EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

director@smcart.org

Susie has spent many years working as a writer, in various scopes of marketing and business development, management, and other areas of expertise.

She holds a B.A. in English from Pennsylvania State University and a minor in German from Christian Albrechts Üniversität.

Most recently Susie was employed at the Art Center of Wilmington Island before moving to Southern Maryland.

Susie resides locally with her husband and children. She is an avid painter and crafter and enjoys traveling and scuba diving as well as volunteering her time for several different community projects.

Susie has been an active Board Member since 2020 and as of January 1st, 2023 started her position as Executive Director.

OUTREACH COORDINATOR

outreach@smcart.org

Wednesday has been part of the SMCAC team since September of 2017 when she launched the Gallery & Gift Shop, and a volunteer prior to that. She can often be found “behind the scenes” editing the monthly e-newsletters, writing our monthly Spotlights on the Arts, and working on other projects.

Originally from California state, Wednesday relocated here with her husband following his military retirement. She draws upon her travels to places such as San Francisco, Austin, and Asheville to bring innovative ideas to the local arts scene.

In 2016 she pitched the idea of an audience participation Drum Circle which has been one of her favorite projects.

Photo credit: Ceylon Mitchell, M3 Mitchell Media & Marketing.

GALLERY MANAGER

gallery@smcart.org

Melanie is a long-time friend of the St. Mary’s County Arts Council, having participated in many artist socials and events over the years. A former Business Manager and a passionate artist, Melanie is delighted to have the opportunity to pay it forward and serve the arts community in her role as the Gallery Manager at the Arts Council. 

As an artist, Melanie enjoys working in a variety of mediums including digital photography and photo editing, pyrography, water color and graphic design to name a few.

Melanie has lived in St. Mary’s County since 2006 and has spent much of that time, with her husband, as a stay-at-home mom raising two beautiful children. She is also mom to a rescue dachshund, loves animals, nature, music and drumming.

VOLUNTEER CONSULTANT/WEBMASTER

caitlin@designsbythewharf.com

Caitlin Wakefield has been working within the art community in St. Mary’s County, ever since she moved back to Maryland from Texas in 2016.

She started her work with Carrie Patterson, at Yellow Door Art Studios, helping teach art classes to younger artists, and grew into becoming a freelance illustrator creating Meenyx Studio.

Caitlin began working at the St. Mary’s County Arts Council in 2018 as a Gallery Assistant and has been able to meet and work with many local artists. She worked as our Gallery Manager from 2023 to 2024 and is now the owner of her own website company, Designs by the Wharf.

Being able to be a part of a community so passionate about the arts is exactly what she was looking for!

PRESIDENT

Julia Nichols has lived in St. Mary’s County since 1997. After receiving her B.A. in French and her Masters in Library Science, she worked at St. Mary’s College of Maryland and Historic St. Mary’s City for several years before leaving to be a full-time mother.

Julia founded the Southern Maryland Youth Orchestra & Choir in 2012 and served as President for its 10 years of operation. She played violin starting at the age of five. It was her experience in the Vermont Youth Orchestra that inspired her to start SMYOC. She has three children who play several instruments. Julia currently plays violin with COSMIC Symphony.

Julia has used her organizational skills to lead and strengthen several community groups. Currently, she is President of the Democratic Club of St. Mary’s County, Vice President of COSMIC Symphony, Treasurer for the Sierra Club Southern MD Group, and Secretary for the Sierra Club MD Chapter.

VICE-PRESIDENT

Deb McClure started painting with tremendous glee in kindergarten and started drawing in earnest in her teens.

She became fascinated with watercolors in her twenties and has completed several stained glass pieces as well.

Subsequently, Deb started selling her watercolor collages to collectors and decorators and worked as a muralist and faux finisher, primarily using acrylics and venetian plaster.

She has a special interest in creating wind chimes made with natural materials and also enjoys working with other artists on collaborative projects.

Find Deb at the St. Mary’s Caring Soup Kitchen teaching a variety of art classes!

