WPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The WPA is managed by a Board of Directors comprised of local artists, arts patrons, lawyers, designers, realtors and museum professionals. The board sets policies, develops the programming focus and oversees the administration of the organization. The board also provides policy and direction regarding community and outreach initiatives, membership issues, and events.

BOARD CHAIR
Frederick P. Ognibene, M.D. is a collector of contemporary art and strong supporter of local artists. He lives in Washington, DC and works at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland as Deputy Director, Educational Affairs and Strategic Partnerships. Dr. Ognibene has been a member of the Board of Trustees of WPA for over 12 years, has served as the co-chair of the annual WPA Art Auction for three years, Chair of the Governance and Nominating Committees and is currently serving a three-year term as Board Chair. Dr. Ognibene began collecting contemporary art by local emerging and mid-career artists in the early 1980's and has expanded his collection to include well over 250 works by regional, national, and international artists. He takes pride in getting to know the artists whose work he owns and has been very supportive of the careers of several DC-based artists.

BOARD MEMBERS:
Paula J. Bruening is an attorney and Vice President for Global Policy at the Centre for Information Policy Leadership, Hunton & Williams LLP, where she focuses on international information policy and security issues, including privacy, cyber security, and the responsible management and use of data as it travels around the globe. She has also worked extensively on issues of free expression and First Amendment rights on the Internet. Through her work she travels extensively to Asia, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East. Her fascination and love of art began in classes she attended sitting on the gallery floors at the Cleveland Museum of Art when she was eight. Today she is building a collection of works by contemporary artists, and her photography is represented in corporate and private collections. When she is not developing public policy or supporting the WPA, she studies painting and drawing at the Washington Studio School and participates in its atelier program.


Stephen O. Hessler started collecting art just out of GW Law School, even before he had furniture. On a trip to the New Orleans Jazz Festival in 1990 he and his wife Dolly discovered intuitive and folk art and have collected it and supported self-taught artists ever since. In addition to litigating complex real estate and equity cases as the principal of Hessler & Assoc., Charted, and lecturing extensively to the DC Bar and the Courts, he has founded Gallery O/H in the "H" Street NE Atlas District, supports local and outsider artists, is a founding member of the "H" Street Social Aid & Pleasure Club, drinks bourbon, has been married to Dolly for 27 years, and adopts stray animals. He is affectionately known among the Board as the "outside the box" member who persists in an endless stream of ideas for the WPA and the DC arts community.

Elise Hoffmann is a Principal in the firm of Marshfield Associates, Washington, DC. Ms. Hoffmann has worked as a securities lawyer, legislative counsel, and investment professional since graduating from law school in 1983. Until 1987, she practiced corporate securities and banking law. From 1987 to 1995, she served as finance counsel to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and Finance, U.S. House of Representatives. Since 1995, she has worked as a portfolio manager and research analyst at Marshfield Associates, where she has been a principal since 1997. Marshfield manages over a billion dollars for 400 clients, both institutional and individual.

Dwayne Leslie is an attorney and the Chief Executive Officer of Phase V Pharmaceuticals, a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on developing drug treatments for chronic conditions association with rehabilitation of neurological injury. Mr. Leslie has worked as an associate at major law firms such as Jones, Day, Reavis & Pogue and as in-house counsel for financial and entertainment firms. He was twice named as one of Maryland’s Top 100 Minority Business Entrepreneurs and was appointed to the Maryland Economic Development Commission in 2005 by Governor Ehrlich. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Prince George’s Community College Foundation and KidsPeace Corporation.


Sophia McCrocklin is a fine artist whose work is focused on the areas of abstract painting and painted collage on canvas. Ms. McCrocklin studied Studio Art and Economics at Smith College, followed by further studies in both textile arts at Penland School of Crafts and law at the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville. Upon graduation, she established her studio and practiced environmental law for many years. Ms. McCrocklin has earned the honor of a national fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts and the award for Artistic Excellence from the Kentucky Department for the Arts. Her ongoing commitment to the arts and the environment is embodied throughout her work through the use of recycled materials.

Marisa Michnick serves as a Leasing Representative for Hines, an international Real Estate firm. Her role is to support the firm's leasing and marketing activities in the Washington DC metropolitan region. Previously she served as Director of Business Development for the Washington DC Office of RTKL Associates Inc., one of the world's most respected multi-disciplinary architecture, design and planning firms. Prior to moving to DC, Marisa worked in New York City as an Art Consultant for the Chelsea art gallery, Mixed Greens. Ms. Michnick has been involved with the DC Preservation League, where she served on the Education Committee and helped to plan the architecture-focused DC Modern symposium and the interiors-focused DC Modern Inside. Ms. Michnick also currently serves as Treasurer for the DC Real Estate Group (DCREG) and is involved with Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW), and CoreNet. She has served on the planning committee of the WPA Art Auction and Gala for the past five years and co-chaired the gala in 2010 and 2011.

