Committees

Like most nonprofits, CAM relies heavily on volunteers to achieve our mission. Each committee’s work is guided by a charter and annual objectives, approved by the Board of Directors. Members of the association are able to serve on Member Committees. Thank you to all the committee members who volunteer their time and expertise to strengthen and unify California museums.

Interested in getting involved with CAM's committee work? Direct specific inquiries to [email protected].

MEMBER COMMITTEES

Current CAM Individual, Institutional, and Business Members are eligible to serve on the following committees.

* = Non-Board members

California Networks Council

The California Networks Council fosters collaborative learning networks for the benefit of California museums and museum professionals. The organizational members of the California Networks Council are local, regional, or statewide networks that serve California museums.

Chair: Lisa McDermott, Director, Carnegie Arts Center Foundation

Members:
TBA, President, San Diego EMP*
Maya Austin, Arts Program Specialist, California Arts Council*
Lauren Baines, Interim Director, de Saisset Museum, Santa Clara University
Julie Baker, Executive Director, Californians for the Arts*
Ariana Bayer, President, Cultural Connections*
Amy Cohen, Executive Director, Exhibit Envoy*
TBA, California Historical Society*
Rebekah Harding, Past President, Museum Educators of Southern California*
Roberta Harlan, Representative, Eastern Sierra Cultural Heritage Alliance*
Felicia Harmer Kelley, Project and Evaluation Director, California Humanities*
Delta Pick Mello, Chair, Sacramento Association of Museums
Michael Warburton, Director of Parkwide Communications, Balboa Park Cultural Partnership
Lu Spriggs, President, SoCal Museums*
Bob Lehman, Executive Director, San Diego Museum Council

Equity Advisory Committee

Chair: Kristen Mihalko, Director of Operations, Balboa Park Cultural Partnership

Members:
Carolynn Birilli, Assistant Curator, Museums of Lake County
Demetri Broxton, Senior Director of Education, Museum of the African Diaspora
Karen Crews Hendon, Senior Curator, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
Carolyn Lopez, Assistant Curator & Registrar, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes*
Nicole Miller-Coleman, Board Treasurer & Fundraising Co-Chair, Women’s Museum of California*
Ana Navarro, Bay Area Discovery Museum
Brittani Orona, Assistant Professor of American Indian Studies, San Diego State University
Solimar Salas, VP of Museum Content and Programming, Museum of Latin American Art

Finance Committee

CAM's Finance Committee reviews financial statements and budgets prior to presentation to the Board of Directors, monitors the organization's financial health, recommends an accounting firm for the organization's annual review, among other responsibilities.

Chair: Horacio Correa Jr., Chief Operating Officer, Fleet Science Center

Members:
Anthony Brown, VP of Finance/CFO, Aquarium of the Pacific*
Katrice Lee, Senior Director of Development and Grants, San Diego Natural History Museum
Rick Noguchi, Chief Operating Officer, Japanese American National Museum

Fund Development Committee

Co-Chairs: Rick West, President and CEO, Autry Museum of the American West
Karen Kienzle, Director, Palo Alto Art Center*

Members:
Tim Aceves, Associate Director of Advancement, Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation*
Keasha Dumas Heath, Board member, Museum of African American Art*
Jennifer Jordan, Director of Membership, Los Angeles County Museum of Art*
Kim Kirkhart, Director of Membership, Santa Barbara Zoo*
Kevin McGarry, Associate Director for Public Engagement, Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation
Nicole Miller-Coleman, Board Treasurer & Fundraising Co-chair, Women’s Museum of California*
Rick Noguchi, Chief Operating Officer, Japanese American National Museum

Government Relations Committee

The Government Relations Committee monitors proposed California legislation that will have an impact on museums, plans advocacy events, and oversee efforts to encourage advocacy from the field.

Co-Chairs: Christine Stokes, Museum Director, Coronado Historical Association
Katrice Lee, Senior Director of Development and Grants, San Diego Natural History Museum

Members:
David Burton, Executive Director, Grace Hudson Museum
Horacio Correa, Jr., Chief Operating Officer, Fleet Science Center
Fred Goldstein, former Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, Museum Associates, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art*
Keasha Dumas Heath, Board member, Museum of African American Art*
Houghton Kinsman, Adult Education Coordinator, Crocker Art Museum*
Nikki Lim, Executive Director, California Indian Museum and Cultural Center*
Lisa McDermott, Director, Carnegie Arts Center Foundation
Brittani Orona, Assistant Professor of American Indian Studies, San Diego State University
Amy Smith, Executive Director, Bakersfield Museum of Art*
Meghan Tolland, Deputy Director, Sacramento Children's Museum*
Leah Van Der Mei, Director of Public Operations, California Academy of Sciences

Host Committee

The Host Committee supports planning and promotion of the annual CAM Conference. Members are selected each year from museums local to the conference location.

