Board & Staff

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
415-974-5554, ext. 7260
john@ya-nc.org

Throughout his career as an arts administrator and marketing communications executive, John has had the privilege to work in both non-profit arts and commercial entertainment industries and has developed a variety of initiatives and programs that lead each institution into the new stages of development. Adept at building mutually beneficial business partnerships, John has developed a unique blend of creative, strategic, and entrepreneurial programs. He has worked for Blue Man Group Las Vegas, Mesa Arts Center/City of Mesa, the Arts & Business Council of Greater Phoenix, Lamplighters Music Theatre, Magic Theatre and CuriOdyssey (Coyote Point Museum for Environmental Education).

PROGRAM MANAGER
415-974-5554, ext. 7262
christell@ya-nc.org

Christell Lewis is an arts educator, actor, singer, and dancer. She is dedicated to empowering youth through arts education. As an arts educator, Christell believes that every young person should have the opportunity to experience the power of the arts. She has provided transformative opportunities for young people through her work with children's theater companies, public schools, and non-profit organizations. She received a BA from Howard University in Journalism, and a MA from New York University in Educational Theater.

DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
415-974-5554, ext. 7261
marika@ya-nc.org

As Development Manager at Young Audiences of Northern California, Marika García is responsible for cultivating support from individuals and organizations, ensuring our work may continue to make an impact on Bay Area children and their families. Prior to her work at Young Audiences, she helped establish arts education programs in Sacramento Valley schools as the Executive Director of Yuba Sutter Arts. As a visual artist, she understands the importance of arts education on young minds, and remembers fondly how it helped foster her own creativity and self-expression. 

ARTS EDUCATION ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
415-974-5554, ext. 7265
ekatz@ya-nc.org

Emily Katz joins Young Audiences after recently completing her masters degree in Museum Studies at the University of San Francisco. In addition to her recent internship at California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, she has been an art class instructor and teaching artist at the Omaha Children’s Museum, an arts education intern at the National Museum of Mexican Arts in Chicago and the Latino cultural program's intern at the Denver Art Museum. These experiences, combined with her education at U.S.F, have solidified her belief in using arts education as a tool for social change and building community.