Current members of the Board of Directors can visit the Virtual Board Room for access to important documentation.
Executive Committee
Shelby williams-Gonzalez
President & CEO, Inner City Arts
Chair
With 20 years of experience in the arts education field and 22 years as a professional dancer, Shelby Williams-González has a career made up of overlapping networks. Artist, educator, and leader pushing for social change. As the CEO + President if Inner-City Arts, Shelby dedicates her work ensuring access and opportunities for LA’s youth with sustained arts exposure and immersion. She believes that investing human and financial resources around our young people is necessary for LA’s youth to evolve as unique individuals and flourish as creative adults. As a professional dancer, Shelby has been a member of the national touring and critically acclaimed Afro-Brazilian dance company Viver Brasil since 2006 as a dancer and choreographer for the company. Viver Brasil is a community of professional artists dedicated to honoring the African legacy through contemporary dance theater, utilizing Afro-Brazilian dance and music in performance, arts education, and community and cultural exchange programs. Her most recent work with the company, “Revealed,” explored the intersection of traditional Orixa (Afro-Brazilian Deities) dance and current racial and social inequities resulting in over-policed communities and mass killings of black bodies both in the United States and Brazil. Shelby is honored to serve on the Board of Directors for the Arts for Healing and Justice Network. In addition, she also serves on the Board of Suarez Dance Theater and NationImagined.
Allegra Mercedes Brown
Vice Chair
Allegra is a leadership and organizational development expert working towards a world in which everyone has the support to access and execute their best ideas. Through executive coaching, strategic planning facilitation, and designing professional learning, she works with thoughtful, innovative leaders across corporate, startup, nonprofit, and government sectors to align values and culture with strategy and implementation. To her work, she brings 20 years of professional experience working in culturally responsive learning and development as well as a lifetime of experience navigating lines of socially constructed difference.
Allegra began her career working in low-income public schools - initially as a classroom teacher and then as a professional development leader. She has been particularly dedicated to arts education, working as a strategic planning coach with the Arts Ed Collective at the L.A. County Department of Arts and Culture, as Associate Director of Professional Development at the Armory Center for the Arts, as an organizational development consultant for artworxLA, and as a peer reviewer for federal arts education grants from the U.S. Department of Education.
Allegra holds a B.A. from Columbia University, and Ed.M. from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and a PCC credential from the International Coaching Federation. She lives in Los Angeles, where she spends time with her two children, the ocean, and the arts.
Scott Ward
CONSULTANT And MANAGER
Treasurer
Now focused on independent projects, after 17 years Scott retired from his position as Executive Director of the Armory Center for the Arts, and remains engaged today. The Armory is committed to creating, teaching and presenting the arts for all ages and backgrounds and has numerous programs including exhibition, sequential education, residencies, and professional development. During his tenure as ED, it received the prestigious National Arts and Humanities Award from Michelle Obama at the White House. Previously, Scott was Executive Director of the Palos Verdes Art Center, the ED of Downey Museum of Art, and University Gallery Director at CSU San Bernardino. Scott has served as a grants panelist, including many times for the National Endowment for the Arts, Institute of Museum and Library Services, California Arts Council, Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Wallace Foundation. Scott is also a longtime curator and educator, having taught extensively at Loyola Marymount University, CSU San Bernardino, and Chaffey College. He has an MFA in photography from CalArts and a BA in Aesthetic Studies from UC Santa Cruz. Scott currently consults on a range of issues related to art, community, and development. He lives in Pasadena with his talented wife, and enjoys time with his kids and grandkids who live nearby.
Jonathan Parkhurst is the Founder and CEO of Seekhaven Inc., a transformative online marketplace designed to break down barriers in the continuum of care of “transitional living”. With the Seekhaven Platform, registered users ("Seekers") and third-party providers can seamlessly connect, revolutionizing access to vital services.
Jonathan's journey is marked by resilience and determination, forged in the crucible of a broken foster care system in Flint, MI. Despite facing severe abuse and neglect, he defied the odds, graduating high school and serving honorably in the Army during Desert Storm. However, his transition to civilian life led to struggles with addiction and homelessness in San Francisco.
