Our Team

Shannon Blankinship

Executive Director
About:
As Executive Director, Shannon works to fulfill the mission of RAP by advocating for the needs of the neighborhood and preserving what distinguishes this community from all others.  Shannon is a long-time resident of Jacksonville’s urban core neighborhoods and believes Riverside and Avondale are the heart of our great city. She manages the Buckland House, supports all staff, builds and maintains the annual budget, is the direct point of contact for the Board of Directors, and is a member of each RAP committee. She has served in the role since 2021.
 
Shannon grew up in Richmond, Virginia, and attended Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, receiving a B.S. in Environmental Economics and Political Science. After working for the Delaware Riverkeeper in Philadelphia, she moved to Jacksonville, Florida and received her J.D. from Florida Coastal School of Law with an emphasis in pro bono community service and the Environmental Certificate. Shannon worked at St. Johns Riverkeeper for nearly a decade before joining RAP.

Shannon served as the first Chair of Resilient Jax (now the Jacksonville Climate Coalition, 2020), the COJ Consolidation Task Force (2014), the Groundwork Jacksonville McCoys Creek Restoration Task Force (2018-2020), the COJ Planning Department Adaptation Action Area Working Group (2019), and the COJ Special Committee on Resiliency as a Special Expert (2020-2021). Shannon is a graduate of the Northeast Florida Regional Leadership Academy (2022), Jim Moran Institute Nonprofit Executive Program (2023), and Class VI Hightower Fellowship (2024). She is currently on the Northeast Florida Nonprofit Center Community Coaches Network (2026). 

Contact Shannon at shannon@riversideavondale.org, or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Hannah Conrad

Assistant Market Manager
About:

Hannah is a midwesterner at heart, having moved to Jacksonville by way of Indianapolis. With a degree in fine art photography, she was immediately drawn to the Riverside Arts Market, so much so that it became the first weekly event she sought out after relocating. Her passion for community-centered work grew through roles with the Museum of Science & History (MOSH) and The Healing Hearts Project, where she supported program coordination and mission-driven programs. These experiences solidified her love for people-focused work and making a meaningful impact.

In her role as Seasonal Market Associate, Hannah supports RAM’s operations, vendor engagement, and visitor experience throughout the season. During the 2025-2026 holiday season, she’ll primarily be found at the RAM Holiday Market, helping create a warm, welcoming environment during the busiest months of the year. Looking ahead into 2026 and beyond, she’s excited to help activate the Artist Plaza space with purposeful programs that highlight local creators and strengthen community connections.

Hannah loves being part of a market that celebrates the character and creativity of the Riverside–Avondale neighborhood. Outside of RAM, she channels her own creativity into a small business designing heart-centered artwork inspired by congenital heart defects. When she’s not working or creating, she enjoys spending time with her family or relaxing with a good book.

Antonette Johnson McBride

Assistant Market Manager
About:

A Jacksonville native with over a decade of experience in program coordination, workforce development, and community engagement, Antonette is passionate about creating programs and events that strengthen and connect diverse communities.

Before joining the Riverside Arts Market as Assistant Market Manager, she served as Community Workforce & Events Specialist with Fresh Ministries, where she coordinated workforce initiatives, community events, and K–12 enrichment programming. Her work focused on building partnerships with schools, employers, and local organizations to expand opportunities and support workforce pipelines.

Antonette previously held leadership roles with the Girl Scout Gateway Council and the Early Learning Coalition, managing outreach, volunteer engagement, and family resource programs across multiple counties.

In her spare time she commits to youth volunteer opportunities on her own at her daughters school and other surrounding schools within Duval county as needed for youth enrichment within Jacksonville.

Dedicated to fostering collaboration and creativity, Antonette is excited to contribute her skills and local knowledge to the Riverside Arts Market’s mission of celebrating and supporting Jacksonville’s artists, makers, and entrepreneurs.

Mahaley Jacobs

Placemaking Project Manager
About:

Mahaley is a Jacksonville native who attended Douglas Anderson School of the Arts before heading to SUNY Purchase College in Westchester County, NY where she received her degree in Arts Management. She spent nearly a decade in live entertainment, starting in marketing and PR at Broadway Across America and Bond Theatrical Group where she managed the press relations for a number of Broadway touring companies. In 2020, she moved back home to Jacksonville to work as the Marketing Manager for ASM-Jacksonville (now Legends Global). She then spent 4.5 years at Sixthman producing festivals at sea before bringing her project management skills and love of community and culture to Riverside Avondale Preservation.

As Placemaking Project Manager, Mahaley leads RAP’s Placemaking initiatives where she is working with invested community members to identify underutilized space in the Riverside Avondale neighborhoods with the intention of creating welcoming and useful community gathering places. She’s especially focused on growing who gets a seat at the table, working to bring Placemaking conversations beyond RAP’s most engaged stakeholders and out to the neighbors who haven’t been in the room yet.

Mahaley enjoys spending time with her family, exploring the neighborhood, Saturday morning strolls through RAM and evening walks through Avondale, where she lives.

