Contact Us

Contact Information

Mailing Address:

Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum, 120 North Main Street, Hannibal, MO 63401

Staff

Biographies:

Dr. Cindy Lovell, Executive Director
Cindy Lovell received a B.A. in Elementary Education and an M.A. in Education from Stetson University and a Ph.D. from The University of Iowa. She taught elementary school in Florida and founded the HATS (High Achieving Talented Students) Program at Stetson University. Since 2007 she has served as associate professor at Quincy University where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in education and a First Year Experience course on Mark Twain. Her areas of expertise include Mark Twain, curriculum development, writers' workshops, gifted education, and teaching English as a new language. She has published two children's novels, Rachel Mason Hears the Sound and Not This Sunday and serves as an editor for the Mensa Research Journal and as a reviewer for Florida Reading Quarterly. She is presently writing a two-volume encyclopedia titled All Things Twain for ABC-CLIO and co-authoring Down the Mississippi: A Modern-day Huck on America's River Road with CNN iReporter Neal Moore. Lovell has delivered keynotes, taught teaching and writing workshops, and authored numerous articles about teaching and Mark Twain. Cindy is a tenured associate professor of education at Quincy University where she teaches education courses, a course on Mark Twain, and a Prison Nation course. Cindy is available to speak on various topics related to Mark Twain and teaching. Favorite Twain Quote: "Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry."

• Read an op-ed by Dr. Cindy Lovell
  
• "The Big Read" is sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. Dr. Cindy Lovell has presented keynotes and teacher workshops in St. Charles, MO; St. Louis, MO; Columbus, GA; West Plains, MO, Ashland, KY, Carmel, CA, Enterprise, OR, etc. If you are planning a Big Read event, contact Cindy for presentation ideas.
  

Henry Sweets, Curator
Henry Sweets received a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Illinois in 1971 and a Master's in Education in 1973. He then taught high school science for two years in Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School in New Jersey, and two years at Byron High School in Illinois. He next earned a Master of Arts degree in American History and Museum Studies from the University of Delaware in 1978. Sweets came to the Mark Twain Museum in January, 1978, as director. He has edited the Museum publication The Fence Painter since 1982, led workshops and made many presentations on behalf of the Museum. Sweets has also served on the local Board of Education from 1992 to 2010.  Henry is available to speak to your group about various topics related to Mark Twain. Favorite Twain Quote: "Let us endeavor so to live that when we come to die even the undertaker will be sorry."

Dena Ellis, Finance, Gift Shop, and Maintenance Manager
Dena Ellis came to the Mark Twain Museum in 2004 after spending nearly 20 years in the corporate world at Unicco, the maintenance providers at the BASF plant outside of Hannibal. She graduated from the San Diego College of Respiratory Therapy and attended college at the University of Missouri-Columbia and Hanniibal-LaGrange College. As a lifelong resident of Hannibal, Dena brings her love for Mark Twain, the Mississippi River, and Hannibal itself to her position as the manager of finances, maintenance, and the three gift shops at the Mark Twain Museum. Dena's desire is to have the museum set the standard for visitor enjoyment and to garner local pride of ownership in the museum properties. Favorite Twain quote: "Heaven goes by favor. If it went by merit, you would stay out and your dog would go in."

Ryan Murray, Marketing and Community Relations Manager
Ryan Murray received a B.S. in public relations with an emphasis in tourism management from the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg, Missouri in 2008. His first official introduction to Mark Twain was by way of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, read aloud by Jo Ann Woodall, his third grade teacher. Ryan's most memorable experiences include participating as a movie extra and volunteering at a daycare for impoverished children in Quito, Ecuador, South America. In his spare time he enjoys traveling, reading, photography and spending time with friends and family. His life ambition is to write a best selling novel, like Twain. At the Museum, Ryan manages the marketing and community relations projects and also oversees the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum Volunteer Program. Favorite Twain Quote: "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime."

NaOn "Mai" Conrad, Administrative Assistant
Mai Conrad received a B.A. in Humanities from the University of Thai Chamber of Commerce in Bangkok, Thailand. After graduating she worked at The Oriental, a five-star hotel in Bangkok. She later pursued her interest in the hospitality industry and received her Hotel Management certificate from Eramuschool in Brussels, Belgium in 2002. She loves to travel and has visited several countries. Mai has learned to adjust to living in different cultures from spending time in many places. Her favorite destination is Christchurch, New Zealand, which was also a favorite of Mark Twain's. She attended school in Chicago in 2003 in order to improve her English skills. Now she is married and has a son with whom she loves to spend time. She's hoping to further her education in the near future. Favorite Twain Quote: "To any foreigner, English is exceedingly difficult. Even the angels speak it with an accent."

Museum staff members are available to speak at various functions. Please contact the museum to schedule a speaker.