Staff and Consultants:

Joy Ford Austin, Executive Director

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Joy Ford Austin is a former President and Executive Director of the African American Museums Association. Joy Ford Austin has consulted with many institutions on cultural programs and policy including the Presidential Commission planning for the National Museum of African American History and Culture, Telesis Corporation, and the Chicago Housing Authority, the Center for Arts and Culture, and the Kellogg Foundation. She was the Principal of Austin Ford Associates, an education consulting firm. Since 2000, she has served as Executive Director of the Humanities Council of Washington, DC. She holds a Master of Science in Administration from Trinity College, Washington, D.C. and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada.

Eva M. Lucero, Director of Development

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Eva M. Lucero is the Director of Development for the Humanities Council of Washington, DC. She brings to the HCWDC 15 years of management and fundraising experience in the non-profit art world. Eva served nine years as the Executive Director of Arts for the Aging, Inc. (AFTA), a Maryland based arts service organization. Prior to that position, she was a member of the Development staff at the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the MacDowell Colony. Most recently, she was the Administrative Officer for EnTech Strategies, LLC, a Washington D.C. energy consulting firm. Originally from Santa Fe, New Mexico, she earned a B.A. from St. Mary's University in San Antonio Texas, and holds a Master's in Museum Studies/Art Administration from New York University.

Stephanie Scott, Executive Assistant

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Stephanie Scott is the Deputy Director of the Humanities Council, as well as the administrative assistant to the executive director.  She brings over 20 years of administrative experience to her work at the Humanities Council, as well as expertise in the fields of Marketing, Development and Construction. Stephanie served as the Executive Administrator for AVSmoot LLC, a DC based Historic Restoration and Painting company responsible for preserving such sites as the Tivoli Theatre and President Lincoln’s Cottage.  Prior to that, Stephanie was a consultant for the Humanities council where she performed a host of administrative duties.

Mark Smith, Director of Grants and Special Projects

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A native of Detroit, Michigan, Mark Smith studied Political Science at Howard University and graduated with a B.A. in  2002. Smith then moved back to Detroit where he served as principal for a real estate investment company that focused on redeveloping and renting affordable housing. He returned to the District in 2006 where he has served as Constituent Service Coordinator for DC Councilwoman, Muriel Bowser; a Realty Specialist for the Department of Real Estate; and, most recently, Liaison to Ward 7 for Outreach Relations and Services in the administration of former Mayor Adrian Fenty.

Jasper Collier, Curator of Digital Collections
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Jasper Collier oversees the Humanities Council’s extensive collection of grant and program-produced artifacts and educational resources. Jasper has previously worked in curatorial and collections management departments at the Dittrick Medical History Center in Cleveland, OH and President Lincoln’s Cottage in Washington, DC. He has also held positions at the National Building Museum, and the Western Reserve Historical Society, and has worked as a consultant performing historical research. Jasper earned a B.A. in History from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, and an M.A. in Public History from American University.

Bianca Whitfield, CPA, Fiscal Officer

Bianca Whitfield has over 13 years accounting experience in the non-profit sector. She has earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Maryland, College Park, an MBA from Johns Hopkins University, and is currently working on an M.A. in Taxation from Bentley University. For several years, Ms. Whitfield gained experience as a consultant in the DC region with a number of non-profits and while working for a local CPA firm before starting her own company.