Monique Oliver, Vice-President
Monique joined the Workshop board in February 2006. A lawyer and social justice advocate with a background in theater design and direction, Monique is committed to Performing Arts Workshop’s mission of bringing arts education to urban youth. In her law practice at The Sturdevant Law Firm in San Francisco, Monique represents individuals in consumer protection, employment rights, and civil rights cases. She also serves as a volunteer attorney for the Legal Aid Society–Employment Law Center and as a member of the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association.

Ron Reitz, Treasurer
Ron Reitz joined the Workshop's board in 2008 as a member of the Finance Committee. This role is an extension of his job as Finance Manager at the Tides Center and in-line with his experience as a CPA working in the nonprofit sector. Ron joined the Board to contribute to the Workshop's mission of providing young people the opportunity to learn and express themselves through the arts. His interests include bicycling, backpacking and exploring California deserts.

Jason McMillan, Secretary
Jason joined Tides Center in August of 2004 providing comprehensive human resources management services to the organization. Jason has over 15 years of experience in benefits and human resources management with companies such as Aon Consulting, Calvin Klein, Hilton Hotels and Restoration Hardware. Jason is certified as a Senior Professional of Human Resources through the Society for Human Resources Management and is a member of the Northern California Human Resources Association and the California Association of Non-Profits.

Jason joined the Performing Arts Workshop board in November of 2007.  Jason loves the performing arts and is very excited to be able to contribute to an organization that promotes learning and education for youth.

Gini Dold
Gini Dold is principal of E.R. Taylor Elementary School, San Francisco's second largest elementary school with over 650 students, 70% of whom qualify for free or reduced lunches. A leader in the school reform movement, Gini is committed to the Workshop's mission of helping young people develop critical thinking, creative expression, and basic learning skills through the arts.

 

 

Gary Draper
Gary has held many roles at Performing Arts Workshop, including student, artist, mentor, and administrator. Gary conducts professional development workshops and supervises the Workshop’s Internship programs and the Workshop's staff. Gary’s additional duties include curriculum design, program evaluation, writing and revising educational resource materials, and fundraising. Gary’s education in Theatre Arts and Literature includes the American Conservatory Theatre and UC Berkeley.

Aniefre Essien
Aniefre Essien joined the board in 2008. He first became associated with Performing Arts Workshop in 2006 as a teaching artist who taught Capoeira. He is currently working for The Clorox Corporation as an Associate Marketing Manager in their Cleaning Division. Previously, Aniefre worked in the non-profit sector as the Executive Director of the BAKA Cultural Arts Center which specialized in youth development work in the under-serviced community of east Oakland. As a Capoeira teacher, he has traveled throughout the United States and Brazil teaching and performing, and has recently authored a book entitled “Capoeira Beyond Brazil” which will be released October, 2008. Aniefre is passionate about the arts and believe that they serve as a vital tool to self-discovery and become a wholly developed person.

Johnny Mansour
Johnny Mansour is the founder of PodOmatic.com. PodOmatic specializes in the creation of sophisticated tools and services that enable anyone to easily find, create, distribute, promote and listen to both audio and video podcasts. The premiere destination for veteran and novice podcast creators and consumers, PodOmatic is the largest and most widely used service for creating and hosting podcasts.

Johnny has spent his career working within technology and telecommunication organizations, moving early stage start ups forward and negotiating and capturing key accounts with Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies. In addition to assisting early stage technology startups, Johnny launched a successful brand consulting company that provided services to such companies as EBay, Accenture and Intrawest.

Gregory Marks
Gregory joined the Performing Arts Workshop Board of Directors in December 2005 and is dedicated to the Workshop’s mission of using the performing arts in developing critical thinking, creative expression and basic learning skills in children who would not normally benefit from an arts-educational experience. Gregory comes to the table with eighteen years of professional fundraising experience having led annual fund and membership campaigns, special event production and stewardship efforts with organizations as diverse as the YMCA of San Francisco, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, the Exploratorium, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and the San Francisco Opera. Gregory is a professional singer and member of the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Actors (AFTRA). He has a Masters of Music in Voice from the College –Conservatory of Music of the University of Cincinnati and a Bachelor of Music Education and single subject teaching credential from San Francisco State University He has sung professionally throughout the SF Bay Area and has been a member of the San Francisco Opera Chorus for over 20 seasons. He can be seen in the Oscar winning documentary “In the Shadow of the Stars” a compelling film on the lives of SF Opera Chorus members. He is also an adjunct lecturer with the Los Medanos College voice faculty and has a private voice studio in San Francisco.

Sajjad Masud
Sajjad earned his MBA at Harvard Business School and his MSE in Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He has held many titles: Director of Product Marketing, Group Product Manager, CEO and Founder of Apvision, an offshore software and services company focused on solutions for the financial sector. Earlier in his career, he held several engineering and consulting positions at Oracle Corporation. Sajjad is a board member at San Francisco Contemporary Players and currently serves on the Workshop's Marketing Committee.

Annie McGeady
Annie McGeady has nearly 20 years experience working with nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions in a variety of capacities. She leads enrollment management at Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center. Prior to Saybrook, Annie worked with a consulting group that advised nonprofits representing areas of education, arts and culture, and disability rights. Annie holds membership in higher education professional associations and is involved with her daughter’s school. She is committed to developing access to creative resources and opportunities for the young and the young at heart.

Dia Penning
Dia Penning is a social activist interested in developing arts learning to support social change. She is also a working textile artist and educator serving as the Art Education Funders Collaborative Program Director and Education Manager at the San Francisco Arts Commission. Previously, as Program Manager for the Center for Art and Public Life, she supported California College of the Arts graduate and undergraduate students in their professional development and community involvement through Students In Action and 100 Families Oakland. As faculty at Columbia College Chicago she developed community arts curriculum and worked with the Chicago Public Schools supporting integration within literary and visual arts. She holds a MA in Interdisciplinary Arts and a BA in art/art history. Dia has created several arts education programs including ArtReach Studios, for the Arc of San Francisco, and ArtScape at Gallery 37 in Chicago, Illinois. She aims to inspire passion for individual and community development through life long learning in the arts.

Gloria Unti
Since 1965, Gloria Unti has been helping to evoke the creativity of children, educators, and artists. Trained extensively in the Hanya Holm, Martha Graham, and Jose Limon techniques, Ms. Unti has dedicated herself to advancing the arts as a force for education, expression, and individual empowerment in the community. Ms. Unti’s work in schools and community centers has been featured in major publications, such as Now and Look, documented on film by the Guggenheim and Carnegie Foundations, and covered by numerous television stations. She has been honored with many awards including the Honor Award from the California Dance Education Association, the Honor in Dance Award from the San Francisco Arts Commission, the Hall of Fame Award from Dance Bay Area, and the Isadora Duncan Award for Sustained Achievement, and the WAVE award from GirlSource. Ms. Unti is an active member of the Workshop administrative staff, providing artistic staff training, developing curriculum, and serving as a liaison to the arts community.