Larry Thompson

President, Ringling College of Art & Design

Dr. Larry R. Thompson began his ninth year as President of Ringling College of Art and Design this past summer. An energetic, innovative, and visionary community leader, Larry is passionate about the arts and education. As President of Ringling College of Art and Design since July 1999, he has worked tirelessly to infuse his spirit of inclusion throughout campus by celebrating diversity, encouraging freedom of expression, supporting new ways of teaching and learning, and encouraging risk-taking to enhance the overall academic experience.

Aside from his “full-time” job, Larry is involved in a myriad of volunteer endeavors. He is immediate Past President of the Sarasota County Arts Council, serves as Leadership Spokesman for the Innovation 41 Art and Cultural Corridor Project, and is on the boards of Coastal Behavioral Healthcare, the Community Health Corporation for Sarasota Memorial Hospital, SunTrust, Sarasota Season of Sculpture, and the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. He currently serves on the newly formed Economic Development Corporation of Sarasota County Partners Council. Click here for more information.

Donna Wissinger, Flutist

Flutist Donna Wissinger has been called a ‘flutist of rare gifts’ by the New York Times. Her concerts include acclaimed solo recitals on the mainstages of Carnegie Hall and on the equally renowned Glinka Capella in St. Petersburg, Russia. Her recital tours include Europe, South America, Asia and the USA. What audiences love about Donna is her beautiful sound and her obvious love for playing and music. Her enthusiasm is contagious!

Donna combines fun and real learning for unforgettable educational programs. She is the inaugural recipient of the prestigious Doris Leeper Award for Excellence in Arts Education andis a premier artist with the Florida State Touring Program; The New York based Learning Arts; the Southern Artist Registry, and the South Carolina Arts Commission. To learn more visit www.donnawissinger.com

Donna enjoys being fit. She is a USPTA tennis professional and long distance runner. Her bicycle/flute performance tour of cycling 2000 miles and playing 82 concerts from NYC to Miami was featured on the National Geographic Channel.

Check out Donna’s CDs, Amazing Grace: An American Tapestry and A Chipola Family Christmas. Reviews call both CDs ‘dazzling’ and ‘delightful.’ Proceeds from the CDs benefit scholarship funds for aspiring musicians at Susquehanna University and Chipola College.

Megan Alrutz

Professor, Theatre for Youth, University of Central Florida
Orlando, Florida

Megan Alrutz, UCF assistant professor of theatre, is coordinator of the MFA program in Theatre for Young Audiences at the University of Central Florida and the Orlando Repertory Theatre. She earned a Ph.D. in Theatre (with an emphasis in Theatre for Youth) from Arizona State University, and a B.A. in Theatre from Rutgers University. Her creative and scholarly interests focus on using drama to teach across the curriculum, employing drama and digital storytelling to explore voice and identity, and investigating drama-based pedagogy for the university classroom. Megan is in-demand as a presenter on using drama to teach elementary science and employing multi-media and devising techniques in community based settings with young people, as well as drama workshops for pre-and in-service teachers. She is the director of Artsbridge UCF and editor of ASSITEJ USA's TYA (Theatre for Young Audiences) Today.

Susan Burke, Executive Director
Sarasota, FL

Susan Burke brings a wide range of experience to her role of Executive Director at the Florida Alliance for Arts Education.  She was Director of Education at the Sarasota County Arts Council from 2002 - 2005 where she coordinated the Artists in Schools program which brought professional artists into Sarasota Public Schools classrooms to teach reading, math, science, and social studies curriculum. Since 2002, she has served on the Community/Schools Partnership for the Arts, an Advisory Committee to the District Superintendent and on the Arts Education Task Force, a community coalition that supports arts education in Sarasota County. Susan played a pivotal role last year in developing and advancing a strategy to integrate Career, Technical Education and Arts courses in high school Small Learning Communities in the Sarasota Schools so that graduating seniors have been taught to the professional standards required in a number of careers in the arts.  Since 1996, she has administered Encore! Ensemble Theatre Workshop, a summer program that brings together teens from around the world to study and create theatre.

