New York

At the age of eight, Greg
Rohan started collecting coins and by the age of 10, he was buying and selling
coins from a dealer’s table at trade shows in his hometown of Seattle. His
business grew rapidly, and in 1987 he joined Heritage as Executive
Vice-President. Today, as President of Heritage, in addition to being the
partner in charge of Heritage’s offices in New York City and West Palm Beach,
his responsibilities include overseeing the firm’s private client group and
working with top collectors in every field in which Heritage is active. Greg
has been involved with many of the rarest items and most important collections
handled by the firm, including the purchase and sale of the Ed Trompeter
Collection (included in the Guinness Book of World Records). During his career,
Greg has handled more than $1 billion of property for consignors. He has
provided expert testimony for the United States Attorney and for the Federal
Trade Commission, and has appeared as an expert on CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg,
Anderson Cooper, ABC, and CBS. He works with collectors, consignors, and their
advisors regarding significant collections in every one of Heritage’s 50
categories. The clients he has worked with have included the families of actor John
Wayne and publisher Malcolm Forbes, Random House Publishing, Time-Warner,
Frito-Lay, Stanford University, Columbia University, and The Smithsonian
Institution to name just a few. Greg is a past Chairman of Young Presidents’
Organization (YPO) for North Texas and is a current member of YPO in both
Dallas and New York City. He is an active supporter of the arts, is a past
advisor to the board at Austin College, and served two terms on the Tate
Lecture Board of Directors at Southern Methodist University. He co-authored the
award-winning “Collectors Estate Handbook,” and he served two terms on the
seven-person Advisory Board at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas.

Sarah Miller is Senior
Vice President and Partner at Heritage’s New York Office and brings a lifelong
passion for coins. A student of numismatics since age 11, she first fell in
love with coins and their history while attending her first coin show. This led
to a job in rare coins throughout high school and college, where she graduated
Summa Cum Laude from North Central College in Naperville, Ill., with a degree
in Finance and Economics.

Sarah assists Heritage clients
with buying and selling their rare coin and currency collections on a daily
basis. She has twice appeared as a numismatic expert on CNN and is a current
member of the Professional Numismatists Guild, American Numismatic Association,
the American Numismatic Society, and the New York Numismatic Club. She also is
a licensed Auctioneer in Texas, Florida, and New York City.

Nancy Valentino is the Director of Business Development for Heritage Auctions. Based in New York, she works with specialists across collecting categories and regions, identifying and securing new business opportunities. She is a noted specialist in pop culture auction markets including celebrity, film & television, music, fashion, contemporary, and street art.   

Prior to Heritage, Nancy served at Christie’s starting in 1991, where she held several positions including SVP, Business Development; SVP Digital (drove the launch team of christies.com) and Senior Vice President, U.S. Marketing and Communications. She directed the auctions for numerous categories, presenting many iconic estates including Clark Gable, Judy Garland, Rudolf Nureyev, Frank Sinatra and Timothy Leary. In 1999, she was responsible for the record-breaking auction of The Personal Property of Marilyn Monroe. Nancy returned to Christie’s in 2011 to consult on her former client's blockbuster $120M auction, The Collection of Elizabeth Taylor.  

In 2003, Nancy joined Time Inc. as SVP, Corporate Communications & Brand Development, where her group managed all communications channels, as well as live events, for the Luxury, Fashion, Celebrity, Business, Entertainment and Multi-Cultural brands including PEOPLE, InStyle, Entertainment Weekly, TIME, FORTUNE, PEOPLE en ESPAÑOL and ESSENCE. She directed all communications functions for brand extensions, event franchises, special issues, books and websites, with brand development projects that included television and production partnerships. 

Nancy later served for two years a senior consultant to the CCO of Endeavor (formerly WME/IMG) where she advised on brand repositioning, communications, sponsor programs and digital innovation, including acting as the business lead for the newly acquired FRIEZE Art Fairs.  From there she joined Julien’s as Chief Operating Officer, during which she was responsible for streamlining operations and re-focused brand identity servicing the company’s high-profile events in the contemporary/street art and pop culture markets. She later became an advisor in the iconic art markets to private clients and auction houses, utilizing her respected business expertise and networks in celebrity, luxury, pop culture, fashion, film and music.

