MEET THE TEAM

These museum professionals volunteer their time and efforts toward the mission of the EIAT.

ORGANIZERS

Would you like to take a more active role in the team's efforts? We are a lateral group and welcome anyone interested in taking on greater responsibility within the team. If you are interested in being more involved, send us an email at semc.deai@gmail.com.

VACANT

Communications Coordinator

A caucasian man with short cropped brown hair and beard wearing glasses, a multi-colored plaid bow tie, and a grey suit posing in front of a tan wall.

JOSH WHITFIELD
(HE/HIM)

Administrative Coordinator

Caucasian woman with long blonde hair wearing a white vest with a black undershirt posing in front of green foliage.

KATY MENNE (SHE/HER)

Programs Coordinator

A caucasian woman with short curly brown hair wearing a green top and a gold necklace.

KATE MOORE (SHE/HER)

Digital Coordinator

SEMC REPRESENTATION

These are standing positions bringing the voice of SEMC's committees and leadership to EIAT.

Light-skinned white female with shoulder-length reddish brown hair wearing a solid blue dress with boatneck and three quarter length sleeves sitting on a bench with a park in the background.

ZINNIA WILLITS (SHE/HER)

SEMC Leadership Liaison

The Leadership Liaison relays information to the EIAT that is of interest to SEMC writ large. They also communicate back to SEMC the team's progress and concerns.

A smiling African American woman in a green blazer, white shirt, and a silver necklace with a frog pendant stands in front of a natural landscape.

DEITRAH TAYLOR

Executive Board Liaison

The Executive Board Liaison keeps EIAT abreast of any needs or interests as expressed by SEMC's Executive Board, and relays the same back for EIAT. They are a sitting board member.

Smiling caucasian woman with reddish brown hair with a blurred street scene in the background.

KATY MALONE (SHE/HER)

Program Committee Liaison

As a sitting member of the committee, the Liaison relays the interests of the EIAT to SEMC's Program Committee and vice versa. They ensure that there is an Equity and Inclusion Track for SEMC's Annual Meeting, and help the EIAT serve the museum community's needs.

HISTORY

The Equity and Inclusion Action Team (EIAT) was founded in 2016. After a session on LGBTQ+ programming in museums at the SEMC Annual Meeting, like-minded museum professionals decided that equity for ALL required more than a single discussion. Action should happen throughout the year beyond conference walls. In 2017, the EIAT gathered for the first time at the SEMC Annual Meeting in New Orleans, and started defining this group. Since then, committed participants have gathered each year at the Annual Meeting to lay out objectives and initiatives for the next year. Thereafter, the EIAT maintains communication throughout the year, as volunteer members work toward achieving goals that move toward making our museums more inclusive.

FOUNDING MEMBERS

EIAT has its roots thank to the following people:
Katy Malone, Dawn Hammatt, Jessica Van Landuyt, Deitrah Taylor, and Marcy Breffle.