Holly Linneman (she/her), President

Holly Linneman is a Columbia native passionate about providing empowering and educational opportunities to learners of all ages. She has been teaching young children for over 20 years and loves to be involved with organizations that better the community. An appreciation for all things “art” has led her to Access Arts and she is excited to begin a collaborative journey with the board.

Jackie Avant (she/her), Vice President

Jackie Avant has lived in Columbia since 2006, by way of Boston, Massachusetts.

Jackie currently serves as a Quality Assurance Analyst for the Customer Contact Center at Simmons Bank (formerly Landmark Bank), where she truly utilizes her “C” DISC style within her daily tasks. The purpose in her role is to uphold and enhance the support and excellence in every aspect of the bank's operational relationship with their customers to ensure the highest standards of quality are consistently met/exceeded. Prior to joining the bank, Jackie worked closely with our Columbia Public School District, landing many great opportunities to build connections within the community and show off her natural “S” DISC style. Jackie is involved with several organizations promoting awareness and volunteering time, such as the Food Bank for Central & Northeast MO, Heart of Missouri United Way, Columbia Chamber of Commerce, American Heart Association GoRed for Women, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention – MO Chapter, and more. She is well known for her passion to serve her community and deliver her absolute best in all she does (slight perfectionist in her own little way).

Christina Heilman (she/her), Treasurer

Christina, a native of Columbia, Missouri, is passionate about giving back to her hometown community. With a professional background in accounting, Christina brings financial skills to the Access Arts board. She is excited to support the organization's mission of fostering creativity and inclusivity in the arts. In addition to her expertise in financial management, Christina is eager to deepen her understanding of the arts and collaborate with fellow board members to help Access Arts continue to thrive and serve the community.

Kristen Walker (she/her), Secretary

Kristen Walker is an Employee Benefits Senior Account Manager with AssuredPartners and is a returned Columbia native by way of Kansas City. Prior to working in Benefits and Insurance, she obtained a dual Masters in Public Health and Public Affairs from the University of Missouri. Outside of the office, Kristen enjoys watercolor and acrylic painting, cycling, and exploring new places with her aussie border collie, Wally. A lifelong passion for the arts, including music and theatre, brought Kristen to the AccessArts board, and is looking forward to giving back to the community that was an integral part of her youth.

Kate Stull (she/her), Past-President

Kate has a passion for the community as a Columbia native, concentrating on philanthropic work with many wonderful organizations and educational initiatives that improve the lives of children and their families through play or art. As an artist, Kate enjoys drawing and painting, having formerly held a studio space at Orr Street Studios. Kate holds a strong passion for sharing the arts with her children and the community, holding fond memories of the 'Empty Bowls' events and hosting Private Parties. She also enjoys lifting up local artists through networking opportunities, strategic planning, and creative consultation.

Dan Hlavac (he/him), Member

Dan and his family moved to Columbia in 2017. Immediately he fell in love with the rich art culture and became more impassioned as his youngest daughter blossomed through the teaching and support of the various community classes. He has spent most of his career helping organizations align their strategies and leverage their strengths in order to achieve their vision. When not spending time with his friends and family, Dan is actively volunteering with not-for-profit organizations. Dan wants to ensure the arts remain available to anyone at any age and is excited to be involved with Access Arts.

Bob Steinmetz, Member

Bob is a central Missouri native, growing up in Mexico, MO, and living in Columbia since 1996. He attended high school at Missouri Military Academy, and Army ROTC at Mizzou, and served 9 years in the Field Artillery branch of the U.S. Army Reserves. After earning a Computer Science degree at Mizzou, Bob spent 33 years developing software applications. In May 2020, Bob decided to pursue one of his true passions and changed careers to become a financial planner for JK Financial. Aside from these professional endeavors, Bob loves spending time with his family and enjoying his primary hobbies of sports, photography, and anything outdoors. Bob loves to work with service and volunteer organizations and is excited to be involved with Access Arts.

Jeri Donoho (she/her), Member

Jeri Donoho is a long-time Columbia resident and art teacher for Columbia Public Schools. She studied art and education at Columbia College, during which time she was first introduced to Access Arts. The clay studio at Access Arts provided important continuing education opportunities for her, as well as a place for her older son to explore his love of ceramics and supplement his school art classes. Currently, Jeri is mainly a painter but also creates mosaics and works in a variety of other media. She has watched Access Arts benefit her community for decades and is happy to have the opportunity to give back to the organization that brings so much to so many through its mission.

Joy Jenkins (she/her), Member

Joy Jenkins is an assistant professor of journalism studies at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Jenkins serves as editor-in-chief of The Journal of Magazine Media. She is also a research associate for the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at the University of Oxford, U.K. Jenkins teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in journalism. She was on faculty at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, for four years before coming to the Missouri School of Journalism. Before entering academia, Jenkins served as senior editor at TulsaPeople magazine in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and copy editor at the Oklahoma Gazette in Oklahoma City.

James Manning (he/him), Member

James Manning is a Veteran and Lean Manufacturing specialist with a passion for ceramics. He has a decade of experience as a glaze chemist and ceramics engineer for dinnerware and tile companies in New England and Ohio. During this time he attained a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and specialized in helping small and medium sized enterprises with ASTM and ISO test standards. In addition to his current consulting practice he has served on the Board of the John Bryan Community Pottery and the Greater Cincinnati Clay Alliance.