Board of Directors

Educated at Ball State University, Isaac Bracher graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture and received the AIA Henry Adams Medal for being the top-ranked graduate in the Department of Architecture. A native Midwesterner, Isaac has practiced at several renown firms throughout the Midwest and East Coast. He is currently an architect with OPN Architects in Des Moines.

During his years of professional practice, Isaac has assembled a diverse portfolio of award-winning projects, ranging from small, carefully crafted residential interiors to large, higher education campus facilities. He also brings to each of his projects extensive experience in furniture design and construction. This knowledge has enhanced his sensitivity for detailing on a small scale, which he applies to larger and more complex projects.

He has served as associate editor and editorial board member for Iowa Architect Magazine, a member of the Des Moines Art Center’s Salon 4700 Steering Committee, the City of Rochester Preservation Board, and the Young Friends of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In 2013, the Ball State College of Architecture and Planning Alumni Society Board of Directors recognized Isaac as a recipient of its annual Award of Outstanding Achievement.

Mary Chapman earned her Education Doctorate degree from Vanderbilt University, Education Specialist’s degree from Drake University, M.S. from Iowa State University and her B.S. degree, also from Drake.

Dr. Chapman joined Des Moines Area Community College in 1990 as the Urban Des Moines Campus Executive Dean/Provost. Under her leadership the campus reached record enrollment levels and created new academic programs in business and information technology.

Since 2000, Dr. Chapman has provided leadership as Vice President for Community and Workforce Partnerships at Des Moines Area Community College. In this role, she worked with central Iowa businesses to identify employment opportunities for underrepresented, as well as disenfranchised youth and adults. She has established many successful partnerships and developed strategies with state agencies and local schools and community organizations to provide employer driven skill based training and education for these individuals to ensure their employment and improve their lives.

In 2013, Dr. Chapman retired from Des Moines Area Community College and was designated Vice President Emeritus.

Dr. Chapman serves on various community and civic ​b​oards including Simpson College Board of Trustees, BRAVO Greater Des Moines Board, Bankers Trust Advisory Board, Iowa Corrections Board, Des Moines Branch NAACP Executive Committee, Iowa Health Des Moines Board, and Des Moines Festival Board. She also is a member of Des Moines Chapter of The Links, Inc. and a life member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.​ ​She is active as an Opportunity Iowa Leader advancing the national agenda of Opportunity Nation/ Opportunity Iowa to close the opportunity gap for youth between the ages of 16-24.​ ​Her many honors include the Iowa African American Hall of Fame (2005) and the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame (2013).

Jonathan deLima is a Contemporary Art consultant, collection manager, and facilitator. He works with collections, artists, and organizations, often using his background in multidisciplinary and experiential education to develop arts engagement projects. In Des Moines, Jonathan has managed the art collection for Krause Group, overseeing art locations in the US and Europe and developing the art program for the Krause Gateway Center.  He was at Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills for many years before coming to Iowa and has facilitated public art installations across the country – including California, New York, and Illinois.

After a 30-year career at Central College, Jann Freed, PhD, is professor emerita of business management and the former Mark and Kay De Cook Endowed Chair in Leadership and Character Development.

Currently, Dr. Jann is a leadership development consultant who helps engage employees, develop leaders, and help people find meaning on a daily basis. She does this through leadership coaching, corporate workshops, and speaking. Jann’s focus is helping individuals and organizations get from where they are to where they want to be at every age and stage of life.

Jann is the author of several books and articles about continuous improvement in leadership and life. Her book Leading with Wisdom: Sage Advice from 100 Experts is based on more than 100 interviews with some of the top thought leaders in the field. Jann’s latest book, Breadcrumb Legacy: How Great Leaders Live a Life Worth Remembering, is based on interviews and describes how to live a life that matters on a daily basis—a concept she calls breadcrumb legacy™. She also writes a column in Training Magazine called “Leading Edge” and occasionally writes a guest column for the Business Record and DSM Magazine. As an adjunct professor for The University of Iowa, she teaches a graduate leadership course.

