Ogden Museum of Southern Art Announces New Board Officers and Trustees Jason Waguespack elected to lead Ogden Museum’s Board of Trustees, including six new members

First row: Jason Waguespack; Second  row (left to right): Mary Becnel, Catherine Edmonson, Tyson Geary; Third row (left to right): Dayna Haynie, Dr. Deirdre Hooper, Mamta Melwani

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Ogden Museum of Southern Art is pleased to announce new Board of Trustees officers and members. Jason Waguespack was recently elected as the Museum’s Chairperson, Sharonda Williams as Vice Chairperson, Scott Cunningham as Treasurer and Matthew Moreland as Secretary, all by unanimous Board vote.

Waguespack serves as Managing Director of Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith. He is an associate professor of law at Tulane University School of Law, and a member of the adjunct faculty at the Tulane University A.B. Freeman School of Business. “It is an honor to lead this institution at such an exciting moment in its history, as we approach Ogden Museum of Southern Art’s 25th anniversary. I look forward to working with our dedicated Board of Trustees, including its newest members, to advance the Museum’s unique educational mission to deepen the understanding and appreciation of Southern art and culture, to grow its community, and to ensure that the Museum is best positioned to become the acknowledged international leader in its field,” says Waguespack.

Mary Becnel, Catherine Edmonson, Tyson Geary, Dayna Haynie, Dr. Deirdre Hooper and Mamta Melwani have joined the Museum’s Board of thirty-four Trustees. More information on Ogden Museum’s newly elected Trustees follows below. Additionally, outgoing Board of Trustees Chairperson Jessie Haynes was elected Chairperson Emerita, joining fellow former Board Chairpersons William Goldring and Charles D. Urstadt in this role.

“Jessie championed in the implementation of our comprehensive Strategic Plan, and governed during the sustained multi-year effort to secure ownership of the Museum’s physical buildings, among many other accomplishments,” said William Pittman Andrews, The Helis Foundation Executive Director of Ogden Museum of Southern Art. “Ogden Museum is grateful for Jessie’s service and for that of our incoming Board Chairperson Jason Waguespack, who has provided valuable counsel as a Trustee for the past five years, most recently as Board Treasurer. Jason is the ideal leader for the Museum as we prepare for this next exciting chapter in the Museum’s history and work to ensure its long-term strategic growth and sustainability,” Andrews added.

ABOUT THE NEW TRUSTEES:

Mary Becnel is a retired judge from the Fortieth Judicial District Court of Louisiana. Judge Becnel has been elected president of the 40th Judicial District Court Bar Association, the Fifth Circuit Judges Association, the Fourth and Fifth Judges Association, and she is a former member of the Executive Board of the Louisiana District Judges Association. Judge Becnel served on the board of the National Association of Women Judges, co-chaired the 2013 national conference in New Orleans and is currently on the Resource Board. She is also a founding member of the River Region Arts and Humanities Council, served as president and continues to serve on the board. Judge Becnel considers her greatest honor to be her public service to her community and state as a judge.

 Catherine Edmonson is the Program Director at Prospect Gallery, a non-profit exhibition space in downtown Hattiesburg, MS. In addition to serving on the Ogden Museum Board, Edmonson volunteers with the Hattiesburg Alliance for Public Art advisory board where she brings nationally recognized artists to create murals and sculpture. Edmonson also leads tours in conjunction with USM’s OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Program) program, increasing public awareness of her small city’s big commitment to art.

Tyson Geary is an interior designer based in New Orleans, where he leads his eponymous firm specializing in residential projects both locally and across the United States. In spring 2026, Geary will co-chair the Longue Vue Design Symposium, with a particular focus on highlighting the work of Ellen Biddle Shipman, the original designer of Longue Vue. Beyond his design practice, Geary is a collector of emerging artists, dedicating time to supporting their work.

Dayna Haynie is a nationally registered art therapist (ATR) and Louisiana state licensed counselor (LPC). She is currently working with Whole Village Art Therapy, Inc., a non-profit organization that provides high quality, community-based, accessible and affordable art therapy services to improve access and reduce systemic barriers to mental health services in New Orleans. Haynie served on the Louisiana A+ Schools Board (now part of LSU) and the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA) Board, and has worked in the Creative Arts Therapy Department at Children’s Hospital. Haynie also works as an office manager at Haynie & Associates, a political affairs firm owned by her family, serving in a variety of activities in support of the firm’s work across state legislative processes and advocacy.

Dr. Deirdre Hooper is a board-certified dermatologist and co-founder of Audubon Dermatology in New Orleans. In addition to her private practice, she serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Tulane University and Clinical Assistant Professor at Louisiana State University. She is currently the Vice President of the American Society of Dermatologic Surgery Board of Directors. A proud member of the Richardson Society at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art since 2023, Dr. Hooper has a deep appreciation for the role art plays in celebrating culture, storytelling, and community. Dr. Hooper is also an active member of the New Orleans Town Gardeners.

Mamta Melwani partners with krewes and companies to design products that carry the joy and heritage of her chosen home with Mardi Gras Creations. With Magic Collective, she honors her Indian roots, collaborating with craftspeople and contemporary designers to bring thoughtful, modern collections to Life. Deeply committed to her community, she has chaired fundraising campaigns for organizations such as the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, New Orleans Film Society, Second Harvest Food Bank, and Le Petit Théâtre, where she also serves on the board.

About Ogden Museum of Southern Art

Located in the vibrant Warehouse Arts District of downtown New Orleans, Louisiana since 1999 and open to the public since 2003, Ogden Museum of Southern Art invites visitors to experience and learn about the artists and culture of the American South. Ogden Museum is home to a collection of more than four thousand works, making it the largest and most comprehensive repository dedicated to Southern art in the nation, with particular strength in the genres of Self-Taught art, Regionalism, photography and contemporary art. The Museum is further recognized for its original exhibitions, public events and educational programs, which examine the development of visual art alongside Southern traditions of music, literature and local craft.

Ogden Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission is free to Museum Members and admission for Non-Members is $15.00 for adults, $12.00 for seniors 65 and older, $7.00 for children ages 5-17 and free for children under 5. Prices are subject to change when exhibitions are being rotated. Admission is free to Louisiana residents on Thursdays, courtesy of The Helis Foundation.

The Museum is located at 925 Camp Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70130. For more information visit ogdenmuseum.org or call 504.539.9650.