President-Emeritus, is a life-long resident of Gary, Indiana and currently lives in the Miller Beach community. She and her husband have been active in Gary and raised their three children in the community. (All graduates of Emerson Visual & Performing Arts School) She attended Roosevelt High School and Ball State University. Mrs. Scott-King is a patron and advocate for the arts. She has spent the last 15 years dedicated to public service and the arts.

Board President, works as a commodity broker, enjoys hard work, new challenges and making a difference. Kathy is highly organized with demonstrated leadership and communication skills. Her career follows a lifetime of diverse, successful work that includes sales, sales management, operations management, systems development, and project management. Kathy, along with her wife, Mary Dugger, re-started the Miller Beach Farmers Market in its current location. She serves on fundraising, facilities, and grants committees.

Vice-President of Operations, has called Miller Beach home since 2017, though she was a frequent visitor for over a decade. Maria brings over 25 years of experience in the professional services and technology industry, predominantly dedicated to sales and marketing. Maria is currently the Senior Director of Sales at Zillow Group. Prior to Zillow, Maria was President and Founder of The Zanon Group, a sales and marketing training and consultancy. In her passion to give back, she sits on multiple boards – Future Founders (a nonprofit that believes every youth can become an entrepreneur) and mTuitive, Inc. (a medical software solution provider) and is active as an advisor and mentor in not for profit organizations, including 1871. A former, life-long Chicagoan, Maria loves giving back to the Miller Community that has been so generous to her and her family. Maria sees art as an expression of love and through the Miller Beach Arts & Creative District, is here to help grow and show her love of this community.

Board Secretary, is a recently retired pediatric occupational therapist, now a happy grandmother, and also a visual artist who’s work is largely inspired by the dynamic landscape surrounding the Great Lakes.

Prior to moving to Miller Beach in 2017, Nancy served on the board of the Riverside Arts Center (RAC), in Riverside, Illinois for many years.  Nancy is happy to bring her previous experience with the RAC to the MBACD, serving on the Exhibitions and Grant committees and acting as an amazing team player.

Vice-President of Creative, was born and raised in Gary, Indiana. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps then living and working in Illinois, Deidre returned to her roots and resides in the Miller Beach community. Being an all-around creative, she has a passion for the arts and a desire to see the revitalization of Gary. Deidre has one son and two grandsons who are the loves of her life.

is a long standing resident of Miller Beach with many ties to the community. She is a recently retired high school special education teacher and is very active in many organizations. She is a founding member of Miller Community Theatre and current member of Great Lakes Sound Chorus. Geneie’s love of her community, the beach, art, and people in general are infectious and are a great addition to the MBACD.

achieved his earliest successes during his years in New York City, where he became highly sought after for his headshot photography of performers in the creative arts. After an accomplished career in New York, he returned to Chicago, where he continues to pursue a wide range of creative work. His photographic series have included images taken in Italy, France, and Mexico, each presented in solo exhibitions. One of his most recognized projects, FACES, is a striking portrait series of actors, erotic men, personal friends & celebrities.  More recently, he has sponsored fundraisers highlighting the many faces of the Miller Beach community.

Larry’s garden has been recognized several times by the Miller Garden Club, and in recent years, he has expanded his artistic practice to include acrylic abstract painting. As a member of the Exhibitions Committee, he is active in identifying and supporting both emerging and established artists for local galleries

He is an avid film connoisseur—particularly of 1940s black-and-white cinema—and also enjoys gardening, mentoring others,  Thai cuisine, photography & painting. A dedicated supporter of opera and theater, Larry is active in both the Chicago cultural scene and the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. He currently serves as program chair for the Wagner Society of America.

is an accomplished finish contractor and is the proprietor of Ethel Pearl Paint+Design. Aldwin lives in the Miller community of Gary, IN with his partner, Katie, and spirit animal, Deebo. With an extensive background in security management and building trades, Aldwin brings oversight and advisement to the work of maintaining and refurbishing the MBACD facitlities. Aldwin is a volunteer at the Ken Parr Build-A-Bike and has donated finish work to complete the ADA bathroom at the Marshall J Gardner Center for the Arts. He also serves on the MBACD’s Outreach and Facilities committees.

is a long-time resident of Miller Beach and is a local accountant. She is a charter member and former board treasurer of the Miller Beach Arts Creative District CDC, Inc. With more than 50 years of professional experience, Ms. Prettyman has served as the president of Pettit Accounting & Management Services, LLC, since 1990.  She is a member of the National Association of Tax Professionals, and the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers, and she is the treasurer and a member of the board of directors of the Miller Business Association and Miller Citizens Corporation. The former chair of the Business Advisory Council, she has also served as treasurer and on the board of directors of the Foundation for Peace.

Throughout her career, Ms. Prettyman has been recognized for her contributions, including having been named Career Woman of the Year by Business and Professional Women and received the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award. She has been featured in numerous honors publications, including multiple editions of Who’s Who in Finance and Industry, Who’s Who in Finance and Business, Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who of American Women and Who’s Who of Emerging Leaders in America. In her free time, Ms. Prettyman enjoys singing, piano, cooking and the arts.

is a science educator, community advocate, and proud co-founder of Miller Community Theatre. A Northwest Indiana native and lifelong lover of the arts, Jen moved to Miller with her husband Jerry eight years ago — and they quickly fell in love with the neighborhood’s creativity, energy, and sense of community. Since then, Jen has become deeply involved in local efforts to help Miller thrive.  She also currently serves on the board of the Miller Citizens Corporation and is an active member of its Public Safety Committee. Jen can often be found along County Line Road gathering garbage with the rest of the Miller Litter League. Jen would like to encourage everyone that reads this bio to get involved in your community –  the payoff is immeasurable.

is a native of Miller Beach and an artist/entrepreneur. Ann began designing one-of-a-kind jewelry over 20 years ago. While pursuing her entrepreneurial passion, Ann worked as an executive assistant in the finance and banking industry in Chicago for 30 years and spent 12 years at Kirkland & Ellis as Attorney HR Assistant.

Annie Rose Originals can be found on display at Lake Street Gallery in Miller Beach and at various fundraisers and parties around NW Indiana and the Greater Chicagoland Area. Additionally, Ann donates jewelry sets to silent auctions for worthy causes such as UNICEF, Association House of Chicago, Crisis Center and the NW Indiana Humane Society donates her creations to the MBACD in the infamous “Smokin’ Art” machine. Ann has served on a number of committees including Events and Marketing and is the force behind the MBACD’s annual Golf Outing fundraiser. Most of all, Ann is the proud owner of her Maltese/Bichon Dog, Junior!

is the founder of Teena’s Legacy and Life Coach, whose mission is to inspire others to live a more fulfilling, loving, joyful life by helping them reconnect with their inner wisdom and life purpose and achieve it with ease and grace.

Jamika graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin with a B.A. in Human Environmental Sciences, and later earned a M.A in Community Development from North Park University in Chicago. As a seasoned mentor and trainer, she is particularly interested in models of human and social development that employ participatory community-driven approaches. Jamika is an approved CPS vendor (#99606) and shares her story and knowledge to inspire mothers across the Chicagoland area.

The mission of Teena’s Legacy is to provide a soul changing experience, in which young women and women in general becomes architects of their future. They do this by presenting opportunities for economic transformation through a process called “I Transformed My Life,” and the trade of reviving, restoring and reupholstering furniture.