In addition to her work in arts education, Burke, who has an MBA in Integrative Management from Michigan State University and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Toledo, has extensive experience in the private sector in project management, information management, new media and marketing, and nuclear power plant licensing.

Jennifer Coolidge, President-elect and Co-chair of Coalitions

Executive Director, Museum of Florida Art
Deland, FL

Coolidge has served as the Executive Director for the Museum of Florida Art since 2001; Executive Director Arts for a Complete Education, Florida Alliance for Art Education, ACE/FAAE (1995-2001); Education Coordinator for Atlantic Center for the Arts and the Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art in Winston Salem, NC and others in North Carolina. She has also served as a consultant, presenter and grant panelist for such organizations as The Center for Human Rights and Civil Liberties at The University of Southern Mississippi; Arts Extension Service, University of Massachusetts; ICARE, Initiative for Cultural Arts and Education in Cleveland, Ohio; United Arts of Central Florida, Florida Division of Cultural Affairs, and Rochester Contemporary Art Center in Rochester, NY and the Arts Council of Asheville, NC. Coolidge graduated with a B.A. in Fine Art from Guilford College in Greensboro, NC and completed a fellowship with the Denali Initiative on Social Enterprise in 2000 through The Kauffman Center on Entrepreneurial Leadership. Coolidge has received such awards as an Ambassador of the Arts Award from Florida First Lady, Columba Bush, in 2005; Distinguished Service Award from the Florida Music Educators Association in 2002, and the ACE of Hearts Award from ACE/FAAE in 2001.

Mary Palmer, Ex officio and Treasurer

Consultant to the Board of Directors
Orlando, FL

Dr. Mary Palmer is President of Mary Palmer & Associates, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in the arts and education. Drawing on her four decades in public education and community leadership, Mary works with schools throughout the country to assist them in developing and implementing arts integration programs to maximize student success and enliven schools. Her most recent position was as Professor and Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Music Education at the University of Central Florida, Orlando; she previously served as Dean of the UCF College of Education. Palmer is senior author of Pre-Kindergarten through grade 8 music textbook series published by Silver Burdett Ginn. She is the Founder, first and current Director of Florida’s Arts for a Complete Education/ Florida Alliance for Arts Education organization and has been instrumental in developing programs and policies affecting arts education in Florida. She sits on numerous Boards including Florida Theatrical Association, VSA Arts of Florida, Florida Music Educators Association and A Gift for Teaching. Her intergenerational program for babies from birth to twenty-four months, Connect with Music, has gained national attention. She has established award-winning collaborative programs with Walt Disney World, Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, Junior Achievement and others. She was a recipient of many awards, including the Arts Recognition Award from the Florida Department of State.

Harry Burnam

Karen Bell

Karen Bell has been performing around the world as a clown for 22 years, beginning with an eight year tour with Ringling Bros. Circus.  Her teaching is much in demand as she has directed workshops throughout the US and Canada.  Karen moved to Sarasota to work with Circus Sarasota’s outreach program, Laughter Unlimited in 2005. She currently develops and implements humor based interventions for senior citizens living in Nursing Facilities in Sarasota and Manatee Counties in Florida. Karen’s expertise is working with mid to late stage Dementia residents.

With the help of Pines of Sarasota and the Johnnie B. Byrd, Sr. Alzheimer’s Center and Research Institute, Karen has developed a humor therapy program specifically for mid to late stage Alzheimer’s residents. Karen has presented Circus Sarasota’s Laughter Unlimited Program to the Society of Arts in Healthcare annual conference on two occasions.

Karen has also been instrumental in creating a curriculum based program, ‘Big Top Education’ for Circus Sarasota which has been presented in primary and secondary schools throughout Sarasota and Manatee County. She has been collaborating with the Van Wezel’s program pairing Teachers and Teaching Artists through a grant from DANA Foundation.

