View Report and Legislation — Oakland City Council, March 7, 2023

THE HONORABLE SHENG THAO • MAYOR OF OAKLAND
CITY HALL • 1 FRANK H. OGAWA PLAZA • OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA 94612 • (510) 238-3141 •
[email protected]
Letter of Appointment
February 16, 2023
Dear President Bas and members of the City Council:

Pursuant to City Charter Section 601, the Mayor has appointed the following persons asmembers of the following board or commission, subject to City Council confirmation:

Cultural Affairs Commission
JimSantiOwen, to servea three-yeartermon theCulturalAffairsCommissionbeginningOctober1, 2022andendingSeptember30,2025fillingtheseatpreviouslyheld by Michael Orange.

IlanaLipsett, toserveathree-yeartermontheCulturalAffairsCommissionbeginningOctober1,2022andendingSeptember30,2025fillingtheseatpreviouslyheldbyRoyChan.

Vanessa Whang,to serve a three-year term on the CulturalAffairs Commissionbeginning October 1, 2022 and ending September 30, 2025 filling the seat previouslyheld by herself.

Jennifer Easton,to serve a three-year term on theCultural Affairs Commissionbeginning October 1, 2022 and ending September 30, 2025 filling the seat previouslyheld by herself.

Thank you for your assistance in this matter.

Sincerely,

Mayor Sheng Thao

Submit Date: Oct 06, 2022
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Ilana Lipsett
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Ilana Lipsett

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Much of my past work has focused on centering culture as a catalyst for equitable community and economic development, and I would be honored to serve my city and community through being a member of Oakland’s Cultural Affairs Commission. I attended the Community Dialogue at the Eastside Arts Alliance as part of the Cultural Development Plan’s process, and was deeply inspired by the conversation and intentionality behind the plan.

My experiences and expertise in cultural work and community engagement would benefit the Commission’s work in furthering equity and belonging in Oakland.

I have
worked across sectors - government, real estate, non-profit, the creative community, tech - to create cultural programming and cultural commons in physical locations and public spaces.

This has included:
-
Co-founding and running [freespace], an award-winning initiative to turn vacant spaces into temporary cultural, community, and civic engagement hubs. [freespace] was almost entirely participant-driven, hosting hundreds of free cultural and civic engagement events - from arts programs for local youth and unhoused adults alike to civic hackathons - that served the community in San Francisco’s SOMA neighborhood.
- Working with the SF Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) to map underutilized spaces in the Tenderloin, and creating a pilot program to bring cultural programs to low- income adults to activate those spaces, and co-authoring a downtown development plan with OEWD staff. -Supporting placemaking and placekeeping initiatives such as the Market Street Prototyping Festival. -Creating a role for myself at a real estate company as the Outreach and Engagement Director, which included co-creating and running The Hall, the phase-zero activation project of a vacant building.

The Hall housed nascent food businesses, free weekly music for the community, art shows, and programming that brought together diverse communities for fundraisers, social impact projects, and community meetings. Through this space I also ran a participatory community engagement process for our Percent for the Arts requirement, running a grassroots engagement initiative to gathering community input into the building’s art piece. -Working with a group of refugees in a camp in Uganda create an outdoor amphitheater in which they could host cultural programming to foster a sense of belonging and community in an inhospitable environment. I helped identify funding, worked with government and international aid agencies to enable this project, and provided capacity-building support to community groups to help them host talent shows, an inaugural women’s day festival, and events to bring together and showcase cultures from the 9 different nations represented in the camp.

All of this work has focused
on engaging people to reimagine the future of their city, listening to their stories, and inviting them to participate and share their own unique expression with their neighbors, their community, or their city. I have seen that participation is critical to fostering a sense of belonging - when people help create something, they will feel a sense of ownership and belonging.

I would be honored to serve the Oakland
community through the Cultural Affairs Commission. Thank you for your consideration! Please submit your resume or curriculum vitae. You may upload a document. (A Word format is preferred.) Alternatively, you may paste the text of your resume in the field provided below.

Please paste the text of your resume or curriculum vitae below.

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Ilana Lipsett
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Service on City of Oakland boards, commissions, and committees may require filings of the FPPC's Statements of Economic Interest (Form 700). Upon appointment and determination of filing status, I will comply with all filing obligations.

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Ilana Lipsett

ILANA LIPSETT

CONTACT

SELECT EXPERIENCE

EXPERTISE
I am working to enhance our collective capacity to create a resilient, inclusive, and fun future that works for all. I use participatory design and futures thinking to help companies, cities, and communities reimagine their relationship to place, to each other, and to the future. I build bridges between government, community, business, and nonprofits by creating programs and experiences that bring people together.

Craft and deliver virtual and in-person workshops on futures thinking and strategy to clients including governments, Fortune 500 companies, foundations, and coalitions
Manage distributed research and programmatic teams
Run a fellowship program for a cohort of 7 fellows across the country Lead research and consulting projects: responsible for project scoping, research design, team management, client communications Co-created and teach a design futures course to 100 director-level participants in 75 companies worldwide
Guide internal initiatives on climate, racial justice, and culture Designed and implemented stakeholder engagement initiatives, participatory design workshops and programs, placemaking programs, built coalition of support for real estate firm's projects Oversaw public art program, from community engagement to artist selection
Created and oversaw social impact programs, including nonprofit partnerships, affordable housing efforts, sustainability, philanthropy; produced annual social impact report
Represented the company in presentations, talks, and forums Managed programs and community-building at interim use space, supported 14 new businesses at this space
Manage a creative consultancy that provides participatory design and creative placemaking strategies for governments, nonprofits, philanthropy, real estate, and international development agencies Build, organize, and facilitate cross-sector collaborations and programs Develop and manage community engagement strategies, workshops, pilot programs to support economic development
Speak at national and international conferences, panels, and events Support local communities, entrepreneurs, social enterprise with capacity-building, leadership development, and program management Institute for the Future
Tidewater Capital

