Board of Directors & Staff

Who is NEFA? Here is a list of the people on our staff and on our board and advisory council.

Board of Directors

A woman with short hair and a beaded necklace wearing a black jacket

Carrie Zaslow

She/Her/Hers
Chair
Providence Revolving Fund
Providence, RI
A woman of Asian descent with long wavy hair, wearing a black top and red earrings against a neutral background.

Angie Lane

She/Her/Hers
Co-Vice Chair
Red River Theatres
Concord, NH
A woman with long dark hair, dark rimmed glasses, and a blue shirt

Adele Sicilia

She/Her/Hers
Co-Vice Chair
New Hampshire State Council on the Arts
Concord, NH
Head shot image of board member Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal; he is wearing a blue shirt and smiling.

Iván Espinoza-Madrigal

He/Him/His
Secretary
Lawyers for Civil Rights
Boston, MA
A man poses in front of a wall with text on it.

Frank Mitchell

He/Him/His
Treasurer
Cultural Organizer
New Haven, CT
A smiling black woman with dangling earrings and a blue shirt

Dawn Gibson-Brehon

She/Her/Hers
SUNY Purchase College
New Haven, CT/Purchase, NY
A white woman with dark and silver hair pulled back and wearing a light colored cowl neck sweater

Amy Hausmann

She/Her/Hers
Maine Arts Commission
Augusta, ME
John has short, reddish hair. He's a white man in glasses and a blue checkered shirt.

John Henry

He/Him/His
MarlinSpike, LLC
Natick, MA
Erinn has jawlength blonde hair and is a white woman. She smiles and wears a bright red blazer that matches her lipstick.

Erinn King, CFA

She/Her/Hers
Income Research + Management
Boston, MA
a white woman with brown shoulder length hair wearing long green earrings and a polka dot shirt.

Susan Evans McClure

She/Her/Hers
Vermont Arts Council
Montpelier, VT
Chris has short dark, thinning hair and wears a blue and gray tie.

Chris Newell

(Passamaquoddy)
He/Him/His
Akomawt Educational Initiative
Mashantucket, CT
A man with short white hair, a yellow polo shirt and navy blazer

Chip Newell

He/Him/His
NewHeight Group
Portland, ME
Head shot image of board member Liz Shapiro; she is smiling and wearing a black and white graphic pattered jacket.

Elizabeth Shapiro

She/Her/Hers
Office of the Arts, Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development
Hartford, CT
a white man with short hair and a mustache stands in front of a brick wall

Todd Trebour

He/Him/His
Executive Director
Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA)

Staff

Jess wears glasses and has reddish, auburn hair. She smiles.

Jessica Wong Camhi

She/Her/Hers
Program Manager, Public Art
A person leans in and smiles.

Falyn Elhard

They/Them/Theirs
Program Coordinator, New England Presenting & Touring
A white man, in glasses, has a short red beard and wears flannel.

Steven Fenton

He/Him/His
Interim Chief Operating Officer
Jeffrey is a white person who wears eyeglasses and a baseball cap.

Jeffrey Lyons Filiault

They/Them/Jeffrey
Senior Communications Manager
Indira is a Black woman in a bright blue blouse. She poses in front of city buildings.

Indira Goodwine-Josias

She/Her/Hers
Senior Program Director, Dance
A white woman with medium length straight blonde hair wearing a v-neck red top and subtle jewelry.

Kristin Gregory

She/Her/Hers
Program Manager, Dance
Leslie is a white woman with purple hair and glasses. She wears a black sweater.

Leslie Miller Jewett

She/Her/Hers
Finance Coordinator
Cheri is a white woman with jaw-length brown hair. She wears a navy v-neck and poses in front of city buildings.

Cheri Opperman

She/Her/Hers
Senior Grants Manager, Dance
A woman with brown bobbed hair wears a black and green jacket with yellow flowers

Adrienne Petrillo

She/Her/Hers
Senior Program Director, Regional Grants and International Exchange
Woman with a scarf tied around her neck smiles softly.

Jane Preston

She/Her/Hers
Deputy Director, Programs & Co-Accessibility Coordinator
Leilani is a light-skinned woman, who wears a floral headband that holds back her long dark hair, thick framed dark glasses, and a floral shirt. She smiles and sticks her tongue out ever so slightly.

Leilani Ricardo

She/Her/Hers
Program Manager, Theater
Dee has shoulder length, curly, blond hair. She wears glasses and baby blue. She's a white woman.

