Board of Governors

Todd Goldstein

Co-Chair; Chief Revenue Officer | AEG

Todd D. Goldstein is the Chief Revenue Officer for AEG. He is responsible for global business development, marketing and sales functions, and oversees all its revenue generating operations including Global Partnerships division, its premium seating activities and Entertainment Districts including L.A. LIVE. Goldstein holds an MBA from the University of Colorado at Denver and Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Goldstein is involved with and serves on local and national boards including The GRAMMY Museum, The Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, and Board of Directors of the Southern California Spechial Olympics. He joined the Otis College Board of Governors as Co-Chair in 2021.

Patricia Röckenwagner

Co-Chair; Branding Consultant/Co-Owner |Röckenwagner Bakery Group

Patricia Röckenwagner runs strategic marketing, branding and business development for major corporations and talent and co-owns The Röckenwagner Bakery Group, one of the fastest-growing bakery brands in the nation.

Röckenwagner is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley, a trained sommelier, avid tennis player and speaks English, Spanish, German and Korean. She is a board member of CA State Governor’s Task Force on Entrepreneurship, a working group created to propel California’s next generation of innovative entrepreneurs, and small and medium businesses, an advisor to Korean American Leaders in Hollywood, an advisor to Another Tomorrow, a compassionate and sustainable luxury fashion company and a supporter of No Kid Hungry, a nonprofit whose mission is to eradicate childhood hunger. She joined the Otis College Board of Governors as Co-Chair in 2021.

Rod Beattie

Creative Director BLEU | ROD BEATTIE

As a California native and experienced swimwear designer, Rod Beattie definitely has something to say about what women wear in and near the water. His designs reflect a modern point-of-view resulting in styles that are chic and sophisticated while remaining wearable. “I’m not a big fan of retro and don’t enjoy recycling the past. I believe in experimenting with a new leg line, a different strap, a modern color combination,” says Beattie.

Rod began his career in fashion as a student at Otis College of Art and Design, graduating in 1986. From there he went on to design at several contemporary sportwear houses in Los Angeles, including Theodore and Max Studio, before making the switch to swimwear in 1988. As a designer for La Blanca swimwear, Beattie’s talent for contemporary styling and great fit quickly grew the women’s swimwear line to a volume of about $30 million. After six successful years with La Blanca, Beattie moved on to design for Anne Cole Collection swimwear. His clean design aesthetic and skill for exceptional fit was a perfect match for the collection’s reputation for tailored women’s swimwear. In March 1999, Beattie left Anne Cole Collection and returned to La Blanca as head designer with his name on the label. For over a decade, La Blanca by Rod Beattie was the top-selling swimwear label at better retail outlets throughout America. At the end of 2010, Beattie joined forces with venerable swimwear manufacturer A.H. Schreiber to build the next major swimwear brand. In 2015 Bleu|Rod Beattie was acquired by The Amerex Group and along with his team continues to build America’s next great designer swimwear collection.

Beattie’s lifestyle isn’t just about maillots and bikinis. He serves as a design critic for his alma mater, mentoring design students on a semester long assignment that climaxes in an annual fashion show. He comments, “Being an Otis design mentor is one of the best tools for keeping my design perspective new… the students constantly remind me of the importance of pushing forward in new territory.” When he’s in need of some inspiration, Beattie often takes off for nearby Mexico, his favorite getaway destination. Or very often he is happiest to just spend time at home in his 1950’s post-and-beam house with pool and deck overlooking the Arroyo Seco in Pasadena, California.

Julie Benniardi

Julianti (Julie) Benniardi, Principal, Co-Founder |ReWeave L.A.

As the co-founder of ReWeave L.A. and founder of interior design firm MGI, Julie Benniardi has built a reputation of building one-of-a-kind experiences for her clients. Her portfolio ranges from furnishing high-end hotels and homes to designing unique home accessories and apparel from up-cycled high-end fabrics.