As a certified Sage-ing Leader through Sage-ing International (sage-ing.org), Jann hosts a monthly podcast Becoming a Sage where she interviews thought leaders about wisdom in work and in life. Jann was a TEDxDes Moines speaker—“Embracing Death: Seeing Life Through a Different Lens.” She also gave a virtual talk at TEDxBergen Community College—“Becoming a Nobody.”

Community leadership is a priority. She is a director on the Bank Iowa Board, on the Mind and Spirit Counseling Center Board (MSCC), and the Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation. Over the years, Jann has served on the Planning and Zoning Commission for the city of Des Moines, Chrysalis Foundation, Planned Parenthood Advocate Board, Nexus Women’s Executive Alliance, and YWRC. She has actively been involved in the leadership of several fundraising campaigns such as the Lauridsen Skatepark, Planned Parenthood, A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy (AMOS), MSCC, and The Varsity Theater.

For more information about Dr. Jann and resources, please refer to her website: www.jannfreed.com

A native of Des Moines, Martha Graham James was born to John G. and Barbara (Hornaday) Graham, the oldest of their three daughters. She attended Des Moines public schools and graduated from Roosevelt High School. From the University of Colorado, Boulder, she received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics in 1968. Soon after earning a Master of Science degree in Biology from Drake University in 1985, Martha entered the Department of Genetics at Iowa State University. A Doctor of Philosophy degree was awarded in 1989 for her original contributions to the field of maize genetics. Between 1989 and 1992, she conducted research as a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Iowa State University, working with Dr. Alan M. Myers.

Beginning in 1993, Martha was an Associate Scientist in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Iowa State University. This research centered on the characterization of the maize gene, Sugary 1, a gene that acts in the metabolism of starch and is one of the genes responsible for “making sweet corn sweet.” Overall, her research provided a clearer understanding of the processes of starch biosynthesis.

Martha’s work was supported by the U. S. Department of Agriculture and she is the author of several articles published in leading scientific journals.

Martha has been active in many organizations including Iowa Children’s and Family Services, Tiny Tots, Inc., YMCA Youth Home Board, the Young Women’s Resource Center, Junior League of Des Moines, Parent Teacher Associations, and activities of Plymouth Congregational Church of Christ.

After 40 years in the family business, John Krantz retired as President of the acclaimed Adventureland Park in October of 2017 to pursue his many passions which include playing the piano, travel and supporting the arts. Opening in 1974, Adventureland Park has become Iowa’s largest and most complete family resort complex. Krantz is currently on the Board of Directors of Hoyt Sherman Foundation. He served on the Des Moines Arts Center Board of Trustees for nine years, was subsequently designated as Honorary Trustee and is actively involved with committee work and other Art Center activities. He is very passionate about jazz music and founded the CJC Jazz Hall Of Fame in 2001 through his work with the non-profit, Greater Des Moines Community Jazz Center. He has been involved and served on boards and committees with numerous other art related organizations in the metro area over the past decades.

Katherine Lock is a Des Moines-based artist whose paintings and drawings explore both the personal and the abstract through a mix of shapes, layers, textures, and colors that come together to express a visual language that is uniquely her own.

After graduating with honors from the University of Iowa with a degree in painting, Katherine relocated to New York City, where she held various leadership positions at the Guggenheim Museum and Gagosian gallery. In her more than 20 years living in NYC, Katherine was an active member of the city’s larger art community, and she had the honor of collaborating with countless artists, curators, designers, and studios.

Throughout her career, Katherine has worked to illuminate complexity and reflect the transformative power of art. She is currently a retail buyer at Event Network, drawing on her skills and business experience to curate merchandise for museums, science centers, botanical gardens and other experiential destinations across the country.

Katherine also serves as a chair on the Des Moines Art Center’s Print Club committee and volunteers at its museum as an expert guide.

Born in Newark, NJ, Miller moved to Iowa in 1999. Prior to moving to Iowa Miller worked as a librarian, law librarian and practiced law in Washington, DC.
She also started and ran an arts-based after school program.

Elected to Iowa House of Representatives in 2002 she served eight terms (16 years) representing House District 9, Webster County. Miller served in numerous capacities as a member of the Iowa House and held numerous leadership positions in the legislature and with state and national organizations.

