2012 EAL/LA Leadership Council Co-Chair election time is here! If you are a registered member of ealla.org you will receive an email with this link to VOTE. Wanna know who’s running? Read more about the candidates below.
For election schedule and position descriptions, please read: http://ealla.org/leadership-council-elections/
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Candidate for Executive Co-Chair:
Shayna Keller
Managing Director / Dance Resource Center of Greater Los Angeles
As a native Angeleno, I care deeply about Los Angeles’s arts community, and have spent most my life as a performer, maker, audience member and arts administrator in this cultural landscape. Los Angeles’s strength lies in its size and abundance of cultural participation, but its vastness can be overwhelming and isolating to those new to the arts community. EAL/LA’s welcoming, inclusive network is an invaluable resource for our city’s emerging cultural workers.
During my first experience with what folks in our community so fondly know as “burnout”, a colleague from the dance world directed me to EAL/LA. I was relieved and thrilled find this network of people who shared the vision of a well-supported, engaged, empowered community of young arts professionals.
I have personally experienced the benefits of an expanded peer and professional network through participating in the 2012 Arts Professionals Advisors Link program. My fellow APAL mentees all bring me tremendous hope for the future of LA’s arts and culture sector, and I could not have asked for a more perfect advisor than Claire Peeps of the Durfee Foundation. EAL/LA’s programs, and the people who facilitate them, are sensitive to the needs of our field, constantly working to encourage and inspire future leaders.
This is all to say: I am passionate about EAL/LA’s mission and committed to moving the organization forward. In running for this position as Executive Co-Chair, I hope to expand my leadership skills and give back to the organization that has so generously supported my professional growth and well-being. I also hope to bring the interests and perspectives of the dance community to the table, and in turn learn from my peers across artistic disciplines.
I am well acquainted with many of the responsibilities involved in the Executive Co-Chair position through my current role as the Managing Director of the Dance Resource Center of Greater Los Angeles. As the only staff person, I am used to wearing many hats and shifting between executive, programming, development, marketing and volunteer management roles. I am naturally drawn to strategy, implementation and helping others achieve their goals. The Executive Co-Chair position would allow me to help facilitate the growth of EAL/LA, and in doing so hone my leadership skills in a new context.
Since I am the only staff member of my organization, much of the work I do happens alone. Becoming a part of EAL/LA’s Leadership Council would provide a platform for me to explore more collaborative leadership practices and build relationships with a diverse group of active, engaged peers. I find the energy of collaboration deeply satisfying and want to invite more of it into my life. Having attended a Leadership Council meeting on behalf of our APAL cohort and spent time at EAL/LA events and mixers, I know what a terrific, bright, thoughtful, dedicated group this is. It would be an honor and privilege to serve among these individuals.
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Candidate for Development Co-Chair:
Katrina Frye
Administrative Assistant / Pasadena Conservatory of Music
As a new member of EAL/LA I have been waiting for an opportunity where I could give back. The ability to inspire is priceless and I feel like EAL/LA is in the position to evoke relevant conversation while stimulating leaders to move the status quo. I have personally felt this way through EAL/LA’s blogpost and current members. As a young leader I am always looking for ways to stay accountable and encouraged. I see my chance for a solid foundation with EAL/LA and more specifically this position.
The position of Development Co-Chair specifically resonates with me as I have concentrated on law, policy, and advocacy throughout my current Masters program. I have found that these areas of focus are the foundations to strong development. I find my strengths as a connector and activator, guiding me to be a key team player for the development field. Today’s development landscape is competitive which means creativity will rise to the top. The blend between my arts background and my present business degree lead me to be unique perspective. Not only has my professional experience directly prepared me for this position but my academic foundation overwhelmingly aligns with the needs and demands of the Development Co-Chair. I believe this opportunity would bring a great balance to my professional and personal development. I find myself at a perfect crossroads in the professional career. I have now been an assistant to just about every position in the work place and I see this Co-Chair position aligning me to move beyond assistant to director. I have been waiting for an opportunity to dive into specifically LA’s arts leadership arena. To learn directly from the current leadership council already would be remarkable but then to further this learning with the next year of action would be incredible. I worked for about three years in San Diego making connections and staying involved in many different levels. I quickly learned that all those relationship connected to bigger platforms and larger agendas, which is where I excelled.
Some of my goal/objectives I hope to achieve once elected as Development Co-Chair:
Learn as much as I can about development, specifically within the Los Angeles Arts landscape.
Re-inspire donors with a clear mission and clear results
Re-inspire members of how necessary and unique EAL/LA is to their past, present, and future
Create new sustainable avenues of funding to ensure a great future
Always reflect the member’s voices in my decisions on the Leadership Council
I have worked on a Board of Directors and know what it takes to lead from behind or rally the team towards positive change. I understand the dynamics of a council and how to always stand for “the people’s“ voice. Above all I believe in our generation. We will be the next leaders of many great and established cultural assets, and I will work hard to make sure EAL/LA plays a major role in providing ready and able leaders regionally and nationally.
