Board & Staff

President – Mel Drumm is a retired non-profit professional. He served as the President of the Detroit Science Museum from August 1995 through April 2002.  Most recently he retired from over 18 years at the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum as President & CEO.  He specializes working in the intersection of science, technology, engineering and art to inspire people to become STEM enthusiasts via interactive exhibits, technology, and social interaction.

Vice President – Cheryl Bloomquist is an Early Childhood Program instructor/faculty and an Education Program advisor at Northwestern Michigan College. Cheryl’s work at the college and in the local early childhood education community furthers her mission to improve the quality of early education and care for young children and their families in the region. She has worked in the early childhood education field for more than 40 years as a child birth educator, elementary and preschool teacher, with Head Start as a teacher supervisor and Early Head Start Director, with Traverse City Area Public Schools in Early Education Administration and as the early childhood faculty at Northwestern Michigan College.

Trustees

David Glenn is a partner at Kuhn Rogers PLC, Northern Michigan’s largest law firm.  He concentrates his practice in the areas of real property, construction, business, energy, and environmental law.  David was born and raised in Traverse City (TCW – 2003) and holds degrees from Central Michigan University (B.S. – 2007) and the University of Detroit Mercy (J.D. – 2011).  David and his wife Lauren (a registered nurse and also a Traverse City native) have four children (Reid, Kendall, Boyd, Wells) and a Black Labrador named Kota.  David is an avid outdoorsman with a passion for hunting and fishing.

Judge Jennifer Whitten is the Grand Traverse County Probate Court and Family Division Judge. Jennifer was appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer and was sworn in on March 4, 2022. Prior to her appointment, Judge Whitten was a partner with Alward, Fisher, Rice, Rowe & Graf, PLC, where she specialized in family and probate court matters, as well as estate planning. Jennifer earned her Juris Doctor degree from Michigan State University College of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Alma College. She currently lives in Traverse City with her husband, Brent, two children, Malakai and Zeke, and golden doodle, Bohdi.

Dr. Jeanne Dennler is a clinical psychologist, author, and autism specialist. Her expertise ensures that the Museum is accessible to all visitors, particularly those with autism and other sensory needs, fostering inclusivity in exhibits and programs.

Terry Beamsley has worked as consultant and senior leadership for a number of public entities and nonprofit organizations including the Community Foundation of Monroe County, the City of Monroe Michigan, and the River Raisin National Battlefield Park and Battlefield Foundation. She served as Curator of History for the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History, Chief Registrar and head of Information Resources for the Henry Ford Museum, Assistant Director of the Toledo Museum of Art, and as Adjunct Faculty in both the Bachelor’s and Masters Museum Studies programs at Baylor University.

Camille Hoisington is Director of Ecosystem Development at Traverse Connect where she leads the growth of the regional innovation ecosystem and entrepreneurial business attraction programs in Northern Michigan. Camille grew her career in New York City, where she was Director of Innovation Network at Downtown Brooklyn Partnership, spearheading the Make It in Brooklyn initiative to support entrepreneurs. Camille was also Program Director at startup hub 1776, and Community Manager at Urban Future Lab, NYC’s only cleantech and smart cities incubator. Camille has a B.A. in Natural Science and a M.Litt in Geography from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.

Jerry Ring is a public affairs professional who retired from the Dow Chemical Company as Director of Global Contributions and Community Programs with responsibility for the company’s relationships with its communities around the world. He was also President of The Dow Chemical Company Foundation. After vacationing in Traverse City for years, Jerry moved to the city full time in 2019. He serves on the Boards of the Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation and the Discovery Pier. Jerry holds B.S. and M.S. degrees from Boston University, an MBA from Central Michigan University and a D.M. degree in management and Organization Leadership from the University of Phoenix.

Stuart Kelly is a CPA with extensive experience who previously worked at Rehmann and has recently transitioned to Marsh Automotive. In addition to his financial expertise, Stuart brings valuable marketing experience, making him a versatile asset to the Museum’s strategic and operational initiatives.

Spencer Silk has extensive experience supporting organizations, including those that focus on children with developmental disabilities and the Humane Society, where he has served both as a consultant and a board member. Additionally, he has worked as a consultant at TechTown Detroit, a business incubator and accelerator. He is interested in helping small organizations grow and build effective business plans. 

Lauren Cipicchio