Additionally, Nancy continues to lend her auction and live event expertise to many charitable organizations including The Actors Fund, Stand Up to Cancer, Major League Baseball, the Motion Picture Television Fund, the Screen Actors Guild and The Elizabeth Taylor Aids Foundation. A native New Yorker, she lives in Manhattan with her husband and daughter.

Aviva Lehmann joined Heritage in January 2013 after 14 years in the auction industry. With over 20 years of in-depth knowledge and experience in American Art, she holds a broad interest in all aspects of the field. Aviva previously served as Vice President, Specialist in the American Art department at Christie’s, where she was instrumental in establishing dozens of auction records in virtually every category of American Art. While directing their midseason auctions in 2004-06, she doubled the value of these sales.  

During the course of her career at Heritage, Aviva has been instrumental in bringing some of the finest single-owner collections to market, including the Judson Ball collection of Western and Wildlife Art, the Max Ember collection of Modernism and Design, and the Barry and Maria King collection of early American modernism. Her catalog for the King collection has been dubbed by American Fine Art Magazine ‘the new handbook for early American modernism’.   

In addition to her work on single-owner collections, Aviva has been instrumental in establishing dozens of new auction records in the arena of American Art, and she was also responsible for bringing masterworks by Robert Motherwell, Georgia O’Keeffe, Helen Frankenthaler, Milton Avery, Norman Rockwell and Joseph Christian Leyendecker, among many others, to the auction block at Heritage.   

Aviva lectures on American Art at museums and institutions throughout the country. She also serves as an adjunct professor of Appraisals and Valuation in the Art Administration Master’s Program at New York University. Aviva has been featured as a tastemaker in various publications, including Forbes, Intelligent Collector and Christie’s Magazine, and was recently interviewed by Artnet.com as a ‘power broker’ in the arena of American Art. As an expert on the art market, Aviva has been a contributor to broadcast television shows on Fox News and Bloomberg.

Diane D'Amato is the Director of Luxury Accessories at Heritage. Diane made her name in the Luxury Accessories world following high profile positions working for Hermès of Paris and Louis Vuitton, where her buying trips to Paris were influential in setting market trends in the United States and she oversaw more than $12 million in annual sales. Her specialty is in creating exclusive marketing partnerships and forging loyal client relationships. Diane is based in New York, joining the talent-rich Heritage team stewarding the brand, where she assists consignors and collectors with appraisals as well as supervising the category's double digit growth.

Diane has used her talents to do extensive charitable fund raising,  including sales that have benefited FATE (Foundation for Autism Training & Education), Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Nigel Russell was educated at Vassar College and the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he studied Photographic Science and Engineering. He started his career in 1979 at Sotheby's London cataloguing antique cameras and scientific instruments and instituted Sotheby's first auctions devoted solely to cameras, photographic viewers and optical toys. In 1981 he transferred to Sotheby's New York as Assistant Departmental Director of the Collectibles Department and was responsible for the auction of the Dobran Collection of Photographica, the first sale of its kind in America.

After leaving Sotheby's Russell became the curator of the Spira Collection, New York, a private collection of approximately 20,000 items relating to the history of photography. He remained there until 1999, then working at Swann Auction Galleries as the Photographs & Camera Specialist. Subsequent to Swann"s, Russell was back at Sotheby's as the Director of the Photographs Department for Sothebys.com and at Christie's New York as a Photographs Specialist. He also consulted on antique and collectible cameras for Adorama, New York and WestLicht Photographica Auctions, Vienna.

From November 2005 to March 2006, Nigel was a photography consultant for the National Counsel for Culture, Art & Heritage, Doha, Qatar and worked as Photography Curator for the Qatar Museums Authority from November 2006 until March 2013.

