CAELI(I) Alumni

Leadership Transformation Cohort

The Leadership Transformation Cohort is a self-reflective, transformative cohort experience through which both seasoned and emerging leaders advance their leadership skills by engaging with top leadership trainers, nationally renowned practitioners, and a diverse cohort of peers. This 6 month long cohort program includes a five-day in-person retreat, peer-mentoring, and follow-up coaching. 

  • Julia Aguilar Jerez (she/her), Teaching Artist; VA
  • Brittany Arnold (she/her), Community Engagement Manager, Scottsdale Arts; Scottsdale, AZ
  • Charisse Bailey (she/her), Director of Programs, Lake Erie Ink: a writing space for youth; Cleveland Heights, OH
  • Laura Burcaw (she/her), Operations Manager, Community Music School; Allentown, PA
  • Mylene (R.A.D.)A. Cahambing (kapwa tao), Multimedia DreamWeaver ARTibista; Oakland, CA
  • Magee Capsouto (she/her), Associate Director, Equity Arc; Philadelphia, PA
  • Orlando Caraballo (he/him), Artist Experiences Coordinator, Cleveland Print Room; Cleveland, OH
  • Michelle Clesse (she/her), Deputy Director, Union Project; Pittsburgh, PA
  • Rebecca Cruse (she/her), Deputy Director, South Dakota Arts Council; Pierre, SD
  • Jorge Espinosa (he/him), Education Program Manager, MOCA; Los Angeles, CA
  • Dan Faltz (he/him), Director, Huntington Beach Art Center; West Hollywood, CA
  • Megan Hatch (she/her), Teaching Artist; Portland, OR
  • Dana Heng (she/her), Manager of Artist Mentors, New Urban Arts; Providence, RI
  • Rangsey Keo (she/her), Director of Finance & Administration, National Guild for Community Arts Education; New York, NY
  • Daniel Kerr-Hobert (he/him), Program Director, Snow City Arts; Chicago, IL
  • Rebecca Kirk (she/her), Artist and Educator; Jamaica Plain, MA
  • Yvette Roman (she/her), Teaching Artist; San Diego, CA
  • Jacquline (Jax) Smith (she/they), youth + community director, The Union for Contemporary Art; Omaha, NE
  • Sister IAsia Thomas (she/her/sis), Executive Director, Children's Windows to Africa; Pittsburgh, PA
  • Jana Lynne (JL) Umipig (she/they), Cultural Organizer and Cultural Bearer; Bronx, NY
  • Dacia Washington (she/her), Director, Lincoln Center Education; New York, NY

251 arts leaders have graduated from the National Guild's Community Arts Education Leadership Institute since 2010*. They include:

