FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 25, 2018
MEDIA CONTACT: Cody Hefner (513) 287-7054, chefner@cincymuseum.org

Cincinnati Museum Center elects new trustees and officers

Judge Jeffery Hopkins brings passion, expertise to Board as chair

CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) hosted its annual meeting Board of Trustees meeting to elect officers, naming the Honorable Jeffery P. Hopkins board chair. CMC also recognized incoming trustees and thanked outgoing board members for their commitment to the community.

At the meeting, the Board of Trustees also welcomed three incoming trustees. Gary Z. Lindgren, executive director of the Cincinnati Business Committee and Cincinnati Regional Business Committee and Thomas H. Quinn, Jr., president of the Bardes Corporation, both rejoin the Board of Trustees after previously serving from 2008 to 2017. Martin E. Mooney, member of Frost Brown Todd, LLC, who also serves as vice chair of the board of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, was elected ex officio to CMC’s Board of Trustees.

Six outgoing trustees were graciously thanked for their dedicated service to fulfilling the mission of CMC and furthering its impact on the community. Outgoing trustees include: Mark A. Casella, Thomas Crain, Carrie K. Hayden, Francie S. Hiltz, Mitchel D. Livingston, PhD and Anne Drackett Thomas.

Newly-elected board chair Judge Hopkins is the Chief Judge for the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of Ohio, a position he’s held since 1996. Prior to being appointed to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Judge Hopkins was an Assistant U.S. Attorney and served as the Chief of the Civil Division for the Southern District of Ohio. He began his career as an associate at Squire, Sanders & Dempsey, specializing in complex commercial transactions and business litigation. Over the course of his career he has been appointed to the Federal Judicial Center’s Education Committee for bankruptcy by the late Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist and to the committee on Bankruptcy Rules and to the Judicial Branch Committee by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr.

A graduate of Bowdoin College in Maine, Judge Hopkins earned dual degrees in government and legal studies and anthropology-sociology and was elected by faculty to deliver the commencement address at his graduation. He obtained his Juris Doctorate from the Michael E. Mortiz College of Law at the Ohio State University. In addition to several professional boards and committees, Judge Hopkins served on the boards of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and was Chair of the Queen City Foundation. He was also an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law.

“Institutions like Cincinnati Museum Center play such a vital role in stimulating curiosity and cultivating a vibrant community,” says Judge Hopkins. “I’m excited to be part of Cincinnati Museum Center’s growth as well as its partnership with the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center as they welcome new director Dion Brown and continue to be thought leaders in our community.”

Judge Hopkins first joined CMC’s board in 2012 and has previously served as a vice chair.

“Judge Hopkins has long been an advocate for Cincinnati Museum Center and the Greater Cincinnati region,” says Elizabeth Pierce, president and CEO of Cincinnati Museum Center. “His guidance and intelligence will be valuable assets as we continue to transform Cincinnati Museum Center for a more robust future.”

The 2018 Board of Trustees officers are:
Board Chair: Honorable Jeffery P. Hopkins, Chief U.S. Bankruptcy Judge, U.S. Bankruptcy Court
Past Chair: Edward D. Diller, Partner, Cincinnati Office, Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP
Vice Chair: Martiné Dunn, Attorney at Law, Dinsmore & Shohl LLP
Vice Chair: Cynthia Walker Kenny, Owner, Cynthia Kenny Creative
Vice Chair: Allison H. Kropp, Civic Leader
Vice Chair: Phillip Long, Director Emeritus, Taft Museum of Art
Vice Chair: Reverend Damon Lynch, Jr., Pastor, New Jerusalem Baptist Church
Vice Chair: Mary Zalla, Global President, Consumer Brands, Managing Director, Cincinnati and Chicago, Landor
Secretary: Susan Esler, Retired, Vice President and Chief Human Resources & Communications Officer, Ashland, Inc.
Treasurer: Matthew A. Sheakley, President, The Sheakley Group
President and CEO: Elizabeth W. Pierce, President and CEO, Cincinnati Museum Center
General Counsel: George H. Vincent, Managing Partner, Dinsmore and Shohl LLP

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About Cincinnati Museum Center
Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) at Union Terminal is a nationally recognized institution and national historic landmark. Dedicated to sparking community dialogue, insight and inspiration, CMC was awarded the 2009 National Medal for Museum and Library Service from the Institute of Museum and Library Services and received accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums in 2012. CMC is one of a select few museums in the nation with both of these honors, making it a unique asset and a vital community resource. Union Terminal has been voted the nation's 45th most important building by the American Institute of Architects. Organizations within CMC include the Cincinnati History Museum, Duke Energy Children's Museum, Museum of Natural History & Science, Robert D. Lindner Family OMNIMAX® Theater and Cincinnati History Library & Archives. Recognized by Forbes Traveler Magazine as the 17th most visited museum in the country, CMC welcomes more than one million visitors annually. For more information, visit www.cincymuseum.org.