Board & Staff

President: Jerry Ring is a public affairs professional who retired from the Dow Chemical Company as Director of Global Contributions and Community Programs with responsibility for the company’s relationships with its communities around the world. He was also President of The Dow Chemical Company Foundation. After vacationing in Traverse City for years, Jerry moved to the city full time in 2019. He serves on the Boards of the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation and the Discovery Pier. Jerry holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from Boston University, an MBA from Central Michigan University and a D.M. degree in management and Organization Leadership from the University of Phoenix.

Executive Vice President: Terry Beamsley has worked as consultant and senior leadership for a number of public entities and nonprofit organizations including the Community Foundation of Monroe County, the City of Monroe Michigan, and the River Raisin National Battlefield Park and Battlefield Foundation. She served as Curator of History for the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, Chief Registrar and head of Information Resources for the Henry Ford Museum, Assistant Director of the Toledo Museum of Art, and as Adjunct Faculty in both the Bachelor’s and Masters Museum Studies programs at Baylor University.

Vice President – Education: Cheryl Bloomquist is an Early Childhood Program instructor/faculty and an Education Program advisor at Northwestern Michigan College. Cheryl’s work at the college and in the local early childhood education community furthers her mission to improve the quality of early education and care for young children and their families in the region. She has worked in the early childhood education field for more than 40 years as a child birth educator, elementary and preschool teacher, with Head Start as a teacher supervisor and Early Head Start Director, with Traverse City Area Public Schools in Early Education Administration and as the early childhood faculty at Northwestern Michigan College.

Vice President – Finance, Treasurer: Stuart Kelly is a CPA with extensive experience who previously worked at Rehmann and has recently transitioned to Marsh Automotive. In addition to his financial expertise, Stuart brings valuable marketing experience, making him a versatile asset to the Museum’s strategic and operational initiatives.

Vice President – Nominating and Governance, Secretary: Dr. Jeanne Dennler is a clinical psychologist, author, and autism specialist. Her expertise ensures that the Museum is accessible to all visitors, particularly those with autism and other sensory needs, fostering inclusivity in exhibits and programs.

Megan Brown is Chief Marke1ng and Communications Officer for Munson Healthcare. She leads communica1ons, marketing, community health programs and community engagement for Northern Michigan’s largest healthcare system. Before joining Munson Healthcare, Brown was Executive Director of Corporate Communications at Michigan’s largest utility, Consumers Energy. Earlier in her career, she was a Senior Account Executive at Truscott Rossman and previously served as Deputy Press Secretary to former Governor Jennifer M. Granholm. She holds a B.A. from Michigan State University and an MBA from The University of Michigan. Brown was previously recognized on the Traverse City Business News “40 under 40” list. Megan serves on the Northwest Michigan Infant Mental Health Board and is past-President of the Traverse City Central Neighborhood Associa1on. Megan lives in Traverse City, MI with her husband and two young sons.

Rebecca Clinton is a proud Northern Michigander who returned home in 2019 after living and working in Seattle and the Washington, D.C. area. Rebecca earned a Master of Education from the University of Washington and began her career supporting autistic children and families in clinical, educational, and in-home settings. She now serves as Vice President of the Leelanau Montessori Forever Foundation, where she helps advance fundraising and nonprofit initiatives that support public Montessori education. In addition to her foundation work, Rebecca is active in a local grassroots AAPI community group and previously served on the steering committee for the Talking Is Teaching campaign, promoting early childhood literacy and family engagement across Northern Michigan. She is committed to expanding access to welcoming community spaces where children and families can learn, connect, and thrive, and believes strongly in the power of curiosity, equity, and lifelong learning. Rebecca lives in Leelanau County with her husband and two children and is passionate about strengthening organizations that serve local children and families.

David Glenn is a partner at Kuhn Rogers PLC, Northern Michigan’s largest law firm.  He concentrates his practice in the areas of real property, construction, business, energy, and environmental law.  David was born and raised in Traverse City (TCW – 2003) and holds degrees from Central Michigan University (B.S. – 2007) and the University of Detroit Mercy (J.D. – 2011).  David and his wife Lauren (a registered nurse and also a Traverse City native) have four children (Reid, Kendall, Boyd, Wells) and a Black Labrador named Kota.  David is an avid outdoorsman with a passion for hunting and fishing.

Judge Jennifer Whitten is the Grand Traverse County Probate Court and Family Division Judge. Jennifer was appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer and was sworn in on March 4, 2022. Prior to her appointment, Judge Whitten was a partner with Alward, Fisher, Rice, Rowe & Graf, PLC, where she specialized in family and probate court matters, as well as estate planning. Jennifer earned her Juris Doctor degree from Michigan State University College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Alma College. She currently lives in Traverse City with her husband, Brent, two children, Malakai and Zeke, and golden doodle, Bohdi.

Camille Hoisington is Director of Ecosystem Development at Traverse Connect where she leads the growth of the regional innovation ecosystem and entrepreneurial business attraction programs in Northern Michigan. Camille grew her career in New York City, where she was Director of Innovation Network at Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, spearheading the Make It in Brooklyn initiative to support entrepreneurs. Camille was also Program Director at startup hub 1776, and Community Manager at Urban Future Lab, NYC’s only cleantech and smart cities incubator. Camille has a B.A. in Natural Science and a M.Litt in Geography from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.

Spencer Silk has extensive experience supporting organizations that serve children with developmental disabilities and humane society organizations, where he has contributed as both a consultant and board member. He has advised clients large and small while as a consultant, primarily with Price Waterhouse & Co. on Planning and Operations. He is particularly interested in helping organizations prosper by developing effective business plans and sustainable operating plans. Spencer was an adjunct professor at the University of Detroit/Mercy, College of Business, in the Graduate Studies in Business. In addition, he has been certified as a Certified Management Consultant awarded by the Institute of Management Consultants, Certified Information Systems Auditor awarded by the Auditors Association. Spencer, a graduate of Michigan State University, and his wife and Goldendoodle live in Williamsburg.

Lauren Cipicchio is an investor and data and analytics executive who has held leadership roles at global investment firms including Citadel, Pretium, CPP Investments, and Bridgewater Associates. Her work focuses on building teams, designing operating models, and using data to support long-term decision making in complex organizations. She is also active in community and education initiatives, with a particular interest in expanding access to opportunity for children and families. Lauren divides her time between the East Coast and Northern Michigan.