2010-2011 Leadership Team:
Co-Chair: Ben Daniels, Broadway San Jose
Co-Chair: Lisa Ellsworth, Children’s Discovery Museum
genARTS Fiscal Sponsor: Arts Council Silicon Valley
Current Steering Committee:
The steering committee meets on a semi-monthly basis to advance genARTSʼ goals and programs.
Maggie Andrews -Development Director -Stanford Jazz Maggie’s work in arts administration has taken her to Baltimore, Boston, and now, the Bay Area. She has been fundraising for youth focused arts organizations for over six years and is the current Development Director for Stanford Jazz Workshop. Before work with SJW, Maggie served as the Director of Annual Giving at From the Top in Boston, MA. Maggie has a MS in Arts Administration, Boston University and a BA in English, Dickinson College. While in Boston, Maggie helped to found the Emerging Arts Leaders of Massachusetts.
Ben Daniels Broadway San Jose
Lisa Ellsworth -Arts Educator -Children’s Discovery Museum, San Jose
Lisa currently works as an educator, curator, and designer of visual arts-based experiences. Developing exhibits, programming, and events serving 350,000+ annually, she is committed to cultivating artists and engaging audiences. Lisa has worked independently as a jewelry designer, photographer, and as a curator and manager of projects in the Bay Area, and for nonprofit art organizations in SF, NY and SD. She holds a BA with Honors in Visual Arts & Media from UCSD. Lisa loves travel and surfs, because the paddle is worth it.
Amy Grossman -Community Events Director – Oshman Family JCC, Palo Alto
Amy received her BA in Music History & Literature from SUNY Geneseo and her MA in Arts Management from American University. Before relocating to the Bay Area, Amy lived in Washington, DC and worked at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and at the National Council for the Traditional Arts – presenting and programming concerts and music festivals. She currently works at the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto where she produces the organization’s large community-wide celebrations and fundraising events.
Franco Imperial -Associate Artistic Director -San Jose Taiko
A director, performer, composer, and teacher for San Jose Taiko (since 1998), touring nationally and internationally with the company. Under the mentorship of founding members Roy and PJ Hirabayshi, Franco has furthered his leadership in the arts community through his recent collaborative work with artists such as John Santos, Dan Sabanovich, The Bangerz, and Abhinaya Dance Company. Current ACTA (Alliance for California Traditional Arts) Apprenticeship grant recipient. Member of the first MALI (Multicultural Arts Leadership Initiative) class in 2006.
Emily Knutson -Communications Specialist -Arts Council Silicon Valley Emily joined Arts Council Silicon Valley in 2008. As Communications Specialist she helps drive the planning, execution and measurement of key communications initiatives including web/online campaigns, social media, and graphic design. Prior to joining the Arts Council, Emily worked as a gallery manager at AKAR ARchiTecture + Design in Iowa. Emily is actively involved in ceramic arts and earned her BA in Fine Arts & Spanish from Augustana College.
Karen Kwan -Institutional Gifts Officer -Community School of Music & Arts
Sustainability Committee Co-Chair, genARTS
Karen Kwan is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) who specializes in institutional giving and grants management. Karen has served as an independent grant writing consultant and development staff at various non-profit arts organizations in Silicon Valley, and raised over $6.5 millions in the past eight years. Karen has been serving on boards and steering committees at local arts organizations since 2002, and lent her expertise on multiple grant review panels. An active member of the Association of Fundraising Professional since 2006, Karen currently serves on its Board of Directors as Vice President-Elect of Marketing.
Robert Long III -Special Events Producer and Sponsorship Associate
Recent graduate from SJSU in 2008, with a major in Recreation & Leisure Studies, minor in Art Education, Robert is still gaining experience in SJ. The past four San Jose Jazz seasons have employed his services for handling Special Events such as the Mayor’s Jazz Brunch, Platinum Party, Fete De La Musique, and VIP Area at the festival. He is a member of SV Rotaract and looking to connect with event coordinators in the Bay Area.
An Lu -Program Coordinator -Arts Council Silicon Valley
An Lu is a Program Specialist for Arts Council Silicon Valley, developing and managing activities, also assisting in all aspects of grant-making. Prior to her work at ACSV, An served as the Executive Director of Tapestry Arts, a community-based arts organization in San Jose. An also worked in the public sector as the Communications and Public Affairs Director for San Jose City Councilmember Forrest Williams. A graduate of 1stACT Silicon Valley’s Multicultural Arts Leadership Initiative. Earned a BA in Mass Communications, Berkeley.