She has also instructed fun art workshops at the local senior centers and St. Mary’s County Public Libraries.

TREASURER

Lisa has a Masters of Public Administration and 25+ years experience working in the public sector, including government and nonprofit administration. She has spent the last 15 years as a civil servant at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River and also has experience in grant writing and development, plus a passion for The Arts!

She served as the first Treasurer for the Southern Maryland Youth Orchestra and has been an active volunteer for many community organizations.

Lisa dabbles in multiple art forms including knitting, playing piano, and taking art classes and workshops whenever she can locally.

As a parent with two sons in the local public school system, she would love to see even more opportunities for art in all its forms to be made available and accessible to children and their families.

SECRETARY

Aris grew up in St. Mary’s County. She moved to Virginia and received her Bachelors in Food Service Management and Masters of Business Administration from the Culinary Institute of VA and ECPI University, respectively.

She started in the hospitality industry and transformed into new roles such as business analyst, creative director, and events coordinator.

After nearly a decade away, fate brought Aris back to Maryland in January 2023. She currently works for the Town of Leonardtown as the Events Coordinator and additionally at St. Mary’s College of Maryland as an Adjunct Professor of Movement & Dance.

Coming back to St. Mary’s County has been a wonderful experience and she is proud to see how much the area and accessibility of the arts has grown!

Chris is a workforce and technology champion with a strong commitment to bridging the gap between innovation, employers, and workforce solutions.

Recently returning to St. Mary’s County after an extensive career, he brings a wealth of experience as a nonprofit leader, workforce board director, and the co-founder and technology lead of the Maryland Apprenticeship Connector (MAC).

Chris is passionate about developing career pathways in technology, engineering, and government roles, emphasizing their immediate operational benefits and their critical role in futureproofing the workforce.

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT

Barbara was appointed to the Maryland State Arts Council in 2008 and served as Chair from 2012 to 2014.

She also serves on the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation Board where she was Secretary and is currently the Vice Chair.

Barbara is the Emeritus Executive Director of the Chesapeake Orchestra and also served as a past president of the St. Mary’s County Arts Council.

For many years, Bershon was Director of Arts Outreach at St. Mary’s College of Maryland where she was the Managing Director of the River Concert Series, which is still one of her favorite community events.

Michael Brown has been a resident of St. Mary’s County since 1985.

He has volunteered with many different groups including the St. Mary’s County Health Department, Recreation & Parks Department, the St. Mary’s County Sheriff’s community committee, and the Unified Committee for Afro-American Contributions (host organization of the annual Juneteenth Festival).

Michael is also a long-time volunteer (since 2013) with the St. Mary’s County Arts Council and has served as President for two years. “My reason for being a part of the Arts Council is to help share the importance of the arts to all parts of this community.”

Eric is a local artist with a studio located in the Arts & Entertainment District of Leonardtown. He is a St. Mary’s County resident of 40+ years and lives here with his wife and two daughters.

His work as a small business owner (Bay Fibers Studio) and project One Hundred Shores have made him a standout creative voice in two distinct niches.

Eric’s wildlife illustrations are an ongoing Chesapeake Bay field guide of sorts. As he explores rivers, shores, and open Chesapeake waters through winter and summer, he takes inspiration from the wildlife he encounters in the watershed. Learn more about Eric at his website.

Sabine spent her early career as a researcher and professor of conservation biology. She holds a Ph.D. in Evolutionary Ecology from Stony Brook University.

Most recently, Sabine served as the Director of Research and Sponsored Programs at St. Mary's College of Maryland.

She has experience in securing external funding, grant administration and capacity building, and worked closely with the MD State Arts Council and SMCM faculty and administrators to bring the Southern Maryland Folklife Center to fruition.

Learn more about Sabine’s creative studio on Instagram.

Ana has been engaged in The Arts since relocating from Cochabamba, Bolivia, to St. Mary's County in 2001.

Trained as an architect with a focus on historic restoration in Bolivia, Ana continued her artistic journey upon moving to the US, taking art classes at St. Mary's College of Maryland.

