Board of Directors

Arts For Life is lucky to have an incredible working board, dedicated to ensuring that Arts For Life’s mission to serve patients and families is fulfilled in the best way possible! Each member serves for a three-year term that begins in January of the new year. Our Board meets in person twice a year, with virtual sessions and committee meetings taking place every other month. In-person meetings rotate between our three chapter locations – Asheville, Charlotte and Winston-Salem.

Each fall, we look for candidates to join this truly remarkable group of people to bring creativity and the arts into the hospital for young people across our communities. Stay tuned for more this year’s deadlines and applications.

Please contact us for more information – including a sample Board Agreement and descriptions of our committees and officer positions – and with any questions.

Mary Edith Alexander
Chair
*Asheville, NC*

Mary Edith Alexander has been with the Bank of America Art Collection since 2004, curating exhibitions for the bank’s traveling exhibition program Art in Our Communities, projects for the bank’s real estate portfolio and now serves as the bank’s Art Collection Manager. Trained as a studio artist, Mary Edith received her undergraduate Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Painting from Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina and a Master of Fine Arts degree in painting from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Her work has been shown nationally, as well as in local and regional exhibitions Levine Museum of the New South, the McColl Center for Visual Art, and the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (SECCA). Mary Edith has also taught art at various levels and institutions; she likes to say she’s “taught folks ages 4 to 84!”

Tim is a Senior Vice President at Truist and manages the in-house creative design studio. He lives in Kernersville, NC with his wife and three children. Helping others has become a lifelong commitment that began in college, where he spent Saturdays volunteering with children in the community. This desire to have an impact on the lives of others was the spark that grew into years of involvement in church ministries, local organizations and volunteer opportunities. Tim has led team projects for the United Way Day of Caring, Habitat for Humanity and the Truist Lighthouse Project. Arts for Life provides him another avenue to live out his personal purpose of helping and inspiring others by leading with compassion and creativity.

Dr. Ginna Priola, MD
Treasurer
*Austin, TX*

A pediatric hematologist/oncologist at Dell Children’s Medical Center, Dr. Priola completed her pediatric residency at Case Western Medical School and her Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Fellowship at UNC Chapel Hill. During her medical training, she also volunteered and worked with the American Red Cross/Americorps, and currently also serves on the Medical Advisory Board of Sebastian Strong.

“As a physician, I have had the opportunity to see firsthand the incredible impact that Arts For Life has on my patients and their families. I have trained and practiced in many different medical centers and love how integrated the Arts for Life staff and volunteers are with the medical team. I will never be able to adequately thank the volunteers and staff that create that impact but I am excited for the tremendous opportunity to serve on the Board of Directors of Arts for Life to advocate for the continue sustainability of this irreplaceable organization. While our kids and their families courageously battle their various illnesses, it is Arts For Life that engages their imagination to allow them to express their feelings and find the strength to continue their journey.”

Doris Rouse, Ph.D. is the Vice President of RTI International’s Center for Global Health. She manages the coordination of diverse disciplines to address major global health needs and has extensive experience in forming public and private consortia. Dr. Rouse has been the Project Director for grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Bill & Melinda Gates

Foundation to advance public- and private-sector collaborations to develop improved technologies for global health needs. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, she taught science in a small village in Liberia. Living in Durham with her husband, Blake Wilson, Doris has served her community with the Friends of Durham Library, David’s Table, Girl Scouts, and the Compass Center for Women and Families in Chapel Hill, NC.

Sharon is a 1998 graduate of North Carolina Central University (NCCU) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in General Arts/ Art Education. Sharon is NC licensed art educator currently teaching art at Voyager Academy Elementary School in Durham, NC. Sharon has over 15 years of teaching experience, working with general classroom students to special education on the elementary level. She has taken her love for art education and created an art business, Time For Art, LLC. Sharon’s goal is to provide a social and emotional connection for my young artists through arts.

Whitney Feld is a passionate strategist, educator, and life-long learner. She started her career teaching Special Education in Brooklyn, New York. Currently, she works at Wells Fargo as Lead Regulatory Relations Consultant. In her role she supports the bank’s Strategy, Digital, and Innovation team. Formerly, Whitney served as Vice President, Center for Personal Philanthropy and Planned Giving at Foundation For The Carolinas (FFTC). While at FFTC, Whitney led a team of nine and assisted individual and family clients with complex charitable planning, including, current gifting strategies, legacy planning, and multi-generational family engagement and grantmaking. Whitney also serves on the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks survey committee, the Mint Museum Collections board, as well as the Davidson Farmer’s Market board. Whitney feels passionately about the healing power of the arts and remains grateful for her involvement with Arts for Life.

Whitney earned her B.F.A. from Miami University, her M.S.T from Pace University, and her J.D. from the Charleston School of Law. She lives in Davidson with her husband of 12 years Mitchell Feld and their son Cooper. In her spare time, Whitney loves looking at old homes (even though she lives in a new one), reading historical fiction and biographies, taking photographs, attempting to paint, and cooking with her family.

Sylvia is an active member of Tau Theta Zeta chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated where she enjoys service projects for causes that she has a passion for. A big believer in service, Sylvia supports organizations such as March for Babies, Sickle Cell Awareness and Autism Awareness. Sylvia is married to Clinton Hicks and has two adult sons and a daughter-in-law. She is a North Carolina native and is a member of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Charlotte.

