Officers
Rick Foster, PhD
Kate Harper
Matthew J. Wawro
Trustees
Denene De Quintal, PhD
Detroit, MI
Dr. Denene De Quintal is Assistant Curator for Native American art at Detroit Institute of Arts. Denene’s focus at the DIA is on reengaging the Native American, Indigenous, and Detroit communities with the Indigenous Americas art collection, addressing NAGPRA concerns, and enacting best practices for the display of Native American art. She created a Native American Advisory Council that assists the museum with initiatives important to the Native American community and is augmenting the Native American art collection by purchasing works by prominent contemporary artists. In 2022 and 2023, Denene led the development of the traveling exhibition, Vitality and Continuity: Art in the Experiences of Anishinaabe, Inuit, and Pueblo Women, which celebrated some of the critical roles Anishinaabe, Inuit, and Pueblo women fulfill in their families, their communities, the art world, and beyond. She is currently planning the reinstallation of the Indigenous Americas galleries at the DIA in collaboration with other DIA team members and multiple Indigenous communities. Denene is from the Bronx and enjoys cooking family recipes.
Rick Foster, PhD
Richland, MI
Rick Foster retired in 2018 from Michigan State University's College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, where he held an Endowed Chair in Food, Society and Sustainability. Prior to joining MSU, Rick spent 17 years as Vice President for Programs at the W.K. Kellogg Foundation in Battle Creek, Michigan, specializing in Food Systems, Rural Developments, Environmental Programs, and Leadership. Rick's interests include helping to bring integrative sustainability solutions to long-term problems impacting the social, economic, and environmental systems affecting Michigan communities. He was instrumental in establishing the School of Agriculture for the Humid Tropics (EARTH University) in Costa Rica and currently serves on several national boards and councils. Rick remains active in his church and community and enjoys spending quality time with his family.
Kathryn (Kate) Harper (she/her/hers)
Detroit, MI
Kate is the proud granddaughter of Americana’s founders, Adolph and Ginger Meyer. Her connection to the Foundation is deeply rooted in family history. The collection of American art and antiques that her grandparents created has a special place in her heart and is reflected in her passion for preserving and promoting the cultural heritage it represents. She and her siblings enjoyed many weekend days at Tollgate Farm and learned at an early age the importance of preserving Michigan agriculture and natural resources. As trustee, Kate works to safeguard the legacy and values instilled by her grandparents and to effectuate their belief in the power of early American art, furniture, decorative arts, and culture to enrich lives.
As co-owner and publisher of Edible WOW Magazine for more than 15 years, Kate became deeply involved in the local food landscape in Michigan. She collaborated closely with farmers, farmers markets, chefs, and purveyors who shared a passion for the locavore movement and the vitality of urban gardening. Kate is a founding member of the Carver-Carson Society at The Henry Ford Museum, which is dedicated to agricultural and environmental education at The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village. Through this work, she developed a profound appreciation for the impact of grassroots efforts in building vibrant and sustainable communities.
Kate lives in the City of Detroit with her husband Robb. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, rooftop gardening, and exploring ways to deepen the impact of the Americana Foundation and preserve her grandparents’ legacy.
Liz Kirkwood
Traverse City, MI
Liz is an environmental lawyer and advocate with nearly 25 years of experience working on water, sanitation, energy, and environmental governance both nationally and internationally. Her leadership as executive director of the nonprofit, For Love of Water (FLOW), since 2012 has provided a deep foundation and understanding of key Great Lakes environmental policies designed to promote healthy ecosystems, thriving communities, and access to safe, clean, affordable water for all. Liz also serves as a member of the International Joint Commission’s Water Quality Board. Her unwavering commitment to building strong and healthy communities aligns with the philanthropic mission of the Americana Foundation.
Liz graduated from Williams College with a degree in Environmental Studies and History and received her J.D. and Environmental Certificate from Lewis & Clark Law School. Liz loves spending time with her family outside hiking, biking, running, traveling, cooking, and being in, on, or near the water.
Jonathan Meyer Thomas
Vail Valley, CO
Jonathan is the grandson of Americana’s founders, Adolph and Ginger Meyer. He has a passion for his grandparents’ original intent of preserving authentic early American art and protecting natural resources. He especially appreciates the opportunity to collaborate with grantees and other funders to maximize the Foundation’s impact. Jonathan’s economics degree from the University of Denver, post-graduate studies in finance and banking, and career in the single and multi-family office sectors speak to his dedication to the responsible stewardship of financial assets and resources. He is Chair of the Foundation’s Investment Committee.
Jonathan returns frequently to his home state of Michigan but now resides primarily in the Vail Valley of Colorado. He enjoys the activities and natural attributes of each area – fly fishing, bird hunting, snow skiing, sailing, jet boarding, hiking, biking, and golf.
Kathryn Lynch Underwood
Detroit, MI
Kathryn Lynch Underwood is a retired urban planner from the City of Detroit City Planning Commission. She worked as a planner for over 30 years, and has experience developing zoning codes, comprehensive plan policies, models of community engagement, and policies related to the environment, sustainability, and urban food systems. Kathryn devised Detroit’s urban agriculture ordinance, spearheaded the work around urban livestock policy, and has been in the forefront of community-led activism. She helped create the Detroit Food Security Policy and was a founding member of numerous organizations focused on urban food systems, including the Detroit Agriculture Network, the Detroit Food Policy Council, Detroiters Working for Environmental Justice, and the Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network. Kathryn has presented locally, nationally and internationally on urban agriculture and policy, participated in international study groups related to urban food systems, and served on a variety of governing and advisory boards related to urban food systems, including the national board of Slow Food USA and as a US International Councilor to Slow Food International.
Kathryn remains active in the urban food space, is an avid archer and kayaker, volunteers at her church, enjoys jazz and traveling with her husband, and recently received certification as an Ayurveda Health Counselor.
Matthew J. Wawro
Grand Rapids, MI
Matt’s professional experience on behalf of educational and non-profit organizations spans more than 25 years, giving him an outstanding foundation in philanthropic development and deep expertise in helping to position organizations to better serve their communities. He has led large capital campaigns involving donor support and donor relations across the country, with the ultimate goal of enhancing organizational capacity to pursue and achieve mission in their given communities. He serves as a Trustee of the Americana Foundation for the same reason—to empower organizations to maximize their capacity for positively impacting people’s lives.
Matt graduated with a BA from the University of Michigan and an MSA from Central Michigan University. He became a private consultant in June 2023, bringing his years of experience to Philanthropic Partner LLC.
President and CEO
Kathryn A. Buckner (she/her)
Farmington Hills, MI
Kathryn has been President and CEO of the Americana Foundation since January 2019. An experienced environmental lawyer, Kathryn brings the systems approach she developed as a graduate student at the University of Michigan’s Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise to identify program priorities, develop relationships, and guide the Foundation to ever more impactful grantmaking. When not at work, Kathryn is an avid but only semi-successful gardener, a courageous DIYer, and loves to visit her children and grandchildren or hang out with Tully, her Labrador.