Josh Keller Elected New Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Telfair Museums, and Eight New Trustees Appointed

SAVANNAH, GA (September 12, 2023) — Telfair Museums is pleased to announce the election of Josh Keller as Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Keller, a longtime Telfair board member, officially commenced his chairmanship on June 1, 2023. Susan Willetts was named Chair-Elect. Also, eight new members were appointed to the board for its 2023–24 season.

 

“We graciously welcome our new board chair, chair-elect, and the newest members to our board of trustees, and look forward to their help in advancing our efforts positively to impact Savannahians and the coastal empire,” said Benjamin Simons, Executive Director and CEO of Telfair Museums. “I am excited to increase our community engagement by implementing our new strategic plan, Telfair for All!, with their support.”

 

The new leadership and trustees bring many decades of professional and leadership experience from industries including business, finance, education, law, and more.

 

Josh Keller—Keller began his career in 1998 with Cellular Sales, now Verizon Wireless, the largest national independent retailer. Keller now serves as a Regional Director for the company. Keller attended the J.B. Speed School of Engineering at the University of Louisville before transferring to the Indiana University School of Business, where he received a bachelor’s degree in marketing.

 

In addition to serving on the Board of Telfair Museums since 2013, Keller has served on the boards of the SDNA, The Savannah Children’s Choir, The Historic Savannah Foundation, and St. Andrew’s School. He also served as Board Chair for a manufacturing startup in Savannah and currently serves on the boards of Synovus Banks Advisory Committee and The Savannah Music Festival.

Susan Willetts—Willetts is a retired partner of Goldman, Sachs, & Co., where she spent her career in the investment banking division. Prior to joining Goldman, Sachs, & Co., Willetts was treasurer of Microdot Inc. She has a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College and a Master of Business Administration from Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University. Willetts served on the board of Memorial Health; The Chicago Botanic Garden; and the Ford Field & River Club. She has previously served on the board of The Field Museum in Chicago, Cellular Dynamics International, a biotech company, and Yonkers Department Stores.

 

Kerry Breitbart—Breitbart has nearly 30 years of experience in commodity and energy trading, including building emerging businesses into robust, international operations. He is the CEO/Founder of North American Power Group Ltd. and formerly the President and CEO of United Companies, Inc.

 

Dolly Chisolm—Chisholm was named one of the Best Lawyers in America in 2021, 2022, and 2023. She practices in the areas of estate planning and probate, including probate conservatorship and guardianship proceedings, real estate law, focusing on residential closings, and corporate law, including the formation of limited liability companies, partnerships, corporations, and creditors rights, focusing on bankruptcy representation. She is a member of the Estate Planning Council, a director of the Georgia Legal Services Foundation, a past president of the Savannah Community Foundation, a secretary of the Beehive Foundation and the Ships of the Sea Maritime Museum, and a trustee for the Georgia Historical Society.

 

Charles A. Hinnant—Hinnant is the Chairman & Owner of Optima Chemical LLC, a custom manufacturing concern in Douglas, GA. Hinnant was also the founder of Charkit Chemical Corporation, located in South Norwalk, CT. He was also the owner of Arran Chemical, Athlone, Ireland, for 20 years, which he sold in 2015 to Almac Group, a global pharmaceutical contract and manufacturing operation.

 

Quentin Marlin—Marlin is a Partner at Ellis, Painter, Ratteree & Abrams (EPRA) and was recently appointed to Governor Brian Kemp’s Judicial Nominating Commission. Marlin represents clients in a variety of industries, including banking and finance, large corporations, small businesses, and municipalities. He is a native of Savannah and enjoys giving back to his community by participating in various nonprofit and quasi-governmental boards throughout Savannah.

 

Roger Moss Jr.—Moss is originally from Chattanooga, TN. He has over 20 years of experience in advertising, ranging from working with radio stations to marketing the whitewater venues for the 1996 Summer Olympics. He is a co-founder of the Savannah Children’s Choir. He serves on the Chatham County Board of Health, Habersham YMCA, Savannah Repertory Theatre, and Savannah Philharmonic boards of directors, and as President of the Board of Education of Savannah-Chatham County Public Schools.

Alan Sheriff­—Sheriff has worked in investment banking for over 40 years in a variety of senior positions. He currently serves as Vice Chairman of PNC Bank­-Corporate and Institutional Banking. Sheriff was the founder and former co-CEO of Solebury Capital from 2005–2020. He has served on numerous boards, including the Travis Manion Foundation (TMF), one of the country’s leading veteran services organizations, where he currently chairs TMF’s $40 million endowment campaign. He manages the Sheriff Group, a family-run venture portfolio, and is a director of the Sheriff Family Foundation, a 501(c)3 that focuses predominantly on veterans and educational issues. He is currently a partner in the Farm Hospitality Group, which owns four restaurants in Bluffton, South Carolina, and Savannah, including FARM and Common Thread.

Courtland Smith Stevens—Stevens is a native of Talbot County, MD, and attended the Canterbury School in New Milford, CT. She earned her Fine Arts and Gallery Management degree at Wesleyan University in Ohio. She moved to Savannah in 2005, where she opened her retail store, Courtland & Company, now in its 17th year of business. Courtland & Co. is now a prominent leader in the linen and interiors world with articles and write-ups in Southern Living, House Beautiful, Vogue, and Architectural Digest.

 

Marti Bellingrath Sullivan­—Sullivan spent her childhood in Pine Bluff, AR, as part of an extended family of early Coca-Cola bottlers. Following courses at Pratt Institute and Parsons School of Design, she became an Art Director at McCann Erickson. In addition, she served on the Board of the Madeira School in McLean, VA, began a lecture series for the school’s N.Y. alumnae and was cofounder of the Atkins Fellowship in the Paintings Conservation Department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

 

In addition to other duties, Telfair Museums’ board of trustees serves as a team of ambassadors throughout the region and beyond.

 

“I am pleased to continue my support for Telfair and look forward to collaborating with the new members of the board to continue the positive efforts of the institution. The depth of knowledge and experience of our new members will truly be an asset to the museum. I also want to extend our thanks and gratitude to immediate past chair Swann Seiler for her leadership and service at this important time in the museum’s history,” said Josh Keller, chairman of the board.