Earned Income Symposium

List of Speakers

Agenda

SYNOPSIS

 

HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS

Home2 Suites by Hilton - Indianapolis/Downtown
115 N. Pennsylvania Street, Ste 150
Indianapolis, Indiana, 46204
Reserve a room here.

Homewood Suites (Preferred Partner with conference rate)
211 South Meridian St.
Indianapolis, IN 46225
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EARNED INCOME SYMPOSIUM FOR CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS SPEAKERS

Christopher Benevento, Vice President, Guest Services & Operations

Chris Benevento joined Longwood in January 2016 as head of the Guest Services & Operations Department, which includes more than 600 staff members and volunteers across seven divisions. He and his team are entrusted with providing each guest with an extraordinary garden experience that exceeds expectations. Chris oversees retail operations, guest admissions and engagement, performing arts, public safety, and event operations.

Possessing extensive industry knowledge and first-hand experience in programming and operating a variety of premier entertainment venues, Chris has held a variety of leadership positions during his career. Prior to joining Longwood, he served as Regional Vice President at SMG, a public venue management organization that specializes in the planning, development and operation of sports, entertainment, and cultural attractions worldwide. At SMG Chris managed the hospitality division, consisting of a diverse venue portfolio including stadiums, arenas, convention centers, and performing arts facilities. Earlier in his career, Chris served as General Manager at multiple National Football League and Major League Baseball stadiums.

Sabina Carr, Vice President, Marketing, Atlanta Botanical Garden

A seasoned marketer with more than twenty years of experience ranging from consumer products to media to nonprofit, Sabina Carr is Vice President, Marketing for the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Since 2002, she has been responsible for leading the development of the Garden’s brand identity, introducing blockbuster exhibitions, driving visitation, increasing membership and expanding its image via public relations, website and online development, promotions, advertising, and market research. During her tenure, the Garden has tripled visitation and membership. In 2009 she was given the added responsibilities of the Visitor Services increasing her exposure in impacting the guest experience. A New York native, Carr previously held key positions at American Express Publishing, Condè Nast and Saatchi & Saatchi Advertising Worldwide.

Rob Cassetti, Senior Director, Creative Services & Marketing, Corning Museum of Art

Rob Cassetti joined The Corning Museum of Glass in 1999 as manager of education and creative services. He became a director of the Museum in 2001 and was named senior director in 2007. He is responsible for marketing, communication, visitor experience, and creative direction for the Museum, in addition to the operation of the Museum’s live glass demonstrations.

During his tenure at the Museum, Cassetti has developed a series of signature programs—including the popular 2300° events, hot glass demonstrations, mobile glassblowing initiatives, and GlassLab—that have transformed the public profile of the institution.

From 1993 to 2001, Cassetti helped to plan a major expansion of the Museum. He created the Museum's glass demonstration program, the Hot Glass Show, and led an exhibit development team composed of writers, designers, and scientists to plan the Museum's Glass Innovation Center.

Since 2001, Cassetti has championed and further developed the Museum's hot glass outreach initiatives. Under his leadership, the Museum has become a global leader in mobile glassblowing technology and hot glass programming. These outreach initiatives are seen each year by more than 400,000 people around the world.

In 2005, Cassetti was asked to explore the next phase of expansion for the Museum—this time to better accommodate guests and the Museum's expanding collection of contemporary glass. The new Contemporary Art + Design Wing of the Museum, based on Cassetti's master plan, opened in 2015.

Cassetti holds a BFA from Carnegie Mellon University’s College of Fine Arts. His work has appeared in numerous publications, including The New York Times, Architectural Record, and Architecture. He has spoken widely on museum planning and glass technology, including broadcast appearances on Discovery, National Public Radio, Martha Stewart, The History Channel, and PBS. Prior to joining the Museum, Cassetti worked for more than 10 years as a glass designer with Steuben Glass. He was named design director in 1992. From 2002 to 2004 he consulted with Steuben to help facilitate the planning and execution of the company’s 100^th anniversary.

