Rosa Lowinger

Chief Conservator and CEO

Rosa Lowinger & Associates DBA RLA Conservation of Art + Architecture

Rosa Lowinger is Principal and Chief Conservator of RLA Conservation of Art + Architecture, and a practitioner with 30+ years of experience. She is a Fellow of the American Institute for Conservation and the ASsociation for Preservation Technology and was the 2009 Rome Prize Fellow in Conservation at the American Academy in Rome. She holds an M.A. in art history and conservation from NYU's Institute of Fine Arts and has worked in public art conservation for major programs since the 1990s.

Website: www.rlaconservation.com

Twitter: @RLAconservation

Christina Vari

Principal Conservator and Professional Associate

RLA Conservation of ARt + Architecture, Inc

Christina Varvi is Principal Conservator at RLA Conservation of ARt + Architecture, Inc. and a Professional Associate of AIC. She holds an M.S. in historic preservation and materials conservation from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation and has been with RLA since 2011. She serves as an ongoing consultant to dozens of public art programs and agencies, including the GSA, San Diego International Airport, the Huntington, Hawaii State Foundation for Culture and the Arts, and the cities of Honolulu, HI, Sioux Falls, SD, Kansas City, MO, Fort Worth, TX, Tucson, AZ, Charlotte, NC, Cedar Rapids, IA, and the California cities of Santa Monica, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Berkeley, Inglewood, Culver City, Long Beach, and Pasadena, CA. She is known for expertise in mosaics and integral architectural artworks, and was lead conservator for the team that conserved and restored the 1930’s façade of the former May Company Building in Los Angeles, recently awarded a 2019 California Preservation Foundation Award for Craftsmanship.  Prior to joining RLA, she worked for New York’s Central Park Conservancy and at Jablonski Building Conservation, where she helped conserve hand-made subway ceramic relief tile murals rescued from the World Trade Center site following the September 11^th attacks. 

Kelly Ciociola

Conservator

Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

Kelly Ciociola is a Conservator at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens and a Professional Associate, AIC.She holds a 2010 M.S. in historic preservation and conservation from the jointClemson University and College of Charleston graduate program in Charleston,SC. Kelly served as Principal Conservator for RLA's Miami office from2014-2021, and managed public art conservation for numerous Florida cities, andthe Jacksonville, Palm Beach, and Indianapolis International Airports. Prior to joining RLA, Kelly managed conservation treatmentson high-profile Federal projects for Kreilick Conservation, LLC, including theweathervane at Independence Hall, and the Jeanne D’Arc Memorial atMeridian Hill Park in Washington, DC. 

Jamie Alexander

Director

JCA Arts Marketing

As Director, Jamie Alexander leads the JCA Arts Marketing team in its efforts to increase revenue, boost attendance, and grow patron engagement for arts organizations around the country. Jamie's clients include Arizona Opera, Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Oakland Museum of California, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, SFJAZZ, Steppenwolf Theatre Company, and Victory Gardens Theater. 

Before joining JCA, Jamie worked on the marketing staffs for Steppenwolf Theatre Company, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business where she specialized in campaign strategy, marketing analytics, and audience development.  

Jamie’s previous accomplishments in the arts world include developing innovative strategies to engage new audiences. At Steppenwolf Theatre Company she was a member of a team developed to drive Millennial and Gen X engagement, and led the implementation of the highly successful Steppenwolf RED membership for twenty-somethings. Jamie was also an integral member of the team that implemented variable and dynamic pricing for the company. 

Similarly, at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Jamie formed a council focused on the engagement of young professionals, managed accessibility programs, and integrated social media into the Denver Center’s regular marketing plans. She also helped launch the marketing campaign for the first touring engagement of The Book of Mormon, and originated marketing efforts for a new programming stream called Off-Center. 

At the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, Jamie supported a marketing team that led a complete overhaul of the Executive Education department’s website and CRM systems. She also led the re-positioning and re-branding of the department's marketing materials, which can be seen as soon as you enter the business school’s downtown campus in Chicago. 

Jamie holds and BA in Music and an MBA, both from the University of Denver.  

