grant funds through a peer-review process; and the respect of arts and community leaders alike.
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Coleen West
Executive Director
Coleen West
Executive Director
Coleen has been the Executive Director of the Howard County Arts Council since 1997. During her tenure, she has expanded the Arts Council budget, strengthened its signature programs, and developed new programs that connect people with the arts. Prior to her tenure at the Arts Council, Coleen worked at Maryland Art Place, a contemporary art center in Baltimore, where she served as the Director of Development for nearly 7 years.
An artist-turned-arts administrator, Coleen began her career as a painter and printmaker. She earned a B.F.A. from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and an M.A. with a concentration in Museum Studies from New York University. While living in Brooklyn, Coleen worked at a number of cultural institutions, most notably the Museum of Modern Art, New York University Welcome Center, and the Alternative Museum. She is a 1999 graduate of Leadership Howard County.
As a leader in her field, Coleen is invited to serve on committees statewide to represent community-based arts organizations and to advise other agencies on the non-profit arts sector. She served two terms as President of CAAM, a state-wide coalition of county arts agencies, and on the Boards of Maryland Citizens for the Arts and Arts Education in Maryland Schools.
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Mary K. Baxter
Deputy Director
Mary K. Baxter
Deputy Director
Mary has a BA in Communication Arts from Concord University where she studied Public Relations and Theatre. At Concord, she was President of the school’s chapter of the Alpha Psi Omega, a National Honors Theatre Fraternity promoting and creating opportunities for young artists to raise awareness and charitable funds for victims of domestic violence, AIDS victims, and sexual assault on college campuses. Mary co-founded Dramatic Adventure Theatre and served as Executive Director, along with other key program and administrative roles, producing 32 original plays with 300+ artists in 9 countries on 4 continents from 2006 to present. During her tenure with Dramatic Adventure Theatre, she helped organize workshops that reached 2000+ students in 28 communities and villages and over 45 community-designed and led service projects worldwide.
She also served as Program Coordinator at Free Arts, NYC, which provides under-served K-12 children with educational arts and mentoring programs; as the bookkeeper for the Washington International Horse Show in Washington, DC; and as a board member for Heal My Voice, empowering women and girls to step into greater leadership in their lives. She is a published author with short stories in several books, most notably writing the forward for Feminine Voices: True Stories by Women Transforming Leadership.
As Deputy Director, Mary is responsible for managing the Howard County Center for the Arts and maximizing the use of the Center as a resource for the arts. Mary joined the Arts Council team in August 2019.
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Stephanie Schuster
Development Director
Stephanie Schuster
Development Director
Stephanie has an M.A. in Museum Studies from Syracuse University and a B.A. in Studio Arts from Hamilton College. Her prior positions include Grants Coordinator, Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries & University Museums; Grants & Resource Development Coordinator, Home HeadQuarters; and Assistant Director, Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center where she managed public programming and resource development for nearly 10 years. Stephanie is responsible for fundraising and donor development; grant writing and administration; special event management; Board administration; audit and financial records; community engagement; office management; and administrative support for the Executive Director. Stephanie joined the Arts Council staff in 2015.
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Kimberly Davis
Communications Manager
Kimberly Davis
Communications Manager
Kim earned an M.A. in Arts Administration from Goucher College and a BFA from the University of Hawai’i. She has served HCAC in several different capacities over the years, including as the former Deputy Director.
Born and raised in Hawai’i, Kim’s prior work experience includes working for several years as the Assistant to the Director at The Contemporary Museum in Honolulu, which was dedicated exclusively to exhibiting and collecting contemporary art (collection now a part of the Honolulu Museum of Art).
Her current duties include managing HCAC’s online presence and coordinating the quarterly print newsletter. Kim re-joined the Arts Council staff in 2023.
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Mira Lamson Klein
Community Engagement & Development Coordinator
Mira Lamson Klein
Community Engagement & Development Coordinator
Mira is an actor, director, and writer dedicated to the development of new theater. She holds a BS in Theatre from Skidmore College. She has performed locally with Vagabond Players Inc., Fells Point Corner Theatre, and Rorschach Theatre. Mira has produced and directed original productions at the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival and PortFringe at Portland Stage Company and is a reader for the National Playwright’s Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. Prior to joining the Arts Council, she worked in Development and Special Events at Baltimore Center Stage. Mira’s responsibilities include fundraising and membership administration; event and community engagement support; attending and participating in community events; marketing and outreach; and office management and administrative support. Mira joined the Arts Council staff in August 2021.
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Miles Warren
Education & Programs Coordinator
Miles Warren
Education & Programs Coordinator
Miles is an illustrator and comic book writer and artist. He holds a Bachelor’s in Fine Arts Degree from the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design, where he graduated in May 2021, majoring in illustration. Miles worked with the Columbia Association’s summer camps before coming to work part-time for the Arts Council, first in HCAC’s summer camp program and later as a building attendant at the Howard County Center for the Arts. Miles joined the Arts Council staff full-time in January 2022. His responsibilities include overseeing the summer camp program and managing classes and workshops taking place at the Center for the Arts.
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Dana Whipkey
Grants & Special Projects Coordinator
Dana Whipkey
Grants & Special Projects Coordinator
Dana holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from Towson University and has over 15 years of experience in non-profit arts administration. He has worked with organizations such as Baltimore Shakespeare Festival, where he served as Business Manager; Rep Stage, where he was Production Manager; and, most recently, Pumpkin Theatre, where he served as Office Manager. As Grants & Special Projects Coordinator, he is responsible for administering grant programs, as well as such projects as scholarships, Cultural Arts Showcase, Fabulous 50+ Players, and community initiatives. Dana joined the Arts Council staff in August 2018.
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Colin Quinn
Visitor & Facilities Services Coordinator
Colin Quinn
Visitor & Facilities Services Coordinator
As the Visitor & Facility Services Coordinator, Colin coordinates the rentals program and assists visitors at the Howard County Center for the Arts. He has experience in a variety of non-profit roles and previously worked for Parks & People as well as the Ellicott City Partnership. Colin earned a bachelor’s in Recreation and Parks Management from Frostburg State University. An avid outdoorsman, Colin enjoys spending his free time in the outdoors.
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Kennedy Trusty
Administrative Assistant
Kennedy Trusty
Administrative Assistant
Kennedy has a background in finance and customer relations, along with an associate’s degree in interior design and a CAD certification from Anne Arundel Community College. A self-taught artist and model, she is currently focused on digital art and in her spare time, enjoys researching real estate investment opportunities and managing her personal side businesses.