Candidate for Development Co-Chair:
Maria Paredes
Donor Relations Associate for the Guild / Center Theatre Group
EAL/LA is an invaluable resource for the thriving arts ecology of Greater Los Angeles. It is my goal to sustain the individuals and systems that support creative expression, and it is with this aim that I seek to serve as the Development Co-Chair.
Through five years of arts administration experience I have developed a unique skill set to steward arts organizations and their assets. With effective management, I assisted the Idyllwild Arts Academy to research suitable funding sources, the Dia Art Foundation to sustain member relationships, and the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts to advance its summer programming. Currently, as the Donor Relations Associate for the Guild at Center Theatre Group, I manage charitable membership programs and $1-999 gift fundraising appeals. These efforts resulted in approximately 156 memberships and more than $33,000 in revenue within the span of nine months.
As the Development Co-Chair, I will further ground my skills in the discipline of fundraising while developing meaningful relationships with colleagues that share my passion for contributing to the Emerging Arts Leaders community in Greater Los Angeles.
I think it is absolutely crucial that funders know the value EAL/LA programs create for its members, alumni, and the arts ecosystem. It is my goal to develop the depth of relationships with current funders and seek for diverse funding sources. These can include but are not limited to corporate gifts, foundation and government funding, membership program donations, and earned revenue. Another goal is to subsidize administrative and programmatic related costs by developing partnerships with other likeminded organizations and EAL/LA alumni. If given the opportunity to serve as the Development Co-Chair, I greatly look forward to setting challenging but achievable benchmarks for the aforementioned goals with the EAL/LA Leadership Council.
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Candidate for Marketing & Membership Co-Chair:
Aurea Adao
Assistant Special Events & Promotions Coordinator / Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (METRO)
Hi. My name is Aurea. I am interested the Marketing & Membership Co-Chair position because I believe that I am at the cusp of realizing my purpose in Los Angeles and I can definitely characterize myself as ‘emerging’ in something (at the very least, in my own thoughts). I’m not an active member of Emerging Arts Leaders/LA but I have had you on my radar for quite some time.
I am first and foremost a driving-averse, public art-loving, suburban Angeleno lovingly referred to by my friends as “the bargainista”. To say I love going on long walks would be an understatement, because I work for Metro (the Los Angeles County Transportation Authority) and commute to work/play daily via the Gold Line. My transportation choices are not coincidental to my current place of employment but simply because I detest driving in Los Angeles, for fear that I will have to use its congested freeways (always anticipating an expensive and complex parallel parking situation), all for the sake of a fancy cup of tea.
I am not a bus driver, nor am I an engineer. I actually work in Metro’s communications department working with various departments on producing press events and securing what my boss affectionately calls “the Groupon of public transit”: Metro Destination Discounts. Specifically focused on these two social areas of public transit, I manage a myriad of projects that involve social media, web site development, public relations, marketing, writing/editing copy, and special event management.
While my current job allows me to develop strategic take-public-transit partnerships with awesome local events, restaurants, and retail throughout Los Angeles, it is with a heavy heart that I admit that arts groups have yet to actively jump on the bandwagon (at least not in the obvious way that some of our other partners have). While we have had some arts organizations approach the program, my long-term goal would be to actively engage Los Angeles’ arts organizations in promoting patrons to attend galleries, happenings, and performances without their vehicles. If we already take public transit to eat and shop, why can’t we take it for cultural experiences? Seriously though. Just wondering.
I think this mentorship program would be a fascinating experience for my professional goals in arts marketing. I’m particularly interested in the idea of an EAL/LA membership benefits program and I’d like to extend my experience with coordinating a transit-oriented membership benefits program. I’d also like to see where our alliance as arts administrators and artists can be leveraged as a way to create more partnerships within the city and beyond through creative marketing approaches.
I think I’d be a great fit for this position (and a delightful person to meet), not only because I’ve managed to immerse myself in the marketing/public relations field (despite my specific educational background in art and urban planning) but also because I too have a specific agenda to engage more arts and cultural groups to participate in a membership program. Turns out, we have something in common!
Candidate for Marketing & Membership Co-Chair:
Sarah Bedo
Development Intern / Center Theatre Group
Why are you interested in this position?
Within the last year, I have developed a skill set that revolves around social media and marketing. During Spring 2012, I was a campus social media ambassador for Superdry, a clothing company out of the UK. I managed events, posts and all of the marketing to USC’s campus via social media. Through this, I realized that I enjoyed working with marketing tools to communicate with others. I am currently working on various social media projects for The Fringe at CTG, a young professional donor group offered at CTG.
How would you be a good fit?
