Board

Our Board of Directors are cultural leaders, artists, curators, scholars, and passionate activists. Since its founding, Board members have been beacons in the field, dedicated to championing California's diverse and vibrant creative communities. Together, they drive our mission to uplift and celebrate folk and traditional artists, ensuring their voices resonate across the state.

Current ACTA Board Members

  • Chike Nwoffiah

    Board President

    Executive Director, Silicon Valley African Film Festival (SVAFF)

    Stockton, CA

  • Daniel Sheehy, Ph.D.

    VP of Governance, President Emeritus

    Former Director, Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Former Director, Folk & Traditional Arts, National Endowment for the Arts

    Falls Church, VA

  • Carly Tex (Western Mono)

    Secretary

    Executive Director, Advocates for Indigenous California Language

    Fresno, CA

  • Devendra Sharma, Ph.D.

    Professor of Communication, California State University, Fresno Sāngīt musical theater performer, writer, and director

    Fresno, CA

  • Jennifer Bates (Central Sierra Mewuk)

    Founding Board Member and Chairperson, California Indian Basketweavers’ Association (CIBA) Traditional Mewuk Basket Weaver and California Native Culture Consultant

    Tuolumne Rancheria, CA

  • Josephine S. Talamantez

    Board Chair, Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center Former Chief of Programs, California Arts Council

    San Diego and Sacramento, CA

  • Latanya d. Tigner

    Administrative Coordinator, Dimensions Dance Theater Continuing Lecturer: Dance, UC Berkeley Theater, Dance and Performance Studies

    Oakland, CA

  • Malcolm Margolin

    Founder and Executive Director, California Institute for Community, Art, and Culture Founder and Former Publisher, Heyday

    Berkeley, CA

  • P.J. Hirabayashi

    Founder, San Jose Taiko

    San Jose, CA

  • Russell Rodríguez, Ph.D.

    Assistant Professor, UC Santa Cruz Department of Music

    Santa Cruz, CA

  • Ysamur Flores-Peña, Ph.D.

    Professor, Otis College of Art and Design Lucumí Priest, Altar Maker, and Healer

    Los Angeles, CA

Emeritus Board Members

Amy Rouillard
Former Senior Program Officer, California Council for the Humanities
San Diego, CA

Bess Lomax Hawes (1921-2009)
Former Director, Folk & Traditional Arts Program, National Endowment for the Arts
West Hills, CA

Charlie Seemann
Former Executive Director, Western Folklife Center
Elko, NV

Deborah Wong, Ph.D.
Board President Emeritus, ACTA
Professor of Music, University of California, Riverside
Riverside, CA

Emmett Castro
Certified Public Accountant, Castro Accountancy Corporation
Los Angeles, CA

Esailama Diouf, Ph.D.
Founding Director, Bisemi
Program Analyst, City of Oakland, Cultural Funding Program
Oakland, CA

Frank LaPena (1937-2019)
Professor Emeritus, American Indian Studies, CSU Sacramento
Traditional Maidu dance master
Sacramento, CA

Hugo Morales
Executive Director, Radio Bilingüe
Fresno, CA

Joel Jacinto
Executive Director, SIPA (Search to Involve Pilipino Americans)
Los Angeles, CA

Jo Farb Hernandez
Director Emeritus, Natalie and James Thompson Art Gallery, San Jose State University
Former Executive Director, SPACES Archives
Watsonville, CA

Libby Maynard
Co-founder and Executive Director, Ink People Center for the Arts
Eureka, CA

Maria Rosario Jackson, Ph.D.
Chair, National Endowment for the Arts
Los Angeles, CA

Melanie Beene
Executive Director, Community Initiatives
San Francisco, CA

Nancy Marquez
Former Director, Arte Américas
Fresno, CA

Natividad Cano (1933-2014)
Former Director, Los Camperos de Nati Cano
Los Angeles, CA

Nikiko Masumoto
Farmer and Artist, Masumoto Family Farms
Del Rey/Fowler, CA

Paula “Pimm” Allen
Student Advisor, Indian Tribal Education & Personnel Program, Humboldt State University
Arcata, CA

Peter Pennekamp
Senior Fellow, Community Democracy Workshop at Philanthropy Northwest
Eureka, CA

Prudy Kohler
Founder/Principal, Art for Lunch
San Francisco, CA

Prumsodun Ok
Associate Artistic Director, Khmer Arts
Long Beach, CA

Robert Arroyo
Retired Instructor of Political Science & Chicano/Latino Studies and Administrator, Fresno City College
Kingsburg, CA

Sojin Kim, Ph.D.
Curator, Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage
Washington, D.C.

Vicki Filgas
Director, Los Paisanos folklórico dance troupe
Selma, CA

  • “ACTA is unique in the state of California, with its deep ties to cultural communities, commitment to strategic planning, and sheer perseverance – it’s a national model.”

    Josie Talamantez, Board Member

  • “ACTA truly cares for people. You’re not just a statistic or number, you’re surrounded by friends. The staff are very welcoming, open, and not intimidating.”

    Carly Tex, Apprenticeship Program participant and Board Member

  • “It has been a joy to see the blossoming of so many superb artists, many of whom would have had to struggle much harder to realize their dreams without ACTA's support.”

    Jo Farb Hernandez, emeritus founding Board Member