Co-Chairs: Kevin McGarry, Associate Director for Public Engagement, Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation
Kalie Sacco, Associate Director, Lawrence Hall of Science University of California, Berkeley

2023 Members:
Laura Fies, U.S.S. Hornet*
Lori Fogarty, Oakland Museum of California*
Tayler Harriman, Oakland Museum of California*
Avery Ligon, Habitot Children's Museum*
Kymberly Miller, Children’s Fairyland*
Iliana Morton, Camron-Stanford House*
Katelyn Nomura-Weingrow, UC Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive*
Rowan Robertson-Smith, Camron-Stanford House*
Adam Tobin, Chabot Space and Science Center*

Program Committee

The Program Committee supports the success of the annual CAM conference, including the selection of sessions and speakers and the planning of the Host Committee. Throughout the year, the Program Committee may also be asked to support other CAM programming.

Members:
Milena Acosta, Senior Manager of Community Engagement, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Carolynn Birilli, Assistant Curator, Museums of Lake County
Carla Bitter, Executive Director, Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History
Demetri Broxton, Senior Director of Education, Museum of the African Diaspora
Leigh Gleason, Director of Collections, UCR ARTS*
Doug Jenzen, Vice President, Engagement and Access, Skirball Cultural Center*
Luanne Kanzawa, Executive Director, Japanese Friendship Garden*
Karen Kienzle, Director, Palo Alto Art Center*
Susan Lafferty, Independent Museum Professional*
Cody Lee, Grants Manager, Museum of Photographic Art*
George Luna-Peña, Program Manager, Diversity Apprenticeship Program, The Broad*
Nicole Meldahl, Executive Director, Western Neighborhoods Project*
Alex Regan, Events & Exhibitions Librarian, University of California, Santa Barbara*
Solimar Salas, VP of Museum Content and Programming, Museum of Latin American Art
Christine Stokes, Executive Director/Curator, Coronado Historical Association*
Cate Thurston, Associate Curator, Skirball Cultural Center*
Vicki Wawerchak, Independent Museum Professional*

Strategic Action Committee

The Strategic Action Committee uses foresight research to influence work in the areas of environmental sustainability, emerging professional development, and DEAI (Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, and Inclusion).

Co-Chairs: Solimar Salas, VP of Museum Content and Programming, Museum of Latin American Art
Mark Katrikh, Director, Museum Operations and Experience, Museum of Tolerance*

Members:
Chelsea Anderson, Programming Associate, Getty Research Institute*
Lauren Baines, Interim Director, de Saisset Museum, Santa Clara University
Demetri Broxton, Senior Director of Education, Museum of the African Diaspora
Lisa Eriksen, Accessibility Coordinator, Palo Alto Junior Museum and Zoo*
Michaeleen Gallagher, Director of Education and Environmental Programs, The Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands*
Karen Kienzle, Director, Palo Alto Art Center*
Carolyn Lopez, Assistant Curator & Registrar, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes*
Kristen Mihalko, Director of Operations, Balboa Park Cultural Partnership
Brittani Orona (Hupa), Ph.D. Candidate in Native American Studies and Human Rights, UC Davis; Assistant Professor of American Indian Studies, San Diego State University (Fall 2022)
Vickie Stone, Curator of Collections, Coronado Historical Association*

STANDING COMMITTEES

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is comprised of the officers of the association and the Chair of the Nominating Committee. They oversee the strategic planning process and the review and compensation of the Executive Director, among other tasks.

President: Tomoko Kuta, Senior Director of Education and Visitor Services, San Diego Botanic Garden
Co-Vice Presidents: Delta Pick Mello, Executive Director/CEO, Sacramento History Alliance
Solimar Salas, VP of Museum Content and Programming, Museum of Latin American Art
Treasurer: Horacio Correa, Jr., Chief Operating Officer, Fleet Science Center
Secretary: Lisa McDermott, Director, Carnegie Arts Center Foundation
Chair of Governance: David Burton, Executive Director, Grace Hudson Museum

Governance Committee

The Governance Committee annually selects a slate of nominees for election to fill vacant seats on the board, ensures a diverse membership on the board, and assesses the effectiveness of the Board of Directors.

Chair: David Burton, Executive Director, Grace Hudson Museum

Members:
Tomoko Kuta, Senior Director of Education and Visitor Services, San Diego Botanic Garden
Delta Pick Mello, Executive Director/CEO, Sacramento History Alliance
Rick West, President and CEO Emeritus, Autry Museum of the American West

CAM's Executive Director and President are ex-officio members of all committees.