Nigel is a major contributor to "The History of Photography As Seen Through The Spira Collection," published by Aperture in the fall of 2001 and co-author of "Spirit Capture: Photographs from the National Museum of the American Indian," published by the Smithsonian in the fall of 1998 as well as a contributor to various photography magazines. He was a member of the advisory committee of the Technology Department of the International Museum of Photography at the George Eastman House and has also lectured on the Photography Auction Market and Collecting Photographica.

Taylor Curry joined Heritage Auctions in 2013 and over his career, has been instrumental in the growth of the Modern & Contemporary Department. Having had the opportunity to live around the world in his youth, Taylor acquired a deep appreciation for art in its many forms. As that grew into a passion, he decided to pursue and ultimately earn an undergraduate degree in the History of Art from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. While completing his studies, he trained with the renowned Ingleby Gallery in Edinburgh, where he developed a keen interest in the business side of the art world. Looking to build on his gallery experience, he applied and was accepted to the Sotheby's Institute of Art and went on to earn a Master's Degree in Art Business.

Following graduation, he joined Heritage and has since enjoyed working across a number of fields in the auction business. In 2016, he joined Heritage's Modern and Contemporary Art team and is currently the Director of Modern & Contemporary Art in New York. Combining his love of contemporary art and knowledge of the auction business, and looks to provide his clients with the highest possible level of service. One of the founding specialists of the "In Focus" and Urban Art sales, Taylor focuses on advising collectors on emerging artists and collecting, selling, and buying blue-chip artwork. Part of Taylor's success has been his ability to bring new and fresh works to market while maintaining an extensive network of collectors, dealers, advisors, and institutions. 

Taylor prioritizes trust and transparency in all his
professional relationships and has completed the coursework and examination in
the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. As an expert in the
art market, he has lectured widely, most recently at New York University and Sotheby's Institute of Art. Follow Taylor's work at Heritage on Instagram @TheTaylorCurry for an inside look.

Specialties include: Modern & Contemporary Art, Prints & Multiples, and Urban Art.

A Jewelry Consignment Director in Heritage’s New York office, Vera Prather has always had an abiding love for beautiful things. The native of Moscow earned both a Bachelor’s Degree and Ph.D. in Russian Language from Lomonosov Moscow State University with the goal of teaching it to others. Eventually, her affinity for fine jewelry developed from a hobby into a lifetime commitment once she pursued her passion with part-time work in that area.  

Vera started her jewelry career at Hamilton Jewelers in Princeton, New Jersey selling high-end contemporary designer jewelry and luxury timepieces, which gave her a good understanding of today’s retail market. She also attended numerous trade shows to buy pieces for their top clients. She later joined Fred Leighton in New York, learning about antique and high-end vintage jewelry from the Art Deco period while dealing with exquisite pieces from Susan Belperron, Rene Boivin, Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels.  

Vera’s credentials include special training as a Graduate Gemologist, Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and Certified Gemologist Appraiser, AGS; she also is a member of the National Association of Jewelry Appraisers (NAJA). Her favorite stones are turquoise and coral, and she loves old diamonds for their warm, hand-cut personalities.

A Consignment Director in Urban Art at Heritage Auctions’ New York office, Walter Ramirez fell in love with the auction business after joining the company in 2014 as an intern. The New York native earned both a BA and MA in Art History from Queens College before working at various galleries in New York City prior to taking his position at Heritage.  

Walter has been involved with a number of consignments that have expanded the Urban Art department’s range of artists and materials, including a recent collection of material that has spanned a 12-month period. A cinephile and avid reader of 19th- and 20th-century absurdist and nihilist literature who also follows baseball, soccer, and basketball, Walter’s personal collections mainly consist of baseball cards and books. 

Taylor Gattinella nurtured a lifelong passion for learning about art before joining Heritage as a Consignment Director for Fine & Decorative Arts. A double major in Art History and French at Southern Methodist University, she interned with a local auction house and was hooked from her first experience researching and handling important works of art.

