The Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) is fortunate to have a talented staff, dedicated Board of Managers, Gallery Council, over 1,100 volunteers, and over 4,000 members. As Trustee of MAG, the University of Rochester recognizes MAG as a valued asset for both the Rochester and UR communities. At MAG we stand for: Art and Culture; Learning and Joy; Accessibility and Inspiration; Stewardship and Integrity; and Community and Sociability. Meet our Senior Staff.
Director of Advancement
Jamie Beers
Jamie Beers leads the team responsible for advancing the mission of the Memorial Art Gallery. Together, they raise a significant percentage of MAG’s overall operating budget, as well as funds for special projects and the endowment. Prior to joining the MAG in January of 2023, she spent 16 years in higher education fundraising. Beers holds a BA in Psychology from Hofstra University and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.
Director of Finance
Sheryl Burgstrom
Sheryl Burgstrom began her career at UR 19 years ago as Manager of the Endowment Accounting Department. At MAG she is responsible for financial forecasting, planning and analysis; overseeing the annual budget and auditing process; and working with UR’s Central Budget and Controller’s Offices. She holds degrees in finance and accounting with a minor in art history.
Senior Director,
Major and Principal Gifts
Joe Carney
Joe Carney has more than 30 years’ experience in advancement with a focus on the annual fund, campaign and major gift fundraising for higher education and health care. He holds a BS in Management from St. John Fisher College and an MA in English.
Chief Operating Officer / Deputy Director
Emilio R. Fabico
Emilio Fabico brings over 40 years of operations leadership experience to the MAG, having previously served in senior roles in museum, resort, and theme park enterprises. Throughout his career, he has focused on and had a passion for service, team development, and operational excellence. He believes in teams having as much fun as possible while delivering world-class products and experiences.
Director of Marketing and Engagement
Melanie Fazio
Melanie Fazio brings 20+ years of experience to her role. She joined the Memorial Art Gallery in 2022. Melanie’s journey to MAG has included working in radio, for a family-owned business and at a major corporation. Melanie holds an MA in English Literature. She will utilize her background to focus on fun, inspiration and connection, to continue in bringing the community together at MAG.
Facilities Area Manager
Debra Foster
Debra Foster oversees approximately 124,000 square feet of building space and 15 acres of grounds. She is responsible for developing and implementing operations and capital budgets in excess of $2 million and serves as MAG liaison to UR Facilities and Environmental Health and Services.
Director of Interpretive Engagement
Racquel M. Gonzales
Racquel M. Gonzales is a storyteller dedicated to discovering and supporting the conditions for curiosity, meaning-making, and belonging. She brings more than ten years of research, pedagogy, and design experience across visual analysis and rhetoric, cultural studies, play studies, and media history and theory methodologies. A trained ethnographer and oral historian, she holds a Ph.D. in Visual Studies and a certificate in Gender and Sexuality Studies from University of California, Irvine, and a M.A. in Media Studies from University of Texas at Austin. She has a B.A. in Cinematic Arts with a minor in Classics from University of Southern California and studied ancient art and architecture at the International Center for Hellenic and Mediterranean Studies (DIKEMES) in Athens, Greece. Her previous roles include stints at The Strong National Museum of Play, University of California, Irvine, Laguna College of Art and Design, and board appointments for the UCI Illuminations: The Chancellor’s Arts & Culture Initiative and Rochester Regional Library Council.
Director, Academic & Community Programs
Allison Goodwin
Allison Goodwin joined the Memorial Art Gallery in 2022. In her role as Director of Academic & Community Programs, Allison works with her team to develop and implement strategies that produce high quality teaching, learning and art-making experiences across MAG’s suite of programming for PreK-16 audience, educators, community members and Creative Workshop students. Allison brings cross-disciplinary training in informal teaching and learning and over 10 years of professional experiences at other local, national and international non-profits and museums including the RMSC, Cincinnati Museum Center and the Museo Galileo in Florence, Italy. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in history and biology from Elmira College and a Master of Arts degree in Museum Studies from Marist College. She is trained in Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS),a facilitation method and professional development program that fosters collaborative, inclusive, community-building dialogue, specializes in deep listening and responsive teaching practices. She is a passionate museum educator at heart and enjoys creating programs that serve and are accessible to diverse audiences and celebrate the greater Rochester community.
Mary W. and Donald R. Clark Director
Sarah Jesse
Sarah Jesse, the Mary W. and Donald R. Clark Director, came to the Memorial Art Gallery in 2024. Prior, she served as Director of the Academy Art Museum in Easton, Maryland, and Deputy Director, as well as Interim Director and CEO, of the Orange County Museum of Art. She was also Associate Vice President of Education at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Bernsen Director of Education and Public Programs at the Philbrook Museum of Art in Tulsa, Oklahoma; and Assistant Director of Public Programs at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, Illinois. She holds a Master’s degree in art history from the University of Illinois at Chicago and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College. She has worked in the museum field for over twenty years and has dedicated her career to making museums accessible to everyone.
Director of Information Technology
Barbara Kintzel
Barbara Kintzel was born and raised in Southern Poland. She immigrated to the United States in 1993 at the age of twenty. In 1997, Barbara graduated from Montclair State University in Montclair, New Jersey with BS in Computer Science. After living for 13 years in New Jersey, Barbara, her husband Ulf, and their three children moved to the beautiful Finger Lakes region in 2006. Shortly after moving, Barbara began working at the Memorial Art Gallery in the Information Technology department. Growing up under communism in a small village located in the beautiful Tatra mountains, shaped Barbara’s perspective on life and work. She is very service and family oriented and has been dedicated through her work to the Memorial Art Gallery for the past 16 years.
Director of Curatorial Affairs
Nick Marshall
As the Director of Curatorial Affairs, Nick Marshall works with his team to conceptualize and execute a cohesive, creative vision for the museum’s exhibitions as well as the strategic growth of the collection. Nick has over ten years of experience leading the development and production of exhibitions and engagement initiatives. Before joining MAG in 2022, he was the Head of Exhibitions and Programs at the George Eastman Museum. He has taught courses at Alfred University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Genesee Community College, and Visual Studies Workshop. Nick has a BFA from Columbus College of Art and Design and an MFA from Rochester Institute of Technology.
Lead Academic and Donor Engagement Specialist
Margot Muto
Margot Muto came to MAG in 2016. She was previously co-founder and director of AXOM Gallery & Exhibition Space, which opened in 2011 with the mission of presenting contemporary arts and design, and fostering the careers of emerging, mid-career and established artists. She holds a BFA in painting and printmaking from RIT.