Marvin Morris is the Managing Partner of Bedrock Global (BG), a boutique firm that advises on project financing strategies, and connects the resources of governments, private companies and financial sponsors to structure successful projects.  Prior to forming BG, Mr. Morris practiced public finance law with the law firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP, and as Special Counsel to the Chief Financial Officer of the District of Columbia.  Mr. Morris also has over 15 years of experience as an advisor to private investment consortiums and municipalities in the Republic of South Africa.

William C. Paley is the President of the William C. Paley Foundation. William C. Paley is the son of William S. Paley, founder of CBS, noted art collector and connoisseur of fine living and Barbara "Babe" Cushing, the daughter of pioneering neurosurgeon and Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, Dr. Harvey Cushing. Mr. Paley is also president of 2023 LLC, an addictions, alcohol, and family therapy practice in Washington, DC. From 1980 to 1984, Mr. Paley acted as president of his own emerging electronic media consulting firm, Paley Communications. He supports a variety of nonprofit organizations, serving on the Board of Directors for other local arts institutions as well as the Museum of Television and Radio in New York City and Los Angeles. He is a Director of the William S. Paley Foundation and the President of William C. Paley Foundation.

Mary Margaret Plumridge is the Director of Marketing and Communications with Akridge, a Commercial real estate firm providing acquisitions, development, leasing, and property management services in the greater Washington region. Prior to joining Akridge, Ms. Plumridge worked as a graphic designer for the Bomstein Agency and the American Pharmaceutical Association. Ms. Plumridge is a member of the Jubilee Support Alliance Auxiliary Board and the Greater Washington Board of Trade Marketing and Communications Network. She is also active with the Georgetown Ministries Homeless Shelter and occupies a leadership role at Christ Church Georgetown.

James F. Ritter is a Partner in the law firm of Latham & Watkins LLP. Mr. Ritter has extensive experience with financing arrangements in the aerospace, communications, defense, heath care and private equity arenas.

Robert J. Shapiro has collected contemporary American and European art since his early-twenties. He currently supports his art habit by running Sonecon, a private firm that provides economic analysis and advice to officials and executives of U.S. and foreign businesses and governments. He has advised, among others, President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore, Jr., British Prime Minister Tony Blair, then-U.S. Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, and senior managers of many Fortune 100 companies. Currently, Rob is also an advisor to the International Monetary Fund, a Senior Fellow of the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University, and chairman of the U.S. Climate Task Force. Before establishing Sonecon, he was Under Secretary of Commerce for Economic Affairs from 1997 to 2001. Prior to that, he was co-founder of the Progressive Policy Institute. He also was the principal economic advisor to Bill Clinton in his 1991-1992 campaign and a senior economic advisor to Vice President Gore, Senator John Kerry and then-Senator Obama in their campaigns. Rob also has been a Fellow of Harvard University, the Brookings Institution, and the National Bureau of Economic Research.

Judy J. Sherman is an independent curator and the Principal of j fine art, a corporate art consultancy that focuses on the role and importance of artistic works in organizational culture and branding. Her love of art began while at the University of Virginia where an initial course in art history inspired a journey toward a lifelong passion and appreciation for the visual arts. She enjoys strong relationships with the regional arts community and cherishes the opportunity to work with and support artists. Judy is involved with Commercial Real Estate Women (CREW) and CoreNet. Prior to launching her own business, Judy was an art consultant for two local galleries and practiced law in the areas of labor and employment. This will be her third year serving on the planning committee of the WPA Art Auction and Gala, and her second as the table sculpture curator.

Robert Shields is the Principal of Robert Shields Interiors Inc., which has been offering full design services to Washington area clients for the past fifteen years. Additionally Mr. Shields has been awarded projects in London, East Hampton and various other cities around the world. Before beginning Robert Shields Interiors Inc., Mr. Shields worked as a decorative arts painter to leading Washington designers. In 2010 before joining the Board of Trustees, Mr. Shields served as a member of the WPA Auction Committee.

Andres Tremols is a fine artist and graphic designer. Born in Washington, DC of Cuban descent, Mr. Tremols spent his childhood and adolescence in Central and South America. His work has been widely exhibited nationally and internationally and is included in both private and public collections in Europe as well as North, Central, and South America. Mr. Tremols is a founding partner of Vivo Design, Inc., which specializes in branding/identity, marketing collateral, and integrated interactive services. His graphic design work has been published in PRINT, CA Magazine, HOW, Corporate Identity in America, AR 100 and has been included in numerous exhibitions such as AIGA 50 and The Art Director's Club.

Kim Ward is a cultural arts professional with extensive experience in management and organizational leadership. She currently serves as a commissioner for the Arlington County Arts Commission and chairs the Arlington County Public Art Committee. Prior to becoming actively involved in her community's cultural life, Ms. Ward served as Executive Director of the Washington Project for the Arts from 2005 to 2009. Ms. Ward received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (Finance major) from Auburn University. She is a Chartered Financial Analyst and previously worked as Vice-President for a national bank's capital investment management group managing endowments, foundations, pension plans, and fiduciary trust instruments. While her love of arts and culture is paramount, her favorite place to spend time is running, hiking, or cycling in the outdoors.