Julie believes that what she learned in the classroom at USC helped her get to where she is today as an entrepreneur. Since graduating from the USC Marshall School in 1991, she has been an active champion of the Trojan spirit by participating on the USC 25th Reunion committee, guest speaking in the classroom, volunteering at a variety of Trojan events, and serving as the event chair with the USC Marshall Partners Greater LA Board. In 2018, she used her background in avant-garde design and blended it with the core principles of the Master’s of Social Entrepreneurship program to curate a memorable experience that broke the mold of typical events. The result, "Social Responsibility, By Design," a partnership between the Pacific Design Center and the USC Marshall School, not only married her love of design and sustainability but also opened the doors of collaboration for an industry that was seeking to understand how to be more socially responsible. From that event, and with the help and guidance of the founder of the Social Entrepreneurship program, Professor Adlai Wertman, ReWeave L.A. was born. ReWeave L.A., is a design startup that upcycles high-end designer fabrics into one-of-a-kind home accessories. Their mission is to end textile waste and invest in job training for Angelenos facing barriers to employment. Since its humble beginning, ReWeave L.A. has received over three tons of fabric and has expanded its product lines to include apparel, dog pillows, and other home accessories.

Julie’s entrepreneurial spirit extends across the globe from L.A. to Indonesia. Her innate desire to connect and enhance her communities was cultivated as a child watching both of her parents as health practitioners: her mother a pharmacist and her father a businessman in the medical field. After losing her father to heart complications in Indonesia, she was inspired to tackle healthcare accessibility. With her husband Edward and their belief in healthcare as a fundamental human right, Julie is working tirelessly to bring AI-enabled telemedicine to the world, doing her part to make quality care accessible to all.

While Julie continues to wear many hats, her favorite is being the mother to her kids. Her eldest is a manager at a private equity firm and her daughter is in junior college. In her spare time, Julie manages to stay grounded through her running and cycling practice. She also enjoys instilling her wisdom, generosity and passion to the next generation of leaders and community members.

Chrysta Burton

SVP Physical Production & Visual Effects | Paramount

Chrysta Marie Burton is a dynamic powerhouse whose creative vision has been a contributing force behind a multitude of highly acclaimed and award-winning projects over the past two decades. She is currently the SVP of Physical Production & Visual Effects at Paramount. Prior to this role, she served as President of Physical Production at Bad Robot, Burton oversees physical production, visual effects, and post-production of all film and television productions for the company, from development through delivery. Prior to joining Bad Robot, she was a Visual Effects executive at Netflix, where she managed more than 100 projects, including The OA, Stranger Things, When They See Us, Raising Dion, and Letter for the King. Burton began her career in Visual Effects and Animation Production, with experience working across studios and vendors including Paramount Pictures, Disney, Lionsgate, Sony Pictures Television, Nickelodeon, and others. She has held a range of visual effects and animation production roles working on iconic film franchises such as Mission Impossible, Star Trek, and Iron Man, as well as Oscar-nominated Transformers, and Oscar-winning Rango and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. Burton is a strong advocate and frequent speaker on diversity and inclusion, often lending her voice to panels and podcasts in an effort to broaden representation, empathy, and understanding across the industry. She serves on the Board of Governors for Otis College of Art and Design and is also an active member of the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Monticello Young Advisors. An alumnus of the University of Southern California, Burton is a member of the Producers Guild of America, Visual Effects Society, and the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

Ellen Castleman

Exotic Leisure Travel Specialist |Altour

Ellen was born in Detroit and graduated from the University of Michigan minoring in History of Art. Her love of art led her to join the Museum Service Council at LACMA concentrating on behind-the-scenes tours and volunteer speakers. Ellen left LACMA to concentrate on her family and travel. Her love of art continued and she joined The Group where she helps students further their future as blossoming artists.

Judy Chambers Beck

Artist

Judy Beck attended Massachusetts College of Art, was a toy designer for Hasbro Toys, and went on to a career in advertising and design, first with Doyle Dane & Bernbach, and then was the principal partner of Chambers Design in Santa Monica, which specialized in tourism and travel clients. She also owned an interior design firm for many years. Judy is an accomplished painter, whose work is in the permanent collection of UCLA at the Eli Broad Bio-medical Research Center, and in many private collections, and who exhibits her work frequently in shows. Beck also volunteered for many years as an Art Angel at Santa Monica High School with the AP art students.