  • Rheanna Marie Abbott, New York, NY
  • Philip Alexander, New York, NY
  • Jeffery Allen, Cleveland, OH
  • Kathleen Allen, Seattle, WA
  • Alise Alousi, Detroit, MI
  • Nicole Amri, San Antonio, TX
  • Troy Anderson, Chicago, IL
  • Sandra Andino, Philadelphia, PA
  • Alicia Andrews, New York, NY
  • Philip Asbury, Philadelphia, PA
  • Mariana Astorga-Almanza, Lynwood, CA
  • Steve Ausbury, Brooklyn, NY
  • Barbara J. Bachtell, Cleveland, OH
  • Gosia Bagley, Chicago, IL
  • Susanne Baker, Chicago, IL
  • Krystal Prime Banfield,  Boston, MA
  • Pachy Banks-Cabral, Haverford, PA
  • Stephanie Barragán, Chicago, IL
  • Scott Bartelson, Hartford, CT
  • Varissa McMickens Blair, Philadelphia, PA
  • Ashley Blakeney, Los Angeles, CA
  • Noah Bloom, New Haven, CT
  • Josie Bockelman, Philadelphia, PA
  • Adriana Borzellino, New York, NY
  • Heather Brady, Hamilton, NJ
  • Leonardo Bravo, Los Angeles CA
  • Stacie Nussbaum Brennan, Haverford, PA
  • Josiah Micha Bruny, Moreno Valley, CA
  • Caitlin Butler, Philadelphia, PA
  • Natalie Butler, Chicago, IL
  • Alaina Calloway Bolton, Grafton, MA
  • Rodney Camarce, Philadelphia, PA
  • Dava Cansler, Cleveland, OH
  • Alberto Careaga, Houston, TX
  • Noelia Garcia Carmona, Memphis, TN
  • David Carter, Tulsa, OK
  • Eepi Chaad, Houston, TX
  • Alorie Clark, Washington D.C.
  • Durell Cooper, New York, NY
  • Grace Kang Chandarlapaty, New York, NY
  • Helen Chao-Casano, Honolulu, HI
  • Fiona Chatwin, San Diego, CA
  • Megan Clay Constantine, Cleveland, OH
  • Amy Craft, Cleveland, OH
  • William Crow, New York, NY
  • Josué Cruz, Jacksonville, FL
  • Pamela Curtis, Cambridge, MA
  • Assunta D'Ambrosio, Hingham, MA
  • Kerry Davis, Cleveland, OH​
  • Lara Davis, Seattle, WA
  • Lonnie Davis, Charlotte, NC
  • Julie deBettencourt, Chicago, IL
  • Karin Demarest, Santa Rosa, CA
  • Jaime DeMott, East Lansing, MI
  • Timothy S. DePrey, Minneapolis, MN
  • Karen Deschere, Berkeley Heights, NJ
  • Lauren Deutsch, Chicago, IL
  • Jennifer DiFiglia, New York, NY
  • Patrick Dougher, Brooklyn, NY
  • Teresa Drews, Milwaukee, WI
  • Phil Dunlap, Saint Louis, MO
  • Tarah Durnbaugh, Chicago, IL
  • Ariel Edwards, Port Charles, NY
  • Paul Ellis, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Sue Elliot, Seattle, WA
  • Erin Elman, Philadelphia, PA
  • Ted Enoch, Philadelphia, PA
  • Melissa Falb, Minneapolis, MN
  • Linda Fernandez, Philadelphia, PA
  • Amelia Firnstahl, Pasadena, CA
  • Shawna M. Flanigan, St. Louis, MO
  • Alison Fleminger, New York, NY
  • Quanice Floyd, Washington, DC
  • Aidah Fontenot, Washington, DC
  • Rachel Fritz, Milwaukee, WI
  • Cynnie Gaasch, Buffalo, NY
  • Julianne Gadoury, Concord, NH
  • Melissa Gawlowski Pratt, New York, NY
  • Karen Geer, Brooklyn, NY
  • Larisa Gelman, New York, NY
  • Kurtis Gildow, Chicago, IL
  • Donna Glick, Boston, MA
  • Elise Gallinot Goldman, New Orleans, LA
  • Joseph J. Gonzales, Philadelphia, PA
  • Janice Gouldthorpe, Rochester, NY
  • Julia Gourley, Saint Joseph, MI
  • Aliza Greenberg, New York, NY
  • Jennifer Green-Flint, Winchester, VA
  • Zachary Greshman, Houston, TX
  • Sarah E.R. Grosman, New York, NY
  • Anne Harrison, Philadelphia, PA
  • Deirdre Harrison, Evanston, IL
  • Victoria Harrison, Philadelphia, PA
  • Rebekah Harkins, New York, NY
  • Ethan Hecht, Lafayette, CO
  • Paula B. Hepfer, Chambersburg, PA
  • Valerie Heron-Duranti, Amherst, MA
  • Shari Hersh, Philadelphia, PA
  • Cherie Hill, Oakland, CA
  • Ben Hires, Boston, MA
  • Lynn Hoare, Austin, TX
  • John Holyoke, New York, NY
  • Stephanie Hsu, Yakima, WA
  • Ayanna Hudson, Washington, DC
  • Eric Hung, Burlington, NJ
  • Lisa Hunt, Cleveland, OH
  • Anne K. Huyck, Saint Louis, MO
  • Rosa Hyde, Newark, NJ
  • Stephen Ingle, El Paso, TX
  • Sachiko Isihara, Auburnadale, MA
  • Maureen R. Ischay, Cleveland, OH
  • Carissa B. Johnson, Apex, NC
  • Linda Johnson, San Francisco, CA
  • Keith Kaminski, New York, NY
  • Robin Kearton, Urbana, IL
  • Lark Keeler, North Miami, FL
  • Phaedra Kelly, Carrboro, NC
  • Aurora King, Oakland, CA
  • Eliza Kiser, Raleigh, NC
  • Nancy Kleaver, New York, NY
  • Chloe Kline, Providence, RI
  • Stephanie Kluk, Cleveland, OH
  • Jackson Knowles, Austin, TX
  • Jane Kramer, Larkspur, CA
  • Debra Kreisberg, New York, NY
  • Remy Kunstler, New York, NY
  • Kearsten Kuroishi, Las Vegas, NV