Pam Coffman

Steven Dragon

School Principal

Debbie Fahmie

Fine and Performing Arts Specialist, Osceola District Schools

Debbie Fahmie is the Fine and Performing Arts Specialist for Osceola District Schools. She served as an elementary music teacher for 19 years. She has served as President of the Osceola Chapter of Phi Delta Kappa, the Osceola Arts for a Complete Education Coalition and the Osceola Center for the Arts. Currently, Debbie serves as Past President of the Florida Elementary Music Educator’s Association and President of Central Florida Orff Chapter. She is a member of the Florida Music Educator’s (FMEA) Mentor Program, the FMEA Assessment Task Force and Writing Team, the Grade Level Expectations Writing Team and Project Manager for Start With the Arts Curriculum Writing Team. Debbie served with the Department of Education as an evaluator for the Florida Music Demonstration Schools. She is a trainer for National Boards for Professional Teaching Standards and the contemporary choir director at Holy Redeemer Church. She has taught through Stetson’s Community Outreach Program.

She has been the recipient of the following:

• 2001 United Arts Educator of the Year
• 2003 Arts for a Complete Education (ACE) Educator of the Year
• 2005/2006 Osceola County Arts Teacher of the Year
• 2008 FMEA State Music Educator of the Year
• 2008 Osceola County Teacher of the Year
• 2008 State Finalist for Florida Teacher of the Year

Debbie has presented workshops throughout Florida, at ASCD, AOSA, TMEA and SWMENC. Her school, Cypress Elementary, was named a Creative Ticket National School of Distinction by the Kennedy Center and Debbie took 27 students to perform at the Kennedy Center.

Linda Geiger

Linda Geiger has been teaching fiber arts and puppetry to adults and youth in Brevard County for the past 13 years. She also runs the educational theatre programs for youth at Surfside Playhouse, a community theatre in Cocoa Beach. She discovered she had a passion for soft-sculptured Art Dolls, and the forms she created became the unique “Character Figures” that she uses in programs that teach self-awareness and career planning to children and teens. Linda recently has incorporated her dolls, puppets and drama techniques into programs that integrate and infuse performing, literary and visual arts into academic curriculum.

Andrea Gelfuso

Professional Developer, Title I School
Lakeland, FL

Andrea Gelfuso is a professional developer for a Title I school in Lakeland, FL. She holds a Masters degree in Educational Leadership and is currently pursuing her doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction. Andrea had been a presenter of arts integration in Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida. Andrea draws from her classroom experience in grades 2-5 at a school of the arts to share best practices in arts integration with artists, teachers, and administrators.

Melissa Grabiec

Art Instructor

A South Florida native, Melissa Grabiec began her association with the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood in the year 2000.  As a freshman in high school she began volunteering as a Junior Docent. Enamored with the arts she has graduated form Broward Community College with an A.A. in Art Appreciation. She is now a senior at Florida International University and has a passion to pursue the Arts as a career.   Ms. Grabiec has worked various positions within the Art and Culture Center of Hollywood and is currently the Education Coordinator. As an art instructor through her own company, Ms. Grabiec works with other organizations conducting a wide range of workshops to site-specific installations.

Treista Hall

Designer and Department Chair, Digital Publishing Department at Full Sail University
Winter Park, Florida

Triesta Hall is an award-winning designer and Department Chair of the Digital Publishing department at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida, one of the premier media arts colleges in the world. Joining Full Sail in 2003, she developed the content for their first-ever class in Print Design. Since then, she has designed three more classes for Full Sail (Typography & Page Layout, Portfolio Creation, and Digital Studio). Triesta has presented on branding and print sustainability at a number of conferences including the One Circle Conference for Sustainability in Edmonton and the Florida Music Festival. She serves as Education Chair for the Orlando chapter of AIGA where she is currently overseeing the 2009 Mentorship program.

Don and Tutu Harrell

Website: www.orisirisi.com

The School District of Osceola County, The Education Foundation of Osceola County, The Osceola Center for the Arts, Phi Delta kappa, Osceola Visionaries Inc., and Alternate ROOTS proudly present Orisirisi Drum Sermons, a joyous celebration of music that includes an African account of its origin and makes clear how it came to live in our hearts. The presentation which is produced and directed by Orisirisi African Folklore is an informative yet entertaining African adventure, inclusive of stories from the far corners of the African continent, spirited drumming, dance and song, and a healthy dose of the obligatory African tradition of audience participation.

