Julie Rulyak Steinberg, Executive Director. Julie Rulyak Steinberg became the Executive Director of CMC in 2017, where she proudly leads the organization into its second century of providing access to music education for residents in the Bay Area and beyond. Julie brings an extensive background in fundraising and institutional advancement, and a wealth of experience in brand identity, strategic planning, and best practices for program development and sustainability. Julie has served as a grant panelist for numerous organizations including the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and the New York Times Company Foundation. Prior to joining Community Music Center, Julie served as the Executive Director of Turtle Bay Music School in New York City. Deeply committed to the expansion of community music-making, Julie trained with Third Street Music School Settlement and the National Guild for Community Arts Education while developing curriculum for a Community Music Education Master’s Degree program at New York University. She is also a teacher of the Orff Schulwerk. Julie holds a B.M., summa cum laude, and M.A. from New York University’s Steinhardt School for Culture, Education and Human Development.
Giuliana Barraza, Mission District Branch Registrar.
Jackie Bosch, Development Assistant. Jackie is a graduate of the nationally ranked Alexander W. Dreyfoos Jr., High School of the Arts as a music-keyboard major. She also received her bachelor’s in Liberal Arts at Florida State University, studying classical piano. Before moving to the Bay Area from her hometown of West Palm Beach, FL, she served in the role of Office Manager for Standing Ovation Performing Arts and as the Education and Community Outreach Coordinator for the Palm Beach Symphony. During this time, Jackie also had the privilege of traveling to and from Cuba several times to volunteer for award-winning Cuban-Jazz artists, providing managerial guidance, assisting with travel documents, and performing backup vocals in English and Spanish. Jackie is proud to join CMC and enjoys spending her free time with her husband Josh and dog Milo.
Nicholas Colella, Richmond District Branch Registrar. Nick joined SFCMC as Registrar in 2021, after six years of experience working in arts administration and educational program management in after school environments in San Francisco’s Richmond District. He integrated a multicultural children’s art program into several new schools, and managed the Alamo Elementary After School Program. Originally hailing from the east coast, he graduated from the University of Massachusetts Lowell with a Bachelors in English and a minor in Theatre, and eventually moved to San Francisco, drawn by the City’s vibrant arts and music scene. He brings to SFCMC a dedication for supporting students and staff and a love for studying and playing music. In particular, Nick enjoys playing guitar.
Tim Costigan, Older Adult Choir Coordinator. Tim comes to Community Music Center from St. Anthony’s Dining Room, where he had started a CMC Older Adult Choir as part of the Afternoon Programs in the Dining Room there. As he is fond of telling people, the Tuesday afternoon St. Anthony’s CMC Choir session was his favorite part of the week, and now he gets to do that every day, all over the city! Prior to St. Anthony’s Tim worked in AIDS Services, with PAWS in the mid/late 90s, and then 13 years at Project Open Hand. Tim took a break from Nonprofit work to start up a neighborhood pet supply shop in the Mission called “Mission Critter,” which he dearly loved, but after five years of rising rents and aggressive online competition, he decided to go back to the Nonprofit world. Tim did not have the benefit of the kind of quality, foundational musical training that CMC offers, but insisted nonetheless on playing in many punk/industrial noise bands in Ohio in the 80s, before he moved to California. He now much prefers choral music.
Gabi Díaz-Hernández, Mission District Branch Registrar. Gabi Díaz-Hernández first came to CMC as a student in 2017, and loved it so much they decided to work here when the opportunity arose in 2018. Gabi has worked in several customer-facing roles, and at CMC is invested in helping students have the best experience signing up for classes. Gabi has an A.B. in Cognitive Science from the University of Georgia, as a result of being fascinated by the effects of music on mental health, development, and aging. Gabi currently plays woodwinds with Coraza: a feminist indie-folk pop group based in Oakland. As an avocational musician and lifelong student, they are constantly looking for learning opportunities in different classes and workshops around the Bay Area’s multiple arts spaces and cultural centers.