Fleenoil is a 20+ year IT Executive with leadership roles at Verizon, NetApp, Cisco and Cohesity. He is currently VP of Global Support for Flexera. Fleenoil is an active member of Beta Phi Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Inc and Epsilon Gamma Boule’ of Sigma Pi Phi where he is involved in their nonprofit public service activities. Fleenoil is also a board member for non-profit Telus NC Community Board. He is proud to worship at Peace Missionary Baptist Church of Durham for over 45 years. Fleenoil has been married to Kathy Williams for almost 30 years and blessed with two daughters, Zachyre a 2x Hodgkin’s Lymphoma survivor, graduate of Howard University and currently a candidate for Doctor of Physical Therapy at University of Miami and Zian, graduating senior also at Howard, who is an Annenberg Scholar in School of Communications, member of Delta Sigma Theta Inc and the University Choir. Fleenoil’s love of children and helping them overcome life challenges, paired with his business acumen, help give Arts For Life a strong foundation of leadership.

Charissa McCullers has more than 15 years of experience in IT. She has worked in leadership roles at HPE and SimpliVity. She is currently the Sr. Director of Nutanix Worldwide Support in Durham, North Carolina, where she leads a diverse team of leaders and engineers. Charissa loves volunteering with organizations that support children. She volunteered at Fuller Magnet Elementary School in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she served as the Vice President for several years even though she had no children that attended the school. Charissa also serves on the Trustee Board of Maple Temple United Church of Christ. She holds a Master’s Degree in Management, Strategy, and Leadership from Michigan State University. Outside work, she enjoys attending North Carolina Symphony and Opera performances.

Kimberly Williams Moore, PhD
*Durham, NC*

Kimberly is currently an independent consultant and Endowed Professor in the Department of Mass Communication at North Carolina Central University where she also teaches in the School of Business. Previously she served for 15 years as the Vice President of Marketing and External Relations with North Carolina Mutual Life Insurance Company. Her experience includes writing, editing, project management, marketing plan development, quantitative and qualitative research, higher education curriculum development as well as board leadership specifically in fundraising and stakeholder development. She is currently on the Development Committee of the UNC Chapel Hill Hussman School of Journalism and Media Foundation Board. Her board memberships include Lincoln Community Health Center Foundation and the Duke Health System Chancellor’s Advisory Committee. She also serves as the Chairman for Christian Education for North East Baptist Church. Kimberly grew up in Raleigh and has Bachelor’s and Ph. D. degrees from UNC Chapel Hill in Public Relations and a Master’s degree in English from NC State University. She lives in Durham with her husband, Eric, and sons, Elliott and Edward.

Born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jessica is excited to help bring the joy of art to children across the state. A graduate of the University of Georgia, she is passionate about health and fitness, the arts, and travel. Professionally, Jessica is well-versed in marketing, communications, development, and the arts. She has been involved with Arts For Life for a number of years: as member and chair of the Charlotte Community Council and currently, as the co-chair of Rise & Shine Charlotte 2019 and 2020 (which raised a record $67K in 2019, under her chairwomanship!).

Scott has been involved in business and sales for most of his career. His time outside of work is focused on family, but he also wants to make his community a better place to live. He enjoys volunteering for causes that he believes in. While he was not familiar with Arts for Life initially, he was drawn to the need that exists for families who have loved ones in the regional hospital systems. His volunteer time as an Arts for Life artist and as a member of the Board has far exceeded his expectations. Scott is a graduate of Clemson University. He is married and he and his wife, Natalie, have two grown children. They live in Kernersville, NC.

Morgan Mathieu Tran is a devoted arts advocate and leader, serving the Charlotte community for nearly ten years in both nonprofit and commercial art realms. Morgan currently serves as the Director of Elder Gallery of Contemporary Art in South End Charlotte. In this role she executes the gallery’s vision through her curation of exhibitions and programming, as well as oversight of artist development, client relations, operations, staff management, and community outreach. As an artist herself, Tran is dedicated to amplifying and centering artistic voices, serving as a champion for both creators and collectors.

Tran earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Arts with a minor in Business Administration from Meredith College. She has previous experience in both associate and managerial roles at SOZO Gallery, LaCa Projects, and The New Gallery of Modern Art. She is a member of many of Charlotte’s arts museums and organizations, and is also an active volunteer with The Catawba Riverkeepers and her church.

When she isn’t attending art events and curating exhibitions, Morgan can frequently be spotted hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains, getting lost in a new book, or creating in her home studio.

Amanda Wise is the Director of Nonprofit Partnerships for SHARE Charlotte, an online engagement platform that powers social good by connecting the community to more than 630 Charlotte-Mecklenburg nonprofits. Before coming to SHARE Charlotte, Amanda worked in foster care and at Electrolux on the Global Brand Licensing team as the Licensing Manager. For the past twenty years, she has worked in corporate relationship building, sales, and special events planning. In addition to her contributions in the professional realm, Amanda is heavily involved in her community. Both a volunteer and a leader, she serves through her involvement with Samaritan’s Feet, Foster Village Charlotte, and Suicide Prevention. Amanda’s other interests include rooting for the Carolina Panther’s football team, playing tennis, and learning to play Mahjong.