staff & board

Board of Directors

The UrbanArt Commission is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Its Board of Directors sets its operating policies, organization by-laws, guides private fundraising efforts, and determines the annual operating budget. Furthermore, it serves as the primary body for determining how best to fulfill the organization's mission of create opportunities for artists and neighborhoods to connect and shape spaces through public art.

Kristen Rambo, Ashlee Hendry, Jen Prudhome Booker, Chantal Drake, Mary Haizlip (vice chair), Laura Gray McCann (secretary), Dr. David Schwartz, Nefertiti Orrin (chair), Joel Parsons, and Amelia Thompson.

Kristen Rambo currently serves as the Communications Manager for the Dixon Gallery and Gardens where she works to promote the museum’s exhibitions, garden and education programs, and special events through online marketing campaigns and social media platforms. Born and raised in Memphis, Kristen is a graduate of the Memphis College of Art where she received her Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in painting. She maintains a studio space in Midtown, has participated in numerous group and solo shows, and frequently completes commissions. Her art focuses on self-reflection and meditation, the body, and the cycles of grief -- often through color and botanical components. Kristen is an active promoter of the art scene in Memphis and works to connect local artists with exhibition opportunities and open calls in the area. When she isn’t working at the museum or in her studio, Kristen can be found spending time with her husband, friends, and family and working in her garden.

Jen Prudhome Booker is the Senior Manager of Digital Site Experience for AutoZone Inc at their innovation center and headquarters in Memphis, TN. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Merchandising and Design from California State University Long Beach (CSULB), a Master of Business Administration from Columbia Southern, and Certificate in Entrepreneurship from Cornell University. Jen managed and curated onsite experiences for Halston, Diamonds International, Ben Sherman, Tretorn, and Delia*s. She was also the first African American Senior Ecommerce Manager of Fashion and Beauty for Rakuten, a disruptor in ecommerce founded in Japan. Her past experiences caught the attention of a friend and AutoZone associate who thought her ecommerce background would be a great fit for the organization. Their discernment led to a new start at AutoZone as a Commercial Ecommerce Product Owner in 2019. In 2022, she became the first Senior Manager of Digital Site Experience for AutoZone.com. Today, Jen leads the Digital Design, UX/UI Implementation, and Site Planning teams in the coordination of promotional and ecommerce assets for AutoZone.com. She serves and supports a diverse group of non-profit and non-governmental organizations including Leadership Tennessee, University of Memphis STEM Camp, Code Crew, Black Girls Code, One Step Initiative study abroad education for underserved youth (with over 700,000 miles traveled and 20 tri-state area schools served), Whitney High School Foundation for Educational Excellence Diversity and Inclusion Committee, ABC Unified School District Advisory Committee for Diversity, Unity and Equity, and Young Women’s Empowerment Conference with U.S. Congressman Alan Lowenthal. She is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated. In 2023, she was named a Woman of Distinction by Assemblywoman Sharon Quirk-Silva of California’s 67th Assembly District for her community service work in diversity, equity, and inclusion. An adventurous husband and son keep Jen on her toes and dare her to go the distance. She continues to enjoy time as a first-time mom, creative entrepreneur, and an avid traveler of over 20 countries.

Chantal Drake serves as James Milton and Sallie R. Johnson Deputy Director at the Birmingham Museum of Art. Acting as both a proxy for the Director and as Chief Operating Officer, she works with the Executive Leadership Team in the overall management of the museum, develops strategies and organizational structures for carrying out the Museum’s mission, and implements the vision and strategic plan set by the Director and the Museum Board. Chantal moved to Birmingham in 2023 from Memphis, TN where she worked in roles of increasing responsibility at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens for 12 years. Her most recent role at Dixon was Director of Development and Communications where she guided the Dixon's fundraising, membership, and corporate partner programs, oversaw events, and managed the public relations, marketing, and messaging for the museum and gardens. She also developed strategies to prioritize DEAI in museum programming, audience development, and governance. Chantal has a bachelor’s degree in art history from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a master’s degree in art history and Museum Studies Certification from the University of Memphis, and completed the prestigious Getty Leadership Institute program in 2019. She serves on the board of the Urban Art Commission in Memphis, TN. 