Judy has a long history of chairing many charitable fund raisers, serves on the Los Angeles Region Red Cross Board, is the Co-chair of the LA Centennial Circle, and has been a member of the Red Cross Tiffany Circle National Council since 2009. She has won the Spirit of the Red Cross Award and the Red Cross Star Award. Judyserved on the Board of Trustees for Otis College from 2017-2022 and joind teh Board of Governors in September 2022 and serves on the Board Affairs Committee. She is involved in many other nonprofits, serving on the board of the IDG Guild at Saint John's Health Center where she also volunteers. Judy and her husband, Charles, live in Brentwood, love to travel, and have visited 44 countries so far.

Greg Daniels

Greg Daniels, Partner |Bandera Entertainment

Greg Daniels is a multiple Emmy-winning writer, producer, and director, known for creating or co-creating the television shows King of the Hill, The Office (US), Parks and Recreation, Upload, Space Force, and My Mom, Your Dad. He is the co-founder of the animation company Bandera Entertainment with Mike Judge.

Qing Duncan

Qing Duncan

Qing Duncan was born in China, and in 1988 she married an American and immigrated to the USA in 1989. She holds a BS degree in Chemical Engineering and an MS in Chemistry. Qing worked in the textile dyeing and finishing industry from 1989 to 2004. In 2004 She started a new company, Sun Dragon Import, Inc specializing in the design and manufacture of specialty yarns and fabrics. With her dyeing and finishing knowledge, she concentrates on Eco friendly yarns and design patterned yarns for the fashion industry by using suitable fiber blends. She was nominated for the Asia Business Award in 2014 by LA Business Journey. She joined the Otis College Board of Trustees in October 2022 and moved over to the Board of Governors in July 2024.

Between 2010 to 2019, Qing expanded her interest to real estate investing. In 2010 She formed Afton Investment, LLC and Green Cerritos investment, LLC in 2013. Her most recent company is called Duncan G2 investments, LP formed in 2019. Qing is the president for these three holding companies.

In 2017 Qing formed another non-profit company called Duncan Great Cause Foundation as an Endowment fund. Since then, she has been passionately involved with various non-profit organizations. She has been on the Board of Governors at the Huntington Library since 2020, and is most involved in the Garden, Communication and Education committees. She is also very actively involved in Rotary Club of San Marino, and she is a board member for both the Charity and Foundation committees. Qing is a big fan and supporter for the Non-profit JRAY Organization (Tony award for high school musical theatre performance) in which her husband, Kyle Duncan is the producer and director.

Steven Ehrlich

Steven Ehrlich, Partner | Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects

Steven Ehrlich is Founding Partner of Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects, recipient of the 2015 American Institute of Architects (AIA) Firm Award. The jury recognized the firm for “fluidly melding classic California Modernist style with multicultural and vernacular design elements by including marginalized design languages and traditions.” Ehrlich, a self-proclaimed “architectural anthropologist,” learned early on the significance of architecture’s response to the culture and to the environment. Upon graduating from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Ehrlich spent six years in the 1970s living and working in Africa, serving for two years with the Peace Corps as their first architect in Marrakech, Morocco; he later traveled across the Sahara and taught architecture at Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria. The wisdom of indigenous building—architecture without architects—was instrumental in forming Ehrlich’s approach to design and continues to influence the firm’s work today. Steven Ehrlich is a recipient of the AIA California’s prestigious Maybeck Award for outstanding lifelong achievement in architectural design as well as the 2015 AIALA Gold Medal Award.

George C. Fatheree III

George C. Fatheree III, Founder

George Fatheree is a social impact entrepreneur focused on closing the wealth gap through creative solutions to remove barriers to home ownership. Prior to launching his current venture, Fatheree developed a distinguished profile and reputation in California – and nationwide – as a commercial real estate attorney, his counseling of artists and museums in arts and culture transactions, his civil rights-focused pro bono work and his extensive civic and community service. Fatheree serves on the boards of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery, Loyola Marymount University, Destination Crenshaw and the Otis College board of governors.

