Hobbs, Mansfield, and Toussaint Join Board of Governors

The Decorative Arts Trust welcomes William T. Hobbs, Nancy R. Mansfield, and Corbett E. Toussaint to the Board of Governors. 

William (Bill) T. Hobbs, II, from Charlotte, NC, is a retired Managing Partner of Carousel Capital, a Charlotte-based private equity firm. He previously served as a Managing Director at Wachovia Securities and in various roles at Chemical Securities, Inc. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Arts & Sciences Foundation of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and previously chaired the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Historic Landmarks Commission and the board of directors of the North Carolina Museum of Art Foundation. He is an avid enthusiast of historic architecture and the decorative arts. Bill hopes to use the combination of his financial background and interest in material culture to ensure the Trust operates with fiscal discipline and to help find additional creative ways to promote the decorative arts. 

Nancy R. Mansfield from Atlanta, GA, recently retired as a tenured full professor of Legal Studies at Georgia State University (GSU), where she served as the Founding Director of the university’s Women Lead Program and as Senior Faculty Associate for Women’s Leadership Development. Her courses and scholarship focus on leadership, business, law, and ethics. Nancy won several national and university-wide awards for her excellence in teaching, research, and service, including GSU’s Outstanding Service to Students Award. Nancy is a long-time member of the Ceramic Circle of Atlanta and is serving as President in 2022–23. She is a member of various arts organizations including the National Museum of Women in the Arts. Nancy is excited to have more time in retirement to focus on her material culture interests. She believes the Trust’s Board will offer a new lens for study, travel, and sharing her passion for drawing attention to the decorative arts. 

Corbett E. Toussaint from Columbia, SC, received a BA from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1999 and a doctorate degree from the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in 2004. A former podiatrist, she is also a graduate of Boston University’s Genealogical Studies program. Dr. Toussaint is an avid genealogist and independent researcher and writer. She is a leading collector and scholar on Southern pottery and the decorative arts of central and western South Carolina. Corbett is eager to join the Trust’s Board to become more involved with the organization’s mission, especially the support and encouragement of young scholars. 

The Trust also congratulates Alexandra Alevizatos Kirtley for being appointed the Board’s Secretary. Bruce Perkins has been named an Honorary Governor, and we thank Martha Dippell for her years of service as her term as a Governor concludes. 

For more information about the Decorative Arts Trust’s leadership, see our Officers and Governors webpage.