CONTACT

Please feel free to contact any of the Allegany Arts Council staff members directly via email. You are also welcome to contact us by telephone during normal office hours at 301-777-ARTS (2787).

Julie is new to Allegany County and moved with her family from the D.C. metro area in 2017. Julie began her association career in 2003 with the Edison Electric Institute, and has since managed domestic and international conferences for the Color Marketing Group, served as Administrator for several large commercial real estate organizations, and traveled extensively with high-profile politicians, where she managed travel, press and security logistics. Julie studied Hospitality Management at the University of Louisville and State University of New York, has her real estate license, and has spent a lifetime enjoying the fruits of the arts in her family. She is particularly passionate about art as therapy for mental health disorders. In her free time, she enjoys interior design, furniture painting and volunteering.

Samantha is a mother, yogi, teacher, and aspiring children’s author. She grew up in Shepherdstown, WV, where she attended Shepherd University. She holds a B.A. in English Literature with a minor in Women’s Studies, completed her 200-hour yoga teacher training certification in 2014 at Jala Yoga, and obtained certification as a Montessori elementary teacher in 2016 through The Center for Guided Montessori Studies. Samantha settled in the Cumberland area in 2010 with her family after living on the Eastern Shore of Maryland for two years. She is passionate about children’s programming and is excited to bring that zeal to the Allegany Arts Council.

Desiree is a long-time Cumberland resident. Born in Dayton, Ohio, she lived in Ohio, California, and Southern Maryland before her family settled in Mountain Maryland. In 2010, she received her B.S. in English with a concentration in Professional Writing from Frostburg State University. As an undergraduate, she also studied Journalism and Public Relations. Later she returned to FSU for graduate school and received a Master’s in Business Administration in 2017.

Courtney grew up in Cumberland and has a BA in Arts Business from Messiah College. She also works for the Allegany Museum and the C. Williams Museum of the Arts, and she is currently working on her Masters in Business Administration at Frostburg State University. She has experience in collections management, exhibition management, volunteer coordinating and education within museums. In her spare time, Courtney teaches yoga and loves to cook.

Robin Vereen has been working with the Arts Council since 2008 when we moved into our current space. During the first four years she was a gallery assistant, managed our Community Room (now the Schwab Mountain Maryland Gallery) and managed our Arts Bus programs. In fact, she was known as the Arts Bus Lady among many of our elementary school students. In the last two years she has moved into the position of Bookkeeper; keeping an eye on the budget for all of us. She loves art and is actively involved in local theatre.