Cassetti is President of the Board of Trustees of The Museum Association of New York, and a member of the Corning Incorporated architectural advisory committee. He lives in Trumansburg, N.Y., where, in his spare time, he holds the office of Village Trustee and serves as Fire Commissioner.

Karen Coltrane, President and CEO, EdVenture

Karen Coltrane is a graduate of The College of William and Mary with a B.A. in economics, and is currently pursuing an M.S. in Leadership at The Citadel in Charleston, S.C. After working her way through college as a supervisor at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA, she served as a branch officer with a regional bank before returning to The College of William and Mary as the director of annual giving and a major gifts officer during the college’s $150 million Campaign for the Fourth Century. After leaving at the conclusion of the campaign, she held external relations positions in healthcare, national trade and membership associations, and human service organizations, before being named president and CEO of the Children's Museum of Richmond (CMoR). There she oversaw the complete renovation of the museum and the opening of three satellites, making CMoR the first children’s museum in the nation to have multiple locations. In 2015, she became president and CEO of EdVenture in Columbia, SC. In addition to 27 years of professional work for non-profits, she has been an active volunteer, including service as a regional president and member of the National Board of Trustees of Big Brothers/Big Sisters of America. She chaired the first Central Virginia Heart Gallery, served on numerous boards in Virginia, and is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of MEDARVA Health. She was named the Central Virginia YWCA’s 2012 Outstanding Woman of the Year in the category of Nonprofit Management. Recent consulting clients include the Virginia Living Museum and the Virginia Community College Foundation. Her husband, Rick, works for the Federal Department of Education in Washington, DC and their son, Sam, is an M.B.A. student at the College of Charleston.

Marnie Conley, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Longwood Gardens

Marnie Conley is the Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Longwood Gardens. She is responsible for holistic marketing operations to meet revenue, attendance, and brand goals including brand management, market strategy, strategic communications, membership, and community relations initiatives. Over the last eight years, she has led the comprehensive brand refresh, interpretive plan, environmental graphics plan, and most recently the evolution of an already successful membership program. She also served as the Co-Lead for the Longwood Graduate Program. Marnie serves on several non-profit boards and teaches at the University of Delaware. Prior to her appointment at Longwood, Conley served in various marketing management positions including Adjunct Professor, Heinz College of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh; Director of Marketing for Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh; and Carnegie Museum of Art.

Silvia Filippini-Fatoni, Director of Programs and Audience Engagement, North Carolina Museum of Art

Before joining the NCMA, where she is currently the Director of Programs and Audience Engagement, Silvia worked for 15 years as a project manager, evaluator and interpretation specialist for various museums in Europe and the United States, including the British Museum, the J.P. Getty Museum, the Musee du Louvre, and more recently the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Whilst embarking on her professional career, Silvia has also continued her academic studies gaining a PhD on the use of Personalization Technologies in Cultural Organizations at Sorbonne University in France, where she also teaches Museums and new Media and Research and Evaluation methods for technology-based projects. Silvia's main areas of expertise are audience engagement strategies, as well as visitor's research and evaluation, and she has written a number of publications on these topics. Silvia also has a strong interest in various aspects of culture including contemporary art, cinema and performing arts.

Ray Giang, Vice President, Management Resources

Ray manages various projects ranging from brand strategy for intellectual property owners to commercial attractions and not-for-profit institutions. As part of the Management Resources team, Ray has worked with various organizations to develop business plans, operational plans, financial proformas, capacity studies and other types of analyses for the planning of new developments and the development of existing organizations. Utilizing the developed analyses and industry expertise, Ray and the MR team are able to advise clients on how they can improve financial performance, enhance business practices, and develop strategies for re-positioning and or expansion. Some of the clients Ray has worked with include American Museum of Natural History, The National World War II Museum, Exploratorium, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures and Rock, Roll Hall of Fame and Indianapolis Museum of Art.

