Garland Cook Smith is the current Chair of Vulcan Park and Museum Board of Directors.  She has been heavily involved with philanthropic endeavors and historic preservation throughout her life, with particular interest in the Birmingham area and the state of Alabama.  Garland served on the founding boards of the Alabama Ballet, McWane Center and the Birmingham History Center, whose collection is now owned by Vulcan.

Current initiatives include the Alabama Department of Archives and History Foundation president; Old Cahawba Foundation, Dallas County, AL, VP; Black Belt Treasures board chairman in Camden, AL; and the Wilcox County Historical Society, VP; Virginia Samford Theatre, and Birmingham Museum of Art, Ball chairman for 2020, Birmingham.

Jason Eppenger is Vice Chair of Vulcan Park and Museum Board of Directors. Eppenger has been working in the financial industry all over Birmingham since he studied accounting at Tennessee State University and earned his B.S. in Accounting at the University of Alabama. He is currently the Alabama Market President at Citizens Trust Bank, but has also worked at Wells Fargo, Regions and First Commercial Bank.

Ann-Marie Stanford is Secretary of Vulcan Park and Museum Board of Director. Stanford joined Alagasco (now Spire) in 2011. She currently serves as Director of Supply Chain Projects and previously as Director of Strategic Sourcing. Ann-Marie joined Alagasco (Spire) after a 17-year career in the automotive industry. Her most recent position in the automotive industry was as Manager of Production Control and Logistics at Inteva Products LLC, – a Tier 1 supplier to Mercedes Benz U.S. International.

Ann-Marie serves as a board member of the South Region Minority Supplier Development Council, as well as on the Board of Directors of the Kiwanis group of Mountain Brook-Homewood. Previously, Ann-Marie served on the Supply Chain committee for the Southern Gas Association.

Ann-Marie earned a BS degree in Mathematics from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. She also holds a MS degree in Engineering Management from the University of Dayton in Dayton, Ohio.

Ann-Marie is a native of Mandeville, Jamaica. She is married to Ronald Stanford and has three children: Morgan, Nia and Matthew. In her spare time, Ann-Marie loves to provide mentorship and sponsorship to aspiring youth. She enjoys being outdoors, traveling, reading and spending quiet time with family.

Justin Drummond is Treasurer of Vulcan Park and Museum Board of Directors and President of Stone Building Company, a regional general contractor based in Birmingham, AL well recognized for their reputation in the commercial construction industry for quality work, customer service and delivering results.

Fox DeFuniak is a community volunteer that serves on our Board of Directors. He was the Market President at Superior Bank and a former President and CEO at Sterne, Agee & Leach, Inc. He is involved all throughout the Birmingham community and is the current Chairman of the Board of the City Action Partnership (CAP), and is a Co-President of the Birmingham History Center.

Selena Rodgers Dickerson is the president of SARCOR, LLC, an engineering design and project management firm, and The Installation at Uptown, a co-working space for small businesses. A Birmingham native, Selena is a graduate of Ramsay Alternative High School. She received a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Tennessee State University and her Master’s in Business Administration in Project Management from Capella University.

After getting laid off in 2010, Selena knew that she could either look for a job or look for contracts. She chose to search for her own contracts. Since founding SARCOR, Selena has successfully launched two other companies: The Installation at Uptown, LLC, a coworking incubator space in Birmingham’s prominent Uptown District, and Selene, LLC, which specializes in supplier diversity metrics and accountability, coaching and consulting.

Brian Giattina is the Chief Financial Officer of Giattina Aycock Architecture Studio Inc. He started out as the Business Manager after graduated with a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Alabama. In addition to VPM, Brian also serves on the Board of the Cultural Alliance, the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and the Magic City Art Connection.

Keith Herron was a member of Regions’ Executive Leadership Team and served as Head of Corporate Responsibility and Community Engagement since March 2018 until his retirement in January 2020. In this capacity, Herron managed enterprise functions, including Corporate Communications, the Regions Foundation, Community Affairs and Charitable Giving, Government Affairs and Economic Development, Fair and Responsible Banking, Customer Experience and Regions360. Herron was previously South Region President, overseeing banking operations in Alabama, Mississippi, South Louisiana and the Florida panhandle. He also previously led Strategy and Mergers & Acquisitions for Regions and served as Mid-South Region President, overseeing Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana. He joined the bank in 1988 and has served in senior risk and business roles, including Head of Credit Review and Area President for North Alabama, East Tennessee and Middle Tennessee. He also worked as a Credit Analyst, Commercial and Corporate banker and a Corporate Banking Executive for Central Alabama.