SENIOR PROGRAM MANAGER

IMPACT AND ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR

PARTICIPATORY DESIGN AND ENGAGEMENT
2019 - Present
2012 - present
com
Program design & management
Participatory design
Workshop design & facilitation
Event management & production
Strategic foresight & futures thinking
Creative placemaking
Community engagement
Grassroots & political organizing
Coalition & partnership development
Curriculum design
Public policy
Public speaking
Strategic planning
Real estate development
Economic development 2014 - 2018

EXPERIENCE, CONT'D
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 2011 - 2014 San Francisco Mayor's Office of Economic and Workforce Development Conducted community outreach, facilitated focus groups, prepared analysis and presented to interagency government groups
Drafted neighborhood economic revitalization strategy
Developed and ran pilot programs to support local economic development Facilitated collaborations between business, tech, non-profits, and community groups POLITICAL DIRECTOR 2008 - 2010
Service Employees International Union, Local 32BJ
Developed strategy and ran grassroots lobbying and campaign efforts for public policy and electoral campaigns related to labor, workforce development, and working people’s issues Created and ran trainings for workers, built cross-sector coalitions, worked closely with elected officials, government agencies, nonprofits, community leaders to advance workers’ rights Managed a team, including members of the union, to campaign for policy reform LEAD ORGANIZER AND POLICY ADVOCATE 2005 - 2007DC Employment Justice Center Developed and ran policy campaigns to enact paid sick days, living wage laws, and workers’ compensation reform
Led coalitions of nonprofits, unions, small business, community leaders, and workers to advance pro-worker policies
Drafted and analyzed legislation
Ran free legal clinic for low-wage workers

OTHER EXPERIENCE

EDUCATION
MBA, Sustainable Management
Presidio Graduate School, San Francisco, CA
B.A. with Honors in History
University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
2012
2004
Urban Land Institute: Serve as an expert on a national advisory services board to help identify strategic and practical solutions to land use and development challenges Farming Hope: Board member for food-focused social enterprise that provides job training to hard-to-employ adults. I support the Executive Director and founder with fundraising, strategy and operations.

ReAllocate: Board member for non-profit that connects resources and talent with global need. I provide operational support to the Executive Director and founder to execute on his vision, develop strategic plans, and manage fiscal sponsorships for social entrepreneurs Big Ideas Contest: I am a mentor and judge for annual competition that encourages students to develop innovative solutions to urgent needs
CO-FOUNDER 2013 - 2014
[freespace]
Created initiative to transform vacant buildings into temporary community, cultural, and arts centers Scaled from 1 month experiment to global movement with 14 international locations Engaged with community members, arts and cultural organizations, and government Facilitated workshops to develop governance protocols and organizational strategy Developed and managed communications, outreach, strategy Honored at the White House as a Champion of Change in civic innovation Submit Date: Jul 22, 2022
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Cultural Affairs Commission: Submitted
Interests & Experiences
Please tell us how your qualifications and participation will relate to the requested board and/or commission's mission.

My name is Jim Santi Owen. I am a professional musician, producer, educator, and grant maker with a specialty in North and South Indian percussion, cross-cultural artistic collaborations, and childhood music education. I have five generations of family history in Oakland dating back to the 1880s. I have lived in the Bay Area since 1991 with the bulk of my time as an Oakland resident (West Oakland, Grand Lake/Rose Garden, and the Oakland/Emeryville border). I have served for two terms (6 years) as the Chair of the Funding Advisory Committee (FAC) of Oakland's Cultural Affairs Division. Prior to that, I served for three years as a panelist for the Zellerbach Family Foundation's Community Arts Program and have served on panels for the San Francisco Arts Commission and Oakland Unified School District's Visual and Performing Arts Grant Program. In September, I will be stepping down from my position at FAC. During my 6-year tenure there I have become intimately acquainted with the trials facing individual artists and arts organizations in Oakland as they compete with one another to be awarded what little money there is available in Oakland's chronically underfunded Cultural Affairs Division. In addition, I know the struggles of the staff and management of that understaffed and overworked department who have sought mu council as Chair of FAC. This experience, my 30+ year career as a performing and teaching artist, and my track record as both a grant awardee and a grant maker in the public and private sectors equip me with a unique set of knowledge and experience that I would like to bring to Oakland's Cultural Affairs Commission if I am honored to be chosen as one of its commissioners. I thank you for your consideration and welcome any questions or concerns.