Robert C. Feldman

Robert C. Feldman

Bob Feldman is a retired partner of Weil, Gotshal and Manges law firm. He has been a lecturer in law at UCLA Law School since 2009. He also serves on the Board of Directors of UCLA Health Sciences and UCLA Geriatrics Board of Advisers. He previously served on the Board of Otis.

Ted Fikre

Vice Chairman & Chief Legal and Development Officer | AEG

Ted Fikre is Vice Chairman and Chief Legal and Development Officer of Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), where he is responsible for overseeing business development, government and media relations, administration and legal affairs for the Company. In addition, Fikre oversees AEG’s large real estate and venue development projects globally, including several current strategic initiatives throughout Asia. As a member of the company’s Board of Directors as well as its Office of the Chairman, Fikre is closely involved in directing the management of the company and playing a leading role in major strategic and financial transactions for the company. Starting with AEG’s acquisition of the Los Angeles Kings and the construction of STAPLES Center over 20 years ago, and continuing through the company’s foray into a myriad of other areas including music, soccer, facility management, and real estate development, Fikre has been at the center of AEG’s rapid expansion into an international company that is a leading presenter of sports, music and other live entertainment, as well as a developer, owner and operator of first class facilities around the globe.

Prior to joining AEG as general counsel in 1997, Fikre was an associate in the Los Angeles office of Latham & Watkins, where he handled a variety of transactional matters, with a focus on project finance and mergers and acquisitions. Before embarking on a legal career, he was an assistant economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York where he conducted international financial market research.

Fikre graduated magna cum laude from Princeton in 1989 with a degree in economics and received his law degree, with distinction, from Stanford Law School in 1994. He lives in Cheviot Hills with his wife, Angela, and their four children.

Fred Fisher

Founding Partner |Frederick Fisher & Partners

As Founding Partner of Frederick Fisher & Partners, Frederick Fisher, AIA, FAAR is a self-described “liberal arts guy.” He is an avid reader, traveler, and arts-lover, and his approach to architecture reflects his innate intellectual curiosity and broad cultural and social perspective. His list of projects includes MoMA/PS1 in New York, The Annenberg Community Beach House, The Annenberg Retreat at Sunnylands, the renovation of Princeton’s Firestone Library, The Colby College Museum, and numerous galleries, studios, and homes. FF&P is currently working on the City of Santa Monica Public Services Building, the Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Hall at USC, a new building for the Center Theatre Group, a conference center for Vassar College, a Master plan for Charles Drew University, and a major addition to the Los Angeles Natural History Museum.

Fred’s long-spanning accomplishments as a design leader were recognized in 2013 by his receipt of the American Institute of Architects, Los Angeles chapter Gold Medal. He received the 2008 Rome Prize in Design.

Fisher received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Oberlin College in Art and Art History and a Master’s of Architecture from UCLA. He has been involved with Otis College since 1987, he joined the Board of Governors in 2003, and served as Chair from 2012-2021 until he joined the Board of Trustees through to 2022. Fred is also on the board of the USC School of Architecture, the UCLA School of the Arts and the Ojai Music Festival.

Fred brings to Otis a passion for working collaboratively with artists and art institutions in the creation of studio and exhibition space: “The relationship between art and architecture is fundamental to my practice.” Dedicated to helping young artists explore their own new territory, Fred teaches and lectures regularly. He is married to former Otis Board and current LAX ART board member Jennie Prebor. Fred’s architectural firm is located in a classic 1950s courtyard office building, built by post-war modernist A. Quincy Jones for use as his own office.

Howard Gordon

Howard Gordon, President/Owner, Teakwood Lane Productions

Howard Gordon is a television writer, producer, and author whose credits include co-creator of the acclaimed Showtime series, Homeland, for which he’s won multiple honors, including the Emmy Awards for Best Drama Series and Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series. For Homeland, he’s also won two Golden Globe Awards for Best Drama Series, AFI’s Program of the Year Award, Best New Series Award for the Writers Guild, Outstanding New Program at the Television Critics Association Awards, Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television Drama at the Producers Guild Awards and received the prestigious Peabody Award for Outstanding Achievement in Electronic Media.