In 2005, Jonathan found sobriety, igniting a new chapter focused on empowerment and impact. He leveraged his sales insight to drive growth for companies like 24hour Nautilus to the acquisition of LA Fitness and scaling and merging Benchmark Lending $60M mortgage firm. In 2011, he founded a sober living company, influencing standards in Marin County, and later established Stepping Up Solutions, providing essential staffing services.
Jonathan's dedication extends beyond business. He serves on multiple boards, including Homes 4 the Homeless, Brady United RLC, and the Marin County Drug and Alcohol Board, advocating for recovery initiatives and underserved communities. Additionally, he's the African American Coordinator for the National General Services of AA, championing inclusivity.
Outside of work, Jonathan cherishes time with his two children in Marin County. His daughter, a UC Santa Barbara graduate in Aquatics Biology, shares his passion for scuba diving, while his son enjoys sports and travel adventures. Together, they volunteer for community-based projects, embodying Jonathan's commitment to service and compassion.
Board at Large
Adé Jackson
Staff Attorney, Public Counsel
Adé Jackson, Esq., is a smart, resilient, and dynamic Black scholar who has always challenged himself by setting the highest goals while making time to inspire and engage the youth of his community. His exponential intellectual curiosity has lead him to become an honors graduate from UC Davis with his BA in Anthropology and a graduate of UCLA Law’s prestigious Critical Race Studies Program. A talented writer, his articles, poems, and public speaking often contextualize critiques of meritocracy, exceptionalism, rugged individualism, white supremacy, and collective inaction. Now as a California-licensed attorney he seeks to continue to use his skills to be a critical resource for his community and challenge the status quo for more substantive transformation. As a growing abolitionist and community organizer his daily work centers putting Sankofa into action. He emphasizes that Black liberation requires more than survival.
Aysun Kilic, CFA
Managing Principal/Consultant, Meketa Investment Group
Ms. Kilic joined Meketa in August 2021 and has been in the financial services industry since 2003. She serves as a consultant to both non-discretionary and OCIO/discretionary clients. Her work for the firm includes investment policy design and asset allocation modeling, in addition to the analysis of manager and fund performance. Prior to joining the firm, Ms. Kilic served as a Managing Director of Institutional Distribution at Rothschild & Co. Asset Management. Previously she was a Vice President in Consultant Relations at American Century Investments. Earlier in her career, she spent several years at Wilshire Associates in various manager research roles, culminating in the position of Head of Traditional Strategies. There she was also a voting member of the Investment Committee for their Funds Management Division and served as the Head of Fiduciary Services Oversight Committee. Ms. Kilic holds the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) designation and is a member of the CFA Society Los Angeles chapter. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Middle East Technical University, and her Master of Science degree in financial engineering from Claremont Graduate University, qualifying as a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society.
Elida Ledesma
Executive Director, Arts for Healing and Justice Network
Ex Oficio
Elida is a Southern California native, she received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Communications and Spanish from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Master’s of Public Health, with a concentration in Community Health Sciences, from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Prior to working with the Arts for Healing and Justice Network she worked as a research assistant for the UCLA Department of Medicine on the RISE project, which examined adolescent risky behavior. Currently, Elida serves as the Associate Director of the Arts for Healing and Justice Network overseeing program evaluations, the creation of a shared theory of practice, on-going trainings for members and county agencies, in addition to managing daily operations. Elida was also selected as a 2016-2017 Arts for LA Activate fellow, completing the Arts Education track. Her passion lies in helping and advocating for underrepresented and vulnerable populations.
Kim Allen-Niesen
Kim Allen-Niesen is a LA-based art collector and philanthropist. Her interest is primarily in education and the arts. In addition to the Arts for Healing and Justice Network, she serves on the Board of Advisers and the acquisition committee of Northwestern’s Block Museum; the board of The Brick; the board of the Art Muse Academy; an Acquisition Committee for the Rose Museum; the Women’s Council for Heifer International; and, leads tours at LACMA and the Getty. She is a retired estate planning attorney.
