Slate: Board of Directors

Each year, the National Council of Arts Administrators holds an election of officers (3) at the Annual General Meeting (held during the annual conference,) for a four year term on the Board of Directors. The membership elects officers from a slate of nominees, initially nominated by members and vetted by the Executive Committee in advance of the election to ensure a fair representation of the membership and skills.

Election to the Board comes with the expectation of significant participation in, and responsibility for the governance of the organization, including leadership on various sub-committees, representation at other professional organizations and attendance at conferences.

Meet the nominees, in alphabetical order:

2016/20 NCAA Nominees 


Peter Chametzky Bio

Peter is Director of the School of Visual Art and Design at the University of South Carolina. Hired in 2012 as chair of the USC Department of Art, he initiated a successful renaming of the unit. From 2008 to 2012 he directed the School of Art and Design at SIU Carbondale, where he had been since 1998, previously serving as Head of Undergraduate Studies and as Academic Programs Head. He has also taught at Adelphi University, New York University, and the School of Visual Arts. From 2005-11 he served as President of the CAA affiliated society, Historians of German and Central European Art and Architecture. From 2011-2014, he served on the jury for CAA’s Frank Jewett Mather Award in Art Criticism.

An art historian specializing in 20th Century German Art, his 1980 B.A. is from Cornell University and his 1991 Ph.D. from the CUNY Graduate Center. The University of California Press published his monograph, Objects as History in Twentieth-Century German Art: Beckmann to Beuys, in 2010.

 
Peter Chametzky Statement

I have experience leading two fairly large and diverse schools of art and design. In both cases, I have been the first art historian to do so. It has been incredibly rewarding to learn in depth about, and to support, the practice and the needs of my colleagues in studio, design, art education, and media arts—and to win their trust.

 As a leadership organization with broad expanse and deep expertise, NCAA is positioned to act as an advocate for the arts on campuses and in communities, to convey the passion of our colleagues and our students in terms that make sense to higher administrators and to the public, and convinces them of what we know to be true: that the cost of not supporting the arts would be far greater than the cost of supporting them. In addition to helping with existing activities, such as the annual conference and efforts to increase membership in and spreading awareness of NCAA, I would be interested in exploring such an advocacy role for the organization.

 Involvement in NCAA reminds us: You are not alone! I have found NCAA both sustaining and inspiring. Through it, I have encountered ideas and interacted with colleagues that have strengthened my resolve to advocate for and to facilitate high-quality arts education, research, and service. I feel I have been an effective advocate for the arts on my campuses and in my communities, and would be honored to serve the field in a broader capacity as an NCAA Board Member.

Jeni Mokren Bio

Jeni Mokren is the Dean of the School of Fine and Performing Arts at SUNY New Paltz. The well-established school comprises departments in Art, Art History, Music, and Theatre Arts and enrolls approximately 1,000 students. Prior to this Dean Mokren was Chair of Arts and Visual Design, and Special Assistant to the Provost at the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay, and an Associate Professor of Art in Jewelry/Metals and Enameling.

Jeni received her MFA in Jewelry/Metals from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her BFA in Jewelry/Metals from Kent State University. She has shown her work, a mix of contemporary beadwork and metalsmithing, both nationally and internationally. Her work has been featured in Metalsmith magazine, 500 Beaded Objects, and 500 Bracelets. Her current work includes modifying weaving looms with 3-D printed parts to create non-rectilinear woven forms. She lives in New York’s beautiful Hudson Valley with her husband and two sons.

Jeni Mokren Statement

The National Council of Arts Administrators is an outstanding organization that offers seasoned and emerging administrators the opportunity to engage in programming and dialogue around current issues in leadership in the arts.

 I’m excited about the possibility of serving on the NCAA Board of Directors and working with the organization to promote this community of leaders. NCAA is an exceptionally inviting and engaged group who share advice, mentor new administrators or those thinking of administrative work, and provide thought-provoking and important programming at annual conferences and affiliate sessions. What most interests me about serving on the board is the chance to make innovative contributions to NCAA, as well as working to support the annual conference and maintaining the excellent services we currently provide. I look forward to furthering established relationships and to create new ways for NCAA to engage with potential members, organizations, and institutions. I’d also like to work on continuing the important conversations we have at conferences throughout the year. Collaboration is a key element, and when the NCAA board listens and responds to its members, while also being cognizant of meaningful changes happening in academia, the group can be continuously enhanced and improved.

 Together we can continue the tradition of offering members an outstanding experience and sense of community, as well as finding new ways to connect with and offer guidance to new and long-term members.

 

Joe Poshek Bio

Joe Poshek is Dean of the School of the Arts at Irvine Valley College in Southern California. Prior to this appointment he also served as Dean of Visual & Performing Arts, Library and Online Education at Orange Coast College in Costa Mesa, California. In his administrative role, Poshek oversees Studio Art, Art History, Interactive Media Arts, Digital Media, Dance, Theater, Music and Communication Studies. Before becoming a Dean in early 2008, Joe was a tenured professor of music and a department chair. He has taught in higher education for over 30 years.

 He is a frequent presenter at national and regional conferences on higher education topics such as Strengths Based Leadership, promoting a culture of excellence within organizations, neuroscience & organizational development and the growing community college baccalaureate movement in this country.

Prior to venturing into college administration Joe was a prolific professional musician specializing in classical and jazz guitar, recording six solo albums selling over 120,000 copies along with over 2500 performances on three continents. In addition to performing activities he has been an exhibiting visual artist creating works from wood including musical instruments. Poshek has also been a frequent guest lecturer at colleges and universities throughout Europe and the United States. Born in Minneapolis, Poshek earned M.Mus and B.Mus degrees in classical guitar from the Manhattan School of Music in New York City and a B.A. in composition from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota.

 
Joe Poshek Statement

It has been well documented that with many baby boomers looking toward retirement, higher education is facing critical shortages of academic administrators. Research has also shown that many mid-career faculty are reluctant to transition into these administrative rolls. Within the NCAA organization I would like to apply my experience as an academic administrator to promote the development of leadership in the arts in higher education. The need for nurturing arts leadership is acute.

In addition to the traditional transition from faculty to leadership positions typical to research institutions, the emergent reputation and growth of community college arts programs can serve as a pathway for leadership opportunities for the NCAA membership. I believe we could develop our areas of mentorship, career advancement workshops, best practices presentations, and additional areas of leadership development at both the annual conference and in our website design.


 
Valarie Williams Bio

As Professor of Dance, Associate Dean and Executive Director of The Arts Initiative for the College of Arts and Sciences, Valarie Williams serves as The Ohio State University representative for the national A2RU, as board member of the Dance Notation Bureau in New York City; as board member of the International Council of Kinetorgraphy Laban/Labanotation Paris, France, as past Treasurer and Vice-President elect; and as board member of the OperaColumbus in Columbus, Ohio.  Her work with visual and performing artists which encompass China, Europe and South America, position her to understand the challenging issues confronting artists in the 21st century.  Dr. Williams trained at The Juilliard School at Lincoln Center, holds a MFA and PhD in Dance Studies, and has been a member of the International Council of Fine Arts Dean.  She co-hosted and organized the 2012 NCAA conference in Columbus, Ohio.


Valarie Williams Statement
 

As a board member of NCAA, I am interested in expanding the scope of the membership to include administrators from multiple perspectives beyond the visual arts.  As a past conference host, I am interested in helping future conference hosts strategize programming and leveraging resources for future conferences.