Chantel Hernandez, Program Coordinator & MDYMP Coordinator. I am a recent graduate from the Urban Studies department at San Francisco State University and have spent the last couple years dedicating most of my time to the Mission District. I started my involvement in the Mission as a Legislative Intern for Supervisor Hillary Ronen in the District 9 office. Through this position I was given the opportunity to help organize La Pulguita Marketplace, a market that offered a safe and accessible area for street vendors to sell their merchandise. I then worked on the Carnaval Entertainment committee and even performed a couple times for Carnaval and throughout the Mission with the SFSU Afro Cuban Ensemble. I am also currently doing some volunteer work for Acción Latina and helping organize El Tecolote’s 50th Anniversary Virtual Art Exhibit. I am honored to be in connection with such essential organizations within the community, especially now here at the CMC. I am most inspired by the resilient women in my life and creatives who are able to use their artistic passion to inform and transform our society. I intend to bring that same level of intention with me to my position here as Program and MDYMP Coordinator.
Andy Huber, Director of Finance and Operations. Andy joined the CMC staff in July of 2018 after 5 years of working in community arts administration and finance at Turtle Bay Music School in New York City. There he worked first in programming, focusing on earned revenue streams, and over time transitioned into managing all financial, accounting and human resources functions as Business Manager. Beyond his direct duties, Andy gained a wide skill set for working in community arts education and interacting with the many stakeholders who care about our work: students, parents, faculty and board members.
Andy holds degrees in Music Education – Voice (B.M.) and Theater – Acting (B.F.A) from Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan. There he was lucky to participate in many plays, musicals, operas and choral ensembles. When not working, he enjoys podcasts, NPR, playing video games and attempting to be a more diligent reader. Andy and his wife, Katie, reside in Berkeley and enjoy great meals and fun trips.
Shannon Koehler, Operations Manager. Shannon Koehler became the Operations Manager in May of 2021. While organizing large projects and daily coordination, he is dedicated to making your time at CMC the best experience possible. Shannon is also the lead singer, drummer, and harmonica player for the international touring rock & roll band The Stone Foxes. He has toured for over a decade playing festivals like Outside Lands, KAABOO and Hardly Strictly Blue Grass. Songs he has written have appeared on several commercial campaigns such as Jack Daniels, BMW and Budweiser; also appearing on TV shows like Sons Of Anarchy, Shameless, and Elementary. He has also worked for over a decade in radio production for The Golden State Warriors and KNBR (Cumulus San Francisco). Though he grew up east of Fresno in the foothills, he feels at home by the Bay, and has lived in the Bay Area for the past 15 years.
Michelle Lee, Marketing Assistant. Michelle Lee joins CMC with a wide range of musical and professional experience. In addition to her life as a performer, she has a background in arts administration, marketing and development, event production, stage management, and music education. She has worked with independent artists and local music organizations, including Sacred & Profane Chamber Chorus, the Center for New Music, and Crowden Music Center, and possesses marketing and graphic design experience in both retail and the arts. Michelle has attended the Conservatory of Music at University of the Pacific and holds a degree in Flute Performance from Mills College. As a flautist, she specializes in contemporary music: focusing on chamber music and collaborative performances that incorporate both traditional and experimental notation, extended techniques, electronics, improvisation, and performance art.
Katie Mazzari, Assistant to the Executive Director. Katie joined the CMC staff in 2022, bringing an extensive background in nonprofit management and community arts programming. After earning her degree in Arts and Cultural Management from American University, Katie began her career in Washington, DC, coordinating educational programs with the Kennedy Center and the Smithsonian American Art Museum. After returning to her native New York, Katie worked for nearly a decade with Turtle Bay Music School in Manhattan where she oversaw all free/subsidized and tuition-bearing programs, and led the expansion of the school’s community programs to more than double the reach of public school and creative aging partnerships. Katie moved to the west coast in 2018 and has worked locally on the finance and program teams at SF Playhouse and UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center. Her favorite pastimes include kitchen dance parties with her husband, son, and cat (they strike a healthy balance between bebop and yacht rock classics), and as a proud Italian-American, unintentionally cooking too much food. Leftovers always available upon request.
Anne C. Mitchell, Marketing & Communications Director. Anne has been working and performing in the Mission District arts community since 2002. As a musician she has shared the stage with the indie great Ani DiFranco, and has collaborated extensively with critically acclaimed poet Judy Grahn. With an interest in musical performance that goes beyond the stage, Anne has worked in an organizational capacity for Eth-Noh-Tec storytelling group, ODC Theater, Nusku Arts in teaching, programs, box office management, marketing, and event coordination. She found her way to CMC in 2011, like so many, through her love of studying music and composition. She holds an MFA in Songwriting and Vocal Technique from New College of California and a BA in Cultural Arts from the Evergreen State College. Her music can be found at annecarol.com.