Along with her time at Heritage, Gattinella has worked in the auction industry for over 10 years at houses such as Dallas Auction Gallery, Christie's and Phillips. This experience includes multiple areas of the business from Client Services to Marketing to specializing in the Fine Art secondary market. Her specialties include American Paintings & Sculptures, Decorative Arts, European Paintings & Sculptures, Modern & Contemporary Art, Prints & Multiples, and Western & California Art. 

Exploring new cities and their museums to learn about the local history and art scene is one of her greatest passions. Based in Heritage’s New York City office, she also spends much of her time frequenting the city’s numerous art institutions. 

Lee is a twenty year veteran of the sports card and memorabilia industry.  Lee’s trading card expertise was cultivated through a four year tour as an expert for the Sportscard Guaranty Corporation (SGC), where he served as Senior Grader. Lee joined the Heritage team in June 2007 and now uses his specialized knowledge to maximize financial return for consignors of trading cards to Heritage Auctions.

A lifelong baseball card collector, Heritage Consignment Director Jason Simonds’ affinity for collecting evolved from family tradition. The New Jersey native’s father was a bottle collector who gifted Simonds a 1975 Topps set for Christmas, which set his reverence for the hobby in motion. Simonds, his father, and brothers would go to flea markets every weekend while they were growing up, and in those settings, he would look for any baseball cards being sold.   

After earning his Accounting degree from Penn State and later a Master’s from Rutgers, Simonds worked in public accounting for a few years. Most recently, he spent five years working in corporate finance for Christie’s, but he also has been a full- or part-time card dealer since his college days. His expertise is in post-WWII baseball cards, and he also enjoys collecting oddball and insert sets from the 1960s.  

Aside from collecting, Simonds’ hobbies include running marathons — most recently the 2019 New York Marathon — and he enjoys traveling and hiking as well with his fiancée.

Joe’s resume in the field of Comic character collectibles includes but is not limited to: Principal owner along with his wife and partner Nadia of All Star Auctions and Comics and Stories, premier dealers of rare Comic Collectibles for over 30 years. Co-owners of Comic Art Appraisal LLC where they have prepared formal appraisals for well over 1 million items, including the most significant institutions, collectors and professionals in the field. Exclusive Comic Collectibles Consultants for Christie's from 1992 to 1997, where they inaugurated and conducted seven record setting Comic Collectibles sales; representatives for some of the most prestigious artists to have ever worked in the medium, including the Estate of Winsor McCay, Frank Frazetta, Carmine Infantino, Jerry Robinson, Joe Simon, Angelo Torres and Mort Drucker to name a few.  They have worked directly with professionals and collectors alike whose careers and interests have spanned the history of the medium to the present day.

Publishers and authors of The Christie's East Comic Collectibles catalogues; perennial special advisors and contributors to The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, the universally acknowledged reference work in the field; charter and founding members of the American Association of Comic Book Collectors Committee for Authenticity Certification and Grading; members of the American Institute Of Conservation for more than 20 years; author of the CAAR rating system as published in The Overstreet Guide To Collecting Comic And Animation Art, Gemstone Publishing, Oct. 2013 and authors of the definitive feature on high-end transactions in the Comic Collectibles field, Collecting At The Top, which appeared monthly in Gemstone Publishing Overstreet's FAN Magazine.

Nadia has an extensive background in both marketing and sales promotions. With a Bachelor of Science degree from New York University, Ms. Mannarino was co-owner of Comics and Stories, dealers of rare Comic Collectibles. She was co-owner of All Star Auctions, a firm specializing in auctioning Comic Character related items and was the Comic Collectibles Consultant for Christie’s East from 1992-1997.



In addition, she has been a member of the prestigious American Appraisers Association for over 10 years and is fully certified in the accepted appraisal practices as required by the Association. As such she is the only licensed member of the AAA in the field of Comic Character Collectibles. As agent for some of the most prestigious artists to have ever worked in the medium, including Frank Frazetta, Mort Drucker, Carmine Infantino, Joe Simon, Angelo Torres and Jim Steranko, she has been instrumental in bringing the medium forward focusing also on up-and-coming artists and storytellers.

