Behind the Scenes: Dr. Brannock Welcome to the MOTAL Board!

The Museum of Teaching and Learning is pleased to announce that Dr. Jo Ann Brannock has accepted the invitation to join the MOTAL Board of Directors. She is an accomplished individual with a career that has included many leadership roles in addition to her work in the field of psychology. Her enthusiasm, knowledge, and expertise will be a welcome addition.

Please enjoy reading about our newest trustee and continue reading to find out what becoming a board member entails. The next addition to our board may very well be YOU.


Jo Ann’s early years were in Baltimore, Maryland where she attended elementary school and Patterson Park High School. Her early aspirations included ballet and playing the flute, but her fine abilities in math and chemistry led to her becoming the only woman to study engineering at the University of Maryland at the time. Unfortunately, finances kept her from continuing. She went on to accept a job developing circuit boards for computers at a Westinghouse research lab. She soon married, moved to California, and three children came along in four years.


When Jo Ann decided to go back to school, she took her husband’s advice to pursue becoming a psychologist. Courses at Fullerton College led to California State University, Fullerton for her B.A. and M.A. and she later received her PhD from Claremont Graduate University.


Jo Ann went on to teach psychology in positions at CSUF, Chapman College, Fullerton College, and USC. She was involved in research as well, and had articles published in the areas of visual-spatial effects of alcoholism, child abuse, cognitive neuroscience, and child development. Jo Ann later opened a clinical practice in Fullerton at the historic YWCA house that she was able to acquire and give the name Cherami House. The name seemed apt for a counseling center, for cherami means “dear friend” in French. In addition, she launched a nonprofit education fund, The Cherami Education Fund, that provided scholarships to help high school students attain their dreams of attending college. Over the years, Jo Ann has been honored with a variety of awards, including the Teacher of the Year for Community Colleges given by the American Psychological Association.


Upon the illness and subsequent death of her husband, Fred, Jo Ann decided she wanted to give back to the community in other ways that suited her interests and abilities. Upon meeting Greta Nagel at a YMCA fitness class, their conversations about psychology and the work of MOTAL struck a positive chord. Jo Ann became a MOTAL supporter, and then participated in the onboarding process to assure that the museum would be a good fit. That has been proven to be very true, especially as MOTAL continues work on its newest endeavor, the mobile museum that will feature Brain Odyssey: From Conception to Kindergarten.


As Jo Ann puts it, “I have found my niche, given my experiences and knowledge. I look forward to working closely with the MOTAL board.”
*****


MUSEUM OF TEACHING AND LEARNING
SEEKING NEW MEMBERS FOR THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS


 The Museum of Teaching and Learning continues to fulfill its mission: “We educate people about education.” The charitable nonprofit creates exhibits that engage the public in critical dialogues about education. It has developed, preserved, and annotated an interesting artifact collection. In addition, MOTAL has become a sought-after publisher of education articles and producer of oral-history podcasts.


As a result, MOTAL seeks to expand the Board of Directors to enable better oversight of the organization’s museum-related functions, including public engagement and development of productive partnerships.


As with other 501(c)(3) organizations, MOTAL is governed by a board of directors. The organization is a corporate entity that brings in income, but rather than provide profits to investors, it uses funds to enact its mission in providing charitable services to the community. Board members pay to serve, as opposed to being paid for their services as in for-profit entities.


MOTAL has a working Board, volunteers who are active in both policy and planning as well as implementation and execution of projects. Many functions typically handled by paid staff for larger nonprofits are handled by the Board. Membership on MOTAL’s Board of Directors gives trustees the opportunity to shape its future and actively contribute to the success of its programs.


The MOTAL Board of Directors currently has five trustees. The Founding Director and several Board and Advisory Committee members provide a strong foundation in educational theory, practice, and policy to serve the mission of the organization. Additional Board members have expertise ranging from accounting and law to organizational and financial management and strategic planning.
 
The following areas of expertise are sought:

• Museum management, including both curation and exhibit development
• Community development
• Government expertise: local, regional and national
• Marketing, fundraising, and social media
• Public Relations
• Administration (Project Management, Event Management)
• Volunteer coordination
  

All new Board members should be:

• Visionary and passionate about MOTAL’s mission.
• Knowledgeable about the job of being a Board member.
• Insightful about diverse museum audiences.
• Able to contribute to the image/stature of MOTAL in the community.
• Available and interested in serving on an active “working” Board.
• Interested and active in outreach efforts.

Finally, board members are individuals who aren’t afraid to roll up their sleeves with a “can do” attitude.


Board Development Committee
Original: June 4, 2013
Revised: August 2015
Revised: August 2021
Revised: November 2021