Museum Staff
John Sterr – Executive Director
John Sterr has been Executive Director since 2014, after a three-year stint as Marketing Manager. Sterr is a native of Whitefish Bay and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Broad Field Social Studies from Cardinal Stritch University. He has extensive operations management experience, having worked ten years in the airline industry before leaving to pursue a career in historic preservation. As Marketing Manager, Sterr partnered the Charles Allis and Villa Terrace with three other East Side museums to found the Milwaukee Museum Mile, which raises the profile of its member organizations. Sterr’s passion for the museums is evident as he oversees the planning and execution of membership, event, curatorial, and facilities projects. He is also an avid photographer who still enjoys shooting black and white street photography on 35mm film.
Shana McCaw – Senior Curator
Shana McCaw is an artist-curator with over 16 years of experience researching, teaching, and working in the Milwaukee area. McCaw’s projects include curating and directing the Northwestern Mutual Gallery at Cardinal Stritch University; assisting in the design and installation of five exhibitions in partnership with the Chipstone Foundation at the Milwaukee Art Museum; teaching 3-D design, sculpture, and domestic field study courses at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, and Cardinal Stritch University; and developing an internationally recognized art practice with her husband and collaborator, Brent Budsberg. McCaw and Budsberg received the Mary Nohl Fellowship for Individual Artists in the Established category in 2008 and 2014. They were also recently awarded residencies in Wendover, UT with the Center for Land Use Interpretation (2012) and in Death Valley, CA with the Goldwell Open Air Museum (2013). McCaw earned her MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, MI in 1999. She currently lives in Milwaukee’s Riverwest neighborhood, where her studio is also based.
Jenille Junco – Assistant Curator and Collections Manager
Jenille Junco studied Art History and Urban Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and began a curatorial internship at the Charles Allis and Villa Terrace in 2007. She was hired as the Curatorial Assistant in 2009, working directly under former curator Martha Monroe. In 2010, she became the Registrar, and in 2013 added collections management to her responsibilities. Junco oversaw the Curatorial Department through 2016. She also worked on the reinstallation of the Milwaukee Art Museum’s permanent collection during museum renovation in 2015.
Matt Pappas – Membership Manager
Matt has been with the museums since 2013. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee with a degree in History and Political Science. He enjoys exploring the beautiful city of Milwaukee — a hobby that piqued his interest in the Villa Terrace Art Museum. His passion for the arts and preserving history makes him a perfect fit for his work at the museums. When not working at the museum, Matt plays in two nationally touring bands: The Fatty Acids and the Platinum Boys.
Michael Keiley – Events Manager
Since 2011, Michael Keiley has been an integral part of the museums’ in-house events team. Museum events have benefitted from his experience as a critically acclaimed actor, director, set-designer, costumer and prop maker. He graduated with a BA in Theatre Studies from UWM and has performed on many different stages around Milwaukee. His favorite roles include Emperor Joseph in Amadeus and King Creon in Medea — both performed at the Villa Terrace.
Megan Maikowski – Rentals Manager
Megan has worked with the museums since February 2018. She enjoys working closely with clients and vendors in planning unique events with the historic homes as the backdrop. Megan graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point with degree in Arts Management and History in 2014. Her background in event management includes weddings, nonprofit fundraisers, galas, and corporate meetings. On her days off, she likes to enjoy the best of what Milwaukee has to offer – cold beer, cheese curds and music festivals.
Taytum Markee — Visitor Experience and Beverage Services Manager
Taytum Markee has been the Visitor Experience and Beverage Services manager since February 2018. She is a graduate student in the Department of History at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she is pursuing a master’s degree in Public History and a graduate certificate in Museum Studies. As an undergraduate, she majored in History with a minor in Art History at UW-Milwaukee. While pursuing her undergraduate, she interned for the Milwaukee County Historical Society, Charles Allis and Villa Terrace Art Museums, and the Waukesha County Historical Society. She is originally from Orfordville, Wisconsin and has lived in Milwaukee for the past four years.