CultureWorks is governed by a board composed of persons who:
understand and are advocates for CultureWorks’ constituents.
- command high levels of influence and respect.
- are able to generate philanthropic support.
- are personally engaged in the region’s arts and culture.
- commit priority energies to their involvement as board members.
Steve Allred (Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of Richmond) came to Richmond in 2008 after 22 years at UNC Chapel Hill where he took a special interest in his leadership work with a collective of corporate and municipal leaders to strengthen the city’s arts and culture.
Jack Berry (President & CEO, Richmond Metropolitan Convention & Visitors Bureau) makes it his business to know about the region’s arts and culture, and provides leadership in many areas such as chairing the board of Virginia Civil War Trails.
Dave Campbell (President, Data Network Services, Inc.) has a specialized expertise about arts and culture through the Information Technology lens via his company’s work serving more than 1,000 customers including those in the arts and culture community.
Rejena Carreras (President, Carreras Ltd.) received her formal education in art, was a longtime art teacher, and has become one of the region’s foremost advocates and workers for the arts.
Michael Chapman (Vice President and Group Planning Director for The Martin Agency) gives his energetic involvement to arts and culture as evidenced by his board involvement with Art180 and membership involvement with the Children’s Museum, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, and Maymont’s Dooley Society.
Dave Christian (CEO-Dominion Generation) is a pianist, guitarist, art collector, and supporter as evidenced by his involvement with the Visual Arts Center of Richmond.
Ben Dacus (Managing Partner and Director of Design, Zeigler/Dacus), whose design work has been recognized in such publications as Print magazine, is married to a professional musician/educator, and is father to 10- and 14-year-old veterans of musical theatre.
Dave Fairchild (CEO, First Market Bank) has been involved in community arts and its impact on community development as evidenced by his board involvement with the ArtsFund.
Mike Falzone (Partner, Hirschler Fleischer) is a longtime advocate for the region’s arts as evidenced by his leadership involvement with the Arts Council, the Arts Fund, and the Richmond Region Cultural Action Plan.
Gordon Fruetel (Vice President, Corporate Audit, Altria Client Services, representing Altria Group, Inc) appreciates the significant impact that arts and culture have on the economic vitality of our region and the role that CultureWorks plays to help implement the Regional Cultural Action Plan.
Lenita Gilreath (President, Chesterfield Chamber of Commerce) understands the vital importance of the arts and culture to communities as evidenced by her personal and professional attention to the Chesterfield Center for the Arts project, and by her track record that includes a similar Center that was initiated in her service area when she headed a Chamber of Commerce outside of Raleigh.
Tammy Hawley (Press Secretary to the Mayor, City of Richmond) brings a national perspective from her work with the federal government on Capitol Hill and is a former Chair of the Board of the Zora Neal Hurston/Richard Wright Foundation - a national non-profit dedicated to preserving black literature.
Scott Horchler (Retail Line of Business, SunTrust) has enthusiasm for all of the arts which he shares with his daughter who is in the School of the Richmond Ballet and via a variety of volunteer involvements including children’s theatre.
Adele Johnson (Community Volunteer), a 29-year member of the Richmond Jazz Society and a collector of contemporary works by Virginia artists, sings with ONE VOICE CHORUS which sets the region’s standard for the celebration of diversity.
Petrina Jones (Government Relations Manager for The Vectre Corporation) a graduate of Shenandoah Conservatory of Music was recognized by her alma mater in 1997 for Outstanding Young Career Achievement for title role performances with Richmond’s nationally acclaimed Theatre IV. Currently, she lobbies the Virginia General Assembly on behalf of Virginia’s public libraries and specializes in grassroots projects for numerous business interests.
May-Lily Lee (Host and Senior Producer of “Virginia Currents” for the Community Idea Stations) is a professional performer and has two decades of up close and personal knowledge of arts and culture persons and places throughout the region.
Charlotte Minor holds an undergraduate degree in Art History, worked for ten years at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, was co-owner & director of Reynolds/Minor Gallery, is a former President of the VMFA Board of Trustees, and is currently Vice-President of the VMFA Foundation Board.
Tyrone Nelson (Pastor, Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church) is a board member of Elegba Folklore Society and pastors a church that features music, dance, theatre, visual arts, and mime presented by its members.
Joan Oates (Founder, Partners In The Arts) has taught dance at VCU and Collegiate, and founded Partners in the Arts which has trained more than 1,000 K-12 teachers in the Richmond region on how to use the arts to enhance student learning of core subjects.
Charles Piper (Principal, BCWH Architects), a longtime musician, is an avid performing arts enthusiast as evidenced by his active role on SPARC’s board and by his daughter’s membership in the Richmond Symphony’s Youth Concert Orchestra.
Evelia Gonzalez Porto has been an energetic champion for the arts and culture with many organizations - from the Latin Ballet of Virginia to the Virginia Historical Society to the Petersburg Area Art League.
Jim Rothrock (Commissioner, Virginia Department of Rehabilitative Services) is an expert on disability and accessibility issues and served on the board of Very Special Arts-Virginia, an advocacy organization for arts within the community of persons with disabilities.
Kim Scheeler (President & CEO, Greater Richmond Chamber) understands the value of the arts knowing that world class arts programs are the difference between a good community and a great community, and that the arts are the heart and soul of the region and the fabric that ties the people together. It’s also one of the quality of life issues that every major employer cares about and inquires about when looking at a home for their business.
Lisa Sims (Director of Events, Venture Richmond), Director of the Richmond Folk Festival, has a track record of using arts/culture to engage communities including at Asheville’s Convention and Visitors Bureau and at Nashville’s Country Music Foundation.
Geoff Sisk (Managing Director-Investments, Mosman & Sisk Investment Group, Wells Fargo Advisors) provides support and interest for the arts and culture via his three school-age children and other involvements such as his work on the Board of the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Foundation.
Brooks Smith (Partner, Hunton & Williams LLP) is an environmental lawyer, the author of two books, and a regular commentator on WCVE Public Radio. Brooks is involved in a number of projects to preserve and tell our City's rich and irregular history.
Brock Vaughn (Senior Vice President, Bank of America) has an avid first-hand interest in the performing arts as evidenced by his board involvement with Richmond Shakespeare and with his adult daughter who is an aspiring actress.