Staff

Michele Anstine (she/her)

Executive Director

Michele joined Delaware Humanities in 2018 after working over 20 years in the history and museum field. Her undergraduate degree focused on American History, but she pursued a Master’s degree in Liberal Studies, realizing that her research and work was most effective when her approach was multidisciplinary.

At Delaware Humanities she works closely with the board of directors and staff members to strategically propel the organization forward and increase access to the humanities for Delawareans. She is a board member of both the Delaware Museum Association and the Forum of Executive Women Delaware.

Ciera Fisher (she/her)

Deputy Director

Ciera received her Master of Science from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in Anthropology. She has over 10 years of experience in nonprofit management and public programming and has worked for the Lock House Museum, the Maryland Park Service, and the Maryland Center for History and Culture.

Previously the Program Officer at Delaware Humanities, Ciera now focuses on operations management for the organization. 

Erin Samarasinghe (she/her)

Grant Officer

Erin is pleased to serve as the Grant Officer after years spent working in the museum sector. A passionate arts and humanities advocate and educator, Erin is excited to play a hands-on role with the grant-making process; from inception to implementation, and finally evaluation.

Karla Leonard (she/her)

Administrative Assistant

Karla comes from a diverse work background which includes banking and several different fields of law. She has 15 years of non-profit work experience with a trust company.

As the Administrative Assistant at Delaware Humanities, she helps manage the Speakers Program, daily operations, monthly reporting, and continuous contact with board\executive members.

Karla is happy she joined the organization and looks forward to continues work in our community.

Rebecca Olsen, PhD (she/her)

Senior Programs Officer

Rebecca received her Ph.D. in English Literature from the University of Delaware in 2022. She previously worked as a humanities educator in museums, libraries, and classrooms.

At Delaware Humanities, Rebecca manages and develops programs such as the Speaker and Facilitator programs, Museum on Main Street, and partnership programming with the Delaware Museum Association.

Jenna Greenlee (she/her)

Engagement Officer

Jenna Greenlee is excited to be the newest addition to the Delaware Humanities team. She graduated with a B.A. in Public Relations and a B.A. in Advertising from Rowan University in South Jersey where she found a passion for writing and marketing. She has previous experience working in social media management and running advertising campaigns across several different platforms.  She looks forward to working with and is happy to get the opportunity to improve our Delaware communities.

Zoe Yearwood (she/her)

Community Engagement Coordinator (Public Ally)

Zoe comes from Eastern University and is a recent graduate with a degree in Social Work. She was raised in Wilmington Delaware and now serves as a Public Ally.

Zoe is passionate about assisting her community through the humanities. She is serving as the Community Engagement Coordinator to build relationships with partner organizations in local Delaware communities, as well as evaluating programming and grant needs to target audiences through community events.