Vent Haven Museum--Personnel

Personnel

Board of Directors

John S "Brook" Brooking

Anne Roberts

Lisa Sweasy

Bob Wylly

Tom Ladshaw

Museum President

Brook has been connected to Vent Haven Museum in one capacity or another for most of his life. In 2006, when prior Vent Haven President John R.S. Brooking passed away, Brook took over as president, and has since served in the dual capacity of president and legal counsel. Brook is a practicing attorney in Ft. Wright, KY.

Director

Anne's involvement with Vent Haven Museum is also nearly lifelong. At age 10 she dusted dummies for then curator Dorothy Millure. Annie became curator in 1994 and served in that position for seven years during which time she created the first complete digital inventory & catalog of figures. In 2001, Anne was invited to serve on the Board of Directors; she also works as the Media Coordinator for the Vent Haven ConVENTion each summer.

A toy Danny O'Day dummy accompanied by Jimmy Nelson's Instant Ventriloquism album ignited Tom Ladshaw's lifetime passion when he was only five years old. Following years of performing worldwide in venues ranging from comedy clubs to cruise ships, Tom settled near Vent Haven Museum, where he volunteers regularly. He joined the Board of Directors in 2017.

Director/Curator

curator@venthaven.org

Lisa was curator of Vent Haven Museum from 2000-2008. In 2009 she joined the Board of Directors and became curator again in 2013. Lisa wrote a complete biography of founder W.S. Berger in 2015. She also organized the elements of the collection into several databases. She and her husband Bryan are working to digitize the massive archives.

Director

Bob has lived in Cincinnati since 1978, retiring from Procter & Gamble in 2002. He attended his first ConVENTion in that year, first out of curiosity but later out of appreciation for what it takes to be a ventriloquist. He has volunteered in many capacities at Vent Haven Museum, and agreed to join the Board of Directors in 2017. Bob is active in many other local organizations, including the Boy Scouts of America and the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Jimmy Vee

Executive Director,

Vent Haven ConVENTion

Jimmy Vee is the 5-Foot-High Marketing Guy. He’s a Happy Husband, Funny Father, Award-Winning Author, Savvy CEO, Crack Copywriter, Corny Comedian, Master Magician & Stiff-Lipped Ventriloquist. And in 2024, Jimmy added to all of these titles "Executive Director of the Vent Haven ConVENtion."

Jimmy is the co-owner of Gravitational Marketing. His creative campaigns have been heard all over the US and Canada and have even been featured in "Ripley’s Believe It Or Not.” He lives in Orlando, Florida with his wife and two kids and a world-class collection of ventriloquist figures, vent & magic books, vintage posters, and sideshow memorabilia.

Mark Wade

Executive Director Emeritus,

Vent Haven ConVENTion

Mark Wade served as the Executive Director of the Vent Haven ConVENTion from 2000 through 2023, and he has served on the Board of Advisors to the Vent Haven Museum for nearly five decades. He is a past “International Ventriloquist of The Year,” an author, lecturer, and presenter who has traveled around the globe promoting ventriloquism. Mark is noted for being “America’s Foremost Children’s Ventriloquist,” a title that he greatly cherishes. He has even written the textbook on how to perform vent for children, Kidshow Ventriloquism. In 2024, at a Vent Haven ConVENTion honoring Mark, he was name Executive Director Emeritus of the convention.