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Board & Staff
as of January 2008
Mary L. Stockton, Board President
For nine years Mary has been a successful Financial Services Professional with New York Life. She has earned the award of top producer and continues to thrive in the financial marketplace. Prior to moving to San Diego in 1996, she owned and operated the women's bookstore, Crones' Harvest in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts. Her business became a valuable cultural center and she was honored with the Helen Diner Community Leadership Award. Her community involvement also extended to the arts, where she took pleasure in producing plays, poetry slams, concerts, and witnessed the burgeoning talent of many successful progressive artists'. She has served on the Board of Directors at Stepping Stone of San Diego, volunteering for four years in an effort to promote alcohol and drug rehabilitation for the LGBT community.She currently serves on the Board of Directors of The San Diego LGBT Community Center.
Bill McClain, Board Vice President
Bill is a native of San Diego who returned to his home town seven years ago after living in Washington, D.C. to pursue a career in education. For the past six years he has taught 4th and 5th graders at Carver Elementary School in San Diego City School District. Bill is an active volunteer and supporter of The Art Institute of San Diego, The La Jolla Playhouse and Front Runners and Walkers of San Diego. He is enjoying the excitement and challenge of integrating a wide spectrumof the arts into education.
Peter Dennehy, Board Secretary
Peter has over 16 years of experience in the real estate advisory field. He has consulted on a broad spectrum of residential and commercial properties. His consulting activities include a full range of consumer research and strategic planning, market and financial feasibility, absorption analysis, demographic and economic forecasting, product planning, and market opportunity analysis. Peter’s role in consulting engagements involves management of market research efforts and consultant teams, public policy research and analysis, real estate product programming, market positioning and strategy recommendations, client relations and presentations. Prior to joining Sullivan Group, Mr. Dennehy worked for The Meyers Group and Robert Charles Lesser & Co.
Douglas S. Bradley, CPA, Board Treasurer
Doug is a software designer and taxation subject matter expert and has lived in San Diego since 2002. Having over 20 years of tax and accounting experience, he has previously held positions with international CPA firms as well as large multinational corporations. Doug holds a B.S. from Wilkes University and a Master of Taxation from Villanova University. He also serves as a member of the San Diego Human Dignity Foundation Finance Committee.
Joseph H. Brooks, Board Member
Joe is a retired Air Force Officer who moved to San Diego in 1990. He has been an active patron of the arts and numerous community organizations since his arrival. He was a member of the San Diego HIV Planning Council for six years. In addition to Diversionary, his involvement and support in the community includes: Front Runners, Mama’s Kitchen, Special Delivery, San Diego Men Chorus, San Diego Gay Men’s Chorus, The Old Globe, La Jolla Playhouse, Lamb’s Players, San Diego Opera, San Diego Symphony, KPBS, The Center, Servicemen’s Legal Defense Fund, The Victory Fund, and San Diego Democratic Club. He holds an a BS and MBA in Business Administration. He has traveled extensively and met his life-partner while stationed in Germany in 1980.
Vicki Estrada, Board Member
Vicki is currently President of Estrada Land Planning, a San Diego based land planning and landscape architecture firm. She has over 31 years experience as a landscape architect and has served on numerous boards and commissions. Her experience includes eight years on the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, 4 years as chair of the City of San Diego Public Art Committee and 14 years on the Balboa Park Committee. She is currently a member of the County of San Diego Historic Sites Board, Partners for Livable Places, San Diego Board, the Media Arts Center, San Diego Board, the San Diego Athletic Club Board, Chair of the Canyonlands Committee of San Diego Civic Solutions and the on the San Diego Council of Design Professionals. Her projects have included the Balboa Park Master Plan, the Otay Ranch New Town Plan, the Robb Field Skate Park,University Avenue and El Cajon Boulevard streetscape and the proposed Park Boulevard Promenade in Balboa Park.
