Stuart Ashman is the president and CEO of the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, Calif. Previously to this he was the Secretary of Cultural Affairs for the State of New Mexico from September 2003 to December 2010. He was the first director of the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art in Santa Fe, N.Mex. where he oversaw the institution’s transition from a volunteer society to a professional museum. Prior to this, he was the director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of New Mexico, in Santa Fe. Also in New Mexico, he was the director/curator of The Governor’s Gallery exhibition space and served as the state’s arts representative. Mr. Ashman’s career has included numerous international activities such as serving as a State Department Expert Speaker on museum management and administration in Venezuela and Argentina. In 2002 he was the recipient of the Santa Fe Mayor’s Award for Excellence in the Art: Arts Administration. Mr. Ashman earned his B.A in Photography and Fine Arts from The City University of New York. He is also a 1998 alum of the Getty Leadership Institute’s Museum Management Institute.

Commission terms: 2003-2009; 2009-2012

William U. Eiland has been the director of the Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia since 1992. The museum has been accredited since 1979, with last reaccreditation review overseen by Eiland. In addition to being named a Woodrow Wilson Fellow, Eiland has been the recipient of several national and state fellowships. He has edited and contributed to more than 50 scholarly publications, served as general editor of seven catalogues at the Georgia Museum of Art and authored several books. He is the recipient of the 2008 James R. Short Award, given in recognition of a lifetime of distinguished service to the museum profession by SEMC and the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in the Arts from the Georgia Association of Museums and Galleries. Eiland currently volunteers his time for AAM as a member of the advisory council of the Center for the Future of Museums and as an ICOM-US board member.

Commission term: 2009-2014

Andrew E. Masich is the president and CEO of the Senator John Heinz History Center. A leader in the field of public history and frequent presenter at AAM and AASLH meetings, Masich is known nationally for his lectures on museum exhibitions, management and humor. He is an Emmy-award-winning producer of PBS short subject history films and widely acclaimed as an author of books on American Indians and the Civil War.

Commission terms: 2004-2010; 2010-2013

Patricia A. Murphy has been the director of the Oberlin Heritage Center since 1993 and led the museum’s work to obtain AAM accreditation (2005), to become part of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Statewide and Local Partners Network, and to become part of the National Park Services’ National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program.  She has been instrumental in establishing the center as a regional visitor attraction and community asset and in promoting heritage tourism and historic preservation. Murphy is a graduate of the Getty Leadership Institute/Museum Management Institute (2003), the Seminar for Historical Administration (1999) and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive. She has been a peer reviewer for MAP and Accreditation and has also served as a grant reviewer for IMLS and NEH. She serves on the City of Oberlin Historic Preservation Commission and is the incoming president of the Ohio Association of Historical Societies and Museums.

Commission term: 2009-2014

Mary Sue Sweeney Price joined The Newark Museum as director of Programs and Publications in 1980 and since then has served as the museum’s assistant director and deputy director; she was appointed the museum’s sixth director and CEO in 1993. During this time she has been responsible for curatorial, exhibition and educational programming functions, strategic planning, and coordinating a massive facility renovation. She has been an active peer reviewer for AAM’s standards and excellence programs, and held leadership roles in AAMD, the Newark Arts Council, ArtTable, and local civic organizations. Ms. Price also participates actively in the field as an author/editor, speaker, and panel moderator. The Newark Museum has been accredited museum since 1972, and represents the fields of art, history, and natural science. It has a private non profit governance structure and a budget of approximately $18M. The museum is recognized as a leader in museum education.

Commission term: 2008-2013

Terrie S. Rouse is consultant for the King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture in Saudi Arabia. Rouse previously served as CEO for visitor services at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center (2007-2010). Prior to this she was executive vice president/director of museums for Kansas City’s Union Station, encompassing Science City, the Kansas City Museum at Corinthian Hall, The City Extreme Screen, Planetarium, exhibitions within Union Station, as well as its permanent collections. She also provides consultant services to a number of cultural, non-profit organizations across the United States, including a joint project between the City of Philadelphia, the National Park Service and Independence National Historic Park, and worked with the City of Charleston on the development of the International African American Museum. She has served on a number of professional associations and boards, including the AAM Board, has published extensively in many academic and art publications, and has conducted presentations and lectures on subjects ranging from cultural tourism to the management of art collections.

Commission term: 2009-2014, Chair 2009-2012

Bonnie W. Styles has been with the Illinois State Museum since 1977 and has served as its director since 2006. During her tenure at the museum she served in several capacities including the chair and curator of anthropology, director of sciences, and the associate museum director--science and education. As a result, she has been directly engaged in all aspects of museum operation from administration to oversight and implementation of education, collections, exhibition, and research programs. In addition to the flagship Illinois State Museum and Research and Collections Center in Springfield, she oversees the five other facilities that make up the Illinois State Museum System. Dr. Styles is active in, and has served as an officer of, many national and regional professional societies and not for profit organizations in the fields of science, archeology, and anthropology. She is the secretary-treasurer of the Association of Science Museum Directors and has served as president of the Midwest Archeological Conference. Dr. Styles holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Anthropology from Northwestern University, and B.A. from Arizona State University. She has published and presented extensively, directed numerous competitive grant funded projects, and received many awards and honors, including election as a Fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Commission term: 2007-2013; 2009-2012 (Chair)

James A. Welu is the director emeritus of the Worcester Art Museum, Worcester, Mass. He served as its director from 1986 to 2011. Prior to this he was the museum’s chief curator (1980-86), associate curator (1976-80) and assistant curator (1974-76). He holds a Ph.D. in Art History from Boston University and a M.A. and M.F.A. in Studio Art from the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Welu is a member of the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) and served in several leadership role in the organization, including trustee, vice president, and president. He served on AAM’s Ethical Concerns Task Force and is affiliated with the College Art Association and the New England Museum Association. Dr. Welu has also been an active Accreditation Visiting Committee member and participated in the first Museums & Community Dialogue in Providence, R.I. in July 2000. In 2004 he taught at AAM’s professional education seminar “Current Issues in Collections Stewardship: Collections Planning.” He also serves on a number of university and art museum advisory boards and is active in a number of community organizations.

Commission terms: 2000-2006; 2006-2012; 2006-2009 (Chair)