Community leaders will provide a breadth of expertise and new perspective

Tuesday, Aug 6, 2024

INDIANAPOLIS – The Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art continues to diversify and deepen the expertise of its leadership team by welcoming eight new members to its Board of Directors and seven new members to its Community Board of Advisors. Their wide range of experiences will provide valuable guidance to the museum.

“As an arts and cultural institution with a national reputation for excellence, it is essential to continue highlighting diverse perspectives,” Eiteljorg President and CEO Kathryn Haigh said. “Therefore, the Eiteljorg is guided by civic leaders with extensive experience in finance, the legal world, education, the arts and nonprofits. Their leadership, backgrounds and insights will help the Eiteljorg engage with its communities and launch fundamental projects that strategically position the museum for the future.”

The Eiteljorg’s Board of Directors consists of 34 members who oversee the nonprofit’s finances and set policy. The new members succeed longtime Board members whose terms had expired, and their new terms began July 1:

• Marquisha Bridgeman serves as vice president of community and business banking partnerships for Merchants Bank of Indiana where she supports local businesses, community development groups and non-profit organizations to advance economic development strategies in both Marion and Hamilton counties. Bridgeman has more than 13 years of experience leading community engagement and marketing initiatives.

• Steve Cagle brings 40 years of experience as a retired television executive, working with more than 50 TV stations, networks and studios in the U.S., Great Britain, Germany and Australia. Cagle is dedicated to serving his Indianapolis community as a philanthropist and volunteer, having served as a trustee of Park-Tudor for nine years and currently serving on the Indianapolis Zoo Board of Trustees.

• Burke Eiteljorg is the co-founder of Spring Mill Resources. Eiteljorg serves on numerous other boards, including Stacktek and Knight Hawk Coal, LLC.

• Chris Gahl, named a “40 Under 40” business leader by the Indianapolis Business Journal, is the executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Visit Indy, where he is involved in efforts to promote Indianapolis as a tourism destination. Gahl serves on a variety of boards, including those for Butler University, Indiana Humanities Council, Indianapolis Urban League and the Madam Walker Legacy Center.

• Sandy Hurt, a lifetime learner, returned to school after retiring as a surgery nurse. She melded her passion for art and history into her published novel Priestess of Pompeii, The Initiate’s Journey. Hurt serves on the boards for a multitude of art and writing-focused organizations. She has long been involved in the life and work of the Eiteljorg and she previously chaired the museum’s Collections Council.

• Patrick O’Donovan is a managing director, complex manager with Raymond James & Associates, in which he oversees the Indiana market and serves the financial planning and investment needs of individual, corporate and institutional investors. O’Donovan’s passion for the arts has led him to serve on numerous visual and performing arts boards.

• John Timothy (Muscogee [Creek] Nation), M.D., serves as co-chair of Eiteljorg’s Indian Market and Festival. Dr. Timothy is the president of Employee Health Associates PC. He also has extensive academic experience with occupational medicine residency as a practicum site director.

• Tonya Vachirasomboon is an attorney and member of Dentons’ corporate practice and co-leader of the national mergers and acquisitions practice, advising businesses in meeting their strategic objectives. She has extensive experience representing private and public companies, including financial institutions. She is currently a member of both the Denton Bingham Greenebaum Partnership Board and Denton’s United States Region Board of Directors.

The Eiteljorg Board of Directors also elected new officers whose terms began in July:

• Fred Green who previously served as the Board vice chair is now the chair. Green is an architect licensed in more than 30 states and was most recently chief operating officer at Cripe. He serves on several civic boards, including the Paul I. Cripe Charitable Foundation and Indiana Public Safety Foundation Board.

• Don Woodley (Ojibwe), who was Board secretary, was re-elected as an officer and will serve as 1st vice chair. He is the co-founder and principal of the investment management firm Woodley Farra Manion Portfolio Management. Woodley has served on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Indianapolis Arts Center and Humane Society of Indianapolis.

• Cynthia Hoye joins the Board officers as the 2nd vice chair. Hoye provides more than 36 years of marketing and leadership experience, serving as both the executive director and marketing director of the Indiana State Fair Commission. She is co-chair of the Eiteljorg Indian Market and Festival.