Jennifer Sowinski

Senior Consultant & Analyst

JCA Arts Marketing

As Senior Consultant & Analyst for JCA Arts Marketing, Jennifer Sowinski provides data-driven consulting to arts and culture clients across North America. She is passionate about helping organizations leverage their data to increase revenue and grow attendance. Projects that Jennifer works on include pricing studies, venue re-scaling, customer behavior analyses, and segmentation projects. She also provides training and consulting on the RMA and Segmentation Engine. Jennifer has worked with a diverse set of clients including the Minnesota Orchestra, Ballet Arizona, San Diego Repertory Theatre, Cincinnati Opera, and Spoleto Festival, among many others. 

Before joining JCA, Jennifer most recently worked for Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, DC, where she focused on innovative ticketing, pricing, and audience development strategies. Jennifer has earned an MA in Arts Management from George Mason University, and a BS in Chemistry and Theater from the University of Notre Dame. 

Narric Rome

Vice President of Government Affairs and Arts Education

Americans for the Arts

Narric Rome serves as Vice President for Government Affairs and Arts Education at Americans for the Arts.  In his role he manages federal, state, and local government advocacy, grassroots campaigns, policy development, and national coalition-building efforts with cultural, civic, and private sector organizations with the goal of influencing public policies that advance direct and indirect support for the arts and arts education.

Narric is responsible for promoting the Americans for the Arts’ message to Congress and the Trump Administration. He serves as the senior lobbyist for the Americans for the Arts legislative portfolio where he researches and pursues untapped federal funding opportunities. Additionally, he is editor of a dozen resource guides connecting cultural projects and initiatives to federal funding programs.

Narric’s responsibilities include leading the policy development for the annual National Arts Action Summit, including Arts Advocacy Day, which involves coordinating over 85 arts organizations as national partners. Narric oversees the Americans for the Arts education program that seeks equitable access to the arts and includes the State Policy Pilot Program, and advocacy programs at the national, state and local levels. Most recently, Narric has launched a national campaign to boost the creative economy by building support for the CREATE Act (S.661, HR1649) in Congress. Narric has 20 years of experience in the public policy and congressional arena.  Prior to joining Americans for the Arts, Narric worked on the policy staff of Howard Dean's 2004 presidential campaign in Vermont and served as a legislative aide to Secretary Riley at the U.S. Department of Education where he received the Peer Recognition Award in 1999.  Earlier in his career, Narric worked on Capitol Hill, at the Podesta Group and on several state and national political campaigns. He is the immediate past-president of the Vermont State Society.

Lauren Cohen

Government Affairs and Grassroots Manager

Americans for the Arts

At Americans for the Arts, Lauren works with the Federal Affairs team in federal lobbying and government affairs activities, including composing position statements, monitoring federal legislation, drafting legislative proposals, coalition building with the Congressional Arts Caucus and other Congressional staff.  She enjoys teaching others how to become compelling arts advocates and how to pursue strong arts policy.  Prior to joining Americans for the Arts, Lauren worked for a member of Congress in the U.S. House of Representatives for over two years where she managed the arts, humanities, and museums portfolio.  Before coming to Washington, DC, Lauren worked for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in Williamsburg, Virginia.  There, she held positions in the Education Outreach, Historical Interpretations, and Curatorial departments.  Lauren earned her Master of Arts degree in Public History from James Madison University and her Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of Tennessee.  Lauren's passion for the arts began at age three when she first started ballet lessons and continues to this day as she enjoys dance and theater performances, museums, and art shows.

Callia Chuang

Government and Public Affairs Intern

Americans for the Arts

Callia Chuang is a rising junior at Harvard University currently serving as Americans for the Arts’ Government and Public Affairs Summer 2021 Intern. She assists the Government Affairs team with conducting research, attending meetings, writing memos and legislative news items, designing infographics, and updating the website and various databases. Previously, Callia has worked as a Communications and Social Media Intern for the Stimson Center, a Washington, D.C.-based foreign policy think tank, and as a District Office Intern for Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD). In college, Callia is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in degree in History and Literature with a minor in Psychology. Outside of the classroom, she directs and choreographs for Harvard Expressions hip-hop dance company and the Harvard Eleganza fashion and dance show. She is originally from Bethesda, Maryland.

