Meet Our Team
Our Officers
Brenda Thomson, President
Brenda Thomson, J.D., has served as the Board President for the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center since 2020. Thomson brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to Carver, specializing in executive management, fundraising, human resources, public speaking, community relations, and strategic planning. She is currently
the Executive Director of Arizona Humanities and has served for over 13 years. Prior to joining Arizona Humanities, Thomson directed The Center for Law Leadership and Management at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at ASU, and was also the Executive Director of the Maricopa County Bar Association. In addition to Carver, Brenda serves on the national board of the Federation of State Humanities Councils, Phoenix Burton Barr Library Advisory Board, and Arizona Women’s Hall of Fame. She earned her bachelor’s degree in English from Yale University and her J.D. from Yale Law School.
Joseph Benesh, Treasurer
Joseph Benesh is currently an Adjunct Professor at Phoenix College. He also served as the Executive Director of Arizona Citizens for the Arts for two years. In his community work, Mr. Benesh currently sits on the Phoenix Office of Arts and Culture Commission, and boards of the Greater Phoenix Chamber, and George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center. He worked for eight years as the Director of Phoenix Center for the Arts and for ten years in arts management at Phoenix Theatre, Theater Works, and Stagebrush Theater. In 2011 he managed the Manhattan Movement and Arts Center In New York City, where he obtained his M.A. for Community Education and Advocacy from New York State University. As a professional artist, he directed for the stage at Phoenix Theatre, Space 55, Black Theatre Troupe, the Okoboji Summer Theater, and many more.
Our Members
Robert Barlow
Robert Barlow, a Houston, Texas native, is the Director of Talent Acquisition for the Academies of Math and Science. With eighteen years of active duty in the United States Navy, and reaching the rank of Chief Petty Officer, Robert has seamlessly transitioned into civilian life, dedicating himself to serving others. He obtained his bachelor’s and master’s degrees and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Ethical Leadership. Outside of his professional and activist endeavors, Robert is deeply committed to community service, supporting foster youth, and serving as an active member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Summer Cherland, P.h.D.
Dr. Summer Cherland is a writer, speaker, and teacher. She co-founded the South Phoenix Oral History Project, a student-led initiative to capture and preserve the history of South Phoenix. She holds degrees from Northern Arizona University and a Ph.D. in History from the University of Nevada – Las Vegas. She authored “A College Down There: Resistance, Community Control, and Higher Education in South Phoenix, 1977–1981” and Student-Centered Oral History: An Ethical Guide. Additional publications include studies of school desegregation in Denver as well as Black athletes during segregation. Dr. Cherland is a faculty member at South Mountain Community College, where she teaches American, African American, and Chicano history. She also leads driving tours of historic South Phoenix and manages a community archive at the South Mountain Community Library.
Thomas Claiborn IV
Thomas Claiborn IV has invested the last fifteen years of his work experience in the non-profit and child-development sectors. As a trained Community Liaison for Prevent Child Abuse Arizona, and as Community Engagement Coordinator with First Things First, he has collaborated and engaged in many cross-sector conversations with businesses, faith-based, and policy leaders to implement practical strategies for collective impact. While serving with the Arizona Faith Council, the Tempe Children ‘s Advocacy Network, and the City of Phoenix District 8, he focuses on vision fulfillment, movement retention, and volunteer recruitment to support a healthy organizational/community culture. Thomas received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Howard University and continues his education with a love for reading and researching. Thomas enjoys spending quality time with his family, playing, and watching movies with his three young children.
Chad Gestson, Ed.D.
Dr. Chad E. Gestson is currently the founding executive director of the Arizona Institute for Education and the Economy (AIEE), a partnership formed by Northern Arizona University and a consortium of Arizona’s leading philanthropic organizations. He served as superintendent of the Phoenix Union High School District for over eight years. Under his leadership, Phoenix Union has launched five new schools and the district saw tremendous increases in graduation rates, scholarship totals, and college matriculation rates. Prior to his work in education, Gestson was a commercial construction superintendent in Seattle, Washington. He earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Washington, an M.Ed. for Curriculum and Instruction from Arizona State University, and an M.Ed. and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership and Administration from Northern Arizona University.
Shannon Johnson
Shannon Johnson is a seasoned Contracts Administrator at Equality Health. Her expertise spans various facets, from legal concepts to budget management. Her background includes managing budgets, grant writing, personnel management, auditing, compliance, and policy administration. Shannon holds an MPA in Public Administration and a BA in Journalism with a Public Relations Emphasis. She also completed first-year law studies at Arizona State University. Beyond her professional achievements, she is passionate about fostering inclusivity and diversity within her community and is actively engaged in community service, serving on the boards of Las Colinas Moradas Homeowners Association and Rainbow Connection. She has held multiple state and local leadership roles in Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. She thrives in collaborative environments, where her ability to analyze intricate issues and coordinate effectively ensures successful outcomes. In her free time, Shannon enjoys gardening, cooking, baking, and spending quality time with her loved ones.
Eric Kemp
Eric Kemp has 27 years of experience in public education. He has been a high school principal in Phoenix, Arizona since 2007. Mr. Kemp is the current President-Elect of the Phoenix Alliance of Black School Educators. He serves on Arizona Department of Education Professional Practice Advisory Committee and Arizona African American Legislative Leadership Committee’s Education Pillar. He attended Towson State University and earned his certification to teach secondary education and a bachelor’s degrees in Social Sciences and History. He would later earn a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and Educational Leadership at Arizona State University. Mr. Kemp is currently working on a doctoral degree in educational leadership.