I feel that my passion, drive, and experience will help me excel in this position. I love theatre, and I love using any means I can to share theatre with those who love it, and even those who haven’t been exposed to it yet. I feel that my experience in both the performance and non-performance side of theatre provides me with a very well rounded background, and a unique ability to understand the needs of the performer and the business.
How would this position effect your professional & personal development?
I am on a constant personal development journey. I do not believe that will ever end. I think that EAL/LA would provide me with a wonderful space to develop in both realms by fostering a place for positive career-shaping relationships to grow and flourish. Also, having experience in EAL/LA would be showcasing exactly what I want to market myself as: an emerging arts leader in Los Angeles. Young professionals in the theatre need a guiding light and an anchor community where we can create, learn, grow and share together, and I think that EAL/LA would be a great place to do that.
What are some specific goals and/or objectives you hope to achieve in this position?
As with any position I take on, I hope to get people excited about what it is I am working on. Since my experience in the past year has really been about promotion using social media, I would want to raise the number of members, as well as the number of page views of the website. Currently, EAL/LA’s Facebook page has 572 likes. I would want to use that number and have it grow by reaching out to important members, and other media engagement opportunities. I would love to find ways to get members excited about EAL/LA, and realize some incentive-based contests, and other promotion materials to garner interest not only about the group, but also specific events for the group.
Another goal I would love to see realized is creating connections between colleges and the EAL/LA. As a current student at USC, I see how little my peers know about organizations in Los Angeles. I want to create a bond between distinguished Los Angeles colleges and provide their students with the information needed to join EAL/LA, as well as eventually have EAL/LA be marketed to students as a guiding light and a great home for their careers to grow.
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Candidate for At Large Member:
Stephanie Moore
Administrative Coordinator / Burbank Arts For All Foundation
As a current EAL/LA member, I have attended or helped plan multiple events in part because I believe in the importance of peer learning and mentorship. Throughout my career, as both a student and arts administrator, I have been fortunate to have not only an informal mentor, but also a strong cohort of emerging arts leaders with which to discuss issues and ideas. EAL/LA has become part of my cohort and as the At Large Member (ALM) I would continue to collaborate with new and current members to strengthen existing networks and forge new relationships.
My personal belief in the power of informal mentoring and continued professional development complements EAL/LA’s mission. Throughout my work on the Programming and Development Committees I have seen the dedication of committee chairs provide EAL/LA members with amazing opportunities to grow and succeed. I am skilled as a collaborator and understand that no project can be completed well without the assistance of other innovative thinkers and doers. As a board or staff member I always look to gain new skills and in turn try to offer others the same chance for growth. I know that my ability to work collaboratively as well as facilitate and lead will be important to this position.
My career goals focus on building strong communities via collaborative learning, cultural mapping, and helping artists and arts administrators find the resources necessary to continue or complete their work. These goals parallel the description of the ALM’s duties, including connecting members to the unique events and opportunities EAL/LA offers as well as creating a welcoming environment for open dialogue at each of these events. Engaging members in a dialogue about their current work, career goals and professional development needs will allow me, as the ALM, to partner with other Leadership Council members to realize programs for all EAL/LA members. Also, as a new emerging leader in the LA arts scene I am looking to build a network of arts professionals as informal mentors. As a Leadership Council member I will have the opportunity to learn more about the structure and processes of an emerging arts leader’s network, further my career goals and be a part of this creative learning community.
Candidate for At Large Member:
Laura Sardisco
Drama Instructor/ Arts & Services for Disabled, Inc.
I am interested in the position of At-Large Member because it is something that takes me outside of my normal comfort zone. See my EAL/LA blog post, HYPERLINK “http://ealla.org/networking-for-introverts/” Networking for Introverts and you’ll understand. Networking is always a challenge, especially when new to an organization. It can be daunting to find a friendly face within a crowd of unknown people. Fortunately, when I first joined EAL/LA there were several people who made me feel welcome and it’s time for me to pay it forward. As a result, EAL has presented me with many opportunities to expand my administrative skills; the hardest part was to know where to start.
My goal is to foster new member understanding of how EAL/LA offers opportunities to develop skills which directly translate into professional growth. I would also like to encourage members to participate in committees that the may feel intimidated to join. I’ve directly experienced how serving on a committee, and ultimately learning a new set of skills, has directly led to new opportunities with my organization.
This position will effect my professional development by increasing my management skills. As At-Large Member I will get to be the members’ representative to the Leadership Council to advocate for their needs as well as be responsible for a specific deliverable, promoting active membership. I will also grow my people management skills by ensuring that everyone is well informed and that everyone has a charge according to their unique skills.
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Also on the ballot:
Ronnie Wise has been serving as Interim Programming Co-Chair since February 2012. Because of his contributions and experience in this role, the Leadership Council moves to install Ronnie as the permanent Programming Co-Chair for the 2012-2014 term.
