Lisa Corrin, Ellen Philips Katz Executive Director of The Block Museum of Art at Northwestern University, is pleased to announce the appointment of four new members to the museum’s Board of Advisors and new leadership roles for three current members. 

The new Board members joining The Block Board of Advisors this fall include Julie Johnson Peterson ’85, Isaac Alpert ’14, Mary Lu Roffe, and Jack Ludden ’91. Appointed by the executive director, the Board of Advisors plays a critical role in supporting the museum’s vision and impact, providing guidance on strategy, collection development, audience engagement, and educational initiatives. Members also serve as champions of The Block’s mission through philanthropy, mentorship, and ambassadorship. 

“We are delighted to welcome our four new members to the Board of Advisors,” said Corrin. “Each brings a wealth of experience spanning journalism, performing arts, media, and the contemporary art market, and each has deep connections to Northwestern.” 

This fall, Board of Advisors member Kim Allen-Niesen (‘16, ’19 P) stepped into a new leadership role as chair of The Block’s Collection Council, a donor group that supports the growth, care, and accessibility of the museum’s collection through shared learning and collective philanthropy. As Chair, Allen-Niesen will serve as an ambassador for the collection to the Board of Advisors, collaborate with Block staff to shape Council priorities, and help guide the Council’s annual research process that leads to new acquisitions for the museum. 

In Fall 2026, leadership of the Board of Advisors will transition as Mary Baglivo ’81 (’12 P) and Martha Tedeschi ’94 PhD assume the roles of co-chairs. Baglivo, a nationally recognized leader in marketing and communications, brings decades of executive experience at global advertising firms and in higher education strategy. Tedeschi, former director of the Harvard Art Museums and a distinguished curator and scholar of nineteenth-century art, is widely respected across the museum field for her vision and leadership in shaping cultural institutions. 

“We are so fortunate to benefit from the leadership of these remarkable individuals,” said Corrin. “Kim Allen-Niesen brings creativity and insight to her role as chair of the Collection Council, strengthening the connection between our Board and the museum’s growing collection. Our new co-chairs, Mary Baglivo and Martha Tedeschi, each bring expertise recognized on a national level—Mary as a leader in communications and strategy, and Martha as a scholar and museum professional whose work has shaped major cultural institutions. Their guidance will advance The Block’s role as a site of teaching and research within the university.” 

Gratitude for Outgoing Board Leadership

The Block Museum extends its deepest gratitude to Cheryl Johnson-Odim ’75 MA, ’78 PhD and Stuart H. Bohart ’89 (’25 P ’29 P), who have served as co-chairs of the Board of Advisors since 2021. Over the past five years, Johnson-Odim and Bohart have guided the Board with dedication, insight, and generosity, helping to steer The Block through a period of growth in its collection, programs, and national partnerships. 

“Cheryl and Stu’s leadership has been transformative,” said Corrin. “They have strengthened The Block’s role as an integral part of Northwestern University and as a vital resource for student experience. Their vision and commitment were central to the development of our new mission and strategic plan, and they have nurtured a spirit of collaboration and care that will continue to shape the museum’s future. We are profoundly grateful for their service.” 

Both leaders will remain valued members of the Board, continuing their commitment to advancing the museum’s work. 

New Board Members

Julie Johnson Peterson ’85
Julie Johnson Peterson grew up inspired by her father’s deep appreciation for his McCormick School of Engineering education and lifelong Wildcat pride. At Northwestern, she served as business manager for The Daily Northwestern before earning her degree in economics. Peterson began her career in print sales and later followed her passion for journalism, producing an Emmy award– winning documentary, reporting for CNN’s Southeast bureau, and founding the award- winning online journalism project Audlank Media. She and her husband, fellow Northwestern alumnus John Peterson ’85, ’95 MBA, live in the Chicago area and enjoy time with their two adult children. Julie has held leadership roles with the Northwestern University Women’s Board and her church, volunteered with the United Service Organizations (USO), and worked with a Chicago-area multi-faith organization. 

Isaac Alpert ’14
Isaac Alpert is the director of Estates at P·P·O·W, where he handles estate management and legacy preservation for artists instrumental to the downtown art scene in New York in the late-twentieth century, most notably Jimmy DeSana, Hunter Reynolds, Carolee Schneemann, David Wojnarowicz, and Martin Wong. Prior to P·P·O·W, Alpert managed the Jack Smith Archive at Gladstone Gallery and volunteered in the archives at Visual AIDS. Other roles include positions at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; The Block Museum, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois; and The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri. 

Mary Lu Roffe
Mary Lu Roffe, three-time Tony winner, has been producing on Broadway, national tours, and in London for more than 30 years. She resides in Chicago with her husband of fifty years, their three sons and four grandchildren. Roffe is a member of the Broadway League, was inducted into the New Trier High School Hall of Fame, and has served on the board of the AIDS Foundation of Chicago as well as the Chicago History Museum. She is thrilled to be on the advisory board of The Block Museum. 