Ray joined MR after completing his MBA with an emphasis in Finance at Chapman University. Prior to that Ray earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Irvine. Ray was employed by the University to produce, plan, and manage major events held at the University.

Management Resources is a California-based consulting company offering a full range of services to the entertainment, corporate, commercial, and not-for-profit industries. The company provides operational, marketing and ticket sales planning and implementation to a diverse group of clients throughout the world.

Ron Halverson, Ph.D., President, Halverson Group

Ron is a thought leader and advisor to senior executive teams seeking to leverage his deep expertise and experience in both developing and implementing winning growth strategies. Ron specializes in helping organizations better understand and tap into deep human motivations to create and deliver products and experiences that resonate with people in their lives. Ron has pioneered the Jobs to be Won™ platform to fuel growth through enhanced brand positioning, innovation and enterprise selling.

As the President of the strategic research agency Halverson Group, Ron has armed executives, marketers, strategists, innovators, and their agency partners with the consumer and business intelligence they need to more confidently make bold strategic decisions about where to play and how to win. Ron has a powerful track record of fueling game changing strategies for many of the world’s top companies including Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, Home Depot, North Face, Reebok, Scientific Games Interactive, Timberland, Ulta, U.S Cellular, Vans, Walgreens, Wrigley and many others.

Ron earned his Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from DePaul University in 1992. Ron proudly served as an active duty Captain in the US Army and then founded the Halverson Group in 1997. Ron is a Senior Board Advisor to The Surplus Project in Chicago and a co-founder of LifeFilez, a company providing convenient organization and access to important life documents.

Lindy Hoyer, Executive Director, Omaha Children’s Museum

Lindy J. Hoyer has been Executive Director of Omaha Children’s Museum since June 2002. Hoyer has 30+ years of experience in Children’s Museum management. Hoyer was Manager of Exhibits and Visitor Services for Omaha Children’s Museum from 1986-94, Director of Operations at the Lincoln Children’s Museum from 1994-2002 and currently serves as Executive Director of Omaha Children’s Museum. Hoyer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and English from Doane University, Crete, Neb.

In 2007, the Museum’s permanent exhibits were completely renovated as a result of a $7 million capital campaign led by Hoyer, followed by the museum’s attendance reaching an all-time high of 272,000 visitors, ranking it second in the state of Nebraska for visitor attractions. As a result of more recent innovation in building a collaborative culture, the Museum has seen continued growth in both earned and contributed revenues and in FY 2015 surpassed previous attendance goal with 316,915 onsite visitors and a total reach of nearly 380,000 through community outreach and exhibiting at the Nebraska State Fair. Omaha Children’s Museum has received numerous awards under Hoyer’s watch, two-time Association of Science and Technology Center’s Leading Edge Award for Visitor Service in 2005 and 2010, 2010 Non-profit Organization of the Year and 2015 Business Excellence Award from Greater Omaha Chamber of Commerce, 2013 Outstanding Achievement Award from Downtown Improvement Association and 2014 FlipKey award by tripadvisor.

Lindy is a graduate of the inaugural class of Noyce Leadership Institute (NLI), a past board member of Association of Children’s Museums, Rotary Club of Omaha, Omaha Sister City Association, and Omaha Visitor & Convention Bureau Advisory Board. Lindy has been recognized by Omaha YWCA Tribute to Women in 2007 and Gallup Excellence Award for community impact through Leadership in 2009. Lindy is currently an active member of Qm2 Roundtables for Executives, and serves on the Steering Committee for NLI Alumni and as a Trustee of Omaha’s Business Ethics Alliance.

Amy Kwas, Vice President of Development, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

Amy Kwas serves as Vice President of Development for The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis primarily focused on creating and sustaining relations with individual, corporate and foundation donors and prospects to secure funds to support the museum’s extraordinary programs, exhibits and experiences. As the former Executive Director of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Indiana for 12 years and Development & Communications Director of the Alzheimer’s Association, Indiana Chapter for seven years, Amy has nearly two decades of experience and leadership in the non-profit sector. Amy has extensive fund-raising experience in individual, foundation and corporate giving as well as special events, local and national not-for-profit philanthropy. Amy holds a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from DePauw University and a Master’s degree in Public Affairs with a Non-profit Management concentration from IUPUI.