Jamie Ngo, Staff Accountant. Jamie recently joined CMC and brings with her years of accounting experience from working with multiple bay area non-profits that include art collectives, writing workshops establishments, acting and theater organizations and dance companies. She holds a degree in Accounting from California State University, Los Angeles and have also worked in educational school environments. Her love for the everything arts is what drew her to CMC. Away from work, she enjoys supporting the arts by going to concerts, movies and museums.
Polly Springhorn, Grants Manager. Before coming to CMC, Polly served as Grants Manager for SFJAZZ, Manager of Institutional Giving at San Francisco Art Institute, and Institutional Giving Director for the San Francisco Girls Chorus. Polly is equally at home in the worlds of free improvisation, contemporary composition, and rock. She plays bass flute with the improvising ensemble Ghost in the House, flutes and voice with the electroacoustic duo Usufruct, and sings, plays flute, and plays guitar with the progressive rock band ReconnaissanceFly. Polly is a published composer with several works available from ALRY Publications.
Elenka Refsell, Development Manager. Elenka started learning to read music at age four and hasn’t looked back since. Before coming to CMC, she worked as the Registrar and Donor Services Manager at the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir and the Development Associate at the Shanti Project. A singer and voice teacher, Elenka has sung with a number of prestigious Bay Area ensembles and opera choruses, including Volti, the International Orange Chorale, West Edge Opera, and Festival Opera. In 2011 she was pleased to premiere the soprano role in Andrew Pascoe’s God: The Opera. A transplant from the Boston Area, Elenka is happy to call the Bay Area home.
Jesse Rimler, Mission District Branch Registrar. Jesse joined CMC as Associate Registrar in 2021, following 13 years at the California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley, CA, where he—among other roles—served as Registrar of the CJC’s degree program. A Bay Area-native, Jesse has a BA in English from the University of California, San Diego. Jesse is a cartoonist and illustrator, and also enjoys playing piano and writing songs.
Beca Robledo, Mission District Branch Registrar. Beca joined the CMC Registrar team in 2022, relocating from her native city of San Diego for this opportunity. Beca is a Berklee College of Music graduate as a piano and voice principal; she received her B.A. in Music Therapy with a minor in Psychology in 2016. Beca’s professional background is in Hospice Care, where she was a practicing Board Certified Music Therapist (MT-BC) for 5+ years. Beca specializes in End of Life Counseling, Bereavement Support, Music Therapy Internship Supervision, and Latinx Community Education and Outreach. In 2021, Beca had the opportunity to rebuild a Hospice Volunteer Program following a halt caused by Covid-19 and was energized by the role, specifically program development and organizational administration.
Beca is thrilled that her career has now brought her to San Francisco and CMC, where she can lean into her passion towards equity in music in a community-based space. When not at work, you can find Beca spending time with her partner and their dogs, dancing/belting around her kitchen while cooking, practicing yoga, exploring nature, thrifting, and going to live shows.
Carolyn Squeri, Campaign Director. Carolyn comes to CMC with experience in managing successful fundraising and capital campaigns, and with strong interests in community development and strategic planning. She has capital campaign experience from her previous positions at the Cathedral of Christ the Light, Notre Dame de Namur University, and San Francisco Heritage at the Haas-Lilienthal House, where she most recently served as Director of Development. A fourth generation San Franciscan, Carolyn’s fundraising experience developed at her sons’ schools, Cathedral School for Boys, St. Ignatius College Prep, Lick-Wilmerding High School, and Stanford University. She has served on the boards of Good Samaritan Community Center, St. Francis Wood Women’s League, Stanford Women’s Club of San Francisco, St. Francis Homes Association, Stanford Parents’ Advisory Board, and the West of Twin Peaks Central Council. Carolyn is a graduate of Stanford University, where she earned a B.A. in History with a focus on international relations.