Miller created and managed the Fort Dodge-based Artful Dodger program for 10 years.

After retiring from the Iowa House, Miller went on to serve two years as Chairperson of the Iowa Board of Parole.

Her many honors include:
Induction into the Iowa African American Hall of Fame (2012);
Herbert Hoover Uncommon Public Service Award (2015);
Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Black Caucus of State Legislators (2018); and induction into the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame (2020).

She is a member of Rotary International, the Des Moines chapter of the Links, Inc., Delta Sigma Sorority and the board of Iowa Public Radio.

Brooklyn-born and Iowa-raised, David Phillips has a unique outlook on public art. David attended Phillips Exeter Academy, Tufts University, Drake and Tulane Law Schools.

Though an attorney by schooling, David’s passion is development of sustainable businesses, and mentoring entrepreneurs through the various squalls that new businesses inevitably experience. David serves as inside and outside counsel to companies with a preference for sustainable manufacturing. David experience is varied.

His history includes private practice, work as an Assistant City Attorney for the City of Des Moines, counsel for a physician owned hospital developer, Vice President of Sales for Kemin Human Nutrition and Health, and General Counsel and Director of Strategic Partnerships for 4Ocean Public Benefit Corporation, a Florida-based ocean cleanup company seeking to reduce the world’s consumption of single use plastics.

David has also founded multiple sustainable companies. David was founder and CEO of the ReWall Company, the first company in the United States to recycle beverage cartons into wallboard and roof coverboard, David was also founder and CEO of GW Nutrition, a company that uses UV technology to improve the sensory profile of plant and algal proteins. He serves as general counsel for a manufacturing company that builds portable biochar processing units, converting organic waste into high value biochar and carbon credits. He also provides mentorship to several businesses.

David previously served on the boards for: Iowa Youth Philharmonic, Bergman Academy, Iowa State Bar Association Volunteer Lawyers Project, and the Council for Responsible Nutrition National Advertising Division. David is also a founder of the Iowa Independent Student Tuition Organization.

The free time David has available is often spent skiing, biking, or reading. David’s wife Christine Branstad leads a criminal defense firm in Des Moines, and their two sons are both soon-to-be college graduates (if anyone is hiring).

A native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Anastasia “Stacy” Polydoran earned a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Wisconsin and a Master of Science at Drake University in Des Moines. She is a devoted art advocate and collector of contemporary art. With her late husband, she established the Paul and Anastasia Polydoran Collection at the Des Moines Art Center, and regularly gifts contemporary works of art to the museum. She joined the Des Moines Art Center Board of Directors and has been a long standing member of the museum’s Acquisition Committee.

An active member of numerous nonprofit boards and committees throughout Greater Des Moines for many years, Polydoran has served on the Des Moines Symphony Foundation Board of Trustees and as board president for both The Des Moines Community Playhouse and Goodwill Industries of Central Iowa.

After graduating from University of Nebraska-Lincoln with degrees in design and architecture (B.S., Design/Architectural Studies, 2001; Master of Architecture, 2003) Terrill began her career in practice in Des Moines, working in several highly recognized Iowa design firms. She joined MA Architecture as an Associate Principal in 2022.

Jessica has significant experience with a variety of private and public sector building types including single and multi-family residences, corporate office buildings, higher education facilities, and transportation projects. Her design sensibility extends beyond architecture in her work to promote and enable significant public artworks, using her architectural expertise in collaboration with artists, community leaders, and nonprofit entities to realize the installation of art by internationally recognized artists in public spaces.

Jessica served as the first female editor of Iowa Architect Magazine in 2016. She was honored as being the first recipient of the Iowa Young Architect Award in 2015 and as a recipient of a National Young Architects Award, presented by the American Institute of Architects in 2019.

Jessica’s volunteer experience has included the After School Arts Program, GDMPAF Project Spaces, Iowa Architect Magazine Editorial Board, University of Nebraska College of Architecture Professional Advisory Council.

Wells has firmly situated herself within art and advocacy work and is best known for her public works investigating race, history, stereotypes, accessibility, and human experiences. Wells’ practice engages with individuals of all abilities, through various mediums, interdisciplinary art workshops, and talks to create new modes of working through the arts that are inclusive and representational.

