Nominations for the YSAC Board of Trustees
ANITA BROWN has lived in Yellow Springs with her family for the past 18 years. Her connection with the arts has been primarily with music, theatre and film. She is a pianist, has taught music lessons and has worked for local filmmaker Julia Reichert for many years.
For seven years Anita has worked as assistant to CEO Lee Morgan at The Antioch Company. She has served the community as a volunteer on the Friends Care Board of Trustees and board of Mills Lawn PTO. She is also a regular contributor to the Yellow Springs School Levy Committees.
DENNIS FARMER is a musician and music educator who works with four local schools: Antioch School, Mills Lawn, McKinney and YSHS. He also co-directs the YS Community Band and works with Shirley Mullins who leads the Yellow Springs Youth String Orchestra. Dennis has worked with several organizations that have brought music events to Yellow Springs including City Folk, Jazz Arts Studio and Chamber Music Yellow Springs.
In addition to his experience with music, Dennis brings with him 20 years business management and ownership experience. He has background in budget management, physical plant control, P&L’s and scheduling.
Dennis has a vested interest in furthering local arts. His primary career goal is toward the growth of life-long musicians in the community.
LISA HUNT has a MSEd and has worked for four years as Managing Director for the YS Kids Playhouse. YSKP is the only local non-profit arts group to have regular staff with both operating and project budgets. She has led the organization to an outstanding grant making record. Lisa also has 20+ years experiences as a project and program manager in other fields.
Lisa’s non-profit experience includes a three-year role with the Franklin County Prevention Institute board in Columbus, OH and membership in the Non-Profit Networking group in Yellow Springs. She is the chair of the Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce Marketing Committee. Lisa is a creative problem-solver, an expert grants writer, and a firm believer in collaborations to build capacity. She believes a strong Arts Council will benefit all arts individuals and arts organizations in the village and is committed to bringing that vision into reality. "There is so much more we can build... together!"
SARAH LEAVENS is a new community member of Yellow Springs. She received a BFA in
Creative Writing and Studio Art (oils) from Wittenberg University. Sarah has exhibited
work in several group shows, most recently at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA
(January 2007), and had a solo exhibition in November 2005. Her most recent art form
of choice explores the convergence of writing and visual art in handmade books.
The Clark State Performing Arts Center in Springfield has been Sarah’s professional home
for seven years. She is currently the Community Outreach & Education Specialist coordinating
Project Jericho at the Clark State Performing Arts Center.
Sarah describes herself as organized and pro-active, which helps her to “balance that
explosive right side creativity of an artist”. She explains that she was motivated to move
to Yellow Springs, in large, by the "art scene" and began attending Arts Council meetings
to get involved and to help it grow.
SANDRA LOVE is a long time resident of Yellow Springs. She is the author of four children's novels, the last a 12 and up book, DIVE FOR THE SUN, from Houghton Mifflin. Sandra has published a number of short stories for adults in literary magazines, authored nonfiction articles and written two multi-media projects on the history of Glen Helen and Yellow Springs.
Love is a founding faculty member of the Antioch Writers’ Workshop, a former director and board president. Currently, she is a member of the Board of Trustees. She worked in the arts in Dayton for the past seven years, and was formerly the sole “arts council” person at Culture Works, the umbrella organization for Dayton arts groups. She now writes grants on a freelance basis for nonprofit groups.
NAYSAN MCILHARGEY is a native of Yellow Springs. He and his wife Jalana Lazar decided to move back to YS and establish Miami Valley Pottery in 2004. Naysan is a graduate of YSHS and Earlham College. After working with local potters David and Keiko Hergesheimer, Naysan decided to pursue a career in ceramics and sought out apprenticeships with two of the U.S.' preeminent wood fired potters. Upon returning, Naysan and his stepfather, David Mader built the 450 cu. ft. kiln and have fired it many times.
As and artist and business owner, Naysan hopes to offer professional business skills in the form of assistance and ideas for organizing and promoting the YS Arts Council.
JOANN MCKEE was the president of the Yellow Springs Arts Council from 2006 though 2008. Her artistic background includes music and drama. Early experiences included work in radio and television as well as a small opera company in Chicago. JoAnn was also a member of the St. Andrew Chorus in NYC and founded and directed a choir program at the Duncannon Presbyterian Church. Her professional experience has involved retail management and other creative business applications.
JoAnn has served in several non-profit capacities, including the board of Elgin Women’s Club, St. Joseph’s Hospital Capital Campaign, and chairperson of a major educational fundraising event in Barrington, IL. She was co-founder of a parent’s group to raise awareness for higher standards in education and safety in local schools.
