Marie Nau Hunter holds a BA and MA in art history and archaeology from Mizzou. Prior to working at the MA&A, Marie managed the city of Columbia’s Office of Cultural Affairs, during which time Columbia was named the state's first ever "Creative Community" by the Missouri Arts Council (MAC) and the Missouri Department of Economic Development. Marie is a previous recipient of the state’s "Leadership in the Arts Award" given by MAC and has been recognized by the Missouri Alliance for Arts Education for her work statewide supporting arts education programming. Over the years, Marie has served on numerous panels for the Missouri Arts Council, has chaired the Missouri Alliance for Arts Education's Advisory Council, was a member of Americans for the Arts Public Art Network, and served on the alumni board of Mizzou’s College of Arts and Science and School of Visual Studies. In 2014, Governor Jay Nixon appointed Marie to a three-year term on the Missouri Arts Council where she was a member of MAC's Executive Council and chaired its Arts Awards. Marie has served on the board of Missouri Citizens for the Arts for more than 20 years and in 2022 completed nine years on the board of the Community Foundation of Central Missouri.