Who we are
Founded in 2002, the Heritage Foundation for Art and Culutral Sustainability (HFACS) is located at ArtEgg Studios in New Orleans (www.artegg.com).
HFACS is a 501(c)(3) recognized by US Internal Revenue Service. Donations are tax deductible as allowed by law and donors should consult their own tax advisors.
Our EIN # is 30-0135150 and our address is 1001 S. Broad Street, Suite 112, New Orleans, LA 70125
Foundation Team
Dr. William E Bertrand, President
Dr. Bertrand is the Vice President of HFACS and an Emeritus Professor from Tulane University, where he was the Wisner Chair holder. He served in various academic positions as the Chair of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Founding Chair of the Department of International Health, Vice President of Institutional Planning, Research, and Innovation, and finally Executive Director of the Payson Center. His research focuses on creating sustainable and resilient individuals and communities globally. He was the founding director of the Center for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CDMHA) at Tulane, where he worked closely with the United States Southern Command in researching, training, and responding to problems of complex emergencies and sudden and chronic/complex emergency disasters in Latin America.
He is currently a Visiting Scientist at the Harvard University Humanitarian Initiative. Dr. Bertrand has served as a consultant for organizations including the World Bank, UNAIDS, USAID, the Inter-American Development Bank, CDC, and numerous special projects in Central and South America. He began his career in Latin America as a postdoctoral fellow in Cali, Colombia, where he taught and researched for 5 years. He has continued his relationship with three universities in Colombia, assisting in developing graduate programs in human security and sustainable development. Similar programs were developed in Argentina and Guatemala with his assistance. He has worked in all countries in Central and South America as a consultant or researcher. He served on the board of a non-profit in Guatemala after the earthquakes of the 1970s and again in Central America after Hurricane George. As the founding director of the Kinshasa School of Public Health, he contributed to the founding of six other schools of Public Health in Africa and Asia. He was also the first Principal Investigator for USAID’s Famine Early Warning Project and developed the standards for child labor in the cocoa industry in West Africa. He currently serves on the Board of the American University of Nigeria.
Dr. Bertrand is a major collector of ethnographic art, with a concentration in Central Africa and Latin America. A generous donor, he has provided collections to HFACS, the National Museum in Bogota, Southern University in New Orleans, and many other institutions. He is a long-time patron of struggling artists in the Congo, enabling them to paint in war and peace.
In August 2023, Dr. Bertrand was named the Special Representative of the National Museum of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (DRC) in the United States.
Dr. Esther R. Dyer, Secretary and Treasurer
Dr. Dyer is the Secretary and Treasurer of HFACS. An experienced nonprofit and healthcare leader, she is the Managing Director of Arbor Development, LLC, a consulting practice affiliated with ExecHQ, and serves on its Leadership Team. She has extensive experience in social responsibility, diversity, equity & inclusion, strategic planning, program development & evaluation, and executive presentations. Her current focus is on helping nonprofits and healthcare organizations thrive in the face of growth and limited resources, workforce shortages, and disaster recovery challenges by building resiliency, sustainability, and continuity strategies.
Dr. Dyer is the Founder & Proprietor of ArtEgg Studios (artegg.com), a former produce warehouse she transformed into working studios for a broad range of fine artists, sculptors, photographers, musicians, filmmakers, nonprofits, and small businesses, including a wine bar and shop and a distillery. She serves on the National Small Business Association Leadership Council. She is a Life Member of The National Arts Club, where she previously chaired the Education Committee and guided outreach to area schools. She is also on the Board of the Lower Westside Home Health Agency and the Emy and Emil Herzfeld Foundation. Previously the International President of the Circumnavigators Club, she is currently a member of its Foundation Board. She has certificates in Private Corporate Governance and ESOPS from the Private Director’s Association.
Previously, she served as President, CEO, and Board Member of National Medical Fellowships; Executive Director of the American-Italian Cancer Foundation and the Greater NYC March of Dimes. For more than a decade, she was Director of Public and Governmental Affairs and Administrator of the Health Services Improvement Fund of Empire BlueCross Blue Shield.
Ted T. Ellis, Artistic Director
Ted Ellis is a highly acclaimed artist and the Director of Southern University of New Orleans Museum of Art. He is a native of New Orleans, Louisiana. Recently, he completed his master’s degree in Museum Studies at Southern University in New Orleans (SUNO) and will eventually pursue a doctoral degree in the same field of study. His continued efforts to advocate for the importance of visual literacy and continuing his commitment of preserving African American history and culture through art have been paramount. T. Ellis is keenly aware that visual comprehension increases learning. He wants to bring greater awareness to the importance of diversity and inclusion in the workplace, schools, universities, cultural institutions, and museums, showing how this will provide an enriching opportunity for people in communities throughout the United States.
Mr. Ellis is the first African American artist to be appointed to a federal commission. The Four Hundred Years of African American History Commission established by the Department of Interior is responsible for planning and creating programs that will recognize and advance the historical and cultural contributions of African Americans since 1619 under PL115-102. The official federal logo and seal, as well as the 400th T. Ellis created Distinguished Service Award, will each become part of the U. S. National Archives.
Growing up in the city of New Orleans, known for its style and artistic exuberance, has inspired Ted to capture the essence of his subjects in all the glory of its rich cultural heritage. With an extreme dedication to his craft and style, which stems from a childhood that exerted an enormous influence on all his paintings, Ted prefers to paint subjects that are representative of many facets of American life. Among his many favorites to paint are portraits, landscapes, and seascapes. As a self-taught artist, Ted’s style is a blend of realism and impressionism. Ellis’ artwork is nostalgic and uplifting. From an outdoor baptism, an afternoon tea with friends, or a lawyer arguing his case before a jury, his art celebrates the traditional values of his culture, American culture, and heritage. His sole purpose has always been to educate and provide.
