Baltimore School for the Arts is pleased to announce the appointment of Julie Rothman as its new board chair effective July 1, succeeding Li-Wen Kang, who recently retired after serving as Chairman for the past three years.
Julie has served on the board of the Baltimore School for the Arts since 2015 and has been board vice chair since 2018. In that role, she recently led the search committee for the school’s theatre department head and served on the search committee that selected the school’s new executive director.
Before retiring, Julie was a longtime writer of a nationally syndicated, weekly food column for the Baltimore Sun. She also worked as a freelance food photo stylist and as a magazine photo editor.
Among other philanthropic activities, Julie served on the Board of the SEED School of
Maryland. She is an active member of the Baltimore Women’s Giving Circle (BWGC), including
a term as an officer of BWGC’s Steering Committee. She also volunteered as a reading tutor for
Baltimore City elementary school children through Reading Partners and, along with her
husband, Scott Sherman, sponsored several teachers in the Baltimore Teach for America corps.
Julie was involved as well in My Sister’s Circle (MSC), a comprehensive, relationship-based
program designed to mentor girls from disadvantaged Baltimore neighborhoods during their
transition to middle school, throughout high school, and into college. She remains deeply
connected to her original MSC mentee, a 2021 graduate of Stevenson University.
A Baltimore city resident since 1984, Julie graduated from the University of Vermont with a
B.A. in Art History and did graduate work in interior design at Parsons School of Design
and in publication design at the University of Baltimore.
The BSA Board of Trustees has also appointed board members Paul McKinnell and Shanae
Williams McLean ‘98 as the new vice chairs, along with two new members:
Kristin Herber
Kristin Herber is Deputy General Counsel, Litigation & Insurance at Under Armour, where she
is responsible for leading the litigation, insurance and brand protection teams. In addition,
Kristin serves as co-chair of UA Legal’s Pro Bono and DE&I committees. Prior to joining Under
Armour, Kristin was a partner at the Baltimore law firm, Tydings & Rosenberg. Although not a
Baltimore native, Kristin has lived and worked in Baltimore City since 1997. Kristin currently
serves on the board of directors for the Emerging Technology Centers and Fluid Movement,
having served on the boards of the Pro Bono Resource Center, Moveable Feast, and the Roland
Park Elementary Middle Annual Fund. She is the proud mother of two children and an avid
music lover.
Donald Thoms
Donald Thoms is a seasoned broadcaster, journalist and leader in media. He has been an
executive member of several national broadcasting networks, and a staunch supporter for
independent and BIPOC producers and filmmakers. Thoms has extensive experience with
television production and development, staff and budget management, journalism, marketing
and communications, as well as strategic planning.
Beyond television audiences, Donald Thoms has also passed his love of the arts on to his
children. He and his wife of nearly 50 years, Mariana, helped raise their daughter Tracie, BSA
acting alum ℅ 1993, from an aspiring 10-year-old star to the heights of Broadway, television,
and the silver screen. Their son, Austin, has emerged with their nurture as a talented musician
and composer.
For many years Donald Thoms produced, directed, and oversaw television at Maryland
Public Television (MPT).
Baltimore School for the Arts is a nationally recognized public arts high school that provides
its students with intensive pre-professional training in the arts in conjunction with a rigorous
academic curriculum. BSA graduates go on to the most selective arts and university programs
nationwide and achieve prominence in theater, film, music, dance and visual arts.
Additionally, BSA’s highly acclaimed TWIGS program offers free after-school arts instruction
to 750 city elementary and middle school children from schools across Baltimore, as well as
other outreach initiatives to thousands more. Founded in 1979, the school is an integral and
vibrant part of Baltimore’s educational and cultural communities.
Baltimore School for the Arts, where the arts change kids’ lives.