Howard is currently the creator and showrunner/Executive Producer on Accused, which airs on FOX and which has been renewed for a second season. He was also the Showrunner and Executive Producer of the long-running hit television series, 24, for which he received both the Emmy Award for Best Drama Series in 2006 and the Golden Globe Award.

A thirty-seven year industry veteran, Gordon first gained national attention for his award-winning work on Fox’s groundbreaking series The X-Files, for which he won multiple Golden Globes. His other credits include Tyrant, Legends, Angel, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Beauty and the Beast, Sisters, and Spenser: For Hire.

In 2011, Simon and Schuster released Gordon’s first novel, Gideon’s War, followed by a sequel, Hard Target, in 2012. Gordon graduated from Princeton University, and lives with his wife in Los Angeles. Howard currently serves on the Board for Step Up, a tutoring non-profit for underserved grade school students, and he also sits on the RAND Global and Emerging Risk Advisory Board.

Kirk Hyde

Philanthropist

Kirk R. Hyde served as a member of the Otis Board of Trustees from 2012 to 2020 and is the proud parent of two Otis College alums. He graduated from USC with a BS in Business and a minor in Graphic design. Presently, he serves as General Partner for the Hyde Family Partnership and Hyde Properties, a timber management company based in Washington State. From 1975 to 1996, Kirk was President and CEO of Kirk Plastic Company, a manufacturer and distributor of high value plastic transaction cards. He also served as President and CEO of Oberthur Card Systems USA, headquartered in Paris, France from 1996 to 1999. Kirk is a board member of the American Red Cross Los Angeles Region since 1990, having served as Chairman in 2001 and 2002. Kirk also served as a Board member of Goodwill Southern California for over ten years.

Kirk joined the Board of Governors in July of 2022.

Stephan Jones

Principal | STOCK STUDIO

Stephan Jones is the Founder and Design Director of Stephan Jones | Studio. His practice is multi-disciplinary and focuses on interior design, interior architecture and furniture design. Established in 2007 in Chicago, Jones expanded and moved the base of the business to Los Angeles in 2012.

Jones is a graduate of The American University and following his lifelong passion for architecture and design he spent several post graduate years at Drake University and The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the fine art, graphic design and interior architecture programs. In these creative environments he honed his design instinct and professional direction. Following his educational exploration he worked for several prominent interior design firms before launching his own studio.

In 2020 Jones expanded his studio into a storefront location where he has put his own distinct design point of view on display. Additionally the storefront, in support of the creative community, hosts exhibits of artists and artisans.

Brian Lee

Brian Lee is the co-founder and Managing Director of BAM Ventures and has served in this capacity since 2015.  He currently serves as Founder and CEO of Arena Club, focused on sports collectibles.   In 2000, Mr. Lee co-founded LegalZoom.com, Inc., an online legal services platform, where he served as the company’s President.  In 2009, Mr. Lee co-founded ShoeDazzle.com Inc., an ecommerce website for women’s shoes, where he served as Chief Executive Officer.   In 2012, Mr. Lee co-founded The Honest Co., a consumer goods company, where he served as Chief Executive Officer from 2012 to 2017.  He currently serves as a board member at the Lowell Milken Institute of Business Law and Policy at the University of California, Los Angeles and also serves on the board of Brentwood School.  Mr. Lee holds a B.A. in Economics and Business and a J.D., each from the University of California, Los Angeles. 

Oliver Marques

Oliver joined PineBridge Investments in early 2018 and leads the EMEA Distribution Team. This includes both Institutional and Intermediary business lines. As part of that role, he manages a team of 5 who cover Europe and the Middle East. In 2021 he was tasked with a wider remit involving the North American market.