Greg Loewen, CEO Digonex

Greg has served as the CEO of Digonex since June, 2014. Since that time, Digonex has been a pioneer in bringing dynamic pricing to new industry sectors, including cultural attractions. Prior to leading Digonex, Greg led several other business units in the media and technology sectors at Emmis Communications, Digonex’s parent company. He holds degrees from the Queen’s University School of Business and The Harvard Business School.

Robert L. Lynch, President and CEO, Americans for the Arts

Robert L. Lynch is president and CEO of Americans for the Arts and the Americans for the Arts Action Fund. With more than 42 years of experience in the arts industry, he is motivated by his personal mission to empower communities and leaders to advance the arts in society, and in the lives of our citizens.

In 1996, Mr. Lynch managed the successful merger of the National Assembly of Local Arts Agencies, where he had spent 12 years as executive director, with the American Council for the Arts to form Americans for the Arts. Under his 32 years of leadership, the services and membership of Americans for the Arts have grown to more than 50 times their original size.

During his tenure at Americans for the Arts, Mr. Lynch has overseen the mergers of the Arts and Business Council, Inc. and the Business Committee for the Arts into Americans for the Arts. He has also created the Americans for the Arts Action Fund and its connected political action committee to establish arts-friendly public policy through engaging citizens to advocate for the arts and arts education.

Bringing a national perspective to local arts issues, Mr. Lynch currently serves on the board of the Independent Sector, as well as a member of their public policy committee. He served two terms on the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, a position appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, as well as on the board of the Arts Extension Institute, and the University of Massachusetts-Amherst College of Humanities and Fine Arts Board. In February 2017, he was the inaugural recipient of the JFK Commonwealth Award from the Massachusetts Cultural Council and the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation.

Mr. Lynch earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and enjoys playing the piano, mandolin, and guitar. He lives in Washington, DC.

Jeremy Shubrook, Director of Festivals, Performance and Public Programs, Indianapolis Museum of Art

Jeremy Shubrook has over 10 years of experience in arts organizations in roles that combine artistic programming and production. Prior to joining IMA Shubrook was the Director of Production at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County, the largest performing arts complex in the Southeast, which presents a diverse array of over 500 events each year in its eight state-of-the-art performance spaces. Shubrook oversaw the timely production of 12 signature series, establishing processes for delivering high caliber artistic programming in a fourth-generation performing arts center.

Shubrook’s experience also included managing the Performing Arts, Music and Film series at the Cleveland Museum of Arts, where he led collaborative efforts to include world programming in the museum. He holds a B.A. from the University of Texas in Austin.

Scott Stulen, Director and President, Philbrook Museum of Art

Scott Stulen is the Director and President of Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Stulen is the former Curator of Audience Experiences and Performance at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, Project Director of mnartists.org at the Walker Art Center, Associate Curator at the Rochester Art Center, visual artist, writer and DJ. He earned an MFA in Painting and Drawing from the University of Minnesota and a BFA in Sculpture from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He created and led the first Audience Experience and Performance Curatorial Department in the country at the IMA, developing the ARTx program, commissioning new performances and site-specific installations, and launching new earned-income initiatives. At the Walker, Stulen co-curated and developed the Open Field project, reframing the museum as public park, town square and platform for experimentation. Notable projects include Artist Designed Mini-Golf, CSA – Community Supported Art, numerous commissions and performances, and the Internet Cat Video Festival, which has toured to over 250 cities and 13 countries to date. Now at Philbrook, Stulen is guiding the museum as a national model of sustainability, relevance, and community impact.

