Karen Ricketts assumed the role of Maryland Federation of Art (MFA) board president in 2022. Karen has been an active MFA board member for 5 years and is committed to supporting the MFA vision of connecting Maryland communities to the arts, through vibrant and enriching art experiences.

Karen holds a BFA from Mary Washington University and began her career as an artist with her multimedia studio art business. Later, her journey would lead her to a 30-year career in information technology, where she began as a software developer and retired from the industry as a Regional Vice President with Salesforce.com.

Today, Karen resides in Annapolis, MD with her husband. They enjoy the arts, boating, travel,and spending time with their growing family – which includes two young grandchildren.

Hope Stewart currently serves as the board secretary for the Maryland Federation of Art. She is also on the Board of Directors of Visit Annapolis and Anne Arundel County and is a Community Ambassador and Spokesperson for the National Foundation for Cancer Research.

Hope has spent her career in public relations, economic development, and community affairs, both locally and internationally. She is currently the Small and Minority Business Liaison for the City of Annapolis, where she is responsible for the strategic implementation of the city’s business attraction, retention, and expansion efforts. Hope holds an MSc in International Management and Sustainability Systems from The American University of Paris, an MA in International Studies from the University of Exeter, and a BA in International Relations from Mary Baldwin University.

Emil Petruncio assumed the role of Maryland Federation of Art (MFA) board vice president for public relations and programming in 2023, one year into his first term as a board member. Emil has been an artist member of MFA since 2015. His digital art includes nature photography, cityscapes, abstract works that employ radially symmetric designs, and cubist explorations of light and shadow. He has exhibited his work in 29 juried MFA exhibitions, as well as in exhibitions at St. John's College, the Lowe House of Delegates Office Building, 49 West Coffee House, and BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport. He has served on the installation team for numerous MFA exhibitions and chairs the annual Digital Directions exhibition at the Circle Gallery. He has worked to broaden the diversity of MFA’s exhibitions by conceiving a joint exhibition with the Black Art Today Foundation in 2024, and is leading the planning of an exhibition celebrating the influence of Asian Art in 2025.

Emil is retired naval officer and earned a BS in Oceanography from the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA), a master’s degree in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University, and master’s and doctoral degrees in Physical Oceanography from the Naval Postgraduate School. He capped off 32 years of active duty with an assignment to USNA, where he served as a Permanent Military Professor and chair of the Oceanography Department. He has served as head coach of the Navy men’s and women’s fencing teams since 2005 and as a member of the USNA Sea Level Rise Advisory Council since 2015. Emil has served as a navigator, chief scientist, and expedition leader for 15 expeditions to map and explore the deep sea with the Ocean Exploration Trust. He currently teaches oceanography as an adjunct professor at Anne Arundel Community College.

Emil resides in Arnold, MD with his wife and fellow MFA artist Angela. They serve as President and Vice President of the Campus Green Community Association and enjoy the visual and performing arts, travel, and quality time with friends and family.

Craig Friedrich joined MFA’s Board of Directors as Resource Development VP in December 2018. In that role, she managed the Development portion of MD non-profits’ Standards for Excellence application, creating policies and a Development plan for the organization. In January 2021, Craig shifted to the Operations VP position and has since focused on the organization structure, Nominating, the hiring of our new Executive Director and lining up leaders from the board to run committees that fall under her role.

Craig also sits on the YWCA of Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Board of Directors, culminating in being Board Chair in 2022. Her longest service to a non-profit organization has been to Jr. League of Annapolis, Inc (JLA). There, she held committee chair positions before joining the Board as Nominating Director, followed by Secretary, President-elect, President and Executive Director. She has maintained sustainer status since June 2018.

Craig and husband, Rob, are newly-made empty nesters, with a Freshman in college and Sophomore in boarding school. When she is not volunteering, she is a Certified Health Coach through Optavia, enjoys playing tennis, participating in various other outdoor activities, traveling to see her kids and spending time with her 2 dogs, Stella and Dutch, at home in Severna Park or at their getaway in the Poconos.

Stephanie, a Senior Auditor with the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C., has served as Treasurer of the Maryland Federation of Art (MFA) since 2018. A certified public accountant, she brings over 30 years of experience in risk management and finance to her role as Treasurer. Stephanie holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of North Carolina and an MBA from Norwich University.

An Annapolis resident since 1993, Stephanie is a passionate supporter of the arts and is dedicated to advancing MFA’s mission of connecting Maryland communities to the arts and providing artists with opportunities to showcase their work. She is also an active community volunteer and enjoys spending time on the water. When she's not on the water, Stephanie loves to travel, experiment with new recipes, and open her home to U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen as a sponsor mom.

