Ms. Erin Carlson Mast has over 20 years of experience in cultural nonprofit excellence and leadership. She joined the Lincoln Presidential Foundation as its President & CEO in 2021. She has led the organizational revisioning, rebranding and relaunch, establishment of new partnerships, including with the National Park Service, and award-winning programming.

Prior to serving as the Foundation’s leader, Mast was the CEO & Executive Director of President Lincoln’s Cottage, a National Monument in Washington, DC. As CEO, Mast built and led the organization through steady growth, groundbreaking scholarship and programming, unprecedented press and awards recognition, and its transition to an independent, 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Under her leadership, the organization received over two dozen awards and diverse recognition including a Presidential Medal for its international Students Opposing Slavery program, “50 Great Places to Work” in Washington DC, “Best Museum off the Mall” four years in a row, and a must-see destination by Time magazine. In 2017, Mast received the EXCEL Award for Chief Executive Leadership from the Center for Nonprofit Advancement. Prior to serving as the CEO & Executive Director, Mast had served the organization in other leadership roles, including Curator & Site Administrator. She was an original member of the capital project team leading to the National Monument’s grand opening in 2008.

Mast’s current service to the field includes Vice Chair of the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), Board of the Association of Midwest Museums, Board Member of Made by Us, Executive Committee of the Lincoln Forum, Board of the Abraham Lincoln Institute, Commissioner for the Barrington Cultural Commission, Barrington White House Advisory Board, Educating for American Democracy Community Learning Partners Task Force, and Chair of the AASLH Making History Matter fundraising campaign, which is raising funds to strengthen history organizations in the lead up to the U.S. 250^th anniversary. Her past service includes American Alliance of Museums Host Committee and National History Day Advisory Council. Mast is a regular guest speaker for professional conferences and institutions. She has authored brief biographies of Abraham and Mary Lincoln, articles for a variety of professional and popular periodicals, and has contributed chapters and essays to several books including Change is Required: Preparing for the Post-Pandemic Museum; Mission Matters: Relevance and Museums in the 21st Century; and Reimagining Historic House Museums.

In addition to her executive leadership, Mast has a depth and breadth of work experience including the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, National Building Museum, and the Smithsonian Institution. She is an alumna of The George Washington University and Ohio University.

rbrethorst@lincolnpresidential.org
(217) 524-7517

Rene Brethorst, Chief Operating Officer for the Lincoln Presidential Foundation, has spent 20 years in not-for-profit management. For the past 13 years, Rene has worked to insure our foundation operates in a financially responsible manner at the highest professional standards. Before coming to our Foundation, Rene was an educator and served in a leadership role at the Girl Scouts of Central Illinois.

pevans@lincolnpresidential.org
(217) 557-5610

Phyllis joined the Lincoln Presidential Foundation in early 2007. Before becoming the Senior Director of Development, Phyllis served as the Foundation's Director of Membership and editor of the Four Score magazine. Her experience includes drafting legislation for the Illinois House of Representatives and serving as editor of community newspapers for more than 20 years.

smcgee@lincolnpresidential.org
(217) 558-8852

Samantha has 12 years of financial management experience and a Master of Science degree in accountancy at the University of Illinois. During her nine-year term at the Estes, Bridgewater & Ogden accounting firm, she served as an auditor to many charitable organizations. She also served as CFO for a local corporation before joining our foundation in 2019.

csaxer@lincolnpresidential.org

(217) 557-6250

Carmyn joined the Lincoln Presidential Foundation in 2024. She has a double major in public history and vocal performance. Before coming to our foundation, Carmyn was a long-term substitute teacher and a deputy clerk for the Morgan County Circuit Clerk Office in Jacksonville, Illinois.

astaron@lincolnpresidential.org
(224) 383-8541

Angela joined the Lincoln Presidential Foundation in 2011 and has 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector raising corporate, foundation, and government grants for arts, social service, and higher education institutions including the Chicago Humanities Festival, Chicago School of Professional Psychology, and Acorn Housing Corporation. She also worked for the Illinois Attorney General and taught English in Kyoto middle schools through a Japanese government program.

The Lincoln Presidential Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment, recruitment, and advertisements for employment, compensation, termination, upgrading, promotions, and other conditions of employment against any employee or job applicant on the bases of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity, age, disability, participation in discrimination complaint-related activities, sexual orientation, genetics, or active military or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.