Chicago, IL—The Terra Foundation for American Art is pleased to welcome Ricardo Estrada to its Board of Directors. Additionally, Stephanie Harris, a Terra Foundation board member since 2016, was elected board chair, replacing Joseph P. Gromacki, who was board chair for six of his eight years as board member. Amina J. Dickerson, a member of the board since 2022, was elected vice chair.
“I am excited to take on the role of chair after Joseph Gromacki’s tenure, leading us through a transition that saw us adopt a new mission for the foundation and a fresh vision to guide our work,” said Harris. “I want to extend an enthusiastic thank you to Joe for his thoughtful leadership over the past six years. In my last year of board service, I look forward to bridging the gap between board chairs to help lead this talented and committed group of board members in our important work of supporting organizations to expand narratives of American art here in Chicago and worldwide.”
Stephanie Harris is a trustee of the Field Foundation of Illinois and PAWS Chicago. She serves on the executive committee of the University of Chicago Medical Center as well as on the Woman’s Board of the Art Institute of Chicago, where she is a former trustee. For three years, Stephanie chaired the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Apollo Circle, a group dedicated to cultivating interest in the Met among young professionals aged 23 to 40. Stephanie received an AB in Economics from Harvard College.
“I am thrilled that together Stephanie Harris and Amina Dickerson will lead our board for the next year. Their longtime service to the foundation and full support of our mission to broaden understandings of American art, coupled with their histories of philanthropic leadership in the arts and in Chicago, makes them well suited to lead our dynamic board,” said Sharon Corwin, Terra Foundation president & CEO. “I am also delighted to welcome Ric Estrada to the board. He is a civic leader whose record of board service in Chicago is a testament to his support for this city, and his deep understanding of our mission and engagement with our organizational values has already made an impact on our work. Stephanie, Amina, and Ric have each demonstrated a strong commitment to Chicago and a profound recognition of how our mission advances the arts within our city and beyond.”
Amina J. Dickerson is president of Dickerson Global Advisors (DGA), a coaching and consulting practice that provides support and strategic counsel to emerging and executive leaders and to nonprofit organizations. Previously, Amina held executive posts with the Smart Museum of Art, the Woods Fund of Chicago, Kraft Foods, the Chicago Historical Society, the African American Historical and Cultural Museum in Philadelphia, Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art, and Chicago’s DuSable Museum of African American History. She serves as chair of the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, co-chairs the Leadership Advisory Council of the Art Institute of Chicago, and serves on Chicago’s Cultural Advisory Council. Her work has received numerous awards, and she has been named a Salzburg Global Forum Fellow and a Newberry Library Fellow. Amina studied theater at Emerson College and holds an MA in arts management from American University.
Ric Estrada is CEO of Metropolitan Family Services. Prior to joining Metropolitan, he served as First Deputy Commissioner of the City of Chicago’s Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS), and as executive director of Erie Neighborhood House in Chicago. Ric serves on the board of directors of ComEd, Metra, the Grand Victoria Foundation, and A Better Chicago. Honored as a Marshall Memorial Fellow, Ric has also been recognized as a Leadership Greater Chicago Distinguished Fellow. He has received the City of Chicago’s Legacy Award, the City Club of Chicago’s John A. McDermott Award for Distinguished Social Leadership, the University of Illinois at Chicago’s City Partner Award, and the University of Chicago’s Inaugural SSA Social Impact Alumni Award. Ric was named a Roberto Clemente honoree by the Chicago Cubs and has received the NFL Hispanic Heritage Leadership Award from the Chicago Bears. Ric earned a BS in Psychology from Loyola University of Chicago, an MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and an MA from the University of Chicago Crown School of Social Work, Policy and Practice.
About the Terra Foundation for American Art
The Terra Foundation for American Art, established in 1978 and having offices in Chicago and Paris, supports organizations and individuals locally and globally with the aim of fostering intercultural dialogues and encouraging transformative practices that expand narratives of American art, through the foundation’s grant program, collection, and initiatives.
For more information, please visit terraamericanart.org.
For interviews and images, please contact [email protected].