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Jim Santi Owen
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Jim Santi Owen Music, Inc. Principal
Jim Santi Owen

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Jim Santi Owen
1 Jim Santi Owen

Jim Santi Owen is an American percussionist, educator, producer, performer, grant writer and funder based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Drumming since the age of eight, Owen began an intensive training in the North Indian percussion instrument tabla in 1991, studying under Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri at the Ali Akbar College of Music, the California Institute of the Arts, and in India. In 1995, Owen began studying South Indian percussion instruments including mridangam, ghatam, kanjira and morsing with master percussionist T.H. Subash Chandran , and the temple drum, thavil, with K. Sekar. At Cal Arts, Owen studied Jazz with Charlie Haden, James Newton, and Tootie Heath and African drumming and dance from the Ladzekpo Brothers. He studied North Indian music and tabla accompaniment from Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and the art of accompaniment for the North Indian dance known as Kathak from Pandit Chitresh Das. Owen holds a Bachelor’s of Humanities from New College of California and a Master’s degree in World Musi c from California Institute of the Arts. He served as the Music Director for the San Francisco World Music Festival from 2009 to 2014 and is on faculty at Dominican University, The California Jazz Conservatory, LINES Ballet School, the California Institute of the Arts, and the Ali Akbar College of Music. Owen served a 3 -year term as a panelist on the Zellerbach Family Fund’s Community Arts Panel and sits on arts panels for the San Francisco Arts Commission. He is currently serving his second three-year term as Chair of the Funding Advisory Committee for the Cultural Affairs Division of the City of Oakland and is C o-Chair of Developm ent for the Swapan Chaudhuri Foundation.

Jim Santi Owen has performed extensively with world -class musicians from a myriad of cultural and musical backgrounds. These include his gurus, Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri, Subash Chandran, and K. Sekar with whom he performed both in India and the U.S. Other internationally renowned artists with whom Owen has performed include: Jazz legend Pharoah Sanders, Nubian musician Hamza el Din, Double violin virtuoso Shenkar (L. Shankar) guitar innovator Stanley Jordan, Kathak dance master Pandit Chitresh Das , sitar maestro Kartik Seshadri , renowned Persian vocalist Sharam Nazeri, drum set virtuoso Steve Smith, minimalist composer Terry Riley, Jazz saxophonist Joseph Jarman (Art Ensemble of Chicago), Israeli oud player Yair Dalal, young sarode maestro Alam Khan, tabla virtuoso Bikram Ghosh, kanjira exponent Ganesh Kumar, Indo- Jazz fusion artist George Brooks, didgeridoo master Stephen Kent, devotional singer Jai Uttal, avant-garde pianist Myra Melford, Italian percussionist Alessandra Belloni, Tibetan artist Techung, Gamelan Sekar Jaya , Burmese pot-waing player Kyaw Kyaw Naing , Rova Saxophone Quartet , Cuban pianist Omar Sosa and bansuri flute exponent Steve Gorn. Owen has also appeared on numerous recordings in America and has recorded in India with ghatam maestro T.H. Vikku Vinayakram and kanjira wizard Selva Ganesh.

Owen’s work as a composer/producer is featured on Facebook’s Sound Collection which has released over 150 of his original and traditional world music tracks highlighting the classical music of North and South India, folk musics of Rajasthan and Bengal, traditional music of Ghana, and classical traditions of Iran and the Middle East.

