Ann Merrifield

Ann has served on the board for the Columbia Art League for two years, but it was a bit of a bumpy path getting there. She claimed she wasn’t an artist and therefore wasn’t qualified, and it took being asked three times before she agreed. “I finally realized that I am an excellent art appreciator, and appreciators are needed on boards as well,” she says. Ann also sees herself as a strategic thinker and believes that skill is needed on boards, too. “I’m someone who is able to rise above the passion of what we do and provide input into what makes the most sense for us to do,” she says. CAL’s goals for 2020 include expanding program and educational offerings, increasing access for a more diverse range of community members, developing CAL into a “board of choice,” assuring financial growth and stability, identifying locations and/or facilities that can enhance organizational and operational growth, and building brand awareness.