Thurber House Staff

Barbara Fant


Executive Director


Contact me for:
+ Media inquiries/public relations
+ Sponsorships
+ Planned giving
+ Grants
+ General community partnerships

  • A nationally recognized poet with deep roots in Columbus and over 20 years of nonprofit experience, Barbara Fant was named Executive Director in 2026. Having previously held leadership roles at The Columbus Foundation and Harmony Project, Barbara brings a unique blend of creative vision and operational expertise to Thurber House. Barbara's other work in Columbus includes founding the Black Women Rise Poetry Collective (now The Giovanni Collective) and co-founding Network Ohio for Arts and Healing (NOAH), as well as collaborations with Lincoln Theatre, The King Arts Complex, Streetlight Guild, Maroon Arts Group, TRANSIT ARTS, the Wexner Center for the Arts, and the Columbus Museum of Art.

Kathy Matthews


Role TBA


Kathy Matthews served as Interim Executive Director from August 2025-August 2026, joyfully leading our organization on a steady path of successful accomplishments. With the arrival of Barbara Fant as our permanent Executive Director in September 2026, Kathy will take a new role on the Thurber House team. Stay tuned for more information!

  • Kathy Matthews became Interim Executive Director in 2025, but has been freelancing and volunteering at Thurber House since 2002. She is a writer, editor, and writing instructor, and the former managing editor at PageSpring Publishing and former editor-in-chief of Thurber House’s Flip the Page: Central Ohio's Teen Literary Journal. Kathy’s work has appeared in Columbus Monthly magazine and in the anthology awfully hilarious: period pieces. Her creative nonfiction received an Individual Excellence Award grant from the Ohio Arts Council.

Leah Wharton


Deputy Director


Contact me for:
+ Donation questions
+ Event bookings/author talks
+ Adult workshop teaching
+ Adult workshops for libraries, K-12 teachers, community centers, etc.
+ Adult community partnerships
+ Thurber Prize for American Humor
+ Social media and marketing
+ Operations/programming internships
+ Nance Adult Writer-in-Residence

  • Leah Wharton came to Thurber House in 2017. She has worked and volunteered in the nonprofit arts community most of her life, but has also spent time in the event production and film industries. She currently serves on the Word Is Art Stage Committee for the Columbus Arts Festival and loves to travel. Her favorite things about Thurber House are its atmosphere of creativity and humor, and all of the wonderful people who make Thurber House the incredibly special place that it is.

Meg Brown


Children’s Education Director


Contact me for:
+ Children’s programs (ages 7-12)
+ Teen programs (ages 13-18)
+ Youth workshops at schools, libraries, community centers, etc.
+ School field trips
+ Flip the Page: Central Ohio’s Teen Literary Journal
+ Youth community partnerships
+ Youth workshop/camp teaching
+ Children’s education internships
+ Lawson Children’s Writer-in-Residence

  • Meg Brown joined the Thurber House staff in 2006 after spending three years as a volunteer. A friend and mentor to all, Meg has been the backbone of Thurber House for over two decades (which is AGES, as her kids and teens like to remind her). Outside of work, Meg serves on the boards of the Discovery District Civic Association and the Heart of the City Foundation. An avid reader, Meg also works with the Ohioana Library Association and the State Library as a Choose to Read Ohio reader and committee member.

 

Jess Cox


Program & Event Coordinator


Contact me for:
+ Event tickets and questions
+ Adult program registrations and questions
+ Facility rentals
+ Private ghost investigations
+ Volunteering

  • Jess Cox has been with Thurber House since 2023, where they help create programs and events that bring people together in the spirit of creativity and community. With a background in media production and live event coordination, they thrive on crafting experiences that spark connection and conversation. A Virgo sun, Aquarius moon, and Aries rising, Jess is a storyteller at heart who can wax poetic about astrology, music, and the many mysteries of being human. When they’re not planning events, you can usually find them outdoors, dancing, or laughing over a good beer.

Anna Jahn


General House Administrator


Contact me for:
+ General questions
+ Thurber House museum/tours
+ Thurber House store
+ James Thurber questions

  • Anna Jahn got involved with Thurber House as an intern during her time at Ohio State and stayed on after graduating. Having volunteered and worked with various nonprofits in the Columbus community, Anna was particularly inspired by Thurber House’s intersection between community services and creative expression. A lifelong lover of reading and writing, she is dedicated to fostering connection through language and creating an encouraging environment for writers of all ages. Outside of work, Anna enjoys travel, spending time in nature, and learning new languages.