2 As Music Director for the San Francisco World Music Festival, Owen directed a Youth World Music Orchestra and collaborated with master musicians from China, South Korea, Tibet, India, Spain, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uganda, Burkina Faso, Mali, Azerbaijan, and Burma, and indigenous musicians from the Thao culture of Taiwan and the Costanoan Rumsen Ohlone Tribe of the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1999, Owen received a fellowship from the American Institute of Indian Studies (A.I.I.S.), which enabled him to spend two and a half years living in India conducting research on classical and folk percussion ensembles. During this time, Owen was based alternately in Kolkata and Chennai but traveled extensively throughout India to document drumming traditions in Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and West Bengal. In addition to the A.I.I.S. fellowship, Owen has been awarded five grants from the Zellerbach Family Fund, a fellowship from The National Gugak Center of South Korea, an Isadora Duncan Award, a Black Box Award from the SF Weekly, and numerous grants to support his work as Music Director of the San Francisco World Music Festival (please see below). The San Francisco dance community has embraced Owen as an award- winning composer and performer. Owen has worked with numerous dancers and choreographers, including the San Francisco Ballet, Pandit Chitresh Das, Alonzo King, Kim Epifano, Joanna Haigood and Zaccho Dance Theater, Yannis Adoniou, Keith Hennessey, and K.J. Holmes. He has studied and taught Contact Improvisation and other body-based improvisational forms. From 1994 through 1998, Owen collaborated with dancer/musician Jules Beckman on an evolving form of dance, voice, and bucket drumming called Percussion Theater, which he continues to teach. Owen is currently on faculty with Dominican University, the San Francisco Dance Conservatory, LINES Ballet School, LINES Pre-Professional Program, and the ODC Children’s Program where he teaches music, drumming, and performance to hundreds of young dancers. He served as Music Director/Composer for the Indian/Jazz Dance theater show, Hindu Swing and recently premiered a dance/percussion piece for Kathak dance and body percussion with Farah Yasmeen Shaikh at the International Body Music Festival. As an educator, Owen has extensive experience working with students ranging in age from pre-school to the post-graduate level and beyond. Trained and certified in an approach to children’s music and dance education known as Orff-Schulwerk, Owen has taught music to children in numerous schools throughout California and around the world including Synergy, the San Francisco School, Park Day School, Marin Country Day School, and the Greenwood School. He has taught master classes for youth and adults in Hong Kong, Spain, and India. Owen was a featured clinician at the 2002 and 2007 AOSA (American Orff-Schulwerk Association) National Conferences and the 2000 NCOSA (Northern California Orff-Schulwerk Association) mini-conference. He has been a guest clinician, an art specialist for youth, a director of a K-8 music program and a lead teacher with Cal Art’s Community Arts Partnership. At the university level, Owen is on faculty at Dominican University and the California Jazz Conservatory. He has been a guest instructor with the Experimental Performance Institute of New College of California and has taught at Cornish University, California State University, Sacramento, and Cal Arts. Owen has twice been a featured performer and clinician at the Seattle World Rhythm Festival, California State University Sacramento’s Day of Percussion, and the Percussion Arts Society’s Day of Percussion. Owen co-directs the award-winning Indian percussion ensemble Tabla Rasa with whom he produced San Francisco’s first Festival of Sacred Drumming, Dance, and Song in 1998 and the beloved Sacred Drums of India concerts. 3 Selected Employment: 2021 California Institute of the Arts, World Music Faculty, Valencia CA 2018-Present Jim Santi Owen Music, Inc., President and CEO, Oakland, CA 2016-Present Funding Advisory Committee Chair, Cultural Affairs Department, City of Oakland, Oakland, CA 2015-2018 Park Day School, Middle School Music Director, Oakland, CA 2015-2016 The Altschool, Expert Network, Music Specialist, San Francisco, CA 2013-2015 Community Arts Panelist, Zellerbach Family Foundation, San Francisco, CA 2009-2014 Music Director, San Francisco World Music Festival, San Francisco, CA 2010-Present Faculty, The California Jazz Conservatory, Berkeley, CA 1986-Present Freelance Performing Musician, Teacher, Clinician, Director, and Producer 2006-Present Dominican University, LINES BFA Program, San Rafael, CA 2004-Present LINES Ballet Summer Program, San Francisco, CA 2005-2014 Lines Ballet, LBSET Program, San Francisco, CA 2005-2006 San Francisco Dance Conservatory, San Francisco, CA 2006 San Francisco School, Orff Music and Dance Specialist, San Francisco, CA 2005-2006 San Francisco Arts Education Project, San Francisco, CA 2005-2006 Oakland Youth Chorus, Orff Music and Dance Specialist, Oakland, CA 4 2003-2005 California Institute of the Arts, Teaching Assistant in South Indian Percussion and World Music Survey, Valencia, CA 2003-2005 California Institute of the Arts, Community Arts Partnership, Lead Teacher, Valencia, CA 2003-2005 P.S. Arts, Orff Music and Dance Specialist, Los Angeles, CA 2002-2003 Creative Arts Charter School, Director of K-8 Orff Music Program, San Francisco, CA 2001-Present Ali Akbar College of Music, Faculty, San Rafael, CA 1995-1998 Orff Music and Dance Specialist - Synergy, San Francisco School, Park Day School, Marin Country Day School, and the Greenwood School. Selected Education: 2016/2018 Orff-Afrique Certification - Music, Dance, and Orff-Schulwerk in Ghana, Accra, Ghana 2003-2005 California Institute of the Arts, MFA in World Music Performance, Valencia, CA 2002-2003 New College of California, BA in Humanities, San Francisco, CA 1991-Present Ali Akbar College of Music, Ongoing Study of North Indian Classical Music, San Rafael, CA 1994-2001 Study of Classical Indian percussion, India 1995-2001 Mills College, Orff-Schulwerk Certification, Oakland, CA 1991-1992 California Institute of the Arts, Undergraduate Jazz and World Music Studies, Performance, Valencia, CA 1987-1990 Fresno City College, Jazz and Humanities, Fresno, CA 1989 California State University, Fresno, Upper Division Poetry Studies, Fresno, CA 5 Selected Fellowships, Awards, and Grants: 2017 Isadora Duncan Special Award, Shiva, with The Chitresh Das Dance Company 2016 Alliance for California Traditional Artists Master/Apprentice Grant with Pandit Swapan Chaudhuri 2016 San Francisco Friends of Chamber Music Commission 2016 Center For New Music Curatorial 2-year Residency Fellowship 2013 National Gugak Study Fellowship, Seoul, South Korea 2012 National Gugak Study Fellowship, Seoul, South Korea 1998-2001 American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS) Senior Performing Arts Fellowship, Study and Research of Percussion Ensemble in India 1998 Black Box Award, Best New Score for Dance 1996 Isadora Duncan Award, Best New Score for Dance 1998/2002/2003/2013/2014/2015 Zellerbach Family Fund 2009-2014 The following foundations funded Owen’s work as Music Director for the San Francisco World Music Festival: Arts Loan Fund, Bothin Foundation, California Arts Council, Grants for the Arts, Wattis Foundation, Sam Mazza Foundation, Westaf, Sun Culture Foundation, Zellerbach Family Foundation, Columbia Foundation, Wallace Alexander Gerbode Foundation, Fleishhacker Foundation, Christensen Fund, Bill Graham Memorial Fund, March Foundation, Morgan Family Foundation, Panta Rhea Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Fresno Regional Foundation. Professional Affiliations: 2019-Present Recording Academy Member 6 Selected Productions: 2017-Present Producer of Original & Traditional World Music for Facebook’s Sound Collection 2009-2014 San Francisco World Music Festival 2000-2005 Sacred Drums of India 1998 Festival of Sacred Drumming, Dance, and Song 1998 World Music Sundays Selected Publications: 2002 “Sophisticated Simplicity: North and South Indian Rhythmic Concepts as Applied to the Orff-Schulwerk,” Orff Echo, fall 2002, Volume XXXV, Number 1. Selected Workshops: 2020-Present Introduction to Indian Vocal Percussion, Freight and Salvage Produced Online Course 2018 San Francisco International Orff Course World Music Course, San Francisco, CA 2017 California Institute of Integral Studies, Spirituality and Indian Classical Music, San Francisco, CA 2017 Northern California American Orff-Schulwerk Association Mini-Conference, Indian Rhythmic Concepts, Hidden Valley, CA 2015 Master classes for Youth and Teachers, Mumbai, India 2013-2014 Master classes for Youth and Teachers, Beijing, China 2013 Master Classes for Music Educators, Barcelona and Madrid, Spain 2012 Master classes for Youth and Teachers, Hong Kong 7 2010 Master Classes for Orff Teachers, Washington D.C. 2011 Master Classes for Orff Teachers, Idaho 2007 AOSA National Conference, San Jose, CA 2006 Bay Area Tap Festival, Indian Rhythmic Concepts 2006 Bay Area Orff Certification Course, Drumming Skills and Indian Rhythmic Concepts 2006 Doug Goodkin’s Jazz Course, Jazz Drumming 2006 Kripalu Sacred Pulse Festival, Indian Rhythmic Concepts 2004-2012 LINES Ballet School, Drumming for Dancers 2005 – 2006 San Francisco Dance Conservatory, Drumming for Dancers Spring 2006 San Francisco School, Time, Technique, and Theory June 2005 Percussive Arts Society, Indian Rhythmic Concepts 2003 - 2005 New College of California, Percussion Theater Workshops for the Experimental Performance Institute 2003 Cornish University, Master Classes for the Dance and Music Departments 2002 and 2004 California State University, Sacramento, Indian Rhythmic Concepts 2002 AOSA National Conference in Las Vegas, NV, Indian Rhythmic Concepts 2000 Northern California American Orff-Schulwerk Association Mini-Conference, Indian Rhythmic Concepts, Hidden Valley, CA Submit Date: Nov 01, 2019
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It would be a privilege to support a reinvigorated Cultural Affairs Commission for the City of Oakland and to shepherd the realization of the recently adopted cultural plan. As the lead consultant for the plan, I have an intimate knowledge of its intent, great aspirations for its potential, and a deep interest in seeing how it can be best operationalized for the benefit of all Oaklanders. My years of experience as a professional in the non-profit cultural sector and in philanthropy, my stints as a public servant and as a working musician, and my long-standing commitment to social justice and cultural equity give me a rich background to contribute to the endeavor of creating an Oakland that belongs to and empowers its people. As a commissioner, I would look forward to working with the other commissioners as thought partners and advocates for Cultural Affairs and its goal to strengthen Oakland's exemplary, but severely under- resourced, culture-makers. Thank you for your consideration.

