Board Members

Amanda has over 12 years of experience in the non-profit sector. Her initial focus was on planning fundraising events, and she transitioned to grant writing for several local organizations. 

As a child growing up on the west side of Cincinnati, Amanda attended the Wyoming Fine Arts Center for piano instruction. She studied at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and graduated with a Bachelor of Science. She lives in Wyoming with her husband and two sons. 

Bobbie McTurner is an art and architectural historian (M.A. in Art History and double B.A. in Art History and Fine Arts from University of Cincinnati) who has served in various roles for nonprofit organizations and municipalities over the last 15 years. She is a former Executive Director of Cincinnati Preservation Association and served on the City of Cincinnati’s Historic Conservation Board for several years. Other nonprofit involvement includes serving on the boards of ArtsWave, the Cincinnati Art League and the Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum. Bobbie enjoys helping non-profits strategize fundraising efforts and improve organizational development.  Bobbie also has a long-standing appreciation for the arts, including a background as a visual artist. 

I am 67 and a retired attorney, public school administrator, and adjunct professor at UC and Cincinnati State. I’ve been married for 45 years to my wife, Annie, who retired after 28 years as an elementary art teacher. We have three adult children and six grandchildren. We currently provide full time daycare and after-school care for the three local grandchildren (ages 7, 8, and 11) Both of my daughters played strings in high school (viola and bass) and both pursued fine arts in college. One with a BFA and one minored in ceramics. All three local grandkids have gone to art or music camps at WFAC and one takes piano lessons there.

My board experience includes four years on the Board of Crossroads Crisis Center in Lima, Ohio, eight years on the Finneytown Athletic Association board, six years on the Finneytown Board of Education, and currently as Secretary of the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center (IJPC) in Over the Rhine.

Caroline comes from a family that is passionate about music. Her most prized possession is a pair of Klipsch cornerhorn speakers — the best way to listen to music… if you can’t listen live. She is a civil right attorney with Friedman, Gilbert + Gerhardstein, where she represents those whose rights have been violated by the government, and when she isn’t working, she likes to cook (which she does reasonably well) and garden (which she does quite badly). She lives in Wyoming with her husband, Nathan, and their daughter Josephine, who loves to come to art classes at the Center. 

Elise Edelman (Secretary) has worked as an Innovation and Human Potential Consultant for the past 8 years. She previously spent 24 years in Product Development at Procter & Gamble, where she uncovered consumer insights to guide technology development and bring products to market. Her experiences developing new product ideas led her to coach teams and leaders on strategy, creative problem solving, and holistic idea development. She specializes in assessing organizational dynamics and leadership coaching. She holds a BS degree in Chemical Engineering from The University of Toledo. She lives in Wyoming with her husband Ken and daughter Fiona, who participates in art and musical theatre classes.

A lifelong Wyoming resident, Jason Bartel grew up in a musical family and business. Jason’s father Paul, founder of the Baroque Violin Shop, as well as the Wyoming Fine Arts Center, exposed Jason to his passion for the arts at an early age.

After growing up in the family retail store, the Baroque Violin Shop, he chose this as his career path after graduating from the University Of Cincinnati with a bachelor's degree in Industrial Design. In 2011, Jason took his passion for music, and his experience in the orchestral string retail shop, and combined them into a new business, Maple Leaf Strings.

Maple Leaf Strings is an orchestral string manufacturer and national distributor that offers instruments from the student level to the professional level, as well as complimentary marketing and branding solutions for their customers.

Kyle Michael is an attorney with The Cincinnati Insurance Company. He attended the University of Cincinnati and the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, and is a graduate of the Leadership Council for Nonprofits' Board Orientation and Leadership Development (BOLD) program. Kyle lives in Pleasant Ridge with his wife, Katie, and two children.

Rachael is currently a controller with Sibcy Cline with a history of strong leadership and management skills when overseeing internal financial controls. She is a dependable, enthusiastic, and ambitious certified public accountant professional with strong attention to detail and a commitment to quality work. Rachel holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from the University of Kentucky and a Master of Business Administration from Thomas More College. She has also earned a Certificate of Accountancy and is a Certified Public Account. Rachel’s record of effective communication, building relationships, and adapting to evolving technology has allowed her to supervise and strengthen professional relationships.

Wendy is an Equity stage manager who has been a part of numerous productions at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, and Dayton’s Human Race Theatre Company. She has worked for Cincinnati Ballet as Company Manager and Production Manager and Cincinnati Arts Association as Event Supervisor/Manager on Duty at Music Hall. Wendy has stage managed in Chicago, toured nationally, and managed corporate special events. Since 2011, she has taught a course nicknamed “The Biz of the Biz,” also known as Survival Skills for the Freelancer, at UC’s College-Conservatory of Music. Her sons Sam and Spencer Bowden grew up taking lessons at the Center and are now continuing their musicianship at the college level. Wendy is a past board member of the Wyoming School Music Association and a graduate of Northwestern University.