Herron earned a bachelor’s degree from Samford University in Birmingham, Alabama, and a master’s degree in Finance from DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. He also graduated from Stonier Graduate School of Banking at the University of Delaware. In addition to Vulcan Park & Museum’s board, Herron has served as Chairman of the Board of Overseers for Samford University, on the Advisory Board for the Brock School of Business at Samford, on the Alabama Capital Network Advisory Board and on the Board of Trustees at Canterbury United Methodist Church. He also is a member of the Newcomen Society of Alabama. Herron in the past has also served on numerous community boards in Nashville and Knoxville Tennessee.

Earl Hilliard is the Deputy Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the City of Birmingham. Previously he worked at The Hunt-Hilliard Law Firm, LLC. and was the President of Magic City Films. He also served as a State Representative of District 60 in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2006-2010. Earl graduated with a B.A. from Morehouse College and studied at both The University of Alabama School of Law and Howard University School of Law to obtain his J.D.

Mark Jackson is the CEO and Chairman of Moreson Conferencing, a global provider of teleconference services and an honorary consul general of Japan. Mr. Jackson spends his life investing in organizations like the Birmingham Sister Cities Commission, a nonprofit group dedicated to cultivating cooperation and understanding with cities around the world. Internationally, he has served as a board member of the British American Business Group and held a board position with the National Library for the Blind in Stockport, England. Other key areas of service include the Russian-American Chamber of Commerce and the Irish Cultural Society.

Guin Robinson is a previous Chairman of the Board at VPM. He is the Director of Community Outreach at Jefferson State Community College. Guin is heavily involved throughout Birmingham’s nonprofits, serving on boards at United Way of Central Alabama, Kid One Transport and Childcare Resources. He graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Public Administration and received his Master’s in Educational Leadership from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Don Scivley serves as Vice President of Corporate Services for Alabama Power, which provides electricity to more than 1.4 million customers across the state. In this role since 2014, he has responsibility for Facilities and Critical Infrastructure, Fleet Services, Meeting & Event Services and Supply Chain Management.

Since joining Alabama Power in 1984, Scivley has held many positions within the company. He spent the first 14 years of his career in Customer Service Operations in the Western, Eastern and Mobile Divisions. In 1998 he moved to Birmingham and was named Assistant to the Executive Vice President. He later served as Revenue Accounting Manager, Assistant to the Senior Vice President, Business Practices Manager and Marketing Director. In 2010, he was elected as Vice President of Marketing where he had responsibility for development and implementation of sales and energy efficiency programs.

Over the course of his career, Scivley has been active in several charitable and civic organizations. He currently serves on the board of directors of the Lakeshore Foundation and Vulcan Park and Museum.

Mike Temple is Protective’s Vice Chairman and Chief Operating Officer. He most recently served as Vice Chairman, Finance and Risk. From November 2016 to March 2018 he served as Executive Vice President, Finance and Risk. From January 2016 to November 2016 Mr. Temple served as Executive Vice President, Finance and Risk, and Chief Risk Officer. From December 2012 to January 2016 Mr. Temple served as Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer. Prior to joining Protective, Mr. Temple served as Senior Vice President and Chief Risk Officer at Unum Group, an insurance company in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Mr. Temple was a founding member of the North American Chief Risk Officers Council and is currently active with several industry committees including the American Council of Life Insurers. He has served on multiple community boards and is currently a member of the American Red Cross, Alabama Region Board. He is an associate of the Society of Actuaries, a member of the American Academy of Actuaries and a Chartered Enterprise Risk Analyst. He graduated with honors from Vanderbilt University, and recently completed the Leadership Alabama program.