The program is performed and produced by Orisirisi African Folklore- a performing arts company formed by its producers, Don and Tutu Harrell, with the expressed purpose of sharing the beauty and poignancy of African life and culture. Since inception the company has performed nation-wide for a vast array of occasions and in many different settings, including primary and secondary schools, colleges, libraries, museums, festivals, churches, conferences, corporate and teacher in-services, television ad radio programs, theme parks, etc.. Orisirisi has delivered thousands of programs for audiences both domestic and international, while operating with a kin sensitivity to both individual and societal needs.

Ilenbilu Adetutu Harrell, a graduate of Crown College, London, England, is an extraordinarily talented dancer, singer, and storyteller, who has dedicated her self to sharing the rich cultural heritage of her Nigerian ancestry.

Don Harrell is a versatile veteran of stage and screen, who holds a B.A. in American Studies from Union College, Schenectady New York, and a M.A. in African Studies from U.C.L.A., and has done further study and research at the university of Ghana, Legon Ghana.

Alyx Kellington

Director of Arts and Cultural Education, Palm Beach County Cultural Council

Alyx Kellington, originally from Austin, Texas, began traveling the world in 1981 and has lived in six states and four countries.

Alyx earned her degree in Photojournalism at the New England School of Photography in Boston and studied Latin American Studies at the Autonomous University of Mexico. She began her freelance career in El Salvador covering its civil war and its effects on children and later worked for clientele such as Newsweek, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Boston Globe. As a photojournalist, Alyx visited over thirty countries to explore and document different cultures. Her photos have been widely published in newspapers, magazines and educational books.

Alyx has lived in Haiti, El Salvador and Mexico for several years at a time. She stayed with families and participated in their daily lives, learning the language, religion, and culture of these different peoples. A frequent public speaker at universities and organizations across the country, Alyx shared her images with audiences, using these visual tools to expand global awareness and explore humanity’s similarities instead of the differences. Believing that “art is a universal language,” Alyx began working with at-risk youth to break down stereotypes and open up dialogue.

This led to becoming a cultural educator to probationary youth, serving as the Fine Arts Director of the Boys and Girls Clubs in Austin, and working as Photo Editor, Education Division, at Steck-Vaughn Harcourt Publishing.

Focused on advocacy, education and art, Alyx moved to Palm Beach County in 2003. She served as project manager for Phase I of WallTogether, a mosaic mural at the Armory Art Center, involving over 600 youth. In 2006, Alyx started working with the Palm Beach County Cultural Council as Special Projects Coordinator with a strong focus on Education. In 2007, she was promoted to Director of Arts and Cultural Education.

Alyx lives in a refurbished bungalow in Lake Worth, Florida, with her two dogs and a variety of birds. She is the Chair of the Board for Blue Planet Writers International, an afterschool writing center for youth, and on the board of the Lake Worth Mayor’s Climate Protection Task Force.

Brian Kier

Principal, Davenport School of the Arts (Polk County)
Davenport, Florida

Brian Kier, a strong advocate for the arts and arts education, is a frequent spokesperson. He has been recognized as Administrator of the Year by the Florida Music Educators’ Association. Brian received his Bachelor’s degree from Clemson University in elementary education, and his Master’s degree in educational leadership. He is Principal of Davenport School of the Arts, a K-8 Polk County public school. Brian led the transformation of the school into a choice school for the arts and facilitated its academic advancement from an “F” to an “A” school. Davenport has been twice named a Florida Music Demonstration School (from 2003-2010) and has been recognized by the Florida Alliance for the Arts Education as the Florida’s Creative Ticket Arts Education School of Distinction, awarded by the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. DSA has just been named an Arts Achieve! School by Arts for a Complete Education/Florida Alliance for Arts Education.

