CreativeOhio Brings On Four New Board Members

 In December, the CreativeOhio Board of Directors voted to add four new board members to its 25-person board, composed of arts leaders and advocates throughout the state. CreativeOhio (formerly Ohio Citizens for the Arts) is a statewide advocacy organization with a mission to enrich Ohio's communities, citizens, and culture through constant advocacy and relentless support of Ohio creatives and the creative economy.

 

“I'm delighted to welcome additional talent and expertise to our Board,” said Executive Director & CEO, Sarah Sisser, who joined CreativeOhio in December 2023. “These new board members bring an impressive amount of leadership experience and a broad array of skills to our organization, while representing multiple different geographical regions in the state. They are already strong advocates for the creative sector, and I look forward to working with them as we ensure that support and investment in the arts remains top-of-mind for our state's leaders and policymakers.” 

 

The new directors include:

 

Rebekah Beaulieu, Ph.D.

President & CEO, Taft Museum of Art

Cincinnati, Ohio

 

Rebekah Beaulieu, Ph.D. is the Louise Taft Semple President & CEO of the Taft Museum of Art in Cincinnati, Ohio. She previously served as Director of the Florence Griswold Museum in Old Lyme, Connecticut, and as Associate Director of the Bowdoin College Museum of Art in Brunswick, Maine. Becky is Treasurer of the American Association for State and Local History and chair of its Finance Committee, and previously served as an Accreditation Commissioner for the American Alliance of Museums. Becky is the author of Financial Fundamentals for Historic House Museums (2017) and Endowment Essentials for Museums (2022). She holds an M.A in Art History and Museum Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and an M.A. in Arts Administration from Columbia University. She earned her Ph.D. in American and New England Studies at Boston University. 

 

Mary Duffey

Of Counsel, Dinsmore & Shohl LLC

Columbus, Ohio

 

Mary Duffey is a Columbus native. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Economics and in Political Science, and from The Ohio State University with a J.D. Her law career has been in finance, working with public bodies such as universities and counties to fund infrastructure and other capital projects. The majority of her legal career has been as a partner with Peck, Shaffer & Williams LLP, and then at Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, into which it merged in 2014. She is currently Of Counsel with Dinsmore.

 

Corey Favor

Senior Director of Community Engagement, Talent & Culture, Orange Barrel Media

Columbus, Ohio

 

Corey Favor brings more than 20 years of experience in art direction, business development, and community engagement to his role in leading Orange Barrel Media/IKE Smart Cities' public benefit and art initiatives. His work includes establishing and expanding partnerships and programs to maximize the positive impact of the media platform. A champion for the arts and community, Favor serves several arts and community organization boards, including Columbus College of Art and Design, Gateway Film Center, Columbus Metropolitan Library Foundation Board, and the Atlanta Contemporary, and is also the co-founder of Creative Control Fest. He and his wife, Shayla, reside on the near east side of Columbus along with their two pups, Hudson and Arizona.

 

Rhonda Sewell

Director of Belonging & Community Engagement, Toledo Museum of Art

Toledo, Ohio 

 

As the Toledo Museum of Art's inaugural Director of Belonging & Community Engagement, for nearly three years, Rhonda Sewell has overseen governmental affairs, the operation of DEAI (diversity, equity, access, inclusion) guiding principles, and directs a new Belonging and Engagement department overseeing Employee Resource Groups and an internal Belonging Committee.

 

Rhonda has served as Director of Governmental and External Affairs for the Toledo Lucas County Public Library, where she worked 15 years; spent 18 years as an award-winning journalist for The Blade; taught ethnic studies and mass communications at Bowling Green State University; and founded Real Men READ-y, an ongoing mentoring and early literacy program for African-American boys.  

 

Rhonda is the immediate past President of The Arts Commission Board, serves on the Leadership Development cabinet for the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (TMACOG), and is a past cabinet member and donor of Girl Scouts of Western Ohio's “Empower HER campaign.”

 

Rhonda received a BA in Journalism from Michigan State University and completed graduate studies in International Journalism at the City University of London in England.

 

At of its December meeting, the CreativeOhio Board of Directors also elected the following officers for 2024: 

 

President:

Jack Jackson

CEO, 3J Strategy LLC

 

Vice President:

Sue Porter

Executive Director, BalletMet

 

Treasurer:

Chad Whittington

President and CEO, Columbus Performing Arts Association (CAPA)

 

Secretary:

Colleen Houston

CEO & Artistic Director, ArtWorks

 

Immediate Past President: 

Elizabeth Brown-Ellis

Executive Director. Lima Symphony Orchestra

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