Larry Thornton is a past President of the Kiwanis Club of Vulcan and was named Kiwanian of the Year in 1988 and 1992, as well as State Kiwanian of the Year in 1993. He was elected in 1994 as Lt. Governor of the Alabama State District of Kiwanis. He is a current member of Birmingham Downtown Kiwanis Club, the largest Kiwanis Chapter in the world and is the incoming president in 2020. He is a graduate of Project Corporate Leadership Class, Leadership Birmingham and Leadership Alabama. Thornton served as Advertising and Marketing Representative for McDonald’s Corporation’s National Marketing in the area of the African American Consumer Markets and Media Budget.

Scott Vowell served as a Jefferson County Circuit Judge for 18 years until retiring from the bench in 2013. Judge Vowell is a director of the Birmingham Bar Association’s Volunteer Lawyer Program and is a Fellow of the Alabama Law Foundation and has served as President of the Alabama Circuit Court Judges Association and President and Director of Birmingham Legal Aid Society, among other positions. He received his B.S. from Auburn University and his J.D. from the University of Virginia.

A native of New Orleans, Negrotto’s choice of a career in the hospitality and tourism industry was inspired by that city’s abundance of great restaurants and wealth of interesting places. Following graduate studies in Organizational Psychology at Louisiana State University, she held management positions at prominent institutions in the southeast, including Ruth’s Chris Steak House, The Pontchartrain Hotel and NorthRiver Yacht Club.

She later served as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Business Center of Alabama, Inc., a subsidiary of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, and came to Birmingham to operate The Harbert Center, the landmark downtown event facility.

Negrotto has served as President and CEO of Vulcan Park and Museum since March 2004. Through her position, she enjoys having the opportunity to instill in our youth an understanding and sense of pride in their hometown, create excitement about the many positive aspects of our region in both visitors and residents and create mutually beneficial partnerships with other cultural institutions and service agencies. She was named the BBJ’s 2010 Non Profit CEO of the Year and 2011 Best in Minority Business Award for Non Profit Leadership.

Among her civic and professional activities, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Homewood Chamber of Commerce and The Women’s Network, is an active member of the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham, the Women’s Forum and CAHABA. Other activities have included leadership roles with Executive Women International, International Facility Management Association and Kentuck Festival of the Arts. She is married to Birmingham native E. Foster Smith and loves to travel and cook.

A native of New Orleans, Negrotto’s choice of a career in the hospitality and tourism industry was inspired by that city’s abundance of great restaurants and wealth of interesting places. Following graduate studies in Organizational Psychology at Louisiana State University, she held management positions at prominent institutions in the southeast, including Ruth’s Chris Steak House, The Pontchartrain Hotel and NorthRiver Yacht Club.

She later served as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Business Center of Alabama, Inc., a subsidiary of the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama, and came to Birmingham to operate The Harbert Center, the landmark downtown event facility.

Negrotto has served as President and CEO of Vulcan Park and Museum since March 2004. Through her position, she enjoys having the opportunity to instill in our youth an understanding and sense of pride in their hometown, create excitement about the many positive aspects of our region in both visitors and residents and create mutually beneficial partnerships with other cultural institutions and service agencies. She was named the BBJ’s 2010 Non Profit CEO of the Year and 2011 Best in Minority Business Award for Non Profit Leadership.

Among her civic and professional activities, she serves on the Board of Directors of the Homewood Chamber of Commerce and The Women’s Network, is an active member of the Kiwanis Club of Birmingham, the Women’s Forum and CAHABA. Other activities have included leadership roles with Executive Women International, International Facility Management Association and Kentuck Festival of the Arts. She is married to Birmingham native E. Foster Smith and loves to travel and cook.

Originally from Louisville, Kentucky, Joe Saling brings to Vulcan Park and Museum an extensive background in hospitality and tourism at some of the most well-known destinations in the southeast. He learned the industry’s best practices for guest service and facility management from his early professional years at Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee and Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. He has a passion for creating a beautiful environment for the visitor’s arrival experience, setting a tone of anticipation and excitement. Joe also spent a number of years in sales and marketing for the Sheraton Birmingham and Renaissance Ross Bridge Golf Resort and Spa. Most recently, he led the initial marketing and community relations for the Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook, Birmingham, Alabama.

He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Murray State University.

Joe is active at Prince of Peace Catholic Church having served on the Parish Council and Service Pillar Board. He has also been a volunteer with Big Brother and Big Sister program and with the Nashville and Birmingham Red Cross.

In his spare time, Joe enjoys anything outdoors, trail running, cycling, gardening and day trips with his family.