Mary Haizlip is an architect and principal of Haizlip Studio, one of the top design firms of museums and discovery centers dedicated to the education of children and families. She is a native Memphian and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Engineering Technology from The UoM. Mary parlayed her considerable talents in math, science, and design into management expertise and inspired art direction for complex architecture and exhibit design projects. After graduating from Leadership Memphis in 2009, Mary broadened her professional interest in educating children into a volunteer interest in improving the lives of children in danger. She became actively involved with Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), an organization that trains and supports community volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children in the Juvenile Court system and served as a CASA board member.  Mary also serves as a volunteer Ambassador for the Memphis Child Advocacy Center, helping promote public awareness and Stewards of Children training which works to prevent child sexual abuse. She served on the Board of Directors for the Memphis and West TN chapter of American Institute of Architects (AIA) since 2011 and in 2015 led the organization as President. She is currently a board member of the TN state chapter of the AIA. In 2012, Mary developed and organized the Architect’s Bike Tour to promote community wellness through art and architecture. Alongside fellow board member, Kerry Hayes, Mary was a part of the Bosco’s Cycling Team, raising funds for the National MS Society. She is also a member of the Marx-Bensdorf competitive cycling team. She and her husband, Reb, live in midtown Memphis.

Laura Gray McCann is the Assistant Director of the Memphis Chapter of The American Institute of Architects, where since 2017 she has been responsible for assisting in day-to-day operations, internal and external communications, partnerships, continuing education programs and events of the Chapter, which serves nearly 300 architect members and over 80 corporate partners. Prior to joining AIA Memphis, Laura Gray spent five years in the curatorial department at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens in Memphis, TN, where she played a crucial role in the organization and production of exhibitions traveling to the Dixon, the research and development of Dixon-originated exhibitions and catalogs, and the interpretation of the Dixon’s permanent collections.  Laura Gray is a graduate of Rhodes College and holds an M. Litt. in the History of Art and Art World Practice from Christie's Education in London, UK, and a certificate in Art and Business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art, London. She is also a registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and spends her free time teaching yoga.

Nefertiti Orrin is a native Memphian whose passion for Education has led her to become the Grants Director at Community LIFT. Her work is fueled by her deep belief that empowered and engaged people can bring about transformative change in the communities where they live, work, and play. With over fifteen years experience as an educator and a champion for education reform, Nefertiti took on leadership roles with United Way, The New Teacher Project, and Partners in School Innovation based in Chicago. Prior to joining Community LIFT, she was the Managing Director of Alumni Leadership for Teach for America and was handpicked to present on Alumni Engagement at the annual TFA Alumni Leadership Conference. Her mission is to ensure there are targeted resources funneled to under-resourced neighborhoods to create sustainable and thriving communities. 

Joel Parsons is an artist, curator, and teacher based in Memphis, where he is an Assistant Professor of Art and Director of Clough-Hanson Gallery at Rhodes College. His artistic practice centers queer intimacy, and has been shown at Yale University’s Greene Gallery; Western Exhibitions in Chicago, IL; and the Yerba Buena Art Center Triennial in San Francisco, CA. He is the co-founder of Beige, an alternative gallery and performance space devoted to the work of queer artists and a founding member and current co-chair of the ArtsMemphis Artist Advisory Council. His country music performance art band, The Dixie Dicks, recently released their first album, VERS. His curatorial practice is often collaborative and driven by a desire to bring institutional resources to bear on conversations of equity and marginality. Recent projects include The Weight of Hope, No Fate But What You Make: Art and Queer Spirituality, Faith Wilding: Fearful Symmetries, and Rashayla Marie Brown: Supreme Being. As a Thomas J Watson Fellow he spent a year studying relational aesthetics in emerging contemporary art centers. He received an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Dr. David Schwartz is Professor and Chairman in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the UTHSC College of Medicine. Dr. Schwartz is a nationally recognized physician researcher whose current work aims to improve the treatment and survivorship of cancer patients, regardless of social or financial status. He serves as founding Director of the Center for Health Equity in the Department of Radiation Oncology, with a focus on developing patient-facing mobile technology to improve quality and access of cancer care in the Mid-South. He engages closely with (and learns from) dozens of academic, business, education, and city leaders throughout Memphis to discover data driven, community-inspired paths to better health, for everyone.

Amelia Thompson joined Ballet Memphis in 2017 as the associate director of development after serving as assistant director of annual giving at Rhodes College in Memphis as well as at St. Albans School in Washington, D.C. She spent three years in the buying office at Macy’s, working out of the retail brand's iconic Herald Square hub in New York City, where she gained experience in corporate merchandising, marketing and financial planning. Amelia manages the annual fund for Ballet Memphis as well as helps with major gifts. She is a graduate of White Station High School in Memphis and is an active alumna of The University of Notre Dame. Amelia is a volunteer at Girls Inc. of Memphis and is a former member of the Black Alumni of Notre Dame's board of directors.