Barbara Palley is the Executive Director for Turnaround Arts: California. Previously at Cool Culture, NYC, she helped narrow the arts education gap through citywide partnerships between early childhood centers and cultural institutions, which engaged families in out-of-school time. She led a federally-funded national leadership grant to bring together 23 NYC museums in a “Laboratory for New Audiences” in which they utilized user-centered design methods to innovate diverse and inclusive educational approaches. Barbara is a recognized leader in the field, with almost 20 years of experience in museum education, arts administration, and program evaluation at a variety of institutions including MoMA, Brooklyn Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, and Harvard Project Zero. She has served on the board of the NYC Museum Educators Roundtable and presented at national and international conferences. Barbara has a BA in Art History, University of Virginia and an Ed.M. in Arts in Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Sandy previously worked with Turnaround Arts as a Regional Coach and Strategic Planning Coach. Sandy hails from Los Angeles and has over 20 years of experience in strategic planning, teaching artist training, curriculum development, program management, and professional development for both classroom teachers and teaching artists. Most recently she has worked for ten years as a District Coach with the Arts Ed Collective at the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture where she helped school districts create strategic plans for the arts. She has also done extensive work in arts integration with particular focus on Common Core Standards in Math and English Language Arts as well as the Next Generation Science Standards. Sandy has worked for a wide variety of arts education organizations including the Entertainment Community Fund, Symphonic Jazz Orchestra, The Armory Center for the Arts, The Music Center, Los Angeles Opera, Dramatic Results, the Da Camera Society and more. In addition, Sandy has served the field of arts education by serving on the several advisory councils and boards supporting the field of teaching artistry. Just prior to her work in arts administration, she worked as a teaching artist in a middle school with young cellists and violinists. In addition, she worked in special education with the Los Angeles Unified School District for over ten years. Sandy’s artistic life has been as professional cellist, specializing in classical and jazz, and currently as a fiddler playing Scandinavian folk music for local dances and festivals.

(photo credit: Daniel Almanza)

For nearly a decade, Chelsey (Barmore) Brunelle has built and managed dynamic interdisciplinary programming for youth throughout the Bay and Greater Los Angeles Area. As a former educator, her work has involved partnering with Title 1 public schools in strategic planning, culturally responsive curriculum and teacher development, while also managing programs that explore the intersection of the arts, literacy, and business for young creatives. Chelsey created and advised Electric- a student-run, nationally recognized, REALM awarded literary magazine- filled with original prose, poetry, digital, and visual illustrations out of the Inland Empire. Electric alumni have moved on to write and publish their own books, been featured in local galleries, and attend some of the top art institutions in the country. Chelsey has also built and managed business programming focused on creative industries for students at The School of Arts and Enterprise and collaborated with their school stakeholders on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Chelsey is a Teach For America Alumna (Bay Area ‘14), with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Azusa Pacific University and currently completing her Master of Arts in Business of Creative Enterprises from Emerson College.

In her role as Associate Director of Development and Communications for Turnaround Arts: California, Jaime is responsible for expanding and diversifying TACA’s network of support as well as overseeing the organization’s communications strategy. Jaime has worked for arts and social justice organizations for 10 years with roles focused in development and operations. Prior to joining Turnaround Arts, Jaime worked at A Window Between Worlds, an organization dedicated to transforming trauma through art. She has also previously worked with the Santa Barbara International Film Festival and Just Communities Central Coast. Jaime received her BA from UC Davis in Sociology and Women’s Studies and her MA in Nonprofit Management from Antioch University Los Angeles.

A native of Los Angeles, Elisabeth Loomis is a communications and development professional driven by the power of storytelling to create positive change. For over five years, she has thrived at the intersection of creativity and purpose, building compelling narratives and visuals that not only connect with audiences but also inspire action. Before joining Turnaround Arts: California, Elisabeth dedicated her work to the Native American Youth and Family Center in Portland, Oregon, where she served in various capacities across communications, marketing, and program coordination. For more than six years, she owned a photography company in New York City, which focused on documenting children and their families. Her passion for helping children extends beyond her professional career; she has volunteered to use the arts to instill confidence and safety in children with organizations like Free Arts for Kids NYC and New York Cares. Elisabeth is completing her B.A. in Communications with a Public Relations concentration from California State University, Bakersfield. She holds an Associate of Arts in Social and Behavioral Sciences from Santa Monica College and intends to pursue a Master’s in Social Welfare from UCLA, continuing to build on her holistic approach to communications and community engagement.

Kiran Grewal is an Administrative Assistant for Turnaround Arts: California. She began her work in community development and equity while pursuing an Environmental Studies degree at Bucknell University, during which she collaborated with local communities on research and engagement projects. Kiran volunteered briefly in the Peace Corps as a community health educator in southern Zambia; she also coordinated programming and events as an Island Fellow with the Chebeague Recreation Center on Chebeague Island, Maine. Prior to joining Turnaround Arts, Kiran connected low-income clients to social services as a Client Advocate through the Los Angeles Public Defender’s Office and Partners for Justice.

Dr. Kim Mitchell is a proud Los Angeles native and a graduate of Stanford University with a bachelor’s degree in English. During her time at Stanford, she had the opportunity to study Shakespearian Literature abroad at Oxford University. Dr. Mitchell earned both a Master of Fine Arts Degree in Film Directing and a Master of Education from UCLA. Her film projects garnered awards including a Motion Picture Association of America Award and the Lynn Weston Fellowship in Film. Dr. Mitchell received her Doctorate in Organizational Leadership from the University of La Verne. In addition to her academic accomplishments, Kim is a TEDx speaker who brings her experiences as a former K-12 film and theatre teacher and current part time lecturer in teacher education at UCLA.