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Vanessa M Whang
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Vanessa M Whang

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Submit Date: Sep 10, 2019
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I am an Oakland native and remain an Oakland resident. I am passionate about our community. There are so many things happening here in the arts and it is a critical time to support the work of artists and arts organizations that have a legacy in this community, as well as those that are just finding their way here.

There needs to be a strong voice of advocacy and policy for retaining affordable space for art and artists.

Through my work with the City of San Jose I am very experienced in opportunities for interdepartmental support for the arts. I also know the economic value of the arts and how that is often overlooked in the face of other development. The City of Oakland is at an important juncture about its support for the arts on a staffing level and on a policy level. I would like the opportunity to help shape that vision.

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Jennifer A. Easton EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
Extensive career in project management and program leadership in the visual and performing arts.

Curated numerous exhibitions, published articles and lectured in the field of contemporary art and public art. Experienced in developing integrative strategies for creative placemaking including community engagement, artist integration and economic development strategies. Broad experience in marketing for jennifer easton
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SFBART Public Art Director
Easton_resume_2016.docx
jennifer easton

public, non-profit and for-profit sector, including market identification, expansion and retention utilizing traditional and new media. Skilled in market strategy and research, brand-building promotion, creating and managing marketing processes, as well as PR strategies and implementation. Experienced team leader.

Successful fundraiser and partnership development.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Art Program
Manager Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), March 2016-present • Responsible for developing and implementing BART’s first dedicated art program that will directly impact five Bay Area counties throughout the District. • Scope, hire consultants, and oversee implementation of Art Master Plan. • Develop procedures and guidelines to professionally implement the art program • Provide overall project planning and management of small to large-scale integrated public art projects throughout the BART District. Recent projects include the Oscar Grant mural (completed), 19th St. Oakland (in process) • Plan and implement community engagement strategies with specific attention to communities adjacent to BART stations and guideways; performing, visual and literary artists; and cultural and arts organizations adjacent to the system. • Oversee and maintain BART’s art collection of over 50 artworks. • Solicit external sources of funding for the art program through grant writing and private and public partnerships. • Establish and maintain a close and positive working relationship with departments, internal and external agencies, the public, and other key stakeholders.
• Develop marketing and communications strategies to
build awareness and engagement with the program to meet program goals related to ridership, enhanced rider experience, and greater community engagement.

Public Art Program Director Office of Cultural
Affairs, City of San José, March 2014 – March 2016
Acting Director January 2013 – March 2014 •
Develop and implement program vision to align to funding availability and goals and objectives as identified in public art master plan and specific plans. • Supervise project management team of two FTEs and four contract employees: manage work assignments, time management and project delivery optimization; identifying career development opportunities; time card management, and annual and ongoing reviews. • Manage the Public Art Program budget ($1.5M): track multiple fund balances and expenses to ensure fund availability and carry-over between fiscal years, develop annual project plan for review and approval by City Council, assure on-time/budget project delivery, coordinate with Finance and Budget Offices for extensive reporting. • Business development for outside partner opportunities for public art and placemaking • Represent the public art program internally and externally including senior staff, city council, arts commission, business community, residents, and to broader audiences through lectures and articles. • Direct implementation of Illuminating Downtown Program – a $1.2M+ multi-part program of illuminated art projects delivered in collaboration with partners throughout downtown San Jose.