Brian McKeon

Shareholder

Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck

Brian draws on his senior relationships within the Democratic Party and deep procedural knowledge of the U.S. Senate to drive outcomes for his clients’ priorities. He deftly navigates the policymaking process to advance his clients’ legislative objectives and devises engagement and messaging strategies that dovetail with caucus politics. Brian knows which levers need to be pulled to impact results in Washington, D.C., and his personal relationships with senators; senior and junior staffers; and committee personnel, many of which have filtered into the Biden administration, make him an effective liaison for clients between Pennsylvania Avenue and Capitol Hill. From small businesses to Fortune 50 corporations, Brian assists many of his clients in the development and implementation of ESG campaigns, and engages federal policymakers to promote key initiatives. He is also adept at uniting the private sector to galvanize support for issues in Washington; Brian skillfully builds and manages coalitions, keeping member interests aligned. Before joining the private sector, Brian served as the legislative director and acting chief of staff for Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a centrist Democrat and prominent member of the “Mod Squad.” Prior, Brian served as senior counsel for Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA). He served in senior roles for both Shaheen and Boxer’s Senate campaigns, and as a deputy voter protection director to Obama for America.

Onyx Montes

Manager of Marketing & Communications

Hyde Park Art Center

Onyx Montes is an arts educator, cultural worker,  and salary transparency advocate. Onyx moved by herself to the U.S. from Mexico, at the age of 17 and studied art history at the University of Washington in Seattle. She is the first person in her family to graduate from college. She is finalizing her Masters degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago's  MA in Museum and Exhibition Studies program, and is part of the inaugural Arts & Culture Leaders of Color Fellowship by Americans for the Arts. Onyx has worked as a museum educator at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Museum of Contemporary Art of Chicago. She currently works as the social media manager for Hyde Park Art Center. She is a solo traveler and has been to 19 countries so far. 

Jenée-Daria Strand

Curatorial Assistant

The Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum

Jenée-Daria Strand is the Curatorial Assistant for the Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art at the Brooklyn Museum. There, she supports in the research and organization of numerous exhibitions, including Carrie Mae Weems' "Resist COVID: Take 6" and "Lorraine O'Grady: Both/And." Jenée-Daria aims to expand her knowledge of art history, and integrate her interests in performance practices, to examine Black subjectivity within the museum setting. She holds a BFA in Dance from Florida State University, and is pursuing an MA at New York University (NYU).

Jessica Stern (Moderator)

Senior Manager, Local Arts and Business Partnerships

Americans for the Arts

Jessica is the Private Sector Initiatives Program Manager with Americans for the Arts. Prior to this position, she acted as the Membership and Resources Manager for the Nonprofit Association of Oregon (NAO), providing oversight of NAO’s statewide membership program while curating and reinventing its online platform of nonprofit management best practice resources. Prior to NAO, Jessica spent nearly five years working with Portland’s local business committee for the arts, Business for Culture & the Arts (BCA), delivering programs that engaged employees from BCA’s 200+ business members, managing all marketing and communications strategies, and retaining and cultivating corporate and community partnerships. Jessica has also served in development roles at Metropolitan Youth Symphony and Literary Arts; and has freelanced as an independent web designer and developer.

Kelly Johnson

Executive Director

Arts & Business Alliance of Eugene

Kelly graduated from the University of Colorado at Denver in 2006 with a degree in Theatre, Film, and TV.  She worked as a stage manager and on run crews at the Curious Theatre Company and the Arvada Center for Arts and Humanities. She decided to pursue a career in Arts Administration and attended graduate school at the University of Oregon. Upon graduating, she worked in the nonprofit sector as a development manager and director for seven years. She returned to the arts world in 2018, to lead the Arts & Business Alliance of Eugene.

Karla Estela Rivera

Executive Director

Free Street Theater

Karla Estela Rivera is a writer, performer, activist, and arts advocate that has leveraged her gift of storytelling to uplift and create opportunities for, with, and in underserved communities. She is the Executive Director of the historic Free Street Theater and a company member of 2nd Story in Chicago. In addition to her artistic work, Karla has served in non-profit organizations for over a decade, beginning as a teaching artist and youth worker, to systems-level leadership in public affairs. Most recently she served as the co-chair of the Illinois Fine Arts Indicator work group which developed the nation’s first weighted accountability measure for the arts as part of the Illinois Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) plan. Karla continues to perform in venues and zoom rooms across the country, and actively teaches storytelling and consults on advocacy initiatives. She is a native of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, and holds a BA from Columbia College Chicago’s Department of Film & Video, with graduate studies at New York University.

IG & Twitter: @kestelarivera

LinkedIn: karlaerivera