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Meet the Board of Directors
 Director Megan McAdow Director Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum University Center Personal Motto? "Hope is not a plan!" With my background in collections management this has been a mantra. What is your museum background? McAdow’s career working in museums spans 20 years and six Michigan museums. She began as an intern at the Oakland County Pioneer and Historical Society, now called the Oakland History Center. McAdow credits this internship for her initial love of museums and has worked hard to provide paid internships whenever possible. McAdow joined the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum as Director in December 2018. Prior to this position she served as Director of Collections & Education at Applewood Estate for the Ruth Mott Foundation in Flint. She was in that position for over five years and had the rare opportunity to open the historic estate as a museum, including tours inside the Mott home for the first time ever. Before Applewood McAdow worked for over eight years as the Collections & Exhibitions Manager at the Edsel & Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores. Prior to that role she served in the Collections Department at the Detroit Institute of Arts. She holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Nonprofit Leadership from University of Michigan – Dearborn, a Graduate Certificate in Museum Collections Management and Care from George Washington University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology from Oakland University where she also minored in Studio Art focusing on photographic and video media. Megan was born and raised in Oxford, Michigan and had been living in the Royal Oak area for the last 10+ years until moving to Flint with her husband four years ago. How did you get involved with MMA? My first experiences with MMA were through their fantastic annual conferences. I enjoyed both learning more about the field as well as meeting colleagues who shared similar challenges and/or offered insights and solutions. When I learned that MMA members could get involved in conference planning I jumped at the opportunity to volunteer. I now enjoy and support all areas of MMA’s work in service to our Museum colleagues across the state. What is your favorite thing about MMA? The people! Museum folks are the best – they are always passionate about some specialty area and have fascinating stories and information to share.
 Director Emily Lanctot Director and Curator Northern Michigan University’s DeVos Art Museum Marquette
In 2015, I took an MMA workshop, and since then, I have attended lunches, conferences, exhibition receptions, and read applications for conference scholarships. Lisa was instrumental in inviting me into the MMA fold. What is your favorite thing about MMA? I love the level of engagement that MMA facilitates. It is incredible to see so many Museum professionals care about the field and each other. MMA helps to bring people and ideas together and helps me feel connected to my colleagues.
Personal motto? What is your museum background? How did you get involved with MMA? What is your favorite thing about MMA?
 Director Sanam Arab Manager of Programs and Patron Services University of Michigan-LSA Technology Services Ann Arbor
 Secretary Caitlyn Perry Dial, Ph.D. Assistant Director of Development MSU College of Veterinary Medicine East Lansing Favorite Quote? "Be excellent to each other." - Bill and Ted What is your museum background? I started my museum career way back in the early 2000s when I was an undergrad at Michigan State. I was a history major and knew that I wanted to seek a career in museums after returning from Study Abroad in the UK. I took that path through graduate school and became familiar with collections care, education, visitor experience, administration, and fundraising. In my last position, I was Executive Director of the Michigan Women's Hall of Fame where I feel like I put all of those skills to work. Though I have left the field (for now!), I am still committed to the advancement of Michigan's museums and of this organization. How did you get involved with MMA? I started getting involved with MMA in 2009 at the conference in Kalamazoo. I was in my first year of my PhD studies and realized right then that I had found my people. What is your favorite thing about MMA? My favorite thing about MMA are the connections and friendships I have gained over the years. It's not just a group of like-minded, museum loving people, but MMA has a culture of "helping up" where those within this organization reached down the ladder and pulled me up as they moved along. I've tried to do the same.   Treasurer Lisa Plank Executive Director Lowell Area Historical Museum Lowell Favorite Quote? “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” - Audrey Hepburn What is your museum background? I have always been fascinated by history. I think it began in my grandparents basement where generations of family memorabilia were tucked in corners. In middle school, I began volunteering with the Public Museum of Grand Rapids. They graciously took an eager 12 year old under their wing and let me spend the next 5 years as a volunteer and intern in the collection department. My time there solidified my interest in history and in my conviction that the public loves history. To present the exciting things I had seen behind the scenes to others was something I wanted to pursue. I went on to do a Public History degree at Western Michigan University and graduate coursework at the University of South Carolina in Applied History. My time at Western was enhanced with internships at the Michigan Maritime Museum and the Allegheny Heritage Development