Responsibilities include budget management, partner development, grant management, and project management. • Staff liaison to Public Art Committee. • Continue to manage 4-6 public art projects with City and non-City partners including VTA/BART and SVCreates/Valley Medical Center.

Sr. Project
Manager, Public Art Office of Cultural Affairs, City of San José, September 2004-2013 • Co-authored three successful grants (2 NEA, 1 ArtPlace) for a total of $1.5M in awards – each award the highest granted in the year. Directed and managed grant implementation, relationship with funders, required reporting. • Direct development and integration of public art in long-range plans for Downtown Public Art Focus Plan, North San Jose Focus Plan, High Speed Rail, Environmental Services (author) and City Trails (author). Responsibilities include extensive coordination with planners, interaction with developers, business and residential communities, and other stakeholders to develop integrated vision of public art and culture as an integral aspect of program implementation and development. • Successfully deliver all aspects of public art projects (typically 8-10 projects concurrently) on time and budget including program visioning and development for client departments and private developers, community outreach, preparation of RFQs and artist selection; contract negotiation and implementation, budget development and oversight, facilitation of design development including extensive community engagement and client/design team collaborations; reporting and presentation to sub-committees; integration of art projects into CIP construction. • Identify and develop opportunities for expansion of private sector engagement with public art including development of Program's first ever marketing collateral, identification of target markets, and initiation of engagement opportunities. • Implementation of marketing program to achieve greater recognition internally and externally. Initiate department e-newsletter as well as serving as liaison to City Marketing Initiatives. • Direct and facilitate community outreach and engagement in a diverse city to increase awareness of projects and programs, as well as create stakeholders and supporters of public art in the community. • Collection management including working with conservation and maintenance contractors to implement assessments, conservation and maintenance work. Collection management software design review and implementation.

Director, Marketing, PR and Development Berkeley
Symphony, Berkeley, CA September 2001- August 2004 • Create first comprehensive direct marketing program increasing earned income from single tickets sales 40%. • Develop marketing objectives through jennifer easton
identification of revenue goals and audience opportunities. • Financial oversight of earned and contributed revenue for a $1+ M budget including foundation, corporate and individual, and in-kind support. Develop revenue projections, budgets and financial forecasts. • Initiate and manage strategic relationships with foundations, corporations and major donors. • Work strategically with volunteers, board and board committees to develop and implement programs, events and overall strategies for the organization. • Optimize all internal and external communications to increase efficacy of messaging about the Symphony including advertising, website, box office, collateral, corporate communications, and public relations. • Initiate East Bay arts organization co-marketing initiative to build audience awareness of local arts offerings.

Marketing Communications Manager
AVASTA, INC., San Francisco, CA, 2000-2001
(Outsourced Application Management company, purchased by NaviSite) • Implement product marketing
and company branding initiatives; create website enhancements for client acquisition and customer retention. • Manage advertising agency relationship including messaging, creative, strategic and tactical implementation. • Develop PR messaging and corporate positioning; produce competitive analysis for product positioning. • In collaboration with Business Development, enhance strategic channel partner relationships through development of targeted marketing and sales collateral.

Channel and Affiliate
Marketing Manager
ONEMEDIAPLACE, San Francisco, CA, 1999-2000 (B2B eMarketplace for Advertising)
• Marketing responsibility for company repositioning and product re-development including marketing requirement definition and functional specifications. • Develop online copy and promotions, collaborate with engineers and designers to optimize functionality. • Produce competitive analysis and market segmentation research and analysis. • Develop trade show and special event programming to build awareness of brand and product offerings in nationwide markets.

Public Art Program Director
VENTURA CULTURAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, Ventura, CA, 1996-1998 • Develop policy and
administrative procedures for Public Art program. • Produce communications campaign to government, business and community leaders resulting in increased financing and sponsorship. • Create and staff City's first Public Art Committee. • Create high-profile arts programs with the Community Redevelopment Agency achieving significant private sector participation and profits. • Direct media relations including serving as primary media contact, develop marketing collateral including direct mail campaigns, advertising, and community awareness projects. • Manage multiple projects simultaneously, including RFPs, contracts, and implementation. • Supervised regular and seasonal/project staff (up to 10) including program development, optimization and expansion of events, exhibits and programs Curator
LOS
ANGELES CULTURAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, Los Angeles, CA, 1992-96 • Directed high-profile
public art projects for Swatch, and the consular offices of Mexico and Finland • Developed program and
funding sources for preservation of City-owned public art • Collaborated with City Attorney on development
of standard contract language, ordinance enhancements, and consulted on current issues relevant to art law • Advised non-profit organizations on business planning and program implementation • Managed City's extensive portable art collection including all inventory, installation/deinstallation, conservation, and database development
CONTRACT & COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT/APPOINTMENTS Independent Consultant for Public Art Programs – strategic planning, marketing and outreach planning and project management - clients include City of Pasadena, Mel Chin (EPA community engagement in West Oakland for Lead Poisoning prevention Operation Paydirt), Stanford Hospitals Member, City of Oakland Public Art
Committee, 2006 to 2014
Numerous public art selection panels and lectures throughout California Grant
review panelist: Creative Work Fund 2016
Research Associate, Los Angeles County Museum of Art
(1992)
RELATED SKILLS • Experienced editor and writer for grants, articles, brochures, websites, reports, catalogs, and other publications. • Excellent computer skills including graphics, database programming (modeling and implementation), website UI design, and standard office applications for CRM, sales tracking, spreadsheets, and word processing.

