Staff

Molly Reed, Executive Director

molly@vashonalliedarts.org
Molly, who joined Vashon Allied Arts last year, was one of the founders and former managing director of the preeminent Seattle Children’s Theatre. After leaving Seattle Children’s Theatre, Molly went into marketing, eventually becoming Vice President of Community Relations for U.S. Bank. While at U.S. Bank she was responsible for fostering the bank’s relationships with community organizations and overseeing its grantmaking programs. Subsequently, Molly was asked to return to Seattle Children’s Theatre as Chief Development Officer where she completed a $7.4 million capital campaign and kick-started an endowment campaign fund with $4.5 million. Read more...

Angela Luechtefeld, Deputy Director, Finance Manager and Director of Artists in Schools

Luechtefeld joined VAA in October 2009. She has worked as both teacher and arts administrator and holds advanced degrees in both theatre and arts management. Her most recent position was Managing Director for Freehold Theatre in Seattle. She hopes to remove any existing barriers between artists and teachers and plans to work with existing projects to demonstrate added value of the arts and extend the program’s continuum year-round. Toward that end, Luetchtefeld will seek more funding options and reach out to involve more individuals and organizations. She also has an extensive background in accounting and finance. Luetchtefeld and her husband have lived on Vashon for three years. She is the mother of a 2 year old son.

Janice Mallman, Gallery Curator

JaniceM@vashonalliedarts.org
Janice has worked with VAA for more than 20 years and has been involved in every aspect of the organization. She is a visual artist who is currently creating collaged lamps with Japanese papers, and has worked in pottery, jewelry and other media during her career. She knows many artists and is able to draw upon her knowledge as an artist and her connections to create an exciting and ever evolving gallery program. Janice is an incredible asset to VAA and is responsible for much of its success.

Janice Randall, Director of Communications & Performing Arts

JaniceR@vashonalliedarts.org
Janice has worked for VAA since 1994. She brings a wealth of event planning, marketing, public relations and fundraising experience to VAA. Over the past 25 years, she has produced a diverse array of events and provided communications for many corporate and non-profit organizations including the American Heart Association, American Cancer Society and community arts festivals in California and Washington. Her personal interest in community theater performance and staged readings gives her the impetus to administer VAA’s youth theater and music programming. Janice’s poetry and prose has been published in both regional and national publications.

Wendy Finkleman, Director of Arts Education:

WendyF@vashonalliedarts.org
No stranger to the arts or education, Wendy Finkleman joined Vashon Allied Arts in spring 2010. Twelve-year Island resident and accomplished photographer, Finkleman worked at Antioch University for a decade as academic advisor and adjunct faculty teaching the ‘art of learning.’ She earned both her bachelor and masters degrees at University of Cincinnati in Intercultural Communications and moved to Bellingham as WWU’s resident director. She later obtained her teaching certificate for K-8. Wendy, her husband and son love living on Vashon.

Christine Juarez, Director of Dance

Dance@vashonalliedarts.org
Christine is a member of the Cornish College for the Arts dance faculty and directs our dance program that starts at beginning ballet (movement) at three years old, and continues sequentially to advanced instruction. She has many years' experience dancing and choreographing and also teaches jazz and modern. She has an affinity for working with young students and is a frequently requested artist in our artists in schools program. Christine holds a B.S. in Ballet and a M.S. in Modern Dance from Indiana University. She has performed as a solo artist and company member throughout the Midwest and the Pacific Northwest.

George Wright, Heron's Nest Manager

GeorgeW@vashonalliedarts.org
George started managing Heron's Nest in November 2006, but she is no stranger to VAA. She served on the Board from 1992-95 and was visual arts coordinator for a year and a half. She put on many memorable events like the Wearable Art Show. George is also a sculptor known for her table designs. She has worked in the schools as an artist in residence and ran her own gallery during Vashon’s Art Studio Tour for years.

Verna Everitt, Office Manager

VernaE@vashonalliedarts.org
Verna Everitt is a third generation Islander; her grandparents moved to VAshon in the 1920s. Everitt left the Seattle area after high school to attend college at UCLA. When she met her husband Tim, they started a production company to create commercials, video games and independent features, an all-consuming career path that kept them in Los Angeles nearly 30 years. When her husband was presented the opportunity to teach filmmaking and animation at Seattle Art Institute, the family (including her teenage daughter and son) jumped at the chance. Everitt, a published writer, currently serves on the Vashon Maury Heritage Museum Board.

Jill Venturi, Development Coordinator

Jill Venturi joined the VAA staff in spring 2010. She brings a rich background to her part time position as Development Coordinator, having worked for Pepperdine University in Malibu, California for more than a decade in campaign fundraising and donor recognition. Jill assists in fundraising, membership and donor acknowledgement. She earned her degree in Graphic Communication from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Jill, husband Todd and their two children moved to Vashon from Southern California five years ago.

Lara McKnight, Bookkeeper

Lara McKnight, VAA’s new bookkeeper, moved to Vashon at age 10. An avid thespian and 1994 VHS graduate, McKnight attended University of Oregon in Eugene where she studied linguistics and foreign language. She jumped at an opportunity to move to New York City with a friend and worked as an intern for an upstart theatre company as stage manager and technical director. She returned to Seattle and found herself working as office manager/bookkeeper for a busy construction company, a job she fell in love with for the next 12 years. She and her partner moved to Vashon and now have a young son. “I wanted to raise my son on Vashon,” she says. “I’m really excited to be working with VAA. It’s a wonderful organization. I want to use my skills for good. I plan to pick up where others left off and help VAA continue to grow,” she adds.

Eileen Burke, Data Base Manager

Eileen Burke, born and raised on Vashon, has many fond memories of performing in youth theatre programs on the Blue Heron stage. Like many young Islanders, she went away for school and attended University of Portland, where she graduated with a degree in Organizational Communication. After doing an internship with the Susan G. Komen Foundation, Burke jumped at the chance to move to London, England where she lived and worked for four years in more non-profit organizations. Burke has expertise in the areas of data base management, fundraising and advocacy-cornerstones for effective non profits. She, along with her husband Andy and toddler Eleanor, recently returned to Vashon to live closer to family. Her most recent position at Boyer Children’s Clinic in Seattle as Development Coordinator helped her realize the toll her commute was taking on her family and she is thrilled to be back on the Island 100% of the time. “I want to be here long enough to see the fruition of our new arts campus,” she says.