She has participated in invitational exhibitions at the local cooperative art gallery, volunteered in art classes at her children's school, and contributed to community art projects.

Ana has worked as a substitute teacher for art and Spanish at a charter school.

Jim supports the council with extensive leadership experience in strategy and organizational development, drawing from a distinguished 23-year career in the U.S. Navy and two decades supporting public and private sector clients.

Jim is the author of Hidden Variety: Competitor Analysis in the Government Contracting Market, Winning with Past Performance, and 13 Steps to Increase Your CPARS Ratings. Learn more here about his publications.

Jim is the managing director of Foxwell LLC, a St Mary’s County based building improvement firm helping businesses and residents to build their dreams.

Heidi moved here from Tucson, Arizona, in 2015 and is enjoying the uniqueness and beauty of Southern Maryland.

After graduating from the University of Arizona with a BFA, she pursued a career in interior design and retail management, until deciding to be a full-time mom.

Heidi has always been very active in her church and community. She has had the privilege of serving on committees for Ballet Arizona, Moms in Prayer, Bible Study fellowship International, Boy Scouts, Young Life, and other organizations.

She lives in Leonardtown with her husband Chris and miniature Dachshund Kelvin.

Paulo is originally from the Philippines and a long-time past resident of the state of California. In 2019, his job brought him to the Naval Air Station Patuxent River. Since then, he and his family have made St. Mary's County their home.

An avid fan of the arts, Paulo enjoys visiting museums and learning about artifacts in his spare time.

He has always been passionate about serving his community and engaging with social and civic organizations. Paulo looks forward to serving on the board and dedicating his efforts to support the arts!

Caitlin Wakefield has been working within the art community in St. Mary’s County since 2016.

She has been with the St. Mary’s County Arts Council from 2018 - 2023 as a Gallery Assistant and as our Gallery Manager from 2023 to 2024.

Caitlin is currently employed as a UX Designer at Precise Systems and is also a small business owner of her website design company Designs by the Wharf.

As of July 2025, Caitlin has returned to St. Mary’s County Arts Council as a volunteer and is now serving as a Board Member.

Fran recently moved to St. Mary’s County and has joined our board as she desires to support The Arts!

She is a Fells Point Historic Society board member, Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) writer-to-writer mentor, has earned multiple awards, juries, and spends time with a “bunch of different volunteerisms”.

Fran enjoys writing professionally and paint semi professionally. Along with her husband, she enjoys kayaking, sailing, and cooking. She also LOVES to travel.

Learn more about Fran at her website.

IMMEDIATE PAST EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Nell Elder started her career as a News Graphic Artist for the 10 o’clock news at WTTG-5 (currently Fox-5) in Washington DC.

She then spent 10 years as a designer and production artist at the Washington Post magazine.

In 2011, Nell joined the board of the St. Mary’s County Arts Council and in 2013 became a staff member, serving as the Outreach Coordinator.

Soon after, she was offered the position as Executive Director and worked in this role until her retirement in 2022.

Hailing from Virgnia Beach, Donna Jordan has been celebrating dance and movement for a lifetime. She continued to follow her passion for years to come taking dance and movement classes all over the world. All different styles, all different types - all different focus - from hip hop to ballroom to bellydance to ballet have been explored.

In 2002, when she moved to St Mary’s County, Donna shifted gears and gave up her full-time career as a chemist to teach dance and movement full time. She has worked with many local schools, colleges, nonprofit agencies, with group and private students, and countless others.

Jeffery Silberschlag, Music director and founder of the Chesapeake Orchestra since 1994, is the winner of the European Union Lifetime Achievement Award for Music and the 2009 Governor’s Citation for Providing Music to the Southern Maryland Region.

Since 2001, Mr. Silberschlag also holds the position of co-music director of the Alba Music Festival in Italy. He has recorded with the London Symphony, London Philharmonic, Warsaw Philharmonic, Seattle Symphony, and Czech Radio Orchestra. Mr. Silberschlag has directed over 60 major orchestral world premieres.