ClaratenBerge@fmopa.org

Wendyleigh@fmopa.org

Wendy Leigh is the Executive Consultant at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, where she serves as strategist, consultant and board liason. Leigh has had a successful career spanning education, entertainment, arts, community engagement, marketing, public relations, placemaking, and development. Her forte lies in creativity, placemaking, and connecting people. Her greatest accomplishments include the launching of three new spaces – the LOFT Theatre, Shimberg Playhouse, and Patel Conservatory, along with her more than 20 years of service at the Straz Center as VP of Education. Under her leadership, Leigh brought the organization to full accreditation, and spearheaded the Straz’s diversity initiative, while also building 30 valuable partnerships with organizations in the community.

Exhibitions@fmopa.org

Jodie Katzeff earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from the University of Florida and studied for her Doctorate at the City University of New York, where she completed her coursework in Art and Architecture of the 20th Century. She brings over 10 years of collections management and experience to FMoPA. Most recently she served as the Chief Registrar at Gladstone Gallery in New York City. Jodie is excited to be a part of FMoPA’s exhibition team and the growing art scene in Ybor City. When she is not looking at art, Jodie loves to cook, garden, and spend time with her family. She is also very passionate about healthy living.

Simone Leal is a fine art photographer and educator specializing in conceptual photography and instruction in museum and community settings. As a docent and instructor at the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, she leads workshops and tours that explore photography through hands-on learning, visual storytelling, and art interpretation. Simone is passionate about visual literacy, believing that the ability to read and respond to images is essential in our visually saturated world. Born in Latin America and shaped by both European and South American influences, she studied visual arts at the Escola de Artes Visuais do Parque Lage in Rio de Janeiro. She holds a PhD in molecular biology from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and completed postdoctoral research at The Rockefeller University in New York City. She is currently applying to a certificate program at the International Center of Photography to further her engagement with contemporary lens-based media.

Keith Kenney worked as a photojournalist and then taught photojournalism and photography at the University of South Carolina for 31 years. He loves to work outside of the United States. He spent a year teaching photojournalism in China and another year teaching in Uganda. He taught photography in Italy for half a year and administered a grant in Georgia (near Russia) for more than a year. He has a PhD in multimedia from Michigan State University. He has written books about the philosophy of multi-sensory communication and books on visual theory and visual research methods. He has been a judge in a dozen photojournalism competitions. He recently has begun creating documentary films. Now that he is retired, he spends most of his time doing volunteer work.

Jim is an avid photographer now turning his attention to fine art. He enjoys art history and the opportunity to talk with others about photography and it’s ability to communicate ideas.  So, being a volunteer Docent is a perfect past time. Jim is retired from the telecommunications industry and currently serves on the board of Wellspring International Outreach, a charity devoted to the support of abused and abandoned children around the world. He attended the University of South Florida studying computer science