Leslie Lacktman

Education and Community Engagement Program Manager, Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
Sarasota, Florida

At the Van Wezel, Ms. Lacktman programs a series of Schooltime Performances by national and international touring artists that bring over 24,000 K-12 students and teachers from 4 counties to the Van Wezel Hall. She designs and secures funding for education programs that partner with members of the community.

Leslie Lacktman serves as the Van Wezel’s representative on the Florida ’97 Kennedy Center Partners in Education team. She was a three-year elected advisory committee member to the Kennedy Center’s national partnership and was elected to the board of the International Performing Arts for Youth.

As a member of the Kennedy Center’s Partners in Education program, the Van Wezel has received 6 national research grants, documenting the impact of the arts on student learning and discovering what makes effective professional development.

The Van Wezel Education Department has been training local artists to become Teaching Artists through a three-year Dana Foundation grant using the Kennedy Center’s definition of Arts Integration.

Leslie represents the Hall on the Sarasota County Arts Council Art Education Task Force and C-Spa, the Community and Schools Partnership committee, and serves as chairperson on the Manatee Coalition of the Florida State Arts for a Complete Education Alliance.

Ms. Lacktman joined the Van Wezel in March 1997. Formerly, she was director of the Ringling School of Art and Design Summer Art Camp, coordinator of the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Annual Children’s Art Festival, Artist-in-Residence in the schools through the Sarasota County Arts Council and Wisconsin Arts Board; and a member of the Board of Directors of the Next Generation Children’s Theater, Milwaukee. Ms. Lacktman holds a BFA in Visual Communications and a MFA in Photography from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and formerly taught in the Fine Arts Department of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She continues to teach photography to adults. She has presented at national and international conferences in effective ways of integrating the arts into all areas of curriculum and connecting diverse art forms together for relevant, meaningful experiences.

Linda Lovins

Arts Education Specialist for the Florida Department of Education

Dr. Linda Lovins is the Arts Education Specialist for the Florida Department of Education. She holds degrees in K-12 Music Education from the Crane School of Music at Potsdam State University, Potsdam, New York; and in Choral Music Education from The Florida State University. A veteran K-20 music educator, Dr. Lovins held various leadership positions in New York State prior to moving to Tallahassee in 1998. As Program Director for the Florida Alliance for Arts Education, Dr. Lovins led advocacy efforts and development of curricular materials and programs. Now at the Department of Education, she works with state and national arts education associations and agencies; provides direction for major initiatives and programs; provides professional development across Florida; and works extensively with Standards, curricula, and model programs in Dance, Music, Theatre, and Visual Art. Dr. Lovins currently serves as the Vice President of the State Education Agency Arts Education Directors. She also directs the Chancel Choir at Lafayette Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee.

Dario Moore

Choreographer, Dancer Co-founder of U-Turn Dance

Peggy Nolan

Art and Drama Resource Teacher, Brevard County

Les Slesnick

Sherie Tengbergen

Sherie Tengbergen was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, but quickly relocated to Seattle, Washington and then to Portland, Oregon where she spent her childhood. It was during the fourth grade that she was recognized for her artistic abilities. Thus began her lifelong passion and study of the arts.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Secondary Art Education from Portland State University. Her major was painting and drawing and her minors were ceramics,, jewelry, and English. She was awarded the title, "Art Student of the Year" for her leadership roles and her artistic accomplishments.

Her love of teaching is evident in all of her opportunities. She has taught in Washington, Oregon, California, The Netherlands, and is currently teaching in Florida. Click here for more information.

Cynthia Turner

National Board Certified Teacher

Cynthia Turner is a National Board Certified Teacher in Early/Middle Childhood Music (2008). I received my Bachelor's Degree in Music Education, Voice Principal, from Stetson University. I have been teaching music education for 13 years and am currently the music teacher at Indian River Elementary, Edgewater, Fl. I am also the Associate Choir Conductor for the Basilica of St. Paul, Daytona Beach. In addition to being a cantor and member of the Principal Choir I have been a soloist on recordings featuring the Basilica Choir with performances in Italy, the U.S. and most recently at the National Shrine in Washington, D.C.