Corporation in Pennsylvania and a summer of Archaeology field school. My Sophomore year was spent at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. For a history major, it was a bit of dream. The town is rich in history. Studying early Scottish history in the actual buildings that it occurred in was remarkable. My career has included work at the Voigt House, Hackley & Hume Site with the Lakeshore Museum, Carver County Museum- Minnesota, Richfield Historical Society- Minnesota, and currently the Lowell Area Historical Museum. I have worked as a volunteer coordinator, site manager, assistant curator and director. Every position has allowed me to pursue presenting history to the public and bringing it alive for them. How did you get involved with MMA? I began by attending conferences and then serving on the program selection committee for the joint conference with AASLH. I was elected to the Board in 2016 and appointed Treasurer in 2017. What is your favorite thing about MMA? The Michigan Museums Association provides an opportunity to connect with other museum professionals. This networking strengthens our organizations and our state’s museum professionals. It also provides us with a way to give back to the museum community and mentor an upcoming generation.  Vice President Jason Dake Deputy Director of Museum Programs & Learning Dennos Museum Center Traverse City Favorite Quote? "He at least was learning the world, the good and the bad of it, as must happen to every one who accomplishes anything in it." - Mark Twain, The Gilded Age What is your museum background? My last semester of undergrad before student teaching, I visited the CMU Museum with my history class. That's when I realized that people are trained to work in museums for a living. I stuck with teaching and spent a year, post-graduation, looking for a teaching job in K-12 art. Eventually, I took on a service year with Americorps in the Downriver Detroit area. When I finished my year of service, I landed a job at the Flint Institute of Arts where I spent 6 years in the education department designing curriculum, teaching art classes, leading gallery tours, and developing my early career as a professional museum educator. I also found time to graduate as the first recipient of a Master of Arts in Arts Administration from University of Michigan - Flint, in December 2011. In 2012, I joined the staff of the Dennos Museum Center as curator of education, where I handle most all responsibilities associated with learning. I train docent volunteers, lead tours and public programs, collaborate with local partners, and write interpretive texts. Given our small staff, I also curate and hang exhibitions, book performing groups, and handle some of the public relations as well. I'm probably one of the few museum professionals of my generation who has had the privilege of working for just 2 museums full-time over the course of 13 years. I try to spend some of my extracurricular time helping others accomplish the same, advocating for transparency, fair wages, holistic funding, and a supportive work culture. How did you get involved with MMA? My first interaction with MMA was in 2006 during the Flint conference. It wasn't until I joined the Dennos Museum Center that I was actively encouraged by colleagues to get more involved. I helped plan conferences and programs in 2013 and 2014, and have led various conference sessions since then. In 2016, I was invited to join the board, and happily accepted. What is your favorite thing about MMA? I have often espoused the amazing opportunity that MMA represents to younger professionals, perhaps more than they even wanted to hear. But if someone wants to develop their career, meet similarly passionate museum geeks, or have some fun that is related to their work interests, MMA is the organization to join. The welcoming atmosphere and flexibility for how to be involved are what keep me in board meetings and at the annual conferences.
What is your museum background? I started very young. My father collects Victorian paper ephemera, among other things, and as a result my family and were frequent visitors to antique shops. Coming out of this deep appreciation for history, I started my career with my undergraduate studies in world history, archaeology, art history, and studio art. All of these areas of study came together with my first internship at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. I was hooked from that point on. How did you get involved with MMA? During my first few years in the museum field, I attended a MMA conference. I remembering not knowing anyone and being amazed by how many other museum professionals there were in our state. I was eager to learn new things and meet new people so I continued attending MMA’s annual conferences and eventually started to attend whatever workshop or events I could throughout the rest of the year. I began to volunteer on numerous MMA committees such as professional development, programs, and the conference team. I co-hosted a MMA conference in 2012 in Muskegon and then joined the board in 2016. What is your favorite thing about MMA? There is something incredibly powerful when you’re able to connect with others on a passion level. With MMA, we all share a passion for the impact that museums provide to our communities. So my favorite thing about MMA has always been getting into a space (a conference session, event, or Zoom call) with other museum professionals and feeling our collective energy. MMA has always excelled at bringing people together and making those experiences accessible for everyone. |
The Michigan Museums Association is supported in part by an award from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts.
 
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