We are the staff that sustains ACA's vision for the residency field.
Clarissa Bannor | Senior Communications Manager
Clarissa is a writer and multimedia communications professional with a soft spot for the arts. She earned her MA in Arts Management from George Mason University, specializing in Arts Marketing & PR. Clarissa’s career weaves together her passions for culture, art, and creative storytelling. She has worked as a marketing strategist, an editor, and as a branding consultant. Clarissa splits her time between Richmond, Virginia and Accra, Ghana.
cbannor [at] artistcommunities.org
pronouns: she/her
Quinn Casey | Membership Manager
Quinn Casey is a graduate of Maine College of Art & Design with a BFA in Art History & Curatorial Practice; professionally Quinn has experience in galleries, cataloging private collections and re-engineering + scaling artist-run businesses. Quinn currently lives in Memphis, TN.
qcasey [at] artistcommunities.org
pronouns: she/her
Lisa Funderburke | President + CEO
Lisa is a systems thinker and coalition builder whose work and research examines equitable engagement. A dynamic facilitator, she works with residencies, foundations, and other nonprofits on developing effective strategy and improving the efficacy of teams and programs. A scientist by training, she has served as a herbarium collections manager and public school educator; and has held leadership posts at McColl Center for Art + Innovation and Charlotte Nature Museum, among others. She is currently on the Grantmakers in the Arts Individual Artist Committee, and serves on the board of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, Rustle Lab and Orion Magazine.
lhoffman [at] artistcommunities.org
pronouns: she/her
Deonté Griffin-Quick | Managing Director of External Affairs
Deonté is a nationally recognized, award-winning actor, arts administrator and consultant with a proven track record of envisioning and implementing change at the local and regional level. Before joining ACA, Deonté served as Director of Programs and Services at New Jersey Theatre Alliance where he built lasting partnerships, led statewide initiatives, and oversaw programming to support the cultivation of 42 professional theatre companies. In an effort to connect, empower, and cultivate other arts and cultural leaders of color, in 2019 Deonté developed and spearheaded the New Jersey Arts and Culture Administrators of Color Network. He is a New Jersey native.
dgriffinquick [at] artistcommunities.org
pronouns: he/him
Maya H. | Executive Assistant to the President + Strategic Initiative Manager
Maya brings a passionate and extensive engagement with arts and social justice as an administrator, educator, and practitioner.
mhan [at] artistcommunities.org
pronouns: she/her
Candice Hemphill | Operations Manager
Candice is a Chicago-based art-lover who joined ACA in 2021. With a concentration on minority-owned businesses, her past roles have included office administration, advertising, event production, and hospitality. In 2019, she graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a Bachelor's in Art History and a minor in Visual Arts Management. Before joining ACA, she held positions with SOFA Chicago and Richard Gray Gallery, yet it was her time spent volunteering at Arts of Life (Chicago) that inspired her to explore the nonprofit sector. In her free time, Candice expands her knowledge of all things business, and grows her collection of all things beautiful.
chemphill [at] artistcommunities.org
pronouns: she/her
Antonio Necuze | Managing Director of Finance + Operations
A resident of Miami, Antonio comes to ACA as a Finance executive with more than 17 years-experience leading high performance teams in the non-profit + arts communities. Antonio opened the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts where he served as their Accounting Director. After a decade in that role, he moved to the New World Symphony, where as their Financial Controller. He also worked as the Senior Vice President at Big Brothers Big Sisters overseeing Finance, HR, and Operations. Currently, Antonio serves as President of A&M Business Consultants, a consulting company that helps small to mid-size non-profits with their financial and operational needs. Antonio holds a Master’s Degree in Accounting from Florida International University.
anecuze [at] artistcommunities.org
pronouns: he/him
Claudia Nolan | External Affairs Coordinator
Claudia is a dramaturg, producer, and arts administrator who focuses on new play development, cross-cultural fairytales and mythology, and sustainable theater-making. She is a co-founder of the Re/Emergence Collective, which creates community-centered, devised theater in western Massachusetts. Claudia received her MFA at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and has worked at Geva Theatre, HERE, McCarter Theatre, MuCCC, New Georges, and Premiere Stages. She currently resides in Rochester, NY.
clnolan [at] artistcommunities.org
pronouns: she/her
Flannery Patton | Board Liaison + Strategic Initiatives Coordinator
Flannery joined the Alliance in 2011. She worked previously as a Development Associate at Rhode Island Public Radio, as a Research Coordinator in the Center for the Study of Human Development at Brown University, as a Life Skills and Computer Literacy Teacher at the Rhode Island International Institute, as a public programs producer for the National Park Service, and as an English teacher and Curriculum Developer at Open Book in Denver, CO. Flannery also worked as Program Coordinator for Greater Kennedy Plaza, a non-profit offering art and culture programming in downtown Providence; and coordinated monthly art activities for The Hive Archive, a feminist art collective. Originally from Colorado, she came to Providence in 2003 for college; she has a BA in psychology and a BA in art history from Brown University.
fpatton [at] artistcommunities.org
pronouns: she/her
Dani Prados | Programs Manager
Born in Washington DC and originally destined to be a marine biologist, Dani instead fell enthralled to the power of story and has designed, directed, devised, and produced programs, theatre, film, tv, performance, themed festivals, community art, multi-sensory art installations, and interactive transmedia for over twenty years in locations across the USA and around the globe.
At the heart of her work is an evolving quest to harness art in service of justice, connection and community.
dprados [at] artistcommunities.org
pronouns: she/her
Crystal Sasaki | Programs Coordinator
From the Bay Area, Crystal currently splits their time between Portland, Oregon and NYC. She is a dancer, interdisciplinary artist and facilitator. As an arts administrator, Crystal has been co-running The Headwaters, a non-profit theater in NE Portland, has worked for Danspace in NYC and Portland Institute of Contemporary Art. She earned a BA in Performance Studies from UC Berkeley.
csasaki [at] artistcommunities.org
pronouns: they/she
Consultants
Chyla Graham, CPA | Accountant
With almost a decade under her belt as a certified public accountant (CPA), Chyla Graham, President of CNRG Accounting Advisory, LLC, is a chief resource manager; helping navigate the accounting and fiscal tightrope walked by nonprofit organizations. Chyla has integrated flying trapeze into her off time for years, and has seen how its process flows right into her philosophy of organizational success. Chyla examines systems, training, processes, procedures, staff, and emotions to strategize a workable plan as a backbone to keep organizations running smoothly.
bookkeeper [at] artistcommunities.org
pronouns: she/her
Kimba King | Human Resources
Kimba King is the Senior Director of Human Resources at the Adrienne Arsht Center, one of the largest performing arts centers in the country. Joining the Center in 2005, Kimba manages employee relations, workers' compensation, and benefits for more than 100 full-time staff. She is also responsible for recruiting talent for a variety of positions at the Arsht Center, from administrative, customer service, and marketing to specialized production staff and fundraising. Kimba has served as the Arsht Center's liaison with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Miami, leading the School-to-Work program since its inception in 2011. She also co-developed the first registered Technical Theatre Apprentice program in Florida. Before joining the Center, Kimba's experience included working at the Collins Center for Public Policy and the Box Music Network.
Kimba is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management and the National Performing Arts Center Consortium – Human Resources Group.
hr [at] artistcommunities.org
pronouns: she/her