EDUCATION & EXTENDED LEARNING
M.A. with Honors,
Art History and Museum Management, University of Southern California.

Thesis topic: Bruce Nauman.

A.B., Art History, University of California, Davis.

Art & Practice of Leadership Graduate, 2008. A multi-
month focused leadership training program for selected management staff.

Supervisor Training, City of
San Jose.
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EXECUTIVE OVERVIEW
Extensive career in project management and program leadership in the visual and performing arts. Curated numerous exhibitions, published articles and lectured in the field of contemporary art and public art. Experienced in developing integrative strategies for creative placemaking including community engagement, artist integration and economic development strategies.

Broad experience in marketing for public, non-profit and for-profit sector, including market identification, expansion and retention utilizing traditional and new media. Skilled in market strategy and research, brand-building promotion, creating and managing marketing processes, as well as PR strategies and implementation. Experienced team leader. Successful fundraiser and partnership development.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Art Program Manager
Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), March 2016-present
 Responsible for developing and implementing BART’s first dedicated art program that will directly impact five Bay Area counties throughout the District.  Scope, hire consultants, and oversee implementation of Art Master Plan.  Develop procedures and guidelines to professionally implement the art program  Provide overall project planning and management of small to large-scale integrated public art projects throughout the BART District.
 Plan and implement community engagement strategies with specific attention to communities adjacent to BART stations and guideways; performing, visual and literary artists; and cultural and arts organizations adjacent to the system.  Oversee and maintain BART’s art collection of over 50 artworks.  Solicit external sources of funding for the art program through grant writing and private and public partnerships.
 Establish and maintain a close and positive working relationship with departments, internal and external agencies, the public, and other key stakeholders.  Develop marketing and communications strategies to build awareness and engagement with the program to meet program goals related to ridership, enhanced rider experience, and greater community engagement.

Public Art Program Director
Office of Cultural Affairs, City of San José, March 2014 – March 2016 Acting Director January 2013 – March 2014
 Develop and implement program vision to align to funding availability and goals and objectives as identified in public art master plan and specific plans.  Supervise project management team of two FTEs and four contract employees: manage work assignments, time management and project delivery optimization; identifying career development opportunities; time card management, and annual and ongoing reviews.  Manage the Public Art Program budget ($1.5M): track multiple fund balances and expenses to ensure fund availability and carry-over between fiscal years, develop annual project plan for review and approval by City Council, assure on-time/budget project delivery, coordinate with Finance and Budget Offices for extensive reporting.
 Business development for outside partner opportunities for public art and placemaking  Represent the public art program internally and externally including senior staff, city council, arts commission, business community, residents, and to broader audiences through lectures and articles.

Jennifer A. Easton – 2
 Direct implementation of Illuminating Downtown Program – a $1.2M+ multi-part program of illuminated art projects delivered in collaboration with partners throughout downtown San Jose. Responsibilities include budget management, partner development, grant management, and project management.
 Staff liaison to Public Art Committee.
 Continue to manage 4-6 public art projects with City and non-City partners including VTA/BART and SVCreates/Valley Medical Center.

Sr. Project Manager, Public Art
Office of Cultural Affairs, City of San José, September 2004-2013 • Co-authored three successful grants (2 NEA, 1 ArtPlace) for a total of $1.5M in awards – each award the highest granted in the year. Directed and managed grant implementation, relationship with funders, required reporting.
• Direct development and integration of public art in long-range plans for Downtown Public Art Focus Plan, North San Jose Focus Plan, High Speed Rail, Environmental Services (author) and City Trails (author). Responsibilities include extensive coordination with planners, interaction with developers, business and residential communities, and other stakeholders to develop integrated vision of public art and culture as an integral aspect of program implementation and development.
• Successfully deliver all aspects of public art projects (typically 8-10 projects concurrently) on time and budget including program visioning and development for client departments and private developers, community outreach, preparation of RFQs and artist selection; contract negotiation and implementation, budget development and oversight, facilitation of design development including extensive community engagement and client/design team collaborations; reporting and presentation to sub-committees; integration of art projects into CIP construction. • Identify and develop opportunities for expansion of private sector engagement with public art including development of Program's first ever marketing collateral, identification of target markets, and initiation of engagement opportunities.
• Implementation of marketing program to achieve greater recognition internally and externally. Initiate department e-newsletter as well as serving as liaison to City Marketing Initiatives.
• Direct and facilitate community outreach and engagement in a diverse city to increase awareness of projects and programs, as well as create stakeholders and supporters of public art in the community.
• Collection management including working with conservation and maintenance contractors to implement assessments, conservation and maintenance work. Collection management software design review and implementation.

Director, Marketing, PR and Development
Berkeley Symphony, Berkeley, CA September 2001- August 2004 • Create first comprehensive direct marketing program increasing earned income from single tickets sales 40%.
• Develop marketing objectives through identification of revenue goals and audience opportunities.
• Financial oversight of earned and contributed revenue for a $1+ M budget including foundation, corporate and individual, and in-kind support. Develop revenue projections, budgets and financial forecasts.
• Initiate and manage strategic relationships with foundations, corporations and major donors. • Work strategically with volunteers, board and board committees to develop and implement programs, events and overall strategies for the organization. • Optimize all internal and external communications to increase efficacy of messaging about the Symphony including advertising, website, box office, collateral, corporate communications, and public relations.
• Initiate East Bay arts organization co-marketing initiative to build audience awareness of local arts offerings.

