BOARD AND STAFF MEMBERS

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.

Deb has been working with non-profits since graduating from college. A freelance writer and communications specialist, she has led communications and marketing efforts for educational institutions, direct service providers, religious organizations, and community foundations. She holds a B.A. in English from Bucknell University. Deb lives in Cumberland with her husband and three children.

Ann grew up in the military, moving around the United States until her family finally landed in Cumberland in the 1960s. Although not a native of Allegany County, she has grown to love this area, and now proudly refers to Cumberland as her "hometown." Ann has been involved with the Allegany Arts Council since 1996, and has been the organizer of one of the Saville Gallery's signature exhibitions, the annual Will's Creek Survey. She is also an accomplished visual artist and has won awards both locally and regionally for her photography and graphic design. Ann holds a degree in graphic design and is the Director of Publications in the Office of Communications & Media Relations at Frostburg State University.

Keith Broome is a local community pharmacist with nearly 25 years of experience. He is a part of the PharmaCare Network of pharmacies serving Cumberland, Frostburg, and parts of Garrett and Mineral counties. He is a native of Allegany County and a lifelong resident of the Cumberland area. Keith graduated from the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy and elected to continue his education locally, earning an MBA from Frostburg State University several years later. He was initially attracted to the local arts community several years ago while providing housing for out of town artists during the annual Plein Air event. Getting to know these artists personally has made a positive influence on his understanding of the value and importance of different styles of art. His goal is to help perpetuate the growth of the local arts community in hopes of establishing Allegany County as a visitor destination.

Scott serves as Associate Dean of Institutional Effectiveness, Research, and Planning at Allegany College of Maryland. He holds Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Spanish Language & Literature from Frostburg State University and a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh focusing in Policy Research and Analysis. Scott lives in Cumberland with his wife Rose and son Charlie. He views arts and their application as a way to improve the quality of life for residents of Allegany County, drive economic innovation, and transcend cultural differences.

Griffin is a 2005 graduate of Bishop Walsh School, and a 2010 graduate of Frostburg State University where he majored in accounting. He is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the state of Maryland. He currently serves as the Fiscal Director of Archway Station, a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation located in Cumberland, MD. Since 2015, Griffin has also helped produce several short films in the Baltimore film community, one of which he also wrote and directed. His other hobbies include basketball, golf, and hanging out with his wife their 2 year old Doxle, Barney.

Andréa is the Marketing Coordinator for CareVentures Inc., a healthcare management firm that oversees several companies all dedicated to providing quality, customer-focused healthcare and rehabilitation services. She provides assistance with all brand positioning, creative development, marketing campaigns, advertisements, and market research, for over six companies in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Andréa has recently lent her marketing skills to the political arena, having served as a city council campaign co-manager and the secretary of Change Annapolis, a new political action committee. Born and raised in Cumberland, Maryland, and a graduate of Frostburg State University, Andréa has been involved with many organizations in Western Maryland. She currently acts as the Director of the Bishop Walsh Spartan Theatre and was head Cheer Coach at the school for a number of years. She continues to serve with many community organizations, including the local Jaycees and the Western Maryland Health System Auxiliary. She recently participated in Leadership Allegany, a program designed to help identify regional issues within Mountain Maryland and across the State.

Al Delia is the inaugural vice president for regional development and engagement at Frostburg State University in Frostburg, Maryland. He oversees the University’s efforts to help advance the region it serves through engagement with business, industry, community organizations and government. Prior to his return to Maryland in 2018, Al served in a variety of positions in academe and in government in North Carolina. Positions he has held include service as Secretary of the NC Department of Health and Human Services; Senior Advisor and Policy Director to Governor Bev Perdue; CEO of North Carolina’s Eastern Region Development Commission; and East Carolina University associate vice chancellor for research, economic development and community engagement. Most recently, Al was director of health access at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.Al is a political science graduate of Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. He is married to Cecelia Karas and lives in Cresaptown, Maryland. He has two adult sons, Jordan and Alex.

Clara Porcello moved to Allegany County from Pennsylvania about three years ago and became involved in several local community organizations. She is currently serving as a member of the Board of Directors of the Allegany Museum and Family Crisis Resource Center. She has also been serving as the Education Director of the Allegany Museum and a member of the Chamber of Commerce Education Committee. Ms. Porcello practiced law in Connecticut and is also a retired middle school teacher. She has been an active volunteer at the Allegany Arts Council and in other local arts and community service and educational organizations. Her interests since moving to Cumberland have been in the area of the arts, education, and women’s, children’s and animal rights and support services.