Dee Schneidman

She/Her/Hers
Senior Program Director, Creative Economy
Audrey is on a deck. She's smiling. She has long brown hair and wears a maroon dress.

Audrey Seraphin

She/Her/Hers
Program Manager, Regional Grants and Initiatives
a head shot of a woman smiling; the Boston skyline is in the background.

Abby Southwell

She/Her/Hers
Technology & Data Director
Kelsey smiles in a striped shirt

Kelsey Spitalny

She/Her/Hers
Program Manager, International Exchange
Harold is a Black man. He wears a white cap with "Art" in place of the word "Marlboro" in a Marlboro cigarette logo.

Harold Steward

They/He
Executive Director
Quita wears a wrap, a long necklace, and beaded earrings over a black turtleneck. Nakum is a light-skinned woman.

Quita Sullivan, JD

(Montaukett/Shinnecock)
nákum/they/she
Senior Program Director, Theater
Joseph has red hair and wears thin-framed glasses. He smiles and has a moustache.

Joseph Sweeney

He/Him/His
Interim Finance Director
Woman in green smiles in a studio space

Kim Szeto

She/Her/Hers
Senior Program Director, Public Art
Natalya is a white lady with long brown hair. She wears a red and off-white floral blouse and long dangly earrings.

Natalya Tausanovitch

She/Her/Hers
Program Manager, Creative Economy
Sharon is a white lady with shoulder length brown hair with highlights. She's outside and she smiles in a maroon blouse with white polka dots.

Sharon Timmel

(currently on leave)
She/Her/Hers
Senior Development Director
Elizabeth, wearing a gold laurel necklace and plaid, smiles.

Elizabeth Timmerman

She/Her/They/Them
Senior Technology & Data Administrator
Ann has long auburn hair. She's a white lady and she wears thick framed eyeglasses. She has gold earrings that dangle and a teal poncho.

Ann Wicks

She/Her/Hers
Communications Director & Co-Accessibility Coordinator
A woman, with her hair pulled back, smiles.

Annie Yang-Perez

She/Her/Hers
Senior Executive Affairs & Special Projects Officer
Sae has long black hair. She is an Asian woman in a cream blazer and v neck blouse.

Saejin Yoo

She/Her/Hers
Program Coordinator, Regional Initiatives
A woman with short hair and a beaded necklace wearing a black jacket

Carrie Zaslow

She/Her/Hers
Chair
Providence Revolving Fund
Providence, RI
A woman of Asian descent with long wavy hair, wearing a black top and red earrings against a neutral background.

Angie Lane

She/Her/Hers
Co-Vice Chair
Red River Theatres
Concord, NH
A woman with long dark hair, dark rimmed glasses, and a blue shirt

Adele Sicilia

She/Her/Hers
Co-Vice Chair
New Hampshire State Council on the Arts
Concord, NH
Head shot image of board member Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal; he is wearing a blue shirt and smiling.

Iván Espinoza-Madrigal

He/Him/His
Secretary
Lawyers for Civil Rights
Boston, MA
A man poses in front of a wall with text on it.

Frank Mitchell

He/Him/His
Treasurer
Cultural Organizer
New Haven, CT
A smiling black woman with dangling earrings and a blue shirt

Dawn Gibson-Brehon

She/Her/Hers
SUNY Purchase College
New Haven, CT/Purchase, NY
A white woman with dark and silver hair pulled back and wearing a light colored cowl neck sweater

Amy Hausmann

She/Her/Hers
Maine Arts Commission
Augusta, ME
John has short, reddish hair. He's a white man in glasses and a blue checkered shirt.

John Henry

He/Him/His
MarlinSpike, LLC
Natick, MA
Erinn has jawlength blonde hair and is a white woman. She smiles and wears a bright red blazer that matches her lipstick.

Erinn King, CFA

She/Her/Hers
Income Research + Management
Boston, MA
a white woman with brown shoulder length hair wearing long green earrings and a polka dot shirt.

Susan Evans McClure

She/Her/Hers
Vermont Arts Council
Montpelier, VT
Chris has short dark, thinning hair and wears a blue and gray tie.

Chris Newell

(Passamaquoddy)
He/Him/His
Akomawt Educational Initiative
Mashantucket, CT
A man with short white hair, a yellow polo shirt and navy blazer

Chip Newell

He/Him/His
NewHeight Group
Portland, ME
Head shot image of board member Liz Shapiro; she is smiling and wearing a black and white graphic pattered jacket.

