We are the staff that sustains ACA's vision for the residency field.
Nora Alami | Grant Making Administrator
Nora Alami is a Moroccan dance artist and independent arts worker supporting choreographers, festivals, collectives, and nonprofits. Dance is her tool for conducting research, building community, and organizing politically. She has had the pleasure of collaborating with FAILSPACE, LMCC, Peoplmovr, The Africa Center, Movement Research, and Los Angeles Performance Practice. In 2017, she was awarded the ACA’s Diversity + Leadership Fellowship. Presently, Nora choreographs her own works and joyously collaborates with Jasmine Hearn as a creative producer. She grew up in Colorado, where she earned a BA in Psychology with a minor in Philosophy at Colorado College. Nora lives in Brooklyn, NY.
nalami [at] artistcommunities.org
pronouns: she/they
Zooey Arnold-Conner | Grants + Development Administrator
Zooey is a queer, mixed Korean artist and administrator. Prior to joining ACA in 2019, they worked for the Providence Performing Arts Center's digital media team; as an arts educator in science classrooms through Providence CityArts; and directly with local artists. They live in Providence, RI.
zaconner [at] artistcommunities.org
pronouns: they/them
Quinn Casey | Interim Engagement Coordinator
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
Candice Hemphill | Organization Administrator
Candice is a writer, photographer, and former student of classical ballet, Candice has a long engagement with the arts. With a concentration on minority-owned businesses, her past roles have included administrative support in advertising, event production, and hospitality. In 2019, she graduated from Columbia College in Chicago, IL with a BA in Art History and a minor in Visual Arts Management. She previously held positions with SOFA Chicago and Richard Gray Gallery, yet it was her brief time volunteering at Arts of Life in Chicago that influenced her approach to work in the nonprofit sector.
chemphill [at] artistcommunities.org
pronouns: she/her
Antonio Necuze | Finance + Operations Director
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
Flannery Patton | Board Liaison
Flannery joined the Alliance in 2011 and works directly to address member needs, connecting them to available resources. 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.
pronouns: she/her
Gui Portel | Strategic Initiatives Manager
Gui is a queer, Latinx immigrant and arts administrator. Through past roles (including Program and Communications Manager at Elsewhere Museum and Residency; Creative Director at Motley Local, community development agency) they’ve gained experience in organizational system building, event coordination, grant writing, community organizing, and art curation.
gportel [at] artistcommunities.org
pronouns: they/them
Crystal Sasaki | Programs Administrator
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