Sylvia Sherman, Program Director. Sylvia brings more than twenty-five years of experience with non-profit and philanthropic organizations to Community Music Center. These include the San Francisco Art Commission, Oakland School for the Arts, and various community-based and philanthropic groups. She worked for fourteen years as Director of Development and Special Projects at La Peña Cultural Center, developing long-range strategic plans, institutional and individual donor fundraising, special program initiatives, coordinating La Peña’s artist-in-residence program; producing new work, concerts of international artists, and multi-disciplinary program series. Sylvia is an alumna of community-based arts education programs, playing percussion and bass, currently performing with Latin Jazz group, Survival Groove.
Debbie Chinn, President
Debbie Chinn is the Executive Director of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, one of the Bay Area’s flagship non-profit theaters and leading regional theatres in the nation. She is the Managing Director and Management Consultant for Anna Deavere Smith’s Pipeline Project, based on comprehensive community-based research focusing on what has been branded “the poverty to prison pipeline.” Over the past 20+ years, Debbie has held executive leadership positions as Executive Director of Opera Parallèle, Executive Director of the Carmel Bach Festival, Managing Director of Baltimore Center Stage, California Shakespeare Theater, and Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey. She serves on the boards of Playwrights Foundation and the Chinese Cultural Center of San Francisco. Her past board affiliations include Theatre Bay Area (Board chair), Theatre Communications Group, and the Association of California Symphony Orchestras (Board President). She is also an author; her book, “Dancing in Their Light, a Daughter’s Unfinished Memoir” was published in 2022.
Catharine L. Kalin, Vice President
Currently Chair of the governance committee, Catharine Kalin is a past board president and has served on the board for almost 30 years, having chaired the executive director search committee and five-year plan committee twice. She is now retired from having served as director of operations at the Ploughshares Fund, a public foundation investing in peace and security worldwide, for over 25 years. She was a docent at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art for 18 years and served as Docent Council president. Catharine serves on the finance committee of St. Ignatius parish in San Francisco. She and her husband John are active in Get on the Bus, a program of the Center for Restorative Justice Works, a Los Angeles-based organization that unites children, families and communities separated by crime and the criminal justice system. They also are weekly volunteers at a San Francisco-Marin Food Bank pop-up site in their neighborhood.
Barbara Kosnar, Vice President
Barbara Kosnar retired from her position as a financial executive at Union Bank in 2011. She began her career as a Certified Public Accountant, working for a “Big Four” firm. She has an MBA from Golden Gate University and an undergraduate degree in Music Education from San Francisco State University. Barbara served on the Board of Directors of the Union Bank Foundation and of Audubon Canyon Ranch, and was a member of the Audit Committee of the ClimateWorks Foundation. An avid amateur pianist, she has studied for many years at CMC and enjoys spending time playing four-hand piano pieces with friends. Having discovered CMC as a student, she is honored to serve and support the school so that others can discover the joy of making music for themselves.
Max Yoshimoto, Vice President
Max Yoshimoto is currently an educator at the SJSU Design department. Throughout his career at Google, Motorola and Lunar/Mckinsey Design, he was a creative leader whose vision was to develop new product hardware experiences that offer emotional and enduring value. He’s gained broad knowledge working in categories from medical devices to consumer products ranging from fashion to tech.
As a musician, Max has studied latin percussion at the Community Music Center, Stanford’s SALJE ensemble, Jazz School and LaPena. With a focus on timbales, he studied with Bay Area greats Louis Romero and Josh Jones. He’s traveled to Cuba to study privately and at La Ena School of the Arts. Professionally, he’s founded and played in bands in San Francisco and Chicago. He’s taken up the bass guitar and come full circle playing percussion with a Motown band and getting back on the drumset. Max is honored and excited to serve on the CMC board.
Michael Marzelli, Treasurer is a senior manager in the San Francisco Financial Services audit practice with 14 years experience serving multi-national clients in New York, San Francisco and Hong Kong. His experience includes working with professional employer organizations, asset managers, banking organizations, blockchain and cryptocurrency companies in an audit and advisory capacity. Michael is experienced in facilitating collaboration among varied teams and individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences. Michael also played electric and upright bass growing up, playing in the Franklin and Marshall Orchestra and participating in all-county and other regional orchestras and jazz performance groups. He strongly values the importance of music education because of these experiences.
Emily Berger, Secretary is a lawyer who is currently working at Facebook to increase the availability, affordability, and awareness of the Internet through international partnerships in emerging markets. She began her legal career in private practice in Boston but took a leave of absence after several years to work with the San Francisco-based Electronic Frontier Foundation promoting innovation through impact litigation, policy analysis, and activism. She fell in love with the Bay Area and never made it back east, staying instead to work as an in-house lawyer at Dolby Labs supporting audio technology licensing and at Netflix on its product development and international partnerships.