For the past 25 years, Angela has worked in various key leadership positions with the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA), most recently as Vice-President EDPA and EDPA Foundation, where she founded and directed programs and strategies for the statewide entrepreneurship accelerator, Alabama Launchpad. As a nonprofit initiative, Angela directed the prestigious Innovation Awards program and event, and secured donations, local and federal grants and sponsorships of $1.8 million in 2018. Her prior experience will be of great value to us as we build our fundraising program in support of our operation, and prepare for master planning and what lies ahead.

Prior to EDPA, she worked with Alabama Power Company, Lange, Simpson, Robinson & Somerville (now Adams Rese), and the Birmingham Public Library. She received her BA in Music from Davidson College, Masters of Library Science from U of A, and MBA in General Management from Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University in The Netherlands.

Originally from Mississippi, LaShana comes to us from Aramark where she served as the District Marketing Manager for The University of Alabama and Alabama A&M University. In her six years with Aramark she has executed marketing initiatives at seven colleges and universities across the south. LaShana has also served as adjunct professor at the University of Alabama in the Department of Advertisement and Public Relations, specializing in Public Relations Writing. She brings knowledge and experiences in creating and directing community events, developing strategic marketing programs and supporting sales growth initiatives.

Previously, LaShana has served as spokesperson for the Hattiesburg Police Department and as the Social Marketing/ Cultural & Linguistic Competence Coordinator for Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Master of Science degree in Mass Communication from The University of Southern Mississippi and an MBA in marketing from American InterContinental University.

LaShana has been active in the community serving as Vice President of Enrichment for the Tuscaloosa Magnet School PTA, Girl Scouts Troop Leader and a member in Public Relations Council of Alabama and Southern Public Relations Federation.

In her spare time, LaShana enjoys shopping, traveling, musicals, spending time with family and discovering local, good eats.

Jennifer grew up in Hoover, Alabama and comes to Vulcan from Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park where she served as Museum and Education Director from 2011 until January 2018.  At Tannehill she professionalized collections care and management at the Iron and Steel Museum of Alabama, expanded educational programming for k-12 students, and worked with government agencies and local foundations to fund education and other initiatives at the park.  Jennifer earned her Masters of Heritage Preservation degree from Georgia State University in Atlanta and has worked extensively with museum administration, collections, exhibits, and educational programming over the course of her career in various museums in Alabama and Georgia.

Jennifer currently chairs the Birmingham Industrial Heritage Trail’s steering committee and has previously served as Treasurer on the executive council of the Alabama Museums Association.  She is a member of the Alabama Museums Association, the Southeastern Museums Conference, and the American Association for State and Local History.

In her spare time she likes getting outdoors, enjoying the arts, and spending time with her family.

Born and raised in the Birmingham area, Layla attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Business and Healthcare Management. At the beginning of her career she worked in Huntsville, AL where she spent three years working as a NASA Contractor at the Marshall Space Flight Center as an administrative and managerial assistant. From there, her family and closest friends are what brought her back to the Birmingham area where she worked as a practice manager for a medical clinic in the downtown area.

With over eight years of experience in office management and administrative support, Layla offers a wealth of knowledge and leadership to her position at Vulcan. As the Office Manager she provides the support necessary to keep the facility running smoothly from an operational and financial standpoint. As Office Manager she is responsible for providing support to the CEO and key management positions as well as administrative, bookkeeping, and human resource services.

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, anything active or outdoors, reading, watching movies with her two kids, and especially family vacations!

Originally from Tuscaloosa, AL, Lisa Hudson has lived in Birmingham for more than 20 years.  Since March 2015, she has served Vulcan Park and Museum as Events Venue Assistant Manager.  Her primary responsibilities include event venue tours, sales and managing private events.  She enjoys interacting with visitors and guests who come to tour the event facilities at Vulcan Park and Museum while considering them for their special occasion. Lisa enjoys ensuring guests have a warm welcome and a great experience when hosting an event at Vulcan Park and Museum.

Outside of work at Vulcan, she enjoys time with family and friends, traveling and having a quiet day to relax at home.  She has lived in several states along her life’s journey including Florida, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Georgia, and her native home of Alabama.