Travis Joyal

Communications Director
About:

Travis brings nearly 25 years of experience in marketing and communications to Riverside Avondale Preservation. In his role as Communications Director, Travis is responsible for the organization’s master marketing strategy and all tactics within it. He manages RAP’s communications through website content, social media, traditional media, public relations, advertising, email, text messaging, marketing collateral, and various other tactics. Travis also manages the marketing and promotions for all of RAP’s events, including RAP’s annual Home Tour, Garden Tour, Luminaria, and Community Yard Sales, the latter which he conceptualized and built in 2026.

Travis graduated from Augustana University in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 2003 with a B.A. in Communications. After starting his career in Omaha, Nebraska as a marketing specialist for the Omaha Royals Triple-A baseball club, he transitioned to Kansas City, Missouri where he spent 15 years working in agencies, both as partner and owner, servicing clients primarily in the dining, hospitality, events, and retail sectors. Over the course of his career, Travis has represented a magnitude of locally owned, small businesses and forged strong relationships with community organizations, which has helped foster his passion for supporting local establishments, groups and people.

Travis and his partner, Justin, are proud Avondale residents since 2020 and owners of a RAP Centennial Heritage home, built in 1926. Travis’ life functions nearly entirely in the Riverside and Avondale neighborhoods. He and Justin are art deco design and architecture enthusiasts and have curated their home as an homage to the distinctive style. Travis is also a marketing and communications advisor to the Art Deco Society of New York, of which he and Justin are members. 

Contact Travis at travis@riversideavondale.org.

Chloe Kuhn

Market Director
About:

As Director of the Riverside Arts Market, Chloe brings an educator’s lens and views the market as an opportunity for tourists and locals alike to learn something about Northeast Florida’s vibrant culture. Weekly visits to RAM were one of the first ways she felt connected to the city, and she is excited to help future Market attendees build that strong connection to the neighborhood, and to Jacksonville as a whole.

Chloe is a lifelong Floridian who moved to Jacksonville after graduation from the University of Florida in 2016. Formally trained as a wildlife ecologist, she instead found a career in the nonprofit realm, holding a variety of past positions at local organizations, including the Jacksonville Zoo, Museum of Science & History (MOSH), and Hope Haven. Additionally, she volunteers with Duval County Audubon and local animal rescue organizations, is a board member of Slow Food First Coast, and serves as an election worker. In 2027, she will represent RAM as a guest crew member on the North Pacific I leg of eXXpedition, a global initiative bringing awareness to plastic pollution.

Chloe can be found every Saturday at RAM and would love to meet you (and your dogs) at the information booth. Outside of work, she spends time with her latest foster pet(s), hiking, biking, and birding her way through our local parks, or at the movies.

Arianna Rodriguez

Market Manager
About:

Arianna is the Market Manager at the Riverside Arts Market each Saturday supporting the implementation of our SNAP program and Florida Access Bucks (FAB) benefits. You are likely to find Ari at the RAM Information Booth each week. The SNAP/FAB program at RAM has been expanding as people seek a community experience and a fun family day while gaining access to locally grown produce. Beyond Ari’s work at RAM, she is a mom, avid reader, loves pop culture and is super excited to be joining the team.

Casey Roth

Development Director
About:

Casey leads fund development efforts for Riverside Avondale Preservation and the Riverside Arts Market, building strong partnerships with local businesses, sponsors, and donors to advance community impact. As Development Director, Casey oversees major gifts, membership, and sponsorship strategy, cultivating meaningful relationships that sustain and grow RAP and RAM.

Rooted in the community, Casey joins our team having formerly served at the Jacksonville Public Education Fund where he supported the Duval County Teacher of the Year program. Casey co-founded Jacksonville Global Shapers, organizing the “Shaping Florida 2022” conference – a project that was highlighted at the World Economic Forum’s 2022 Annual Summit in Geneva. Casey initiated the Young Professional Delegation of Jacksonville, a group that elevates young professionals into pivotal decision-making roles, ensuring their voices contribute to shaping the future.

Personally, Casey’s passion for arts, including poetry, cinema, literature, music, and culinary arts, inspires him to infuse creativity into everyday interactions and community projects. You can find him at the next poetry open mic in Riverside soon!

Meghann Sikes

Creative Content Coordinator
About:

With a lifelong passion for visual storytelling and community connection, Meghann brings a vibrant blend of artistry, strategy, and heart to RAP. As a seasoned content creator, art educator, and brand marketing professional, Meghann has built her career around crafting meaningful stories that inspire engagement and celebrate creativity.

A Jacksonville native, Meghann has deep roots in the community she now helps represent. Her background in art education and brand storytelling uniquely equips her to highlight the character, charm, and creative spirit of Riverside Avondale. Her approach blends aesthetic intuition with community insight – transforming everyday moments into visual stories that uplift and unite.

In addition to her dedication behind the screen, Meghann is a loving mother of three, finding daily inspiration in the beauty, curiosity, and creativity of raising her children in the city she’s always called home.

Vacant Roles

Historian

The Historian position at Riverside Avondale Preservation helps to communicate our history with the community. The Riverside and Avondale neighborhoods were established fifty years apart and have attracted a wide variety of residents, including celebrities, artists, and prominent figures in Jacksonville’s foundation. This role will allow an individual to dive deep into history and be able to tell our story, contribute their knowledge to maintain historic documents. For more information, visit our Jobs page.