Colleen Peterson, a resident of Frostburg, Maryland since 1981, has enjoyed several careers, including as Vice President of University Advancement at Frostburg State University and Executive Director of The Greater Cumberland Committee. Since retiring from those positions, she has providing consulting services to several profit and not for profit entities, including United Way, the Cumberland YMCA, Home Ground and Railey Mountain Lake Vacations. Her volunteer commitments have included past service on the Maryland State Chamber of Commerce (Board member), Allegany County Tourism Bureau (Board member and President), Cumberland Rotary (Board member and President), Frostburg First Main Street (Board member), the Power of 32 Regional Consortium (Executive Board member) and the Allegany County Animal Shelter (Board member). Colleen’s current volunteer involvements include the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (Board member and Chair, Marketing & Communications Committee) and the Allegany Museum Advisory Board. She is a graduate of Leadership Maryland, Leadership Allegany and was named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women in 2010. Colleen’s passions are centered in the outdoors. She is an avid hiker and has completed 1800 miles of the Appalachian Trail, which is the longest continuous hiking trail in the United States, running nearly 2200 miles from Georgia to Maine. In addition, she is training to become a Master Swimmer and is an avid Duke basketball and Pittsburgh Penguins sports fan. When not actively engaged in outdoor activities, Colleen finds expression through the written word and joy through spending time with her four grandchildren.

In 1980, at the age of 20, Kelly Mackie opened her first business, Opposite Genders Salon, Inc. She has spent her career studying in New York and training throughout the country with top artists in her field, all the while striving for balance as a career mom to five children and husband Tim. Kelly is a Certified Master Colorist and has dedicated her career to teaching and mentoring other young artists while developing their skills and talent. The arts have played an integral role in Kelly’s life- through her daily work in the salon, as well as her travels to many foreign countries in search of inspiration. Sharing the experience of other cultures and how it unites all of us as artist is something Kelly feels passionate about. As a native of Allegany County and a witness to the transitions it has endured in recent decades, she believes it is most important to give back to the community that has supported her and her company for over 36 years.

Marion S. Leonard was a professor at Frostburg State University teaching leadership, communication, human resource development and accounting and courses to her MBA students. Prior to her university teaching career, she was successful in the business world in both retail management and as a financial planner.
Now retired as Professor Emeritus, she is also a Certified Yoga Teacher, and Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program instructor. Marion integrates her academic background in management, psychology, yoga and meditation with her business experience in facilitating leadership training, personal growth workshops and stress reduction classes in educational and organizational settings. Her passion is to help people discover how to integrate mind, body, and heart connections into one’s life choices and well being.
Marion has also served on the boards of Family Crisis Resource Center, First Peoples Community Credit Union, Allegany Arts Council, and continues to serve as Vice President of the Community Trust Foundation serving Allegany, Garrett and Mineral Counties, Frostburg State University’s Foundation Board of Trustees, Chair of the steering committee for the Imagination Library of Allegany County, MD. , Advisory Board of MPT, and Board Chair of the Community Wellness Coalition.

Mary Ann moved has lived in the Cumberland area for the last four years with her husband and two children. She is a practicing Internist at Western Maryland Health System Outpatient Care Center and the Medical Director of the local Hospice office. She was initially attracted to the area for the quaint small town feel but quickly fell in love with the vibrant arts community. While in Cumberland her family has been avid supporters of the arts community through participating in Plein Air and multiple Allegany Arts Council gallery events. During her tenure on the Allegany Arts Council she looks forward to integrating her love of both medicine and art within the community she now calls home.

Pam Griffith moved to the Cumberland area in 1992 from the Tidewater region of Virginia. Her background is in Special Education, where she holds a B.S. She has participated in a number of organizations, including serving on the Board of Directors for both the Cumberland Theatre and Big Brothers/Big Sisters. Pam is also a member of the Western Maryland Health System Auxiliary where she serves on several committees. Pam lives with her husband and two children.

Pamela Twigg is a native of Cumberland, having returned to the area in 2013 after living nearly 25 years abroad. She holds a Master’s Degree in History from the University of Amsterdam and a Bachelor’s Degree in Modern Languages from Clarion University. Most of her career has been in an international corporate environment in the Netherlands and in the U.S., focused in the ICT sector. Her current position is with BT Americas as a business manager for the Unilever account, one of BT’s largest clients. She is interested in people, languages and cultures, and how cultural differences affect global events. This interest resulted in her learning three languages. She is passionate about being part of the Arts Council, which she feels plays a vital role in helping people in Allegany County broaden their horizons. Pamela is also a member of the Cumberland Rotary Club, Bridges to Opportunity (Youth Engagement), the National Association of Professional Women, and Leadership Allegany.

Patricia Hilton is known in the community as a pastel and oil painter, and has shown her work throughout the region. Her work was recently shown in the Saville Gallery in May 2018. In addition, since 2008, Patricia has managed her own business, Patricia Hilton Applied Arts, to provide graphic facilitation and recording services to for-profit, non-profit, and governmental agencies. In addition, she has been an integral member of the team that developed and continues to deliver the Baldrige Executive Fellows Program. This leadership program has received numerous national awards from HR.COM’s Leadership 500 competition.

Sandi Saville is an adjunct professor at the Frostburg State University where, among other things, she teaches legal issues in the arts. She holds a JD in Law from the Georgetown University Law Center. She is currently admitted to practising law in Maryland but limits her work to helping non profits pro bono. She also serves as the chair of the City of Cumberland's Downtown Development Committee. In 2014 Sandi Saville and a core group of arts, government and community representatives convened a visioning committee to discuss how to build upon a variety of key assets in the Allegany county. These assets included the region's strong arts communities, its beautiful architecture, rich cultural heritage and available space for development.

Download Allegany Arts Council Bylaws pdf document