• Sue A. Back, a longtime director, continues another term as Board treasurer. She is a retired certified public accountant and chartered global management accountant, having served as the managing director at Pile CPAs in Indianapolis.

• Dr. John Timothy (Muscogee [Creek] Nation), a newly named Board member, was elected as the Board secretary.

The Eiteljorg also thanks civic leader Pat Anker, who served as Board chair from July 2022 to June 2024 and continues to serve on the Board of Directors.

The Eiteljorg’s Community Board of Advisors consists of dedicated community leaders who provide critical insight and perspective to the museum staff and Board of Directors. The museum welcomes these seven new advisors:

• Ashley Cowger serves as deputy chief of strategy at Indianapolis Public Schools. She leads overall strategy for the organization as well as leading digital strategy for IPS, which includes the functional work of IT, cybersecurity and business intelligence, Cowger previously served as chief of staff for the Indiana State Board of Education. With a background in art, she participated in leadership training programs at Harvard University and Howard University.

• Anusuya Das earned her Ph.D. in bioengineering from MIT and her J.D. from Indiana University, Indianapolis. She worked as a research professor at UVA and taught at IUPUI before making a career transition to law. While earning her Ph.D., she worked in Africa and India on global health matters on multiple projects. Currently, she works in the intellectual property department at Barnes & Thornburg LLP. She is engaged in the community and serves on a variety of boards and committees.

• Lowell B. Kane has been a campus administrator and diversity educator for more than two decades, and now serves as both the director of student engagement and belonging and the director of the LGBTQ Center at Purdue University. Kane’s passion for museum and conservation studies led him to participate in field research in the American Southwest, Polynesia and East Africa.

• Dianna R. Lott is the senior executive human resources consultant at Indiana University Health, overseeing HR services for 40,000 employees and providing critical strategic guidance to the senior leadership team on C-Suite level hiring. Lott is deeply committed to fostering inclusive workplaces and enhancing employee engagement through innovative HR strategies.

• Travis D. Lovett (Echota Cherokee) is an attorney at Krieg DeVault LLP where he focuses his practice on business law and corporate transactions. Lovett is a former champion men’s fancy powwow dancer and enrolled member of the Echota Cherokee Tribe of Alabama. He spent over a decade immersed in Native American powwows and formerly practiced law in Saskatchewan, Canada, representing First Nations on governance and business matters.

• Kyle Moore has an extensive background in healthcare commercial strategy and currently works for Eisai, where he was involved of the launch of the first FDA-approved Alzheimer’s treatment. Moore previously led marketing efforts for Eli Lilly & Co.’s Alzheimer’s commercialization efforts. Moore also previously worked for Roche Diagnostics US. Moore holds a master of public health degree in epidemiology and public health administration from IU School of Public Health and a dual majors in religious studies and philosophy from DePauw University.

• Kobi M. Wright is an attorney who serves as the chief legal counsel and business operations director of the Capital Improvement Board which manages the Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium. A native of Indianapolis, Wright is an alumnus of Brebeuf Jesuit, Brown University and Cornell Law School. He has served as a Peace Corps volunteer, corporation counsel in Mayor Bart Peterson’s administration, corporate counsel at Cummins, Inc., and special economic development counsel in Mayor Joe Hogsett’s administration. Wright serves on the board of Indiana Black Expo.

The Eiteljorg also thanks the directors and advisors who recently concluded their terms.

About the Eiteljorg
For 35 years, the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art has been an integral part of the cultural fabric of Indianapolis and scenic White River State Park. The Eiteljorg Museum explores the intersection of the arts, histories and cultures of the past and present by sharing the diverse stories of the American West and the Indigenous Peoples of North America. Located on the Central Canal at 500 West Washington St., the Eiteljorg is a 501c3 nonprofit organization.

Media Contacts

Bryan Corbin
Public Relations Manager
317.275.1315
bcorbin@eiteljorg.com

Bert Beiswanger
Director of Marketing and Communications
317.275.1317
bbeiswanger@eiteljorg.com

Tori Satchwell
Marketing and Communications Intern
317.275.1367
tsatchwell@eiteljorg.com

Brooke Sullivan
Digital Marketing Manager
317.275.1388
bsullivan@eiteljorg.com