The Gibbes Museum of Art announces new Board of Directors Chair and Members

The Gibbes Museum of Art Announces New Board of Directors Chair and Members

The Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston’s premier art museum, announced a new Chair of the Board of Directors and the election of five new Board Members. Helen C. Pratt-Thomas (pictured left) has been named Chair beginning July 1, 2019. Joining the Board are Michael Culler, Karen Lawson-Johnston, Benjamin Lenhardt, Thomas Motamed and Anne Tinker.

“We are proud to announce these new members who will undoubtedly add value to the Board and will allow us continue growing our organization,” says Angela Mack, executive director of the Gibbes Museum of Art. “All of the newly elected individuals are active in the Charleston community and share a passion for our local cultural organizations. We are thrilled to have them join our team and to help us enhance our community through art.”

Helen C. Pratt-Thomas, Board Chair, is a Senior Vice President and Senior Wealth Commercial Banker for South State Bank. Helen served as the Vice President of the Charleston Animal Society and Chair of Strategic Planning. She served as a Vice-Chair of the Gibbes Museum of Art, Co-Chair of Finance and the Founder of Society 1858, a former Board Member of Roper St. Francis Foundation and Co-Chair of Planned Giving. She is Past President of the Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center and a former Trustee of Historic Charleston Foundation. Born and raised in Charleston, Helen is a graduate of the College of Charleston.

Michael Culler, Board Member, is a Senior Account Executive for ACME Technologies. Michael is a graduate from the College of Charleston, where he earned his degree in business administration and corporate communications. Working at Blackbaud for 23 years in a variety of positions, Michael gained extensive experience in fundraising and strategy support for nonprofits, websites, social media, CRM and finances.

Karen Lawson-Johnston, Board Member, splits her time between Charleston and Connecticut. A graduate of Georgetown University, Karen worked as a paralegal in Boston for 10 years, in New York City at Glamour Magazine for one year and in retail in Dallas for one year. Karen is a founding Board Member of The Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry and holds various volunteer positions in Connecticut.

Benjamin Lenhardt, Board Member, is a retired Chairman and CEO of Americas-UBS Asset Management and member of the UBS AG Group Managing Board. Benjamin is a member of Drayton Hall Board, Easement Committee of Historic Charleston Foundation and has served on boards of the Chicago Botanic Garden, Shedd Aquarium and Notebart Nature Museum. As Chairman Emeritus of the Garden Conservancy, Benjamin is an avid gardener in both Charleston and Winnetka, Ill.

Thomas Motamed, Board Member, is a retired Chairman and CEO of CNA Financial Corp. Thomas serves as a member on the Insurance Information Institute Board of Directors, the Verisk Analytics Board of Directors, The Institute Board of Trustees, World Business Chicago Board of Directors, and is the past Chair of the Adelphi University Board of Trustees.

Anne Tinker, Board Member, is a graduate of Vassar College, Georgetown University and Johns Hopkins University. Anne is a retired international policy and programs executive. She serves as a Trustee for Middleton Place and St. Philip’s Church and is the great-niece of artist Alice Ravenel Huger Smith.

Re-elected to another 3-year term are Ann Burnett, Mark Munn, Betsy Saal, Lisa Evans, Molly Fienning, Roy Green, Jeb Hallett, Ben Jenkins, Rhett Outten, Janneke Vreede-Schaay, Charles Sullivan and Kay Wendell.

About the Gibbes Museum of Art
Home to the Carolina Art Association, established in 1858, the Gibbes Museum of Art is recognized among the oldest arts organizations in the United States. Housing one of the foremost collections of American Art from the 18th century to the present, the museum’s mission is to enhance lives through art by engaging people of every background and experience with art and artists of enduring quality and by providing opportunities to learn, to discover, to enjoy and to be inspired by the creative process. For more information, visit www.gibbesmuseum.org.