Steven Maklansky, State Museums
Steven is the Interim Director of the Louisiana State Museum system, a position that he has held since June, 2017. He has overseen more than $5 million worth of renovations to the Museum’s historic buildings, and has made changes to the Museum’s programming and administration resulting in significant increases in overall attendance and earned revenue. He previously served as the Director of the Boca Raton Museum of Art; the Director of the Brevard Art Museum; the Director of Curatorial Services for the Louisiana State Museum, and as the Assistant Director for Art and Curator of Photographs at the New Orleans Museum of Art. He has curated and supervised scores of exhibitions, published dozens of articles and essays in catalogs, books, and magazines, and has presented scores of lectures and presentations on a variety of topics related to art, history, culture, and arts and museum administration and leadership. He is a graduate of the Getty Museum Leadership Institute, and has served as a grant reviewer for the National Endowment of the Humanities, the Louisiana Endowment of the Humanities, and the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs.
Brandon Burris, State Parks
Brandon is the Assistant Secretary for the Office of State Parks within the department of Culture, Recreation, and Tourism. Mr. Burris serves as a direct appointment for Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser. Mr. Burris is responsible for the oversight of Louisiana’s vast State Parks system and numerous State Historic Sites. Prior to his appointment as Assistant Secretary, Mr. Burris served as Deputy Assistant Secretary within the Office of State Parks.
Mr. Burris has also served as Executive Management Officer for the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and as Deputy Director of Community Programs within the Office the Governor of Louisiana.
Assistant Secretary Burris is a graduate of Louisiana Tech University and a native of Monroe, La.
Kristin Sanders, Cultural Development
Kristin Sanders is the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Cultural Development and the State Historic Preservation Officer. In this role, she oversees the arts, archaeology, historic preservation, CODOFIL, and the Atchafalaya National Heritage Area. Kristin began her career in the Office of Cultural Development over 14 years ago as a tax credit reviewer in the Division of Historic Preservation. She has a B.A. in History from Louisiana Tech University and a J.D. from Southern University Law Center.