Board of Directors | Florida Keys Council of the Arts

Jill Miranda Baker

Chair

Jill recently retired from her business development officer role with the Keys Weekly Newspapers, and instead has returned to her career roots as a writer and is freelancing for Keys Weekly. Prior work includes working for a State Representative, and as manager, marketing and public relations for Mariners Hospital/Baptist Health South Florida. In 2005, she became the manager of medical staff services. She has received numerous awards including Mark of Excellence awards from the Florida Society of Healthcare Public Relations and Marketing, Woman of the Year by the Upper Keys Business & Professional Women's group, and in 2020, named Rotarian of the Year for the Upper Keys Club. Jill is twice past president of the Rotary Club, an ambassador of the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce, and has served on the Boards of the Good Health Clinic, Treasure Village Montessori Charter School, Florida Keys Area Health Education Center, the Rural Health Network of Monroe County and Upper Keys Business & Professional Women, and graduate of Leadership Monroe. Jill is married to long-time backcountry fishing guide Duane Baker and they are proud to have raised two children in the Keys.

Nancy Bunch

Vice Chair

A Keys resident since 1991, Nancy was born and raised in Massachusetts. She has a Bachelor of Arts in History from Emmanuel College, Boston, MA., and a Masters in Business Administration from the College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA. After serving in the U.S. Navy for 21 years, she retired from NAS Key West as a Commander. Her post-military career included Director, Institute of Criminal Justice, Florida Keys Community College and Director, Public Safety Program, Pasco-Hernando State College. Nancy currently serves as the Chair, Russel Sullivan Memorial Scholarship, College of the Florida Keys; Director-at-Large, Emmanuel College Alumni Association Board of Directors; District II Representative, TDC Cultural Umbrella Committee; and as the Arts Council's Grant Committee Chair. She considers herself a "Wanna Be Artist" and has turned that desire into supporting the art community in the Florida Keys.

Eric Anderson

Treasurer

Born and raised outside of Chicago, Eric moved to Chicago in 1986, where he worked as an information technology professional for various financial planning firms in downtown Chicago for over 20 years, first as an employee and then serving as a consultant. He moved to the Keys in 1997. He serves on the Art in Public Places committee as the appointee for the late Monroe County Commissioner Mike Forster (District 5). Eric has been involved in several nonprofits in the upper keys, and most recently served on the board for Habitat for Humanity Upper Keys. Eric is married to Dr. Stanley Zuba, and manages his medical office, Florida Keys Pediatric and Adolescent Center, Inc, for the past 4 years. In addition to supporting the Arts, his hobbies include coin collecting and travelling.

Mark Hedden

Secretary

Hedden is a photographer, writer, and semi-professional birdwatcher. He has lived in Key West for close to 30 years and may no longer be employable in the real world. He is also the Executive Director of the Florida Keys Audubon Society. His photo work tends to focus on nightscapes, wildlife documentation, and street photography. He did shoot a wedding once and has almost recovered. He writes a weekly column about birds, and the occasional artist profile, for Key West Weekly. His photos have appeared in the New York Times, the Miami Herald, Roads & Kingdoms, Solares Hill, Birder's World, Bird Watching Magazine, Birding, the Bone Island Sun, and on the website of WLRN. He has had three solo shows at The Studios of Key West, has won two Knight Arts Challenge grants, several grants from the Anne McKee Fund, and was one of two Monroe County residents who received the 2020 South Florida Cultural Consortium Award for visual arts.

Paige Bethel

Board Member

Born and raised in Key West, Paige earned her degrees in Marketing and Finance from Florida State University before returning home to launch a successful career in real estate. Today, she is the broker-owner of Island Home Realty, where she leads a thriving local business rooted in community values and personalized service. As the mother of two 8th-generation Conchs, Paige is passionate about preserving the cultural heritage of the island. She believes that the arts are an essential part of what makes Key West so special, reflecting the island's diverse history, vibrant community, and creative spirit. Paige is honored to support and advocate for the arts through her service on the Arts Council.

Mary Jean Connors

Board Member

Mary Jean has lived in Key West since 2013 and enjoys serving on non-profit Arts Boards. She has been an Advisor for the Arts Council, is a current Advisory Board member of the Studios of Key West, where she has also served on the board, executive committee, and as past president. Mary Jean is a member and former board president of the Key West Art Center.

She is a retired newspaper executive and spends much of her time now painting in oils and participating in exhibits.

Marianne Finizio

Board Member

Marianne is the Vice President of Community Relations and Business Development of the Community Health of South Florida, Inc. (CHI) leadership team. She is a seasoned healthcare executive with comprehensive experience that includes business development, operations, technology, and marketing and promotion of value driven healthcare solutions. Her most recent positions have been with leading payers and academic institutions that focused on domestic and international markets. Finizio's passion is serving others through her commitment and work with various non-profit organizations and institutions.

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Sandra Lee Johns

Board Member

Florida Keys Photographer and Videographer, Sandra Lee, lives in Marathon where she combines her love for photography, videography, and marketing to create real stories that move the heart. As an artist, she creates and teaches fine art in her gallery in Gulfside Village, where she also offers paint parties. Sandra spends time as a proud Rotarian and Chamber of Commerce member.

Charlotte Palmer

Board Member

Charlotte received her BS from Salem University, West Virginia, and later earned an M.Ed in Pennsylvania. She taught sixth grade for 36 years in York, Pennsylvania before moving to the Keys in 2008. She is past president of the York College of Pennsylvania Alumni Board and a Pennsylvania State Education Association-Retired member. Her passion for the arts led her to join the International Egg Art Guild in 1978, inspiring her own creations and those of her many students. Ballet classes were a big part of her life for three decades. In 1990 she began working with stained glass and continues in that field today. For many years she has been serving on DAC II. Charlotte is a member of the Big Pine Key Botanical Society, and several environmental organizations involving the coral reef, recycling, and the Key Deer.