She has a JD from the University of Maryland and a BS in Chemical Engineering from Tufts University. Emily was a woodwind doubler for 20 years, playing the clarinet in her high school marching and symphonic bands along with the sax and flute in the jazz band. She was one of only two clarinetists in the Tufts University Orchestra which partnered with students at the New England Conservatory to give, amongst other performances, a rousing rendition of Orff’s Carmina Burana. These days, she hasn’t been playing herself, but enjoys indoor and outdoor concerts of all sorts and participates in a monthly ‘listening club’ for the purpose of discovering new music.
Emily is honored to support and serve the CMC, based in her neighborhood in the city of SF, so that others can discover the joy of making music (and dancing)
Clifford Brown, Jr. was born in Philadelphia and raised in Los Angeles. His father was the internationally-acclaimed jazz trumpet legend Clifford Brown. His mother, La Rue Brown, helped break the color barrier in the modeling world by being the first African American to work as a talent booker for a major white agency.
Brown began his radio career at the age of 18, and before turning 30 was awarded the prestigious “Golden Mic” as the Bay Area’s top radio personality. Brown has since been recognized as the nation’s top jazz Program Director with the AMPEX AWARD OF EXCELLENCE, and was named a “Living Broadcasting Legend” in 2009 by the Black Music Association.
As an educator, Clifford Brown Jr. has served on the teaching or lecturing staff of every major broadcasting program in the Bay Area, presently teaching at Santa Clara University. He has also conducted workshops and served on panels for Jazz at Lincoln Center, Stanford University, UC Berkeley, SFSU, and the California Jazz Conservatory.
Brown currently hosts and produces “The American Jazz Countdown,” one of the most listened to syndicated jazz radio programs in the nation. Brown also serves on the Board of Directors for the California Jazz Conservatory, The Jazz School in Berkeley, and the Clifford Brown Jazz Foundation, and serves as Regional Director of the Greater San Francisco Bay Area for LegalShield. Clifford is happily married to Pat Thomas for nearly 30 years, and has 3 adult children and 3 grandchildren.
Katherine Bukstein holds a Masters of Music in Viola Performance from San Francisco State University. She has taught music privately and in the public schools. From 2004 to the present, she has served on the board of San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music and served as its president from 2009–2016. She currently serves on the Artistic Committee of the Peninsula Symphony and the Artistic and Education Committees of Music at Kohl Mansion. She also serves on the Board of Directors of the Mervyn L. Brenner Foundation. Katherine is an avid chamber musician and also performs with the Peninsula Symphony.
Lauren Erickson is the Nonprofit Practice Leader at G2 Insurance, a commercial insurance brokerage firm based in San Francisco. She works with medium to large sized nonprofits across the country assisting them with their risk management and insurance programs. She is also a classically trained opera singer, earning her Master’s in Music at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
Lauren is currently on the Board of Directors for the San Francisco Opera Guild, where she serves on the Executive Committee as their VP of Development. Prior to the Guild, she was the President of the Bravo! Club for San Francisco Opera, in charge of audience development for 21-40 year olds. During her time with B!C, the membership grew to over 1,000 people, and she chaired the Opening Night Gala and threw several events.
Given her professional career working with nonprofits, Lauren attends several fundraiser events a year and has a keen eye on what works and what doesn’t. Lauren has been involved with CMC for a few years, joining the gala committee and spreading awareness of CMC to the community. In 2023, she will be co-chairing the after party for the gala. Lauren lives in Marin with her husband and one-eyed senior rescue pup, Odin.