Michelle has over 30 years of professional experience working in business analytics and data science for a variety of different industries. Michelle currently resides in Annapolis, Maryland with her husband John and their two young adult daughters. She and her family reside on the Chesapeake Bay where they enjoy paddle boarding, sailing, and crabbing.

Michelle is a native of Washington, DC. Her education includes a B.A. in Economics from St. Mary’s College of Maryland, a MBA from St. Louis University, and a Graduate Certificate in Applied Statistics from Penn State. She has a long volunteer history including serving on the Board of Junior League of Annapolis, Inc, the Board of her community association, and serving as a youth mentor for Seeds for Success and Big Brother Big Sisters.

Michelle has been a passionate art collector for over 30 years and is a member and supporter of a large number of museums and art galleries. Michelle joined the Board of Maryland Federation of Art in 2019.

Jacob is new to the MFA Board, joining in 2025. With an exceptionally artistic and compassionate eye, Jacob is an award-winning and established American artist. He has captured photographs at The White House, The Senate, and The Congress.

Specializing in impressionism and modern art, Jacob is on the cutting edge and creates artworks that have the potential to become culturally significant and is available for commissions. He has been published in the Washington Post, The Washingtonian Magazine, Coastal Living Magazine, British Airways Magazine, and The American Society of Picture Professionals.

As a new board member of the Maryland Federation of Art (MFA), Joanne Graham is excited and eager to assist the Board in its mission to connect Maryland residents with the arts.

Joanne is a graduate of Morgan State University. Her 30-yr federal government career encompassed numerous roles and responsibilities. Twenty-four years were devoted to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) where she held various positions to include Tax Auditor, Revenue Agent, Internal Auditor, Policy Analyst, Senior Operations Advisor, and National Problem-Solving Officer.

As a long-standing member of the Baltimore County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., she has been actively involved in the Sorority chapter's Ways and Means Committee, Arts and Letters Committee, and Internal Audit Committee. As a former Board member of the Baltimore County Delta Foundation, she was a key contributor to the development of the Foundation's policy and procedures document.

Joanne currently is a member of the Annapolis Arts Alliance and the Muddy Creek Artist Guild, as well as having served as a past Board member of the Guild.

Joanne resides in Deale Maryland with her husband. Together they enjoy the arts and traveling.

Rich Isaacman has chaired the MFA Technology Committee since 2021. He is part of the initiative to keep MFA’s website modern and attractive in its look and feel, both to attract new members, make our online shows easily available to the public, and to facilitate our member artists’ experience in applying for and creating our shows.

Rich is an astronomer by training, retired from a long technical and management career as a NASA contractor. He has lived abroad and travels extensively, so his photography is closely linked to his visits to nearly 60 countries. His photography career includes FAA certification as a commercial drone pilot; one of his drone photos, taken in Iceland, was the first drone photo ever to win an award from the Washington Post. His work has appeared in a number of publications and textbooks.

Rich lives just outside Annapolis, MD with his wife with whom he travels and spends time with their two children and four young grandsons. In addition, Rich’s retirement careers include consulting for aerospace firms around the Beltway, publishing a travel blog, and – as a member of the Maryland Program for Mediator Excellence -- mediating financial and domestic conflicts for the District Court of Maryland.

Erica is the visionary Creative Director of Octovortex Media, bringing over 15 years of expertise in media, communications, branding, and digital storytelling. Erica is passionate about exploring the potential of emerging technologies like AI, AR, and VR to craft engaging, inclusive, and universally accessible content. She has experience leading cross-disciplinary teams, consistently driving innovation and achieving creative excellence in every project.

In her personal life, Erica enjoys working as a freelance painter and designer, exhibiting at art fairs, and exploring new horizons through the intersection of art and technology through augmented reality artworks. She resides in Maryland and continues to lead innovative creative projects that aim to revolutionize how we engage with media and technology.

Michele Ward joined the board of Maryland Federation of Art (MFA) in 2021. She is a member of the board’s Investment Committee and has been an active collector of art for the past 30 years.

Michele holds a BA from Yale University and an MBA from Yale’s School of Management. She is also a CFA charter holder. She has spent over 40 years in the investment industry, as an equity analyst, portfolio manager and investment consultant, before joining T. Rowe Price as a portfolio specialist.

Today, Michele resides in Annapolis, MD, when she is not traveling. Her adult children are spread across three countries, providing ample incentive to explore the world.