Jack Ludden ’91
Jack Ludden is passionate about innovation in the cultural heritage world, working with organizations and individuals to improve audience engagement, content production, technical infrastructures, and governance. He works with the consulting team at Balboa Park Online Collaborative (BPOC) as their Experience and Innovation Strategist, helping cultural heritage organizations navigate the complex landscape of innovation while staying true to their mission. Prior to BPOC, Ludden worked at the J. Paul Getty Trust for fifteen years as head of web and new media development, collaborating across the Getty’s Museum, Research Institute, Conservation Institute, and Foundation. Earlier in his career, he lived in Chicago and worked at the Phyllis Kind Gallery. He is a board member of the Sandor Family Foundation, advisor to The Book Truck, and teaches at Northwestern. 

New Leadership Roles 

Kim Allen-Niesen (’16, ’19 P)
Kim Allen-Niesen is passionate about sharing the experience of art in as many ways as possible. While she values the history of art and the study of objects, she especially champions the power of art to explore ideas and spark conversation. Kim is a docent at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where she leads high school students on social justice–focused tours, and at the Getty, where she serves as a public tour docent. She also designs and leads art and spiritual formation excursions for churches and serves on an emerging artists’ acquisition committee for the Rose Museum. Her deep engagement with art follows an 18-year career as an estate-planning lawyer. Nine years ago, she closed her practice to finish raising her children and has since become an emerging artist collector with her husband, Keith. 

Mary Baglivo ’81 (’12 P)
Mary L. Baglivo is an experienced independent board director at public, private, and not-for-profit organizations, with extensive expertise in brand strategy, marketing, communications, public affairs, and organizational development. She has served as Chief Executive Officer at leading global advertising firms, including Saatchi & Saatchi, and has held Chief Marketing Officer positions at prominent universities. Baglivo is recognized for her leadership in driving growth for complex organizations via consumer insight-based strategies, digital transformation, and integrated marketing and communications programs. Baglivo is currently a director at Host Hotels and Resorts, Urban Edge Properties, and Ollie’s Discount Stores. Previous board positions include PVH, Ruth’s Hospitality Group, Baby Jogger, and Verve Mobile. Baglivo’s career includes CEO roles at several leading global advertising and communication firms, as well as her own brand strategy and consulting firm, The Baglivo Group. She was CEO, Americas, at Saatchi & Saatchi, and held leadership roles at Arnold Worldwide, Panoramic Communications, J. Walter Thompson, and Euro RSCG Tatham. Baglivo’s past university roles include Chief Marketing Officer at Pace University, Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing at Rutgers University and Rutgers Biomedical and Health Sciences, and Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President of Global Marketing at Northwestern University. She is a member of the American Advertising Hall of Achievement, the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni, and the Northwestern Medill Hall of Achievement. Baglivo holds an MS in Marketing Communications from Northwestern University and a BA in English, Phi Beta Kappa, from Rutgers University. 

Martha Tedeschi ’94 PhD
Martha Tedeschi is an art historian, curator, and museum director who is passionate about academic art museums and providing training opportunities for student and museum professionals at all levels. Martha was director of the Harvard Art Museums from July 2016-June 2024. Prior to her arrival at Harvard, she served as Deputy Director for Art and Research at the Art Institute of Chicago, where she also enjoyed a long and productive career as curator in the Department of Prints and Drawings. She is a specialist in 19th-century British and American Art and has written in depth about James McNeill Whistler, Winslow Homer, and John Marin. Dr. Tedeschi has published widely and she organized many exhibitions at the Art Institute before turning her attention to leadership of the Harvard Art Museums. She is an emeritus member of the Association of Art Museum Directors, 2012 Fellow of the Center for Curatorial Leadership, president of the Print Council of America (2009-2013), and served on the board of the Association of Art Museum Curators (2015-16). Tedeschi earned a BA from Brown University, an MA from the University of Michigan, and a PhD from Northwestern University. In the year prior to her retirement from Harvard, she worked with Harvard University leadership and the museum team to endow, in perpetuity, free admission to all visitors. Today, she divides her time between her family’s organic farm in Wisconsin and service on the Board of Advisors of the Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University, the Colby College Museum of Art Board of Governors, and the Board of Trustees of the Terra Foundation for American Art. She remains an active mentor in the field. 

The Block Museum is deeply grateful to all its Board and Collection Council members for their dedication and service. With the addition of these new members, the vision of its new leaders, and the legacy of Johnson-Odim and Bohart’s extraordinary leadership, the museum looks forward to advancing its mission of fostering interdisciplinary inquiry, deepening student engagement, and creating meaningful connections across Northwestern.