From 2012–2020 Wells served as a Certified Alcohol and Substance Use Counselor for the state of Iowa. In 2020, she founded Artists X Advocacy Mentorship Program (AXA), an annual paid, young adult mentorship program, with initial funding from an Iowa Arts & Culture Resilience grant. The focus of AXA is to bring awareness to art as a career option, especially for people living with disabilities. In 2021, Wells was a TEDx speaker on The Power of Public Art and the lecturing artist for Al-Quds Bard College for Arts and Sciences in East Jerusalem for The Resistance Course on “The Disability Art, Revolution, and Advocacy in the USA. In 2022 she became the first Harkin Institute Artist Fellow. In 2023 Wells represented IA/US on panel at the United Nations, Austria, speaking on inclusive public arts.

A native of Iowa, Linda Westergaard grew up Des Moines’ Union Park area and graduated from North High School.

In 2017, Westergaard was elected to the Des Moines City Council. She has a long history of being active in neighborhood, community, and civic organizations. She was active in and president of Douglas Acres Neighborhood Association for more than 19 years, and was a founding member of Northeast Neighbors, as well as Northeast Neighbors and Friends, a larger neighborhood organization that encourages residents to come together and work for the betterment of all neighborhoods in Ward 2.

Prior to joining the Des Moines City Council, Westergaard served on the board of Polk County Housing Trust Fund, the Greater East Side Development Corporation and the East/South Des Moines Chamber of Commerce. For 13 years, she served on the city of Des Moines’ Zoning Board of Adjustment.

Westergaard is a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services First Realty and has been a top producing agent every year since becoming a Realtor.  Westergaard was named Realtor of the Year in 2005 and serves on the Des Moines Area Association of Realtors Board of Directors and is currently the Past President of the association.  She serves on State and National Real Estate Committees.

Westergaard serves on the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden board, the Des Moines Playhouse board, Rebuilding Together board, and is a member of the  Metropolitan Planning Organization. She has also worked with 

Westergaard has worked with the Parks Area Foundation as they raise money for the stage that will be built in Riverview Park that will help bring revitalization to several neighborhoods.  She has worked closely with the Fuel UP First Program serving breakfast every Monday of the School year to East High Students. She has also served as a Community Ambassador with the Des Moines Police Department and has completed the Police Departments Citizens Academy.

Annabel Wimer is a graphic designer and the owner of Annabel Wimer Design, which she started in 1990 after graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design and returning to her native Des Moines. Her clients include numerous arts and cultural organizations, including the Des Moines Art Center, Des Moines Performing Arts, Des Moines Symphony, dsm magazine, Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden and Grinnell College Museum of Art. Previously, she worked as an in-house designer for Hampton’s Magazine in Southampton, New York, and the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis.

She has previously served on boards or committees for the Chrysalis Foundation, Des Moines Metro Opera, Friends of the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden, Friends of the Des Moines Symphony and Young Women’s Resource Center.

Lesley Wright was the founding director of the Grinnell College Museum of Art, retiring in 2021. In establishing the museum and its reputation, she developed the museum’s mission, collection policies, and infrastructure. She taught museum studies, inaugurated a national advisory board, and increased donor activity. She curated or co-curated over 14 major group exhibitions, primarily of contemporary art and always looking for points of interdisciplinary connection between artists and the community. She championed robust outreach for every museum project, frequently bringing national and international artists to Iowa. She has served on the boards of the Grinnell Chamber of Commerce, the Hotel-Motel Tax Committee, the Grinnell Area Arts Council, and the Association of Midwest Museums. In retirement, she is on the boards of the Iowa Cultural Coalition and the Grinnell School of Music and advises the Grant Wood Art Colony. She has led initiatives for 8 public art pieces on and off campus, including the commissioning of a mural for the School of Music.

Her museum background includes serving as the curator at the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, a position at the University Art Museum at UC Berkeley (now the Berkeley Art Museum), and a Luce Foundation internship at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. She has her Ph.D. in American art history from Stanford University (supervised by Wanda Corn). A native of California, she has lived in Iowa since 1992 and is married to Donald Doe, a retired art museum director.