  • Daylynn Allis Lambi, Portland, OR

  • Karen LaShelle, Austin, TX
  • Jane Lavino, Jackson, WY
  • Mika Claire Lemoine, Oakland, CA
  • Vita Litvak, Philadelphia, PA
  • Contessa Lobley, Milwaukee, WI
  • Colleen Longshaw, Cleveland, OH
  • Julia Lopez, Philadelphia, PA
  • Howard Sid Lucas, Philadelphia, PA
  • Rosalina Macisco Matthies, Santa Barbara, CA
  • Greg MacPherson, Dallas, TX
  • Emily Magenheimer, Silver Spring, MD
  • Tanya Maggi, Boston, MA
  • Nathan Majoros, Rochelle, NY
  • Jessica Malek, Dallas, TX
  • Lindsey Maliekel, New York, NY
  • Tara Malik, Richmond, CA
  • Julia Wilkinson Manley, Broomfield, CO
  • Erik Mann, Cleveland, OH
  • Kevin Marr II, Cleveland, OH
  • Jennifer Martin, Philadelphia, PA
  • Magda Martinez, Philadelphia, PA
  • Joanna Massey, New York, NY.
  • Maria Mathieson, Washington, DC
  • Jamie Mayer, Newark, NJ
  • Indi McCasey, San Francisco Bay Area, CA
  • Bruce McColl, Manchester, NH
  • Linsey McDaniel, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Julie McDonald, San Francisco, CA
  • Reed Davaz McGowan, Philadelphia, PA
  • Sarah Anne McNear, New York, NY
  • Jessica Mele, San Francisco, CA
  • Cecilia Mendez, Boston, MA
  • Cecilia Isabel Mendez, Boston, MA
  • Ruth Mercado-Zizzo, Boston, MA
  • Mary Ellen Messner, Chicago, IL
  • André Middleton, Portland, OR
  • Devon Miller, Dallas, TX
  • Myka Miller, Los Angeles, CA
  • Tami Miller, Joseph, MI
  • Beverly Mislang, San Francisco, CA
  • Melissa Mohr, Davenport, IA
  • Hilary Moore, Seattle, WA
  • Patricia Morales, San Antonio, TX
  • Paul Moshammer, San Francisco, CA
  • Annette Mozzoni, East Providence, RI
  • Lisa Murch, Philadelphia, PA
  • Robyne Walker Murphy, Brooklyn, NY

  • Elena Marie Muslar, Los Angeles, CA

  • Shaun Neblett, New York, NY
  • Rebekka Nickman, Washington, DC
  • Lorna Jane Norris, Hingham, MA
  • Mike Nourse, Chicago, IL
  • José Ochoa, Chicago, IL
  • Erin Offord, Dallas, TX
  • Maile Ogasawara, Walnut Creek, CA
  • Olakunle Oladehin, New York, NY
  • Karin Orenstein, Philadelphia, PA
  • José Ortiz, New York, NY
  • Davin Peelle, Evanston, IL
  • Alexander Peña, Rochester, NY
  • Julienne Penza, Westhampton Beach, NY
  • Caitlin Perkins, Philadelphia, PA
  • Erin Perry, Pittsburg, PA
  • Jennifer Pickering, Black Mountain, NC
  • Sarah Jane Pietlicki, Chicago, IL
  • Cathleen Marie Plazas, Newark, NJ
  • Netanel Portier, Philadelphia, PA
  • Jill Potter, Chicago, IL
  • Regan Pro, Seattle, WA
  • Elizabeth Quinn, Sisters, OR
  • Seema Rao, Cleveland, OH
  • Emily Reed, Boston, MA
  • Michael Reingold, Tenafly, NJ
  • Hilary Field Respass, West Hartford, CT
  • Sarah Rinner, Austin, TX
  • Karen Benita Reyes, Chicago, IL
  • Brooke Rogers, New York, NY
  • Amy Rosenbluth, Cleveland, OH
  • Kristopher Rudzinski, Philadelphia, PA
  • Katie Ruprecht-Wittrock, Saint Cloud, MN
  • Jerod Santek, Minneapolis, MN
  • Carmen Myriam Santos-Robson, Newark, NJ
  • Alex Sarian, New York, NY
  • Amy Scheers, St. Louis, MO
  • Michael Schenkelberg, Denver, CO
  • David Schiopota, Aurora, OH
  • G. Kwame Scruggs, FCopley, OH
  • Thomas Scurto-Davis, Haverford, PA
  • Christine Seibert, Cleveland, OH
  • Nancy M. Servis, Davis, CA
  • Karen Shepherd, Washington, DC
  • Pamela Shortall, Chicago, IL
  • Candy Nguyen Smirnow, Los Angeles, CA
  • Andrew Smith, Westport, CT
  • Anne Smith, Hingham, MA
  • LeBrandon Stephen Smith, New York, NY
  • Katherine Smythe, Memphis, TN
  • Margaret Wyporek Spear, West Hartford, CT
  • DeLashea Strawder, Detroit, MI
  • Veronica Stein, Chicago, IL
  • Julie Rulyak Steinberg, New York, NY
  • Käthe Swaback, Lynn, MA
  • Chad Swan-Badgero, Lansing, MI
  • Marie Tai, Boston, MA
  • Susan Teegan-Case, Media, PA
  • Rachel Telesmanick, Portland, OR
  • Molly Terbovich-Ridenhour, San Diego, CA
  • Jeannette Tremblay, Chicago, IL
  • Rebecca Tuynman, Los Angeles, CA
  • Nicole Upton, Chicago, IL
  • Allison Valchuis, Director, Art Center, 92nd Street Y, New York, NY
  • Leo Van Asten, Verona, WI
  • Xavier Verna, Manistee, MI
  • Sarah Wass, Los Angeles, CA
  • Elizabeth Whitford, Seattle, WA
  • Sarah Andrew Wilson, Washington, DC
  • Jeremy Winchester, Flint, MI
  • Yolanda Wisher, Philadelphia, PA
  • Eve Wolff, New York, NY
  • Teri Yago-Ryan, Philadelphia, PA
  • Guillermina Zabala, San Antonio, TX
  • Carol Zee, Los Angeles, CA

*Updated February 2020