The breadth of the PineBridge platform has meant he has been successful raising money across all Asset Classes from Public to Private. In his time at PineBridge he has been personally responsible for raising $11bn of assets, contributing circa $28.5m worth of annual revenue. As a Managing Director, he was recently made an Equity Partner in the business.

These assets include the single largest client ever onboarded at PineBridge.  Oliver sourced, led, and negotiated the $8bn Separately Managed Account within the Multi-Asset Business led by Michael Kelly. The size of the transaction means it will make a significant part of PineBridge’s revenue for the next 10 years.

Outside of the Fundraising Function, Oliver sits on the ESG Investment Committee, leading a workstream on Investment and Industry Oversight. He is also a patron of the internal Women’s network and a member of the European Diversity and Inclusion Working Group.

Prior to PineBridge, Oliver was a Director at Hermes Investment Management (now Federated Hermes), where he built a $3bn Wealth business. At Hermes he was part of the Emerging Leadership Team and was heavily involved in the direction of product development.  

Outside of work Oliver is a mentor to several individuals, including regular involvement with the Girls are Investor’s network (GAIN). He is also a keen sportsman enjoying regular running, tennis, swimming, snowboarding, and surfing.

A passionate advocate for the importance of the Art’s. He is a keen collector of emerging artists such as Benjamin Senior, Jonathan Wateridge, Hettie Inniss and Morag Caister. He is a patron to several museums including: The Hammer (Los Angeles), The Serpentine (London) and The Victoria & Albert Museum (London). When he is not championing young artists, you will find him behind the lens of a camera pursuing his amateur love of photography.

Ms. Miky Lee

Vice Chairwoman | CJ Group

Miky Lee is the vice chairwoman of South Korea’s CJ Group. She is responsible for the overall strategic direction and management of the group’s entertainment and media business including its subsidiary, CJ ENM.

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee, as a grandchild of Lee Byung-Chul (the founder of CJ and the Samsung Group), she earned her B.A degree at Seoul National University and received her M.A in Asian Studies from Harvard.

Miky founded the entertainment and media division of CJ and invested in DreamWorks SKG as an early investor in 1995. As the executive producer of the history-making “Parasite”, the first foreign language film to win the Best Picture Oscar, she continues to foster the growth of K-culture while bridging the gap between the East and the West, solidifying her status as a global media mogul.

She is the vice chair of the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Board of Trustees and serves as a board member for the Berklee College of Music in Boston, the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Board of Directors, the Hammer Museum Board of Directors, and the Otis College Board of Governors. She was named “International Producer of the Year 2020” by The Hollywood Reporter and received the International Emmy Directorate Award from the International Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for spearheading the Korean Wave for the past 25 years. She was also awarded the Pillar Award by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures for her contributions to the development of Korean films. In recognition of her impact on the entertainment industry and commitment to multiculturalism and inclusion, she received an honorary doctorate degree from Otis College.

Tiffiny Lendrum

Owner/President | Lendrum Fine Art, Inc.

Tiffiny Lendrum founded her advisory firm Lendrum Fine Art in Los Angeles over twenty years ago. Tiffiny provides comprehensive consulting services for public and corporate projects as well advising private clients. She has fostered long-standing relationships with galleries and artists across the country, especially in Los Angeles. Collection management is the focus for certain clients such as the Zimmer Collection and UTA. Projects with developers often include collaboration with artists on large scale, site-specific commissions. Recent commissions include projects with Jen Stark, Geoff McFetridge, Calida Rawles, Alex Becerra, Patrick Martinez, and Greg Ito.

Tiffiny is a member of Artadia, the Association of Professional Art Advisors, and is a Hammer Fellow. For nearly 20 years, she has supported the McCall Family Foundation, co-curating expansive exhibitions to raise funds for HOLA, Heart of Los Angeles and other important programs. Prior experience includes directing fund-raising events for SITE Santa Fe.

Growing up in a family of architects, Tiffiny has always been interested in architecture, design and art. She herself is a collector of contemporary art and is a passionate advocate for artists.