As past president of the Yellow Springs Arts Council, JoAnn can provide continuity and experience for the Board of Trustees and will act as interim leadership for the Arts Council Open Session meetings.
LISA WOLTERS holds a B.S. in Industrial Design/Visual Communication from The Ohio State University. Her professional work experience includes print, web, newspaper, and exhibit design in various settings from a small graphic design studio to a large full-service marketing agency and currently works with the Yellow Springs News. She has also been working as a ceramic artist for over 20 years and is a past co-manager of the John Bryan Community Pottery.
Lisa is a founding board member and former creative director for the Dayton International Peace Museum. She has also been a member of the Steering Committee for the John Bryan Community Pottery. Creative marketing and promotional skills are something that Lisa plans to bring to the YS Arts Council from her print and exhibit design experience. Specifically, Lisa’s interest in the Arts Council leans toward public art.
Non-Voting and Advisory Board Positions
JOHN FLEMING holds an M.A. and Ph.D from Howard University. He has been elected National President of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History from 2007-2009. He has published several books and numerous articles in the fields of American History and African American rights.
John’s resume of prestigious positions within cultural institutions is vast. Some positions of note include Executive Producer of Lift Every Voice, African American and the Making of a Nation, Professor in the Department of History at the University of Cincinnati and Director and COO of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. John is Director Emeritus of the Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal in Cincinnati. John will function with the Arts Council as a non-voting advisory member.
JEROME BORCHERS has been a member of the Yellow Springs Center for
the Arts Steering Committee since its inception. He has served as chair of the group
since 2006. He has been an active member of the YSHS Theatre Arts Association since 2000, which is the year he moved to Yellow Springs with his family. In addition to the two above-mentioned boards, he has served on the board of Mills Lawn After School Care program for the past six years.
Jerome graduated from Knox College, with a BA in philosophy and art. He has been involved
in theatre for many years and was once an actor with the Palace Theater in Minneapolis. He has worked at Wright State's Boonshoft School of Medicine for 25 years as the Simulated Patient Coordinator. Jerome will serve the board as a non-voting liaison and advisor from the Center for the Arts Steering Committee.
JOANNE CAPUTO has been a resident of Yellow Springs for more than twenty years. Among numerous community volunteer activities,she has served on boards for the Mills Lawn PTO and the Natural Foods Co-op. Formerly the Media Department Manager and Executive Producer of television and radio advertising for Miami Valley Hospital (1985-2000), Jo embarked on independent filmmaking with a children's video in 1995 ("Ballerina, Ballerina," recommended by Sesame St. Magazine), and a documentary in 2005 ("On A Roll," winner of the National Audience Award from PBS Independent Lens and recommended by The New York Times). With several films in progress, Caputo is also the non-fiction book author of "Margaret Garner" (2008).
Joanne has been a member of the YSAC task force, an Arts Council development liaison group between the Arts Council and Center for the Arts Steering Committee. She will serve the Arts Council board as a non-voting advisory member and liaison to the Chamber of Commerce.
ELLEN HOOVER lived in Yellow Springs from 1969 through 1971. She then returned in 1980 to make the village her home with her family, including five children. Her daughter, Heidi, currently lives in Yellow Springs and teaches at Mills Lawn.
Now retired, Ellen’s past positions have included grant writing and grant management and she was the Economic Development Administrator for the City of Springfield. Ellen is one of four owners of Millworks and president of the Millworks Board. She has served in the role of president for the YS Historical Society, Community Resources, and Trustees of the Methodist Church. She is currently the president of the Yellow Springs Chamber of Commerce. Ellen will function with the Arts Council board as a non-voting liaison and advisor from the Chamber of Commerce.
DEBORAH HOUSH holds a B.A. in Arts History from Miami University and an M.A. in Art Education from the Ohio State University. She is a visual artist working in acrylics, ceramics and mixed media. Her professional background includes arts administrative work at the Arts Institute of Chicago and Ohio State University. Deb has also spent eight years teaching visual art in public schools and in community art settings at the elementary and high school levels. This summer she is the administrator and a contributing teacher for Arts Council’s Arts and Service Youth Program, which includes three workshops and four community arts events for Yellow Springs youth. She is also a co-coordinator of Summer in the Springs.
Deb has been a highly active volunteer for the Yellow Springs Arts Council since moving to Yellow Springs with her family two years ago. She was on the previous board of the YS Arts Council and is currently part of the Arts Council task force. In addition to volunteer work with the organization, Deb has recently been hired as a contracted employee for an Arts Council database and membership stabilization project, made possible by a generous grant from the YS Community Foundation. She is also currently working with an Arts Council committee to write other grants for identified administrative infrastructure needs. Deb will serve the board as a liaison to the Arts Council task force and as contracted staff.