Jeremy I. Levitt, J.D., P.h.D.
Dr. Jeremy Levitt is an internationally recognized racial justice advocate, public intellectual, legal scholar, international lawyer, political scientist, and global administrator with a rare combination of experiential and theoretical training and experiences. He is recognized as one of the world’s foremost authorities in the international law and politics of Africa and is a pioneering scholar-practitioner in international human rights law, conflict and peace studies, and transitional justice. Dr. Levitt is a Distinguished Professor of International Law at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and formerly served as Dean of Law and Vice-Chancellor’s Chair at the University of New Brunswick (UNB). From 2008 to 2012, he was Associate Dean for international programs and Founding Director of the Center for International Law and Justice at Florida A&M University.
Ismael Miller, P.h.D.
Dr. Ismael Miller earned a Ph.D. in Educational Policy, Organizations, and Leadership from the University of Washington-Seattle (UW). Dr. Miller is a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow in the Division of Educational Leadership and Innovation at Arizona State University, Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. Dr. Miller’s research examines two areas: how anti-Blackness manifests in educational leadership practice and describes ways Black communities disrupt their continued oppression; and the implementation of school-based racial equity policy and practice. Dr. Miller served as the Project Manager/Analyst of Racial Equity Initiatives at Highline Public Schools (Burien, WA) overseeing several equity-focused projects including Affinity Groups, Equity Symposium, and Site-Based Equity Teams. Dr. Miller was named a 2023 Practitioner of Distinction by The University of Mississippi, School of Education, and was awarded the 2023 Dissertation of the Year Award by the American Educational Research Association, Leadership for Social Justice Special Interest Group.
Sonji Muhammad Perry, MA
Sonji Muhammad Perry is an accomplished director with over ten years at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, leading the charge in equity, diversity, and inclusion. Her strategic leadership has been crucial in crafting programs that uplift underrepresented communities and promote a diverse healthcare environment. Beyond academia, Sonji is a fervent advocate for homeownership among marginalized populations, utilizing her realtor license to support first-time homebuyers and navigate homeownership programs. At home, Sonji enjoys time with her husband Kevin, their cat TigerLilly, and treasures the moments spent traveling the world and making memories with family.
Anthony Pratcher II
Dr. Anthony Pratcher II is an Assistant Professor at Northern State University, where he teaches African American Studies in the Ethnic Studies Program. He was awarded a B.A. in History from Howard University and a Ph. D. in American History from the University of Pennsylvania. His scholarship uses oral interviews, census data, and archival collections to explore how urban policies influence community formation in the metropolitan Southwest. He serves as Secretary for the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center.
Oye Waddell
Oye Waddell is the Founder and CEO of Hustle Phoenix, a non-profit organization that exists to equip and catalyze under-served entrepreneurs annually with the intellectual, social and financial capital they need to create sustainable business ventures for the common good. Fueled by his visionary style of leadership and the belief that all people have dignity, Oye knows that some of the most innovative entrepreneurs in the United States are in underserved, urban communities. He earned a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California and a Master of Education from Arizona State University.
Our Team
Matthew Whitaker, Executive Director
Matthew C. Whitaker, Ph.D., is an award-winning educator, author, historian, community engagement specialist, motivational speaker, and founder of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at Arizona State University, where he was a professor of history for 15 years. He is also the Founder and CEO of Diamond Strategies, LLC., and was awarded the Arizona Collectors 2020 Frederick Douglass Social Justice Award for his work. Dr. Whitaker earned a B.A. in Sociology, B.A. in History, and an M.A. in History at Arizona State University. He earned a Ph.D. in History, with honors, at Michigan State University, and completed an Executive Certification Program in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Cornell University. He has edited three books, including Hurricane Katrina: America’s Unnatural Disaster, and he is the author of Race Work: The Rise of Civil Rights in the Urban West.
MaryHope Lee, Administrative Assistant
MaryHope Lee currently serves as the Administrative Assistant the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center. She is a collagist, poet, zinester, bookmaker, apprentice literary translator, and an active member of the Cardboard House Press Cartonera Collective. She served as a Lecturer of Linguistics and African American studies at Yale, as well a writer and editor for KQED, PBS station, and online magazines.
Dyadira Fajardo, Programs & Marketing Coordinator
Dyadira “Yadi” Fajardo currently serves as a Marketing and Programs Coordinator at the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center. She has worked in nonprofits and museum institutions across Arizona for more than 8 years, such as Arizona Humanities, Pueblo Grande Museum, Musical Instrument Museum, and the Desert Botanical Garden. From managing adult learning classes to coordinating cultural events, her goal is to highlight the rich histories present in Arizona communities to inspire meaningful educational experiences and cultural awareness. She received a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Arizona State University and is pursuing a master’s in Library and Information Science from the University of Arizona.
Paul Alan Taliercio, Resident Volunteer Curator
Paul Alan Taliercio currently serves as the Resident Volunteer Curator at the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center, where he dedicates himself to the restoration, modernization, and documentation of exhibits that showcase the history of Arizona. He also plays a vital role as a founding board member of the Compass CBS Foundation, contributing to economic empowerment initiatives in Arizona.