Edward Lightner

Edward Lightner was born in the San Joaquin Valley of California in 1960. Although this is the farming area that Dorothea Lange chronicled during the depression, he was drawn to the arts from an early age, instead of choosing the dominate careers of the area such as agriculture and oil. It is here that Edward became enthralled with colors and lines, shapes and form. He was fascinated with the idea of someone representing their views and ideas through art, and how that vision could be viewed by others. Naturally, against the best counseling of his mother, Edward chose to pursue a life in the world of contemporary art.

After completing his bachelor’s degree at California State University Bakersfield, Edward furthered his artistic development with a stay at University of South Florida before returning and finishing his master’s degree at California State University Northridge. He has felt for many years now that artistic work can focus both on the aesthesis of beauty, through pattern and decoration, and at the same time be socially and politically relevant. To further this idea, Edward has been using a technique over the last several years that is derived from how kaleidoscopes form simple patterns and applies this method photographs of underground atomic testing sites.

Along with being an artist, Edward co-owned a gallery in Los Angeles for ten years, and now lives and works in Pasadena California, and his work can be seen at https://www.edlightner.com/

James Lin

Product Manager | Pex

James Lin is a seasoned professional with 15+ years of experience in Product Management and Development in the digital media, technology, and entertainment sector. He currently oversees the analytics product at Pex, a digital rights start-up that facilitates content licensing, royalty calculation and dispute resolution for Content Rightsholders, Platforms and Creators. Prior to that, he served as Sr. Director of Business & Product Development at Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), where he was brought on to help develop and launch AXS TV, a linear cable television network focused on live music and entertainment programming.

Lin is a graduate of Stanford University, where he holds a Bachelor of Science in Management Science & Engineering and a Master of Arts in Music Science & Technology. He previously served on the Associate Board of Our House. In his free time, Lin plays tennis, serves as a mentor for CoachArt and releases mashups under the moniker Jimmy Press Play

Chris Miller

Principal | Miller & Associates

Chris Miller is a marketing and communications executive with an expansive career as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of several creatively-driven public and private companies, including Discovery Communications (cable networks), Bloomingdale’s, Westwood One, Newsday (previously a division of Times Mirror) and the Magazine Publishers of America (MPA).

Chris began her business career in advertising agencies as a Vice-President of Doyle Dane Bernbach, and Managing Director of the New York Office of Hill Holliday, a Boston-based advertising agency. Prior to her business career, Chris worked in Washington, D.C. on the staff of the White House Urban Affairs Council, as well as a US Congressman from Los Angeles, and the United States Information Agency (USIA). She also served as Director of Development for A Better Chance (ABC), a non-profit educational organization. Currently, Chris has her own marketing and communications business with clients in the hospitality industry, higher education and non-profit foundations.

Chris is a member of the Business Leadership Council (BLC) of Wellesley College and has served on the Board of Advisors of Catalyst, a New York City non-profit organization dedicated to improving opportunities for women in business. She was also on the Board of Directors of Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC), a New York non-profit theatre company where she was Chair of the Marketing Committee. Earlier in her career, Chris was appointed by two Massachusetts Governors to the Governor's Commission on the Status of Women, an advisory body on public policy and legislative issues affecting women.

Chris has an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Master’s in Public Administration from UCLA and a BA from Wellesley College.

F. Ronald Rader

Principal | Lee & Associates Los Angeles West, Inc.

Ronald has vast experience representing owners, developers, investors, and users of Commercial Real Estate, acting as an exclusive agent representing both buyers and sellers, as well as landlords and tenants.

Ron is skilled in assisting owners redevelop and reposition their industrial and office properties, especially in upgrading them to modern, more leasable projects. He is skilled in consulting with owners on total renovations of a single parcel or an entire business park.

In 1989, Ron helped an owner convert his vacant 125,000 square foot 1949 manufacturing building in West Los Angeles to one of the first creative spaces on the Westside. He has gone on to help dozens of other owners convert their properties to amazing modern business parks.

Katherine Ross

Founder & CEO, Associates Los Angeles West, Inc.

Katherine Ross is a communications consultant in the fashion and luxury market. She is also founder and co-owner of re:la (regarding Los Angeles) a collