Meet Our Board
Interim Board President | Manuel Aguilar
Interim Board Vice President | Emma Bloom
Programming Chair | Mikee Ferran
Stewardship Chair | Emma Poggioli
Manuel Aguilar currently works as the Museum Store Manager at the San Diego History Center located in Balboa Park. He also represents the History Center as a member of the Balboa Park Green Team and serves as a trustee on the Sales Committee of the Spreckels Organ Society. Manuel enjoys “geeking out” about museums because of the power they have to inspire visitors to learn, create and explore. As a previous Stewardship Co-Chair who transitioned to Vice President and then Board President of San Diego EMP, he has continued to help local museum professionals embrace their own power to make an impact on the local museum community. Manuel is certain that by building the talents of local museum professionals San Diego has the potential to develop into the next generation of world-class museum cities! EMP Involvement: President 2019-2020, Vice President 2018-2019, Stewardship Co-Chair 2017-2018.
Emma Bloom is the Public Programs Manager at the San Diego Natural History Museum (“The Nat”). Emma started at the Museum as a Visitor Services Associate five years ago, before moving into the Education Department. Emma has also worked in public programs, education, and exhibits at the Fleet Science Center and The New Children’s Museum. She studied Cognitive Science with a specialization in Neuroscience at the University of California, San Diego. EMP Involvement: Vice President 2019-2020, Programs Co-Chair 2018-2020.
Mikee Ferran began her journey into museums as a program assistant for the Smithsonian Museum on Main Street program at Utah Humanities in 2016. This experience (and an internship at a contemporary folk art museum) provided invaluable hands-on training in the museum field. She currently works as the Museum Exhibition and Visual Arts Supervisor at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido. Mikee is passionate about advocating for museums and the work that supports these institutions. Accessibility, transparency, and opportunity are the foundations of her personal work philosophy. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and a Master’s degree in American History. EMP Involvement: Programming Co-Chair 2019-2020.
Emma Poggioli is currently the Registrar/Administrative Assistant for the Balboa Art Conservation Center. After earning a MA in Public History at the University at Albany, she headed west. She visited Balboa Park her second day in San Diego, began volunteering with the San Diego History Center the following month and has been working in the Park ever since. Emma hopes to help encourage communication between fellow emerging museum professionals and San Diego’s cultural community. EMP Involvement: Stewardship Chair 2019-2020.
Past Board Members
Stephanie Malyn – Founder & President (2014-2016)
Brinker Ferguson – Communications Chair (2014-2015)
Shannon Fowler – Vice President (2016-2017), Programming Chair (2014-2016)
Erika Katayama – Outreach Chair (2014-2015)
Sandy McCann – Board Member (2014-2015)
Cory Woodall – Board Member (2014)
Dia Bassett– Treasurer (2016-2017)
Jasmine Chu – Programming Co-Chair (2016-2017)
Kristen Mihalko – President (2016-2018), Vice President (2014-2016)
Giovanna Anaya – Programs Co-Chair (2017-2018)
Sharleen Eusebio – Programs Co-Chair (2017-2018)
Rob Low – Stewardship Committee Member (2017-2018)
Laura Lover – President (2019), Vice President (2018), Program Chair (2017), Secretary (2015-2016)
Tanya Aubin – Treasurer (2018-2019), Marketing/Programs Committee (2017-2018)
Sarah Luken – Vice President (2019), Programs Co-Chair (2018-2019)
Amanda Lopez– Communications Co-Chair (2016-2019)
Julia Falkowski– Communications Co-Chair (2016-2019)
Shira Bogin– Secretary (2018-2019), Stewardship Co-Chair (2017-2018)
Caitlin Wion – Stewardship Co-Chair (2018-2019), Secretary (2017-2018)
Kelsey Ceccareli – Communications Chair (2019-2020), Communications Committee (2018-2019)
Samantha Murphy – Stewardship Committee (2020)
Lucyna Poplawska – Communications Committee (2020)
Marisa Nolen – Stewardship Committee (2018) Stewardship Co-Chair (2019) Secretary (2020)
Kaitlyn Sturgis-Jensen – Fiscal Sponsor Task Force (2018-2019), Treasurer/Development (2018-2020)
Sarah Conner – Communications Chair (2020)
Emily Tipton – Programming Co-Chair (2020)