Marketing Communications Manager
AVASTA, INC., San Francisco, CA, 2000-2001 (Outsourced Application Management company, purchased by NaviSite)
• Implement product marketing and company branding initiatives; create website enhancements for client acquisition and customer retention. • Manage advertising agency relationship including messaging, creative, strategic and tactical implementation.
• Develop PR messaging and corporate positioning; produce competitive analysis for product positioning.
• In collaboration with Business Development, enhance strategic channel partner relationships through development of targeted marketing and sales collateral.

Channel and Affiliate Marketing Manager
ONEMEDIAPLACE, San Francisco, CA, 1999-2000 (B2B eMarketplace for Advertising) • Marketing responsibility for company repositioning and product re-development including marketing requirement definition and functional specifications.
• Develop online copy and promotions, collaborate with engineers and designers to optimize functionality.
• Produce competitive analysis and market segmentation research and analysis. • Develop trade show and special event programming to build awareness of brand and product offerings in nationwide markets.

CONTRACT & COMMUNITY EMPLOYMENT/APPOINTMENTS
Independent Consultant for Public Art Programs – strategic planning, marketing and outreach planning and project management - clients include City of Pasadena, Mel Chin (EPA community engagement in West Oakland for Lead Poisoning prevention Operation Paydirt), Stanford Hospitals
Member, City of Oakland Public Art Committee, 2006 to 2014 Numerous public art selection panels and lectures throughout California Grant review panelist: Creative Work Fund 2016
Research Associate, Los Angeles County Museum of Art (1992)

RELATED SKILLS
 Experienced editor and writer for grants, articles, brochures, websites, reports, catalogs, and other publications.
 Excellent computer skills including graphics, database programming (modeling and implementation), website UI design, and standard office applications for CRM, sales tracking, spreadsheets, and word processing.

EDUCATION & EXTENDED LEARNING
M.A. with Honors, Art History and Museum Management, University of Southern California.

Thesis topic: Bruce Nauman.

A.B., Art History, University of California, Davis.

Art & Practice of Leadership Graduate, 2008. A multi-month focused leadership training program for selected management staff.

Supervisor Training, City of San Jose.

APPROVED AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY

________________________
CITY ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

OAKLAND CITY COUNCIL

RESOLUTION NO.____________C.M.S.

INTRODUCED BY MAYOR SHENG THAO

RESOLUTION CONFIRMING THE MAYOR ’S APPOINTMENT OF JIM

SANTI OWEN, CHARLES MCNEAL, AND ILIANA LIPSETT, AND

REAPPOINTMENT OF JENNIFER EASTON AND VANESSA WHANG TO

THE CULTURAL AFFAIRS COMMISSION

WHEREAS, Section 601 of the City Charter provides that members of City boards and commissions shall be appointed by the Mayor subject to confirmation by the affirmative vote of five members of the City Council; and

WHEREAS, Ordinance No. 11323 C.M.S., amended by Ordinance Nos. 11778 C.M.S. and 13561 C.M.S., establishes the Cultural Affairs Commission as a professionally qu alified citizen committee responsible for advising the City regarding all matters affecting arts and cultural development in the City of Oakland; and

WHEREAS, Ordinance No. 13561 C.M.S . provides that all terms shall commence on October 1 and end on Septem ber 30, and for the initial appointment only, four members shall be appointed for a three -year term, four members shall be appointed for a two -year term, and three members shall be appointed for a one-year term, and thereafter, all appointments shall be for three years; and

WHEREAS, Ordinance No. 13561 C.M.S. provides that no person shall be appointed to serve as a member of the Cultural Affairs Commission for more than two consecutive three -year terms plus any initial term of less than two years; and

WHEREAS, the Honorable Mayor Sheng Thao has appointed Jim Santi Owen, Charles McNeal, Iliana Lipsett, and reappointed Vanessa Whang and Jennifer Easton to serve a three-year term on the Cultural Affairs Commission; now therefore, be it,

RESOLVED: That pursuant to City Charter section 601, the City Council hereby confirms the Mayor’s appointment of:

Jim Santi Owen , to serve a three -year term on the Cultural Affairs Commission beginning October 1, 20 22 and ending September 30, 2025 filling the seat previously held by Michael Orange;

Charles McNeal , to serve a three -year t erm on the Cultural Affairs Commission beginning October 1, 202 2 and ending September 30, 2025 filling the seat previously held by Arnell Pleasants; and

2 3219332v4/MJM

Iliana Lipsett, to serve a three-year term on the Cultural Affairs Commission beginning October 1, 2022 and ending September 30, 2025 filling the seat previously held by Roy Chan; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED: That pursuant to City Charter section 601, the City Council hereby confirms the Mayor’s reappointment of:

Vanessa Whang , to serve a t hree-year term on the Cultural Affairs Commission beginning October 1, 2022 and ending September 30, 2025 filling the seat previously held by herself; and

Jennifer Easton , to serve a three -year term on the Cultural Affairs Commission beginning October 1, 2022 and ending September 30, 2025 filling the seat previously held by herself.

IN COUNCIL, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA,

PASSED BY THE FOLLOWING VOTE:

AYES - FIFE, GALLO, JENKINS, KALB, KAPLAN, RAMACHANDRAN, REID, AND

PRESIDENT FORTUNATO BAS
NOES –
ABSENT –
ABSTENTION –

ATTEST:

ASHA REED
City Clerk and Clerk of the Council of the
City of Oakland, California

Oakland City CouncilMarch 7, 2023

Oakland City Council
March 7, 2023