Grace-Sonia Melanio -Cinequest
Grace-Sonia is an active member of the Bay Area arts community. She’s a volunteer film programmer for the Cinequest Film Festival and serves on the planning committee for the SF Asian Heritage Street Celebration. Her past professional experience includes being an Outreach Coordinator for Contemporary Asian Theater Scene and the SF International Asian American Film Festival. Grace-Sonia is a graduate of the 1st ACT Multicultural Arts Leadership Initiative.
Lucie Paye -Director of Marketing and communications -San Jose Jazz
Lucie is an arts marketer with experience in America and Europe. Lucie has been the Director of Marketing and Communications for San Jose Jazz the past four years, working with a dynamic, entrepreneurial team to promote America’s extraordinary gift: jazz. Before moving to Silicon Valley, Lucie spent five years as the Director of Communications and Head of Education for the International Festival of Gardens in France— THE #1 garden design competition. Lucie authored four books about gardens.
Joshua Russell -Director of Communications -1stACT Silicon Valley
Josh has worked in marketing and communications in Silicon Valley for over 12 years. Prior to joining 1stACT, Josh served as Arts Council’s Communications Manager for four years, helping raise visibility over 600%. A graduate of Community Leadership San Jose’s 2008 Class; currently serving as a Board member of the SJ Leadership Council, co-founder and Chair of genARTS Silicon Valley, and on the SJ Arts Marketing Roundtable. Passionate sports fan, writing blogs for the Warriors, 49ers, and Athletics for the Fanball Sports Network.
Laura Saldivar – Marketing Manager – San Jose Rep
Laura has been with the San Jose Rep marketing department for the three years, where she began as an intern. Prior to San Jose Rep, she worked throughout Silicon Valley as a choreographer and performer as well as a dance and gymnastics teacher specializing in classes for children ages 3-6. In 2011, Laura served as co-Chair of the marketing committee for the Tessitura Learning and Community Conference. She holds a BA in Dance and Psychology from San Jose State University.
Matt Thompson – Marketing Manager – Children’s Musical Theater
New to town, Matt made his way to Silicon Valley from Miami, FL where he attended Florida International University, graduating with a BA in Liberal Studies and a minor in Communications. Matt spent the past three years as the Visual Media Coordinator of a private school in GA. Matt is the co-founder and Creative Director of Long Pier Creative, a non-profit multimedia company. He is also a graphic designer and film editor.
Patricia Walsh -Public Art Program Coordinator -San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs
Patricia Walsh received her MS in Arts Administration at Boston University (05) and worked at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston and volunteered with a number of grassroots arts organizations and art festivals before relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area. She currently works for the City of San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs as the Arts Program Coordinator for the Public Art Program and lives in Palo Alto.
Advisory Committee:
Ron Evans -Principal -Groupofminds.com Arts Marketing Consultants
Ron is a leading developer and researcher of arts marketing and audience development using technology. His primary area of interest is the exploration of emerging technologies and their impact on patron behavior. He is a frequent speaker and educator at regional and national conferences, and is currently studying the uses and best practices of using mobile technologies to drive high interactivity with cultural audiences.
Erika Justis -Director of Creative Place -1stACT Silicon Valley
Erika joined 1stACT Silicon Valley as its first full-time employee in March 2006. Erika worked with the 1stACT Founders to develop the organization’s initiatives and garner key seed-funding. As Director of Creative Place, Erika is now leading the implementation of 1stACT’s vision for Downtown San Jose as Silicon Valley’s City Center. Previous work includes; development and residency manager at Montalvo Arts Center and as Communications Specialist for the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health.
Jodi Porter -Founder & Artistic Director -American Ice Theatre
Jodi Porter holds a BFA degree in Modern Dance from a nationally recognized program at the University of Utah that gave her extensive technical experience in dance choreography, performance, and teaching. From 2002-2007 she has held a full-time position at Ballet San Jose as the Associate School Director, managing a program of over 450 students. She is currently Founder, Artistic Director of American Ice Theatre (AIT), a non-profit performance company that fuses dance with figure skating.
Past Steering Committee Members:
Aliza Arenson – Children’s Musical Theater
Kirsten R. Bontrager- Montalvo Arts Center
Amy Himes – History San Jose
Melanie Doerner – Children ’s Musical Theater San Jose
Lis DuBois- SJ Institute for Contemporary Art
Rijin Sahakian – Montalvo Arts Center
Dan Wilson – New Reality Theatre
Lani Wong – City Lights Theater
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