Board of Directors
Chris has spent the last two decades in tech and videogames marketing and now focuses on supporting small businesses and nonprofits. He rediscovered his passion for oil painting and comics art through KAC and is a strong proponent for art as therapy that should be accessible to all.
A career librarian and library administrator, Holly worked in public libraries for 25 years. Holly earned a BFA in Studio Arts and a BA in Art History prior to her library career, and immediately returned to the arts after leaving the field. Along with her renewed love of oil painting, she received a Certificate in Photography from the UW and is a budding potter. Holly believes deeply in the power of making and experiencing art, both individually and in community.
Steph arrived in the U.S. from the U.K. 31 years ago. Her background is in Information Technology. She previously worked for Siemens, Unisys Corporation, Network Systems, the Prudential, and Honeywell. She has invested the last 10 years in her own business. She has decided it is now time to retire and reinvest her time into the art world! Steph has lived in the U.K., Holland, Southern Africa, Malta and Gozo, NJ, CA, FL, and now WA. She has four children, a golden retriever named Lumi, and two cats. She has lived in Kirkland since 2000 – the longest she has lived anywhere!
Hannah Fisher is the Founder & CEO of Hard Refresh, a web design agency dedicated to sustainable, accessible, and equitable website creation. Her involvement in the arts community is aimed at uplifting underrepresented groups and advocating for arts funding for the human experience. When she isn’t working or volunteering, you can find her enjoying the outdoors with a camera in hand, no matter the season.
John has served on the KAC board as President, Vice President and currently as a board member at large. In 2012, John first came to KAC to support the stewardship of the building. John is a practicing architect and owner of Adams Architecture, a Seattle-based architecture firm founded in 2014. The firm endeavors to create buildings that are compelling and thoughtfully executed; direct yet beautiful; contextual and intriguing.
John likes to get his hands dirty remodeling his Seattle home and whenever possible going fly fishing in Michigan, but more typically reads avidly about theoretical physics, Zen Buddhism, and cooking the perfect rack of barbecued ribs.
Mary Lu is a community and philanthropic leader, committed to increasing access to quality arts programs throughout the Eastside. She is a strong advocate for numerous non-profit organizations, including Friends of Youth, Childhaven, Pilchuck Glass School, and has proven leadership in fundraising, events, and strategic planning.
Harmony Arnold has served on the board of Kirkland Arts Center for the past three years. She is an accomplished Costume Designer and Stylist for stage, film and commercial endeavors. She received a Master of Fine Arts degree in Costume Design from the University of Oregon. Harmony is Associate Professor of Theatre (Costume) and Chair of the Department of Performing Arts and Arts Leadership at Seattle University, and is deeply committed to arts education.
Martha Chaudhry is a community and economic development professional who presently works in the Kirkland City Manager’s Office as a special projects coordinator in economic development, tourism, and arts and culture. She is a practicing fine artist and teaching artist, and spent 20+ years overseas as a professional photographer and arts entrepreneur in Singapore, Hong Kong and London. Martha brings deep acculturation skills, global experience, program design, management, and stakeholder relations skills to the KAC, in addition to the perspective of an arts practitioner.
Cathy has been in commercial real estate for over 25 years in cities across the country including Seattle, Chicago and Dallas. She has served on various non-profit boards and is the immediate past president of CREW Seattle, which is an organization that advances women in commercial real estate. She’s a newer resident of Kirkland and is passionate about keeping the arts accessible to all.
Tony has been honored to help students pursue college in the creative and technical arts for the past 15 years. He has engaged in and enhanced the education of artists through his leadership with the Art Institute of Seattle and currently helps students achieve their creative and technical goals with General Assembly in Seattle.
Will McDermott is an author and editor who has published eight novels and written for more than 20 games. He has edited magazines in numerous industries and written several nonfiction books. Will’s writing has been translated into many languages around the world.
Role of the Board
The Board of Directors plays a vital role in the leadership of Kirkland Arts Center. The Board provides the guidance and support necessary for KAC to fulfill its mission, vision, and goals. Board members actively participate in areas such as finance, marketing, fundraising, and strategic and event planning.
Join the Board
Join our team of dynamic leaders, visionaries, and arts enthusiasts and help Kirkland Arts Center continue to grow and thrive. KAC is recruiting for new Board of Directors members to begin in 2019, and hope you will consider this creative, engaging group the place to invest your time and talents. Board members provide the guidance and support necessary for KAC to fulfill its mission, vision, and goals. Board members actively participate in areas such as finance, marketing, fundraising, strategy, and board governance.
Advisory Council
- Susan Pappalardo, Co-Chair
- Brad Weed, Co-Chair
- Bill Ballantine
- Carol Belval
- Carl Bradley
- Merrily Dicks
- Ashwin Gonibeed
- Taylor Hawes
- Joan McBride
- Suzy Mings
- Michael Monroe
- Marty Peterson
- Marcelo Prieto
- Susan Thurston