PITTSBURGH, PA.- The Andy Warhol Museum has added Nisha Blackwell, Jamilka Borges, Heather Tomko and Jessica Tomko to The Warhol board effective May 10, 2019.
Nisha Blackwell is the Founder of Knotzland Bowties, a sustainable lifestyle brand that sources, rescues and repurposes discarded textiles into stylish bowties. The company provides training and flexible at-home income to women in the community. Blackwell’s community service experiences shaped through AmeriCorps, Pittsburgh Center for Creative Reuse, GTECH and Strong Women, Strong Girls reflect her leadership capabilities and passion for people. Along with being an entrepreneur, she is an outreach consultant, mentor and producer in residence for Bridgeway Capital’s Craft Business Accelerator and is a current member of Facebook’s Small Business Council. Blackwell has been recognized by Pittsburgh Technology Council as their 2017 Creator of the Year, Who’s Next in Style, Style Week Pittsburgh and has also received a Homewood Community Council Engagement Award.
As the executive chef at Independent Hospitality Group, Jamilka Borges oversees Independent, Hidden Harbor and Lorelei kitchens. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, she attended the University of Puerto Rico and culinary school at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Borges was the chef di cuisine at Legume Bistro, executive chef at the Livermore and Bar Marco, executive chef of Food Revolution Cooking Club and executive chef at Spoon. She was recognized by the James Beard Foundation as a Rising Star Chef Semifinalist, was honored in 2015 as Best Chefs America’s Rising Star Chef, was named Starchefs Rising Star for the Rustbelt Region in 2016 and was named Pittsburgh Magazine’s 2018 Chef of the Year. Currently she works with 412 Food Rescue, a non-profit organization that is looking to eliminate hunger while reducing food waste and is also a James Beard Boot Camp for Policy and Change alumna.
Heather Tomko is a research coordinator in the Health Policy and Management department of the University of Pittsburgh’s Graduate School of Public Health, where she is also pursuing a Master of Public Health. Tomko is an alumna of Carnegie Mellon University, where she studied mechanical and biomedical engineering. As a woman with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a neuromuscular disease, Tomko is passionate about disability advocacy and access. She serves on the Board of Directors of CLASS, a local disability resources organization, and is the founder of Accessible YOUniverse, an organization focused on disability advocacy, education and representation. She was recently crowned Ms. Wheelchair USA 2018, and will spend the next year promoting her platform, “Increasing Inclusion for People with Disabilities into their Communities.”
Jessica Tomko works in graduate admissions for the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University. She has a bachelor’s degree in music therapy and a master’s degree in psychology and has been working in higher education for seven years. Tomko is a member of the Carnegie Mellon Women’s Association and is actively involved in community efforts to promote diversity and inclusion through speaking engagements and planning committees.
“Each of these extraordinary individuals brings skills, connections and life experiences that will enrich The Andy Warhol Museum and strengthen our ability to be relevant to our community. Equity and inclusion are core values that illuminate and inspire all that we do at The Warhol, and I am delighted that our board reflects and shares this commitment,” stated Patrick Moore, director of The Warhol.