Victoria Person, Board Member
Victoria is a Communications Specialist for Sempra Energy where she has worked since 2001 when she moved to San Diego. In this role she writes for the company’s websites, brochures, newsletters and the like. Before that, Victoria worked in film and television production in New Orleans, Los Angeles and Wilmington, NC. She was on the crew of films such as Dead Man Walking, Lolita, Summer Catch, Elmo in Grouchland and Muppets From Space. With a journalism degree and voiceover training, precise communication has also been important to Victoria. She is pleased to be using this skill on several San Diego boards including PAWS (Pets Are Wonderful Support), BCAUSE (Breast Cancer Alliance United to Support and Educate) and IABC San Diego (International Association of Business Communicators). Victoria is also an active member of the Metropolitan Community Church of San Diego, loves live theatre and boxes for fun and fitness.
Nancy Rodriguez, Board Member
Nancy is owner of Tochtli Angel Arts offering gatherings with "two spirit" (LGBT) indigenous elders and she and her life partner are Capitanas of Danza Coyolxahuqui. Her company also offers consulting to small to mid-size, and start up non-profit organizations. She is a former Executive Director and Trustee of the Centro Cultural de la Raza. She served for 6 years on the Balboa Park Committee and Chaired the Operations and Planning Committee. She was a founding member of the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership and served as Vice President of the board of Trustees and Chair of the Governance Committee. She is currently involved with the California LGBT Arts Alliance and the California Latino Arts Network. She has a lifetime of involvement in Latino community theatre as a performer, writer, producer, director, patron and sponsor. She was awarded the 2007 Hispanic Heritage Local Hero in the Arts Award from Union Bank of California and KPBS.
Matthew Thomason, Board Member
Matthew is a Vice President and Treasury Management Consultant, with Wells Fargo Bank’s San Diego Commercial Banking Office, has over 12 years banking experience. During his career with Wells Fargo he has worked in Denver, Phoenix, Reno and San Diego since 2005. Mr. Thomason has a strong background in all areas of banking, with an emphasis in treasury management and financial operations. Matthew has extensive experience in consulting with customers about their treasury management needs. He is also well versed in evaluating customer cash management practices and recommending solutions to maximize cash flow, eliminate risk, streamline the accounting function and expedite the flow of crucial financial information. Matthew holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. In addition, he is a Certified Treasury Professional and is a member of the San Diego Treasury Management Association. Matthew and his partner Steve reside in the Golden Hill.
Lois Webster, Board Member
Lois Webster has a creative background in the field of Visual Merchandising & Design. She has been with such trendy companies as a Director at Tommy Hilfiger in NY, a Director at Guess Jeans in Los Angeles and now she has come to Charlotte Russe to expand her Visual Designer experience. Lois’s true love is the theatre and being an activist. Her experience in the theatre ranges from Stage Manager to being on the Board of Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte. Presently she serves on Diversionary’s Marketing Committee. Her activist ranges from NOW, OutCharlotte and the fight against cancer. Lois and her partner Donna Plourd have a beautiful 22-month baby boy named Riley Michael Webster-Plourd.
Dan Kirsch, Executive & Artistic Director
Dan has worked in arts management and for LGBT social justice organizations since 1982. He moved to San Diego from Charlotte, NC in January 2005 to work at Diversionary. In Charlotte, he was the executive director of their Lesbian & Gay Community Center from 2002-2004. He has worked with the Zeiterion Theatre (New Bedford, MA), Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble (Bloomsburg, PA), People’s Light & Theatre Company (Malvern, PA), Charlotte Shakespeare Company, and North Carolina Blumenthal Performing Arts Center. In Charlotte, he also founded the gay and lesbian chorus and an LGBT cultural festival.
Bret Young, Managing Director
Bret started work at Diversionary in August 2002. Bret’s varied career in theater both on and off stage includes work with Mystery Cafe Dinner Theater, The Fritz Blitz, Actors’ Alliance, North Coast Repertory Theatre, Sledgehammer, Utah Musical Theater, San Diego Performing Arts League and Ballet West.
Travis Guss, Patron Services Manager
Travis is originally from Vancouver, Canada, worked for seven years for the IMAX Corporation. Then for three years in San Francisco, he worked for various touring stage productions. In San Diego, he has worked for Triple Espresso, Theatre in Old Town as Box Office Manager and as Member Services Coordinator for the Performing Arts League.
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