Before coming to Heritage Auctions to serve as Consignment Director of Sneakers, Arman Salemi worked in property management for two and a half years. But he started collecting sneakers long before that. At one point, his collection comprised roughly 200 pairs. In addition to sneakers, Salemi is a fan of Silver Age comics, both of which he has collected for more than 13 years. 

Salemi graduated from California State University Channel Islands with a bachelor’s degree in business, and he is currently working on his master’s. A native of Miami-Dade County, he speaks Farsi fluently and enjoys playing basketball and retro video games and spending time with his family as much as possible.

Before joining Heritage’s Fine & Rare Wine Department as a New York-based Consignment Director, Michael spent 17 years becoming one of the most recognized sommeliers in the country. The Philadelphia native got his start in the wine business with a consultant position at the Burgundy Wine Company.  A connection made through this job led to an opportunity to work on the 2002 Nuits St. Georges harvest in Burgundy, during which he spent an entire growing season of plowing, pruning, and picking. Michael’s experience in Burgundy created a respect for nature, the ecosystem and terroir, but most importantly, an understanding of the grueling work small growers endured to create an appealing wine.

After returning to the U.S., he accepted sales and management positions with Michael Skurnik Wines, Clicquot, Inc., and Henriot Inc. before returning to France with Butterfield & Robinson in Beaune to lead wine tours throughout the region.  In 2007, Michael joined one of NYC’s finest restaurant groups, Chef Daniel’s Dinex Group, serving as wine director of Boulud Sud and Bar Boulud while tasting tens of thousands of wines over a nearly 10- year period.  His industry recognition during this period included being named a James Beard Award Finalist for “Americas Best Wine Program” (2014); Americas Best Blind Palate (2010); Bordeaux Ambassador to the U.S. (2015-2018); Ambassador of Wines of Northern Greece (2015-2018); two-time Sommelier of the Year (Food & Wine, 2012) (Wine Enthusiast, 2013); and two-time winner of Wine and Spirits Magazine “Sommelier Scavenger Hunt” (2014, 2015).

Sarahjane Blum
joined Heritage in 2024, bringing with her decades of experience as an art
dealer, cultural historian, curator, and writer. She is an internationally
acknowledged expert in the fields of Illustration Art, and photography.

 

Before joining Heritage,
Blum was the co-owner of Grapefruit Moon Gallery, an innovative and leading player
in the fields of Illustration Art and photography. There she carved
out an international reputation via media and live appearances, curated gallery
shows, and online engagement. Blum has been a featured
presenter at museums, academic conferences, and national collector events. Her
writing on film and culture has appeared in The
Brooklyn Rail, among other places. She
is the co-author of The Art of Pin Up
(Taschen Books, 2014)
and is featured in documentaries on Pin Up Art and Glamour photography. She
holds an MA in History from Georgetown University, where she completed
additional PhD coursework. 

 Plucking his first comic, a copy of Adventure Comics #431, off the newsstand at Scott’s Grocery in Fort Wayne, IN set the wheels in motion for a lifelong love of comic books. By age ten, Reynolds had a weekly pull list at Broadway Comics and Baseball Cards. He would eventually work at the shop college summers and beyond, gaining access to the safe with the Silver and Golden Age comics he had only seen in the pages of the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, of which he’s now a senior advisor.

 After moving to New York City in the late 90s, Reynolds began studying the Golden Age comic market to make the wisest investment choices possible, opting for the best quality keys he could afford at the time. He joined Metropolis Collectibles in 2009 and was instrumental in taking their online auction platform, ComicConnect, to new heights. A graduate of Indiana University Bloomington’s School of Journalism, Reynolds wrote nearly every press release and promotional email in the fourteen years he was with the company.

 Making the leap to Heritage Auctions in 2024, Reynolds, a skilled grader and appraiser, is overjoyed to be working alongside the top experts in the comics industry at the world’s best auction house.