Six new humanities leaders were elected to the Board of the Federation of State Humanities Councils (the Federation) at the Federation’s Annual Business Meeting on November 16, 2024.
The Federation’s Board is made up of executive directors of State Humanities Councils and professionals from universities and community colleges, philanthropy, historical societies, museums, and arts advocacy. Federation Board members are selected for their ability to devote significant time, energy, and enthusiasm to supporting the Federation as the national voice of the councils – this means willingness to work as an active and committed board member.
“This extraordinary group of new Board members brings a deep commitment to the impact the humanities have in our everyday lives,” said Federation President Phoebe Stein. “They also bring an important diversity of perspectives at a time when communities need bridge-building. We are grateful for their willingness to serve at a time when we need the humanities—and the reflection and connection they invite—more than ever.”
Learn more about the Federation Board here.
Dr. Shawnrece (Campbell) Butler (Michigan) is the Assistant Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion at Northern Michigan University. Dr. Butler is a member of the inaugural Michigan Humanities Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access Committee, the MSI Aspiring Leaders Program, and the Lake Superior Leadership Academy Class of 2025. She has also served on the National Council for Black Studies Board of Directors and on the AAUW Florida Board of Directors. Prior to joining Northern, Dr. Butler served as the Dean of Liberal Arts & the Director of theSchool of Art, Media, & Communication at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. She is the co-author of Toni Morrison’s Secret Drive: A Reader-Response Study of the Fiction and Its Rhetoric. Dr. Butler obtained her Ph.D. from Kent State University, her M.B.A. from Stetson University, her M.A. from Youngstown State University, and her B.A. from John Carroll University.
Adam Davis (Oregon) has been the Executive Director of Oregon Humanities since 2013 and directed the Center for Civic Reflection in Chicago before that. In these jobs, he has trained thousands of discussion leaders across the country, facilitated hundreds of community and workplace discussions, moderated onstage conversations with community-builders, office-holders, and authors, and worked on organizational planning, support, and growth. He hosts Oregon Humanities’ podcast and radio show, The Detour, and has edited books including Taking Action, The Civically Engaged Reader, and Hearing the Call across Traditions. Adam currently sits on the boards of the High Desert Partnership and the Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon and the advisory board of the North Star Civic Foundation. He received his PhD from the University of Chicago, and he used to lead wilderness trail crews in the Pacific Northwest.
Scott LaMascus (Oklahoma) is an emeritus Professor of English, writer, and public-humanities advocate living in Oklahoma City. Two decades ago, he was founding director of the McBride Center for Public Humanities. Scott has served a decade on the board of the Oklahoma Humanities, chairing during the Centennial of the Tulsa Race Massacre, among other statewide initiatives. His MFA (2024) is from Antioch University, Los Angeles, and his Ph.D. (1996) is from the University of Oklahoma. He has spent more than three decades on the campus of his alma mater for his bachelor’s degree, Oklahoma Christian University, where he has held roles including staff, professor, Honors Director, and Chief Academic Officer (1983-1989; 1999-2024).
Dr. Nashid Madyun (Florida) has served as the Executive Director of Florida Humanities since May 2021, where he has brought two decades of experience as an historian, museum professional and educator to the second-largest humanities council in the country. Prior to joining Florida Humanities, he was the Director of the Southeastern Regional Black Archives Research Center and Museum at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) in Tallahassee. He has also worked as the Director of the Stax Museum of American Soul Music, the Texas State History Museum, President and General Manager of Gibson Retail Group (a division of Gibson Music Instruments) and the Art Museum and Archives of Hampton University. He was appointed to the State of Florida Black History Museum Taskforce in 2024, and he also teaches courses in Humanities.
Susan Y. Price, J.D. (Alabama) is Senior Vice Chancellor for System Development and Strategic Advancement and Chief of Staff of the Alabama Community College System. She earned her bachelor’s in English Literature/Creative Writing from Princeton University and a law degree from the University of Virginia. Following a brief as an English teacher, Price served as a federal judicial law clerk in the Middle District of Alabama and a litigation attorney in Seattle. She later served as assistant attorney general/trial counsel for the Washington State Department of Revenue, eventually becoming director of its Appeals Division. In 2004, Susan returned to Montgomery and the Alabama Community College System Office. She serves on the boards of numerous organizations, including the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, and the Southern Coalition for Social Justice.
Chris Sommerich (Nebraska) was named Humanities Nebraska’s Executive Director in 2011. He joined the council as Development Officer in 2004, and became Development Director in 2007. He has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where as a graduate assistant he served as undergraduate adviser and teaching assistant in the political science department. Chris achieved a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) certification in 2007, which emphasizes the highest standard of ethical and professional conduct in fundraising. He served on the board of directors for the Nebraska Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) in 2005-2011 and as its president in 2010. Chris previously Board of Directors of the Federation of State Humanities Councils from 2014-2018, and he was a member of Class VII of Leadership Nebraska in 2014-15.
