Dr. Tammi Hanawalt - Curator of Art, National Museum of Wildlife Art, Jackson, Wyoming.

Dr. Hanawalt holds a B.A. in Theatre Design and an M.A. in art history from Arizona State University. She has a doctoral degree in Native American art history from the University of Oklahoma and continues to teach art history online at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM. Through her research, concerned with issues involving contemporary Native American art and wildlife conservation, Tammi endeavors to contribute to the framework of ongoing interdisciplinary humanities scholarship. As a curator, Tammi works toward expanding ideas of wildlife art and in turn, its effect on humanity’s relationship with the natural world.

Website: https://www.wildlifeart.org

Mark Edward Harris - Award-Winning Travel, Documentary, and Wildlife Photographer

Mark Edward Harris’ assignments have taken him to more than 100 countries on all seven continents. His editorial work has appeared in publications such as Vanity Fair, LIFE, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Time Magazine, GEO, Newsweek, Conde Nast Traveler, National Geographic Traveler, Hemispheres, AFAR, Wallpaper, Vogue, Architectural Digest, The Los Angeles Times Magazine, and The London Sunday Times Travel Magazine as well as all the major photography and in-flight magazines. Among his numerous accolades are CLIO, ACE, Impact DOCS Award of Excellence, Aurora Gold, and IPA awards. His award-winning books include Faces of the Twentieth Century: Master Photographers and Their Work, The Way of the Japanese Bath, Wanderlust, North Korea, South Korea, Inside Iran, The Travel Photo Essay: Describing A Journey Through Images, and his latest, The People of the Forest, a book about orangutans.

Website: https://www.markedwardharris.com

Rickie Leiter - Founder of the Rickie Report
Judge for the Young Artist Contest

Rickie Leiter has always been fascinated by the creative process. A former art consultant in her native Massachusetts, her instinct to connect with creatives in her new Florida home led her to found The Rickie Report in 2011.  This free online publication features artist stories, helpful tips for marketing, a calendar of upcoming art events, and calls to artists/artisans for both juried and non-juried shows. Rickie’s goal is to help artists, galleries, and visual arts-related organizations achieve their potential by connecting with other artists, art lovers, and patrons. Rickie’s mission is to help emerging artists achieve meaningful careers and to guide professional artists in finding their niches. She has juried exhibits, offered Art Marketing Seminars, and been a featured speaker at many art-related events.  Rickie is an active member of numerous art coalitions in southeast Florida. She is always looking for a way to connect emerging artists, established artists, art promoters, and art patrons together, sometimes in the most unexpected ways. 

Rickie earned an MSW and worked as a psychiatric social worker before changing professional paths as an art consultant. While her own creativity includes a successful career as a jewelry artist and a mosaicist, she is open to new knowledge, growth, and experiences. Rickie has served as a long-time volunteer in national and international non-profits, providing her with a solid on-the-ground education in marketing, communication, and leadership training.  She and her husband, Jeff, publish The Rickie Report while enjoying the cultural bounties around them.  Being involved with her community is important to Rickie, as she volunteers with the Ft. Pierce Jazz Society, co-chaired a juried art show in PGA Village Verano, and currently chairs a juried one-day art event in Port St. Lucie, which benefits a number of non-profits. She previously worked in Development with Dana Farber Cancer Institute and is a long-standing leader with Hadassah.

Website: https://www.therickiereport.com

Lori Perkins - Vice President at Canopy Strategic Partners

Lori Perkins has worked in nearly every job you can have at a zoo during her more than three-decade career in wildlife conservation and management.

Lori served as deputy director at the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama, where she led all aspects of animal care, education, and park operations. She previously worked at Zoo Atlanta, at Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, and at Disney’s Animal Kingdom as the education and science director for Disney Parks & Resorts.

Lori is a renowned expert in the collective management of zoo populations. She serves on the Board of Directors of the highly regarded Center for Great Apes Sanctuary for chimpanzees and orangutans and has also shared her expertise as chair of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) wildlife conservation and management committee. Lori also led the AZA’s animal welfare committee and was elected twice to its national Board of Professional Ethics, which she chaired during her second term.

Lori currently works as Vice President at Canopy Strategic Partners where she advises zoos, aquariums and botanical gardens on strategic plan development.

Website: https://canopysp.com