Yvonne Simons, Executive Director
ysimons(at)annefrank.com

Yvonne Simons is the Executive Director, having joined the AFC after a seven-year tenure at the South Street Seaport Museum, where she was the Deputy Executive Director. In that capacity she was responsible for $2,000,000+ programming growth, development and grant writing, program conceptualization and implementation, as well as management of the educational and programming department. Her fund raising abilities will be a key factor in the AFC expansion of its programming base. In addition, she is a professional exhibiting painter and was program director for Studio in a School. She is a Fulbright recipient and holds an MFA equivalent from the Royal Art Academy in ‘s Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands.

Maureen McNeil, Director of Education

mmcneil(at)annefrank.com

Maureen McNeil, the Director of Education at AFC, has created curriculum based on Anne Frank’s diary and writes grants for educational purposes. She was previously the Director of The Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute, overseeing multiple programs, accreditation, certification with Homeland Security, and a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to preserve Lee Strasberg’s archives. In the 1990s Ms. McNeil worked in education and development at the South Street Seaport Museum. She has taught writing in New York Public Schools and has trained in the Department of Education Mentoring Program. Her short stories and poetry have been published in literary journals. She holds a B.A. in English literature from the University of Western Ontario, Canada.

Hilary Eddy Stipelman, Program Manager

hestipelman(at)annefrank.com

Hilary Eddy Stipelman, Program Manager, is responsible for traveling to AFC exhibition sites to provide docent training and workshops to local educators. In addition she manages on-site school programs at the AFC and a recently awarded Teaching American History grant that provides ongoing professional development to teachers in Brooklyn. Previously she worked for six years at South Street Seaport Museum, as well as at the Brooklyn Historical Society, The Morgan Library, and the New Jersey Historical Society. Hilary serves as Treasurer on the Board of Trustees of the New York City Museum Educator’s Roundtable. She holds a B.A. in Art History from Smith College and an M.S.Ed. in Museum Education from Bank Street College.

Sandra Kulhay, Project Manager

skulhay(at)annefrank.com

Sandra Kulhay joined the AFC in September 2007 as Project Manager. Sandra will be responsible for coordinating various projects and events, e.g. the annual Spirit of Anne Frank Awards, screenings and community related projects. Previously, Sandra worked in Switzerland managing international events and meetings for various corporate and non-profit organizations. She also worked as Associate Director for the Neighborhood Center in Vienna focused on developing and implementing intra-cultural group programs. Sandra holds an equivalent Master of Philosophy from the University of Vienna.

Richard Stepler, Exhibits Manager

rstepler(at)annefrank.com

Richard Stepler joined AFC in January 2008 as Exhibits Manager. He is responsible for marketing the Center’s 8 traveling exhibits throughout the United States, negotiating contracts, and shipping, maintaining and storing the exhibit media. Previously, Richard was the exhibits manager at South Street Seaport Museum, where he was responsible for installing and de-installing visiting exhibits. He has also held various managerial positions at Time, Inc., Hachette-Fillipachi Magazines, and the Times Mirror Corporation. Richard holds a B.A. in English Literature from New York University, where he also did course work toward an M.A. in English.