Leticia Rhi Buckley
Chief Executive Officer, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes
Leticia is a mom, wife, the daughter of Mexican immigrants, born and raised in East Los Angeles. She has built a career developing programs and guiding public policy that connects the dots between historically under-resourced communities and the arts. Leticia is Chief Executive Officer of LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, a museum and cultural center dedicated to centering the history of Mexicans and Mexican Americans in Los Angeles, and collecting, preserving, and sharing the stories, accomplishments, and experiences of Latinx people and Latino culture.
She is an LA County Arts Commissioner, representing the First District, Board Chair of the Arts for Healing and Justice Network, and Board President for Californians for the Arts. Leticia also serves as a board member for Downtown Works Los Angeles, California Arts Advocates, the Music Man Foundation, and the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board. A former adjunct professor at Claremont Graduate University’s Center for Business and Management of the Arts, Leticia holds a degree in political science from Loyola Marymount University and received the 2019 Alumni Role Model Award from the LMU Latino Alumni Association. She is an urban dweller raising two children and two cats in downtown Los Angeles with her composer husband.
Rena Karefa-Johnson
Rena Karefa-Johnson is an attorney, organizer, policy expert and political strategist working to advance and protect legislation and campaigns to end mass incarceration. Prior to working as the VP of National Initiatives at FWD.us, Rena organized women with incarcerated loved ones across the country towards transformative policy campaigns as the Director of Campaigns and Advocacy for Essie Justice Group. A former juvenile justice attorney that provided criminal defense and reentry support for teenagers locked on Rikers Island, Rena has worked closely to pass historic bail reform legislation in New York State, written testimony for the United State Commission on Human Rights and co-authored the Lives on the Line: Women with Incarcerated Loved Ones and the Impact of COVID-19 Behind Bars report. Her analysis on the American criminal legal system has been featured in NPR, Teen Vogue, Rolling Stone, MSNBC, The Intercept and The Appeal. She received her B.A. from Yale University and her J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Tania Mirchandani
Head of Business Development, Priya Living
Tania Mirchandani is the Head of Business Development at Priya Living, where she leads initiatives to attract investors and position Priya Living as the premier community for individuals aged 50+ visiting India. Tania’s role is pivotal in shaping the brand’s identity and driving its growth.
In her previous role as Vice President of Capital Markets at Clear Capital, LLC, Tania was instrumental in raising capital for multifamily real estate investments across the United States. She also managed Investor Relations and Marketing, overseeing social media outreach, and the design and content of marketing materials. Before joining Clear Capital in 2021, Tania served as the Director of Business Development at Kasa Properties. She led Kasa’s acquisition efforts, conducted underwriting, market research, and due diligence on multifamily investments in Northern California, and launched the company’s third-party property management business. Prior to Kasa, Tania held a Vice President position at Goldman Sachs in the Private Wealth Management Group, where she identified, developed, and managed relationships with high-net-worth individuals, families, and foundations, while also leading a team responsible for managing and reporting on their portfolios.
Tania holds an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School of Management and a BS from the Walter A. Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley. Outside of her professional career, Tania is deeply committed to community service. She led the Young Professionals group at the American India Foundation (AIF) and, along with her husband, served as a Trustee from 2012 to 2016. She currently serves on the board of the Arts for Healing and Justice Network (AHJN), an organization dedicated to eliminating youth incarceration in Southern California through the arts.
Tania’s passion for dance, nurtured from a young age by her mother, led her to perform with Nakul Dev Mahajan, the Bollywood choreographer for So You Think You Can Dance, from 2008 to 2012. She appeared on television shows like Superstars of Dance and performed at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. Today, she shares her love of dance as a teacher with Rangeela Dance Company, where she teaches Bollywood and Bhangra to children ages 4-12. Tania is also a devoted mother of three, who bring joy and energy to her life every day.