Executive Team

Nancy Skinner
Partner/Chairman of the Board

Since the early days of Robert W. Skinner, Inc., which she developed with her husband, Nancy Skinner has been integrally involved in the auction and appraisal of antiques under the Skinner name. In 1984, Nancy became president of Skinner, Inc., serving as ambassador to long-standing clients and as a company historian. Prior to managing Skinner full-time, Nancy worked for both Sylvania and Raytheon in their corporate offices. She received her B.A. in psychology from Mary Washington College of the University of Virginia and graduated from the Harvard-Radcliffe Program in Business Administration. Her associations include corporator of the Worcester Art Museum and of Emerson Hospital in Concord, Massachusetts. She was selected as a trustee of the Fruitlands Museum and is a member of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Karen M. Keane
Partner/Chief Executive Officer/President

As CEO of Skinner, Inc., Karen Keane oversees the operation of one of the leading premier auction houses in the nation. Under her skillful direction, Skinner has grown from a New England specialty auction house to a viable player in the international art and antiques marketplace. Karen was instrumental in Skinner establishing a world-class auction gallery in downtown Boston , and the company’s expansion into specialty areas including Fine Musical Instruments, Science & Technology, Rare Books & Manuscripts, and Judaica.

Although most recognized for her business acumen, Karen is also a highly versatile art and antiques specialist with a broad knowledge in a number of areas of fine and decorative arts. Surrounded by fine art and antiques at an early age, she brings a lifetime of experience and passion to her appreciation of American and European furniture and decorative arts, Asian arts, American & European paintings, sculpture, antique jewelry, and more. Her specialty areas include American furniture and decorative arts, Americana , and folk art.

Karen holds a Master's degree from Boston University, is a regular contributor to art and antiques publications, symposiums, and web sites, including the Boston Globe, Boston Magazine, Art & Auction, Yankee Magazine, NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and Antiques Magazine. Karen also lectures and conducts benefit auctions and appraisal events for major fine art and non-profit institutions nationwide. A strong supporter of the arts and a vocal advocate for the preservation of antiquities, Karen is a benefit auctioneer for the AIDS Action Committee, Massachusetts College of Art, and the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston . Karen is a patron of the Museum of Fine Arts Boston and a major supporter of the American Folk Art Museum . She also serves on the Board of Overseers for the DeCordova Museum in Lincoln, Massachusetts.

Stephen Fletcher
Partner/Executive Vice President and Chief Auctioneer
Skinner, Boston, MA

Stephen Fletcher, Executive Vice President of Skinner, Inc. and Director of the Americana department, is widely regarded as one of the nation's foremost experts on Early American Furniture, American Decorative Arts and Folk Art. His expertise in American formal and country furniture and his work over the past thirty years as Chief Auctioneer and generalist appraiser for Skinner have earned him a deserved reputation as a highly versatile art and antique generalist. Under his skillful eye, the department has grown considerably, making Skinner one of the most formidable auction houses in the world for fine American furniture and decorative arts.

As, Chief Auctioneer for Skinner, Steve can been seen regularly at the Skinner auction podium and he carries a full schedule of institutional and estate appraisals. He is often sought out as a source of knowledge on Early American life, and eagerly lends his expertise to the media, museums, historical societies, and non-profit institutions. Steve is a corporate member of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and on the board of trustees for the Provincetown Art Association and Museum in Provincetown, Massachusetts. He frequently lectures and was a contributing presenter and writer of "Art and Antiques in Estates," a forum conducted by Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, and the Smithsonian Lecture Series.