Geoffrey Gallegos is a San Francisco native and sixth generation Californian. He is currently Music Director and Conductor of the Kensington Symphony Orchestra, the West County Winds and Golden Gate Opera all in the Bay Area. From 2003 to 2008, he served as Assistant Conductor of the Peninsula Symphony Orchestra of Northern California. Maestro Gallegos has a deep commitment to music education. In 2001, he was appointed Music Director and Conductor of the Golden Gate Philharmonic, an all-city youth string orchestra program based in San Francisco. From 2001 to 2010 he participated in the Artist in Residence program at the School of the Arts in San Francisco and during the 2000-01 academic year, Maestro Gallegos served as Conductor of the San Francisco State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble. He has been a Guest Conductor of Orchestras at Cazadero Music Camp and he served as Coordinator of Instrumental Music at The Nueva School in Hillsborough where he oversaw the prestigious Menuhin/Dowling program and Young Musicians Competition. Maestro Gallegos holds a Bachelor of Music degree, with honors, in Instrumental Education and Conducting from San Francisco State University and a Master of Arts degree in orchestral and opera conducting, with High Distinction, from the University of Iowa School of Music. Since 2005, he has served on the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Community Music Center where he began his music studies with the trumpet at the age of nine.
Ron Gallman is the San Francisco Symphony’s Director of Education and Youth Orchestra. He oversees the Symphony’s education programs, which serve the spectrum of Bay Area communities and have been described as national models in educational and programming excellence. Gallman gives lectures and writes program notes for the SFS and arts organizations across the country. He has served on national and state arts panels, participated as a presenter in arts conferences nationwide, and serves on boards and committees of local, state, and national arts organizations.
Duncan Haberly is a serial entrepreneur, author, and recovering lawyer. He is CEO at The Meta, developer of the best-selling esports training platform, KovaaK 2.0, and has been fortunate to be a part of the successes of Military.com, if(we), Instructables, and Objective Loyalty. Duncan firmly credits CMC with giving him the core music skills that prepared him to study in SF State University’s Music Department from 2011 to 2015. Duncan has a J.D. and B.A. from the University of Virginia and is a veteran of U.S. Army Military Intelligence.
Brooke Joseph was born in Salt Lake City where her family enjoyed a warm Jewish community, skiing, hiking, and extended family. During her time attending at Mount Vernon College for Women in Washington DC, which later became part of George Washington University, Brooke was able to focus on her love of politics and respect for public service. She began her career in Washington after college as a member of Walter Mondale’s presidential campaign team. She worked on the presidential bids of Mike Dukakis and on the campaigns of Senator Bill Bradley, Senator John Kerry, and then-Senator Barack Obama. Brooke was the Northern CA Finance Director for the first Obama campaign and had the privilege of working for President and Mrs. Obama doing advance work nationwide for the 8 years of the Obama Administration. Brooke is the mother of Coby, 26, a transportation planner and Benjamin, 29, a professional jazz and rock musician. Brooke’s Dad, Norm Rosenblatt is also an active musician. He founded Jazz Voices of Poetry and served for many years on the board of Community Music Center. Brooke’s husband Marc runs the environmental law firm Adams Broadwell Joseph and Cardozo. Brooke is currently building Commit the Vote, an organization that encourages 17- and 18-year-olds to commit to being life-long voters. She spends as much time as possible with her family, and revels in reading, walking, painting, and playing her violin.
Kerry Landry is a senior leader in health policy dedicated to improving health coverage in San Francisco. Since relocating from the Midwest to the Bay, her work has been focused on partnering with the SF Department of Public Health to administer two innovative and landmark programs: Healthy San Francisco and the SF City Option. Kerry is currently a Director at the San Francisco Health Plan, which serves low income San Francisco residents enrolled in Medi-Cal. She holds MPH and BS degrees from the University of Minnesota. Kerry’s musical journey started with piano at age 7, then expanded to flute and percussion in high school concert and marching bands. She picked up guitar in college and has also dabbled in ukulele in hopes of becoming a campfire sensation. Kerry is thrilled to be serving on the CMC Board in support of music education, but also as inspiration to dust off her own instruments and find her way back to playing music.
Sharad Mangalick is focused on building products to help people cultivate and grow their creative passions. He’s currently a Product Manager at Descript, where he’s helping storytellers more easily tell their stories through podcasts and videos. Prior to Descript, he helped build Adobe Lightroom, the digital photo app used to create some of the world’s most amazing photos. He started playing piano recently and loves the meditative and creative aspects of jamming away on his piano. Sharad is excited to share his passion for creating music and is honored to serve on the board of the CMC.
José A. Rodríguez is the Chief Development & Strategy Officer of MNC Inspiring Success in San Francisco. In collaboration with MNC’s CEO, he is responsible for developing, articulating, and implementing MNC’s strategic vision focusing on effective growth and sustainability. Before coming back to MNC, José did a short stint as Chief People Officer of Tiburcio Vasquez Health Center, where he oversaw HR, Workforce Strategies, Marketing, Communications, Strategic Partnerships, External Affairs, and Facilities. Prior to this, José was the Chief Operations Officer of MNC.
