Bringing the Humanities to Life is a new monthly virtual webinar series that explores how the humanities enrich and transform various fields. Each session will feature experts discussing the importance of integrating literature, history, philosophy, and the social sciences in industries such as technology, healthcare, sports, and environmentalism.

Join us on Wednesday, February 11th at 12:00 p.m. for our first episode of this series, “Bringing the Humanities to Advocacy,” where we’ll be exploring how the humanities inform advocacy efforts across social justice movements. This session will equip participants with practical approaches for communicating the public value of the humanities to decision-makers and partners. Attendees will explore how to clearly articulate program impact, align messages with civic priorities, and use timely examples to demonstrate why humanities work matters at the local, state, and national levels.

Registration is free but required.

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Guest panelists include:

Soo Koo is an external affairs and public impact professional with experience across government, nonprofit, and political settings in both domestic and international contexts. Under the administration of Governor Larry Hogan of Maryland, she served in roles including Chief of Staff to Maryland’s First Lady, communications lead for statewide community initiatives, and in inaugural leadership roles supporting immigrant affairs under the Governor.

She has also worked at the U.S. Department of State on strategic communications, domestic outreach, and stakeholder engagement in support of public diplomacy and press relations across the Asia-Pacific region. Earlier in her career, she served as a nonprofit executive focused on small business advocacy, U.S.–Asia exchanges, leadership development, and next-generation civic engagement.

Soo currently serves on the boards of Maryland Humanities and the YUMI C.A.R.E.S. Foundation, is a member of the American Enterprise Institute Leadership Network, and serves as a translator for Asian Pacific Islander American Vote. Her recognitions include “40 Under 40” honors from the Asian American Chamber of Commerce in the DMV region and the National Association of Asian Pacifics in Politics and Public Affairs, a Governor’s Citation, the Federal Asian Pacific American Council Award, and Certificates of Superior Achievement from the U.S. Department of State.

Chris Shank is a seasoned public policy and government affairs leader with more than two decades of experience in Maryland state government. He previously served as a Senior Advisor in the Office of Governor Larry Hogan, working closely with the Governor, senior staff, and cabinet secretaries on major policy and operational priorities. Earlier, Chris was the Governor’s Chief Legislative Officer and chief negotiator with the Maryland General Assembly, responsible for advancing and defending the Governor’s legislative package and managing complex negotiations with legislative leadership.

Chris also served sixteen years as an elected member of the Maryland House of Delegates and Senate, representing Washington County, Maryland, a region rich in American history and political tradition. He earned a BA in History from Johns Hopkins University in 1994. Today, Chris is the Principal Consultant at C. C. Shank Consulting, advising organizations on state government strategy, legislative engagement, and coalition building across multiple states.

Chanel Johnson is inspired and passionate about her role as Executive Director for the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC), an agency that operates the Banneker-Douglass-Tubman Museum (BDTM), Maryland State Museum on African American History and Culture and the African American Heritage Preservation Program Grant. With over 15 years of museum and cultural heritage experience, Johnson believes that African American museums are instrumental in inspiring a new generation of leaders and innovators because it is a place of empowerment, of learning, and a place of individual and collective transformation.

As Executive Director of MCAAHC, Chanel is dedicated to serving the great state of Maryland to amplify and support African American heritage initiatives, groups, and museums to gain further access to resources, partnerships, and reach new audiences and heights. Chanel earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Rutgers University and completed a graduate degree in Arts Management from American University. She is also a visual artist, expressing Black diasporic experiences, history, and identity through portraits, abstract paintings, and mosaics. She and husband have a home and art studio in Baltimore, Maryland.