Elizabeth Shapiro

She/Her/Hers
Office of the Arts, Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development
Hartford, CT
a white man with short hair and a mustache stands in front of a brick wall

Todd Trebour

He/Him/His
Executive Director
Rhode Island State Council on the Arts (RISCA)
Jess wears glasses and has reddish, auburn hair. She smiles.

Jessica Wong Camhi

She/Her/Hers
Program Manager, Public Art
A person leans in and smiles.

Falyn Elhard

They/Them/Theirs
Program Coordinator, New England Presenting & Touring
A white man, in glasses, has a short red beard and wears flannel.

Steven Fenton

He/Him/His
Interim Chief Operating Officer
Jeffrey is a white person who wears eyeglasses and a baseball cap.

Jeffrey Lyons Filiault

They/Them/Jeffrey
Senior Communications Manager
Indira is a Black woman in a bright blue blouse. She poses in front of city buildings.

Indira Goodwine-Josias

She/Her/Hers
Senior Program Director, Dance
A white woman with medium length straight blonde hair wearing a v-neck red top and subtle jewelry.

Kristin Gregory

She/Her/Hers
Program Manager, Dance
Leslie is a white woman with purple hair and glasses. She wears a black sweater.

Leslie Miller Jewett

She/Her/Hers
Finance Coordinator
Cheri is a white woman with jaw-length brown hair. She wears a navy v-neck and poses in front of city buildings.

Cheri Opperman

She/Her/Hers
Senior Grants Manager, Dance
A woman with brown bobbed hair wears a black and green jacket with yellow flowers

Adrienne Petrillo

She/Her/Hers
Senior Program Director, Regional Grants and International Exchange
Woman with a scarf tied around her neck smiles softly.

Jane Preston

She/Her/Hers
Deputy Director, Programs & Co-Accessibility Coordinator
Leilani is a light-skinned woman, who wears a floral headband that holds back her long dark hair, thick framed dark glasses, and a floral shirt. She smiles and sticks her tongue out ever so slightly.

Leilani Ricardo

She/Her/Hers
Program Manager, Theater
Dee has shoulder length, curly, blond hair. She wears glasses and baby blue. She's a white woman.

Dee Schneidman

She/Her/Hers
Senior Program Director, Creative Economy
Audrey is on a deck. She's smiling. She has long brown hair and wears a maroon dress.

Audrey Seraphin

She/Her/Hers
Program Manager, Regional Grants and Initiatives
a head shot of a woman smiling; the Boston skyline is in the background.

Abby Southwell

She/Her/Hers
Technology & Data Director
Kelsey smiles in a striped shirt

Kelsey Spitalny

She/Her/Hers
Program Manager, International Exchange
Harold is a Black man. He wears a white cap with "Art" in place of the word "Marlboro" in a Marlboro cigarette logo.

Harold Steward

They/He
Executive Director
Quita wears a wrap, a long necklace, and beaded earrings over a black turtleneck. Nakum is a light-skinned woman.

Quita Sullivan, JD

(Montaukett/Shinnecock)
nákum/they/she
Senior Program Director, Theater
Joseph has red hair and wears thin-framed glasses. He smiles and has a moustache.

Joseph Sweeney

He/Him/His
Interim Finance Director
Woman in green smiles in a studio space

Kim Szeto

She/Her/Hers
Senior Program Director, Public Art
Natalya is a white lady with long brown hair. She wears a red and off-white floral blouse and long dangly earrings.

Natalya Tausanovitch

She/Her/Hers
Program Manager, Creative Economy
Sharon is a white lady with shoulder length brown hair with highlights. She's outside and she smiles in a maroon blouse with white polka dots.

Sharon Timmel

(currently on leave)
She/Her/Hers
Senior Development Director
Elizabeth, wearing a gold laurel necklace and plaid, smiles.

Elizabeth Timmerman

She/Her/They/Them
Senior Technology & Data Administrator
Ann has long auburn hair. She's a white lady and she wears thick framed eyeglasses. She has gold earrings that dangle and a teal poncho.

Ann Wicks

She/Her/Hers
Communications Director & Co-Accessibility Coordinator
A woman, with her hair pulled back, smiles.

Annie Yang-Perez

She/Her/Hers
Senior Executive Affairs & Special Projects Officer
Sae has long black hair. She is an Asian woman in a cream blazer and v neck blouse.

Saejin Yoo

She/Her/Hers
Program Coordinator, Regional Initiatives

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