David Togni, Director, Finance, Corning Museum of Glass

David Togni joined the Museum in 2001 as a controller and became the director of finance in 2007. As a member of the Museum’s Management Team, he has participated in the development and review of the Museum’s long-range plan and annual measures of success, supported requirements for Board of Trustees and Committee meetings, and led cross-functional teams. He has also managed and controlled all of the Museum’s financial activities, including operating budgets and forecasts, year-end and pension audits, and insurance coverages and leasing arrangements. Togni received a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Alfred University in New York. He has held previous positions at Dresser-Rand Company, and Fagliarone and Associates, CPA’s P.C.

Lisa Townsend, Vice President of Marketing and External Relations, The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis

Lisa Townsend Lisa Townsend has worked in the field of marketing for over 25 years—first in higher education and, since 2008, at The Children's Museum of Indianapolis. As the Vice President of Marketing and External Relations she directs the museum’s marketing, social and media relations, membership, retail, and external relations efforts. During her tenure she has lead the museum’s rebranding initiative, the creation of an educational promise program for the surrounding community, the redesign of the museum’s online and social media presence, the museum’s economic impact assessments, and the launch of a dynamic pricing structure while at the same time growing attendance, membership, and retail revenue to all-time highs. Townsend holds an MS in chemistry from Purdue University (1987), a BS in Chemistry from IUPUI (1984), and has extensive training in market research.

Kenny Waegner, Vice President, Management Resources

Kenny began his career in the commercial side of the business at Great America in Santa Clara, but has spent the last fourteen years working with several not for-profit clients for Management Resources- a firm with over thirty five years of global experience consulting to museums, theme parks, visitor attractions, World Expositions and Olympiads. Kenny has worked on projects with Hasbro, Coca Cola, NBA, Crayola, Titanic Belfast, Exploratorium, Mystic Seaport, The Franklin Institute, 911 Memorial Museum, Natural History Museum of LA, Omaha Children’s Museum, Smithsonian Institute, and others. Prior to working with Management Resources Kenny worked as general manager of indoor theme park projects in Hong Kong and the US. He has worked for Marriott, Chuck E. Cheese, and General Growth Properties. Over the past fifteen years Kenny has assisted with the openings of over a dozen projects.

Charles Venable, Melvin & Bren Simon Director and CEO, IMA

In October of 2012, Dr. Charles Venable was appointed the Melvin & Bren Simon Director and CEO of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. In his first year at the IMA, Venable worked with the board and staff to move the museum toward a new museum model for financial sustainability that will bolster the Museum’s mission to provide extraordinary visitor experiences with art and nature on the IMA’s 152-acre campus. Having held senior positions at some of the country’s top encyclopedic art museums, Venable has worked in the museum field for nearly three decades. Prior to his role at the IMA, Venable was the director and CEO of the Speed Art Museum in Louisville, Kentucky where during his five-year tenure he fueled tremendous institutional growth and initiated innovative programs that placed a special focus on the permanent collection and fostered deeper engagement with the public. Venable also spearheaded a master plan to build a 200,000-square-foot expansion to the already existing facility. From 2002 to 2007, Venable served as Deputy Director for Collections and Programs at the Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA), overseeing multiple departments, including Curatorial, Education, Exhibitions, Registration, Conservation, the Research Library, and Performing Art, Music, and Film. He also was integral in developing and executing the CMA’s strategic plan and expansion project designed by Rafael Viñoly. Prior to his work in Cleveland, Venable was at the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) from 1986 to 2002. Rising from the rank of Assistant Curator to that of Deputy Director, Venable built the DMA’s holdings of decorative art and design, especially in the area of silver and ceramics, into one of the finest in the country. He also organized numerous exhibitions and became known as a scholar by editing and writing several well-respected publications. A native Texan, Venable holds a Ph.D. in American Studies from Boston University, an M.A. in Fine and Decorative Art from the University of Delaware, and a B.A. in American History and Art History, cum laude, from Rice University.

Jerry Wise, CFO, IMA

 

 

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