A Birmingham area native, Blake has lived in the area his entire life. Since childhood, he has been passionate about history, politics, and public service. In 2012, the same year he graduated high school, Blake was elected to a four year term on the Gardendale City Council. At 19, he became the youngest elected in the city’s history, and one of the youngest in Alabama. While serving, Blake chaired the city’s library and economic development committees. He was active in the Chamber of Commerce and served as the liaison to the Beautification Commission. He received the Gardendale’s “Own” Award twice in recognition of his service to the people.

In 2016, Blake chose not to seek re-election in favor of spending more time with family, friends, and his dog. He rescued Gracie from the Greater Birmingham Humane Society in 2013, and has loved being a dog dad ever since!

Prior to coming to Vulcan in 2018, Blake worked at Renaissance Ross Bridge Resort and for a gubernatorial campaign in the Birmingham region.

At VPM, Blake is the Visitor Services Manager. He is responsible for the Visitor Services Representatives, and ensuring that all of our guest love and enjoy their time at our beautiful park. He hopes y’all will come visit, and get a taste of Southern hospitality!

Emily Meyer manages and supervises The Anvil gift shop at Vulcan Park and Museum. She and her husband, Jeff, joined the team in the summer of 2017 and are very excited to be a part of Birmingham’s premier historic attraction and cultural institution.

Growing up in Dothan, AL, Emily has spent most of her adult life “out West,” living and working in Yellowstone National Park, as well as Moscow, ID and Missoula, MT. She also spent three years living in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan and four months in Iquique, Tarapaca, Chile teaching English to public school children. Emily acquired her extensive knowledge of guest service and retail management while working 12 years for the main concessionaire at Yellowstone National Park.

Emily has a BFA in Painting, as well as a BA in Secondary Art Education, from the University of Idaho in Moscow. She is a working artist and hopes to insert herself into Birmingham’s dynamic art scene. She loves nature and gets outside as much as possible to hike, camp, and kayak.

A recent transplant to Birmingham, Emily misses the Western mountains and snow (her skis wait patiently in her Birmingham closet). But she is excited to live in Birmingham and continue to explore the city’s lovely parks, great food, and dynamic cultural opportunities. The people are nice too! She looks forward to meeting them at Vulcan Park and Museum!

A Birmingham area native, Casey Gamble attended the University of Montevallo where she earned a Bachelor of Science in History before completing a Master of Arts in Secondary Education at the University of Alabama in Birmingham. She worked for Enterprise Holdings and Birmingham City Schools before beginning her career at VPM.

Casey has been connected with Vulcan Park and Museum since 2014 when she worked as an intern in the education department. She eventually went on to run the summer camp program before transitioning to her current role.

As Museum Programs Coordinator, she creates new educational programs in addition to maintaining and implementing existing programming, and works to improve accessibility for all visitors. In addition, she manages school tours, and supervises volunteers, interns, and contract staff.

In her spare time, Casey enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, as well as gardening, reading, photography, and playing with her pets.

Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Sarah attended the University of Memphis where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Education degree with a concentration in Health Promotion and Lifestyle Management.  Upon graduation, she worked her way up into a management role at Windyke Country Club.  She coordinated private special events, club events and later assisted in management of all food & beverage operations at the club.  After a few years at the country club, Sarah spent several months at AALAS as the Events Coordinator, working on large conferences and committee meetings.  In May 2019, she moved to Birmingham for her husband’s new job opportunity.

Since September 2019, she has served as Vulcan Park and Museum’s Event Manager.  Her primary responsibilities are responding to inquiries, providing venue tours, selling and detailing events, and managing private events.  She would love to be a part of your special occasion!

Outside of work, Sarah enjoys exploring the city and spending time with her husband and dogs.

Jennifer joined Vulcan as Development Specialist in 2019.  She spent the past 14 years working with the nonprofit Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA), starting as an Analyst and progressing to Director of Projects. Her career experience includes research, developing community programs, strategic planning, project management, and grant management. 

As the Development Specialist, Jennifer is responsible for engaging with members and donors of Vulcan and assisting the Development Director with grant writing and fundraising activities. In addition, she is Acting Secretary for the Board of Directors and Board Liaison for the Junior Leadership Board.

Born and raised in Birmingham, she received a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Alabama A&M University. 

Outside of work at Vulcan, Jennifer enjoys time with family and friends.