Ginger brings a calm, focused efficiency to her role as NAAM's Office and Finance Manager.  She has spent over 15 years guiding Washington and California companies' financial health and contributes with enthusiastic commitment to NAAM's mission.  She is the mother of two adults sons, one of whom, is teaching in China.  She is active volunteering in her community and her happiest off hours are spent in nature as a hiker, camper and docent at Discovery Park in Seattle.

Alex Curio currently serves as Development Manager of the Northwest African American Museum. She is responsible for developing, implementing and overseeing the full range of the Museum's fundraising, membership, and grant-related efforts. Alex graduated with highest honors from Rutgers University, where she double-majored in Art History and English with a minor in French. She also holds a Master of Arts degree in Museology from the University of Washington, where she worked as a Research Assistant on a federally-funded research project that explored how people learn on museum blogs. She has interned and worked for many organizations including the Science Museum of Minnesota, the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, The Overlake School, and the Tatham Art Gallery in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.

Bryan Hill, a native of Seattle, is pleased to join the NAAM staff as the Events Director. Hill has experience coordinating and facilitating events in the Pacific Northwest. Planning events is second nature, since he has worked with his family event business since he began walking. Bryan began his official career with City of Tukwila Parks and Recreation. He was a Ramp leader at Menzie’s, designed and facilitated a summer youth academy at Zion Prep, worked on University of Washington HIV Community Awareness, and most recently worked supporting events at NAAM. He loves his community and has volunteered for Festival Sundiata, Odunde Festival and the Maxine Mimms Academy. In his spare time, Bryan enjoys playing and watching sports. His favorite teams are the Atlanta Falcons and the Miami Heat.

Rosanna Sharpe is a native of the Pacific Northwest and has over twenty years of experience working in museums. She holds a BFA in Arts Administration from Long Island University, Southampton, NY and an MFA in museum studies from Syracuse University, NY. Her post graduate degree focused on museum administration and African American studies. Ms. Sharpe has previously worked at the Tacoma Art Museum, as Director of Curatorial Affairs at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma and, most recently, Manager of the Traveling Exhibition Program and Collections at Experience Music Project in Seattle. Her curatorial projects featuring renowned glass artists include: Transparently Built: A Group Show of Glass Installations; Debora Moore: Natural Reflections; Best in Show showcasing Karen Willenbrink-Johnsen; Tom Patti: Illuminating the Invisible and Paul Stankard: Botanicals. In addition to exhibition planning, Ms. Sharpe also has extensive publication management experience. In her leisure time, Rosanna practices Ashtanga yoga and enjoys reading, cooking and studying the Spanish language. She lives in Seattle with her adult daughter.

Maurice Jones is head of our Operations Management department. Maurice graduated from Western Washington University with a bachelor of arts in American and French History and he brings fresh energy and enthusiasm for maintaining and developing NAAM.

Leilani Lewis, Volunteer Coordinator, has a strong background in both art history and studio arts. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Art History from Seattle University, before working with the Northwest African American Museum. Leilani is responsible for not only coordinating the NAAM Volunteer Corps, but also touring groups of visitors and facilitating the Museum’s art programs for visiting school groups. Leilani’s ability to organize and lead a large volunteer corps, as well as assist in developing multiple areas of the Museum make her an essential part of the NAAM team.

Olivia Littles Erickson, Membership Associate, is responsible for managing membership requests and databases, and assisting with grant writing. Currently a Ph.D. student in anthropology at the University of Washington, her interest in museums and history has led to positions at the William S. Hart Museum in Los Angeles, Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry, and The D'Arcy McNickle Center for American Indian History at the Newberry Library in Chicago, before coming to NAAM in 2007.

Chieko Phillips joined the NAAM team as an curatorial intern during her first year of the University of Washington master's program in Museology and has since made a home of the Museum. While pursuing a BA in history from Davidson College in North Carolina, her enthusiasm for museums and public history blossomed after rewarding internships at the Atlanta History Center and the Levine Museum of the New South. As the curatorial assistant at NAAM, Chieko will continue to immerse herself in the collections and exhibitions with a curiosity her parents nurtured and supported from a young age.

Membership and Administrative Associate is charged with managing NAAM’s membership program and providing administrative support for the office and fellow staff members. Anne first came to NAAM as a curatorial intern as part of her education in the Museology Graduate Program at the University of Washington, which she graduated from in 2012. She is happily following suit as a former NAAM intern turned staff member.

Barbara has previously served as the Museum Curator and Executive Director and currently functions as NAAM’s Deputy Director and Major Gifts Officer. Barbara Thomas is a visual artist and a writer with a longstanding record as an arts administrator. She has overseen programs for Seattle’s Department of Arts and Cultural Affairs and the Northwest’s largest arts Festival, Bumbershoot. Her administrative career spans more than 20 years and her professional art career that is thankfully still in progress spans 25 years. In her administrative career she has worked with individual artists in all genres and with most of Seattle's Arts-presenting organizations. She has created programs for individual artists and overseen large and complicated budgets.

Katie Williams, Museum Educator, comes to NAAM with a passion for community-based museums. Her interests in art and history combined with a love of people led Katie to study museums and how they can best tell their stories to engage and educate visitors. She graduated from Lewis & Clark College with a Bachelor's degree in Art History and earned a Master’s degree from the Museum Studies program at John F. Kennedy University.  Prior to working at NAAM, she interned at the Wing Luke Asian Museum and the Nordic Heritage Museum, as well as the Oakland Museum of California.