👋 Get to know your VRA Board!
Whether you are new to the organization or a longtime VRA member, the VRA Board is dedicated to making sure we serve your current professional development needs. Read on to learn a little about our Board members!
Xiaoli Ma (she/her) is the VRA Board President for the term of March 2024–2026. Previously, Xiaoli served as the President-Elect from March 2023-2024.
Xiaoli is the Metadata Librarian and Head of the Metadata Unit at the George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida. She develops metadata guidelines and implements workflows to enhance the usability and searchability of the content held by large-scale digital libraries. Currently, she explores the use of AI technology to automate the subject-indexing process. She studied Information Science, Art History, and American Literature at the University of Michigan, the University of South Florida, and Sichuan University, mainland China. Previously, she worked at ITHAKA as Metadata Specialist – Technical Lead, collaborating with developers and interface designers to create tools for Shared Shelf, now known as JSTOR Forum.
Margaret C. McKee (she/her) has been appointed to President-Elect for the term March 2025-2026. She will serve as President-Elect until March 2026, at which time she will become Board President and serve in that role until March 2028.
Margaret is the Director of Research Resources at the Menil Collection in Houston. She began her professional career as the Slide Librarian at Southwestern University. Margaret holds an AA from Simon’s Rock, a BAFA in Art History from the University of New Mexico, and an MS in Information Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. Her professional interests include digital asset management, intellectual property, and cultural heritage imaging. Margaret first joined the VRA in 2003 and has participated in multiple VRA conferences, including moderating and speaking in sessions. She served as co-chair of the Intellectual Property Rights Committee from 2017-2019, as a member of the Identity Task Force from 2018-2020, and as Public Relations and Communications Officer on the Executive Board from 2022-2024. She is currently serving as co-chair of the Membership Committee.
Molly Schoen (she/her) has moved into the position of Senior Director for Events and Initiatives. She previously served as the Junior Director from March 2024-2025.
Molly is the Visual Resources Curator at the Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York. She is also a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Pratt Institute School of Information, and she is Deputy Editor of Art Documentation, the journal of the Art Libraries Society of North America. She has an MLIS with a focus in Fine & Performing Arts Librarianship from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. Her professional career began with positions at the Mott-Warsh Gallery of Flint, MI, and at the University of Michigan’s Visual Resources Collections. In her spare time, she plays guitar and bass for a variety of bands in the metro New York area.
Nadine McAllister (she/her) has been appointed Junior Director for Events and Initiatives. She will serve as Junior Director until March 2026, at which time she will become Senior Director for Events and Initiatives and serve in that role until March 2027. She previously served as the Officer from March 2024-2025.
Nadine has worked for Brown University Library since 2019. In her current position in Digital Services, she provides access to digitized Special Collections materials. Nadine is a wife and mother of two wonderful daughters. She has been involved in Girl Scouts leadership for over 14 years. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, reading, crocheting, and hanging out with friends.
Bridget O’Keefe (she/her) has been appointed to the Officer role for the term March 2025-2027.
Bridget holds the position of Assistant Librarian, Cataloging at the Museum of Modern Art. She has previously worked with collections at the Whitney Museum of American Art, the American Museum of Natural History, the Center for Book Arts, the School of Visual Arts and BOMB Magazine. She currently serves on the Executive Board for the New York chapter of the Art Libraries Society of North America, and as co-coordinator for the Artist Files special interest group. She holds a BA from Sarah Lawrence College and an MLIS from the Pratt Institute.
Emily Smith (she/her) continues in her role as the Public Relations & Communications Officer for the term March 2024-March 2026.
Emily is the Collections Copyright & Imaging Coordinator at the Oakland Museum of California. She is responsible for all collections imaging and managing the use of all collection images, most significantly the copyright for the Dorothea Lange Collection. She earned her BFA in Photography and Art History from the Kansas City Art Institute and her MA in the History of Art from the University of Kansas. Previously, Emily held roles focusing on collections management, digitization, and copyright coordination at the Delaware Art Museum and the Library Company of Philadelphia. Emily is originally from the Philadelphia area and now lives in Berkeley, CA with her partner and their Siamese cat, Zora.
Will Fenton (he/him) continues in his role as Treasurer for the term March 2024-2026.
Will is senior writer (principal gifts) at the Foundation for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Will brings to the role of treasurer expertise in finance, strategic planning, and program development across higher education, cultural heritage, and federal grantmaking. He earned his PhD (Department of English) at Fordham University in 2018, and he currently serves on the boards of the Friends Historical Association (treasurer) and the Philobiblon Club.
Ann McShane (they/them) has been appointed the Grants Officer for the term March 2025-2027.
Ann McShane is the Digital Asset Librarian at Pitts Theology Library, Emory University, in Atlanta, Georgia. In their current position, Ann coordinates a digitization program for Special Collections, helps maintain legacy digital access projects, and works with teams on new library access initiatives. They are currently a Board member for the Friends Historical Association as well as the Visual Resources Association (VRA). They are a member of the Reviews Committee for the Institute for Liberal Arts Digital Scholarship (ILiADS) and serve as chair of both the VRA Awards Committee and Financial Advisory Committee. Additionally, Ann is a local volunteer with the Penfield African American Cemetery Clean-Up and Krog Street Cultural Codex.
Anna Zook (she/her) has been appointed the Secretary for the term March 2025-2027.
Anna is the Arts Librarian at McIntyre Library on the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire campus. She holds an undergraduate degree in theatre from Lawrence University in Appleton, WI and an MLIS from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. When she isn’t supporting the research needs of students and faculty, she plays the French Horn with a brass quintet and the Eau Claire Municipal Band and serves as the volunteer coordinator for a regional baseball team.