José has over 25 years of professional experience in a variety of industries, including staffing services, technology, retail, public relations, and non-profits. He has held jobs in recruiting, sales, finance, and administration as well as spending many years as an HR Business Partner at Hewlett-Packard (HP), The Gap, Logitech and Burson-Marsteller.
José also serves on the Board of Directors of 3rd Street Youth Center & Clinic in the Bayview and is their Nominating and Governance Committee Chair. He is also a Board Member of Mission Neighborhood Health Center.
José has a Master’s Degree in Labor Relations from the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, with a major in Marketing, from the University of Puerto Rico. In 2020 he completed a Professional Coaching for Life and Work certificate program at UC Davis and incorporated his coaching practice into his professional portfolio.
Cathi Russell is a business and product designer specializing in new product development as well as an amateur violinist and CMC student. She currently leads Adobe’s Experience Design Studio team, an internal incubator that employs the scientific method, rapid prototyping, and design thinking to create new tools for Adobe. Earning her BA in Economics from Wellesley College, she took the rest of her credits in the art department and later received an MBA from Stanford. Through her experiences, she has become a firm believer in the transformative potential of arts education, and her past volunteer work includes mentoring with First Exposures and BayKids. She enjoys impromptu dance parties, karaoke, and live music.
Nelly Sapinski is the Executive Director of the Jamestown Community Center, a Mission District-based nonprofit serving youth and their families in programs that include tutoring, before and after school academic enrichment, summer programs, social/emotional support, sports, youth workforce, parent leadership development, parent organizing, and Afro-Latino arts education and performance. Prior to joining Jamestown, Nelly served as the After School Program Director at Reading Partners, the national literacy non-profit, and managed curriculum, instruction and evaluation for Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County. Nelly grew up in Tijuana, Mexico and Chicago, Illinois. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Northern Illinois University and a Masters of Education from Harvard University. Nelly lives in San Francisco with her husband and daughter.
Paul-David Shrader is a native Californian and progeny of a family of musicians. While Paul-David practices as an attorney for high-growth tech companies as his day job, his passion projects include charity regulation compliance, mentoring entrepreneurs, dabbling in musical instruments, and raising a Siberian husky. Paul-David also serves on the Western Regional Council for MedShare and the Northwestern University Leadership Circle Regional Board.
Zach Smith is currently a lead advisor at Brighton Jones, an independent wealth management company that focuses on helping clients, colleagues, and the global community live richer lives. Zach holds the Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) designation and enjoys guiding clients through important financial and life decisions. He studied Economics at the University of California in Santa Cruz.
Zach lived in San Francisco until he was seven years old and then moved to the Big Island of Hawaii for the remainder of his childhood. While in Hawaii, Zach became passionate about music and learned to play guitar, baritone horn, and double bass. Although his musical skills have become slightly rusty, he always makes time to support musical performances in his free time.
Patricia Taylor Lee, President Emerita
Pianist Patricia Taylor Lee is Professor and Chair Emerita of the Music Department of San Francisco State University and Artistic Director of the Virginia Waring International Piano Competition in Palm Desert, CA. She has also served on the faculties of the University of California, Davis and West Chester University in Pennsylvania and for ten years was the official pianist of the Sacramento Symphony. Dr. Lee earned a BA at Mills College and graduate degrees at Yale and Temple Universities. She is a trustee of the Ross McKee Foundation and a past trustee of Mills College, the Women’s Philharmonic, Friends of Chamber Music, the Performing Arts Library and Museum, and the Sacramento Symphony.
Jono Kornfeld
Jono Kornfeld; Faculty Council Chair, Guitars Department Chair
Erik Andersen, Strings Department Chair
Leo Baluk, Member-at-large, Secretary
Becca Burrington, Brass/Winds Department Chair
Rosi Garcia Plaza, Piano Department Chair
Ellen Glikbarg Shea, Voice Department Chair
Tregar Otton, Cultural Traditions Department Chair
Michaela Overall, Member-at-Large, Grants Coordinator
Sharon Wayne, Member-at-large, Newsletter Editor
