The Friends of the Georgia Museum of Art is an organization made up of people and companies with a love for visual art and a passion to see it flourish. On August 19 the Friends welcomed five new board members who will serve three-year terms. As members of the Friends Board of Directors(opens in new tab), these individuals will work to promote art education and cultivate interest in the museum.
Mike Hamby
Mike Hamby currently serves as county commissioner for District 10 in Athens-Clarke County. As commissioner he has advocated for the creation of the Athens Cultural Affairs Commission and encouraged the installation of more art bus shelters. Hamby also serves on the board of the Athens Downtown Development Authority and chairs the Pension Board for Unified Government. He has both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Georgia.
Sharon McDearis
In addition to becoming a Friends board member, Sharon McDearis has been a museum docent for eight years and has just begun a two-year term as docent president. Outside of the museum, McDearis has worked in special event coordination and, more recently, local social work projects. Her community engagement involves advocating for incarcerated minors, managing youth mentoring programs and fostering senior pets awaiting adoption. McDearis also enjoys freelance writing, as she earned a journalism degree from UGA’s Grady College of Journalism.
Shanell McGoy
Shanell McGoy is the director of public affairs, corporate giving and global strategic initiatives at Gilead Sciences, Inc. She was formerly the director of the Tennessee Department of Health in Nashville. McGoy serves on the board of ART Inc., an arts nonprofit in Peoria, Illinois, and is an active member of the Athens chapter of the Links volunteer organization. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Spelman College and then a master’s degree in public health from the University of Illinois at Chicago before completing her doctorate at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. McGoy finished her post-doctoral studies at Morehouse School of Medicine, focusing on health policy, equity, social determinants of health and behavioral health.
Sherrie Olejnik
Sherrie Olejnik has been a docent with the museum for nine years and served as docent president prior to McDearis. She is the former director of UGA’s Division of Academic Enhancement and now volunteers with the Athens Welcome Center. Taking the insight and knowledge she gained from her career researching and writing about college student learning, Olejnik co-authored her guide to a successful transition to university life, “College Rules!” She has a passion for traveling, having been to all seven continents and visiting museums worldwide. Olejnik completed her doctorate at the University of Florida.
Gloria Ricks Taylor
Gloria Ricks Taylor currently manages the Hearst Management Institute, a higher education program for executives hosted by the Hearst Corporation, where Ricks Taylor was formerly the head of corporate communications. She is vice president of the Friends of Oconee Hill Cemetery and former interim executive director of the Athens Community Council on Aging. Ricks Taylor has been involved with the planning for several of the museum’s events and was able to arrange the “Royal Gardens: A Setting for the Palace Jewel” lecture through her position as an American board member with Historic Royal Palaces.
Welcome to all our new Friends board members! All Friends + Contributing Members are eligible to serve on the Friends board of directors. If you are interested in serving or in nominating a Friend + Contributing Member please email jointhemuseum@uga.edu and request a nomination form.
Authored by:
Museum Staff
