The Cape Fear Museum Associates Board of Directors have added seven new board members and elected new officers, according to a news release.

The board elected Emily Bogan, as president; Kate Baynard, as vice president; Chrystal Fray, as secretary; and Daniel Owen, as board treasurer, stated the release.

New members elected to serve three-year terms on the associates board of Cape Fear Museum are: John Coble, Diane Durance, Jean Guinup, Susan Hanna, Sara Izad, Lisa Leath and Girard Newkirk.

Coble is a partner in the Marshall, William & Gorham law firm, stated the release. He received his Juris Doctor from Campbell University in 1985. Coble is a member of the N.C. Bar Association and the Fifth Judicial District bar, serving as president in 2001.

Durance is the director of the University of North Carolina Wilmington Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. She is an entrepreneur, who has started companies, including a telecommunications engineering firm, a communications publishing company and a residential construction business. She holds a bachelor's degree and a master's degree from Southern Methodist University.

Guinup is the owner of GC Communications LLC, a tourism and hospitality consulting firm, stated the release. "Her professional experience includes working with domestic and international visitor markets, both direct to consumer and via the travel trade," officials said in the release. She is also on the Wilmington Area Hospitality Association board.

Hanna is retired from New Hanover Regional Medical Center. She worked for 30 years in a number of nursing roles. She has also worked for nine years with Cape Fear Community College nursing students in clinical settings. She currently serves on the Family Selection Committee at Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity and delivers meals once a month for Meals on Wheels, stated the release.

Izad is a software architect at Wilmington-based nCino. "As part of the new FinTech industry in Wilmington, she makes high-level design choices concerning nCino’s software applications, automation and system design," officials said in the release.

Leath is the founder of WorkTok and president of Leath HR Group, stated the release.  She has served on many boards, including as chair for United Way of the Cape Fear Area, board director for Wilmington Chamber of Commerce and director for Communities in Schools of Cape Fear.

Newkirk is the founder of KWHCoin, "a digital currency that converts renewable distributed energy resources to digital tokens on a unique blockchain," stated the release. "He recently announced Genesis Block, a project launching three media platforms to engage the broader community to provide information and resources for small businesses and to promote community partnership," officials said in the release.

The board also nominated and appointed Jack Mills as its first director emeritus.

"He has made significant contributions to the Museum over more than 27 years serving as a member of both the Museum’s Associates and Advisory Boards, holding numerous leadership positions and volunteering his time leading school and family programs," officials said in the release.

Cape Fear Museum Associates Inc. also honored retiring board members Bradley Erbes, Alexandra Perillo, Lynn Gattone and Lorelle Feezor.

“We are delighted to welcome these dedicated community leaders to Cape Fear Museum’s Associates Board,” said Sheryl Kingery Mays, museum director, in the release. “Each board member adds a rich diversity of backgrounds, talents and experience to the board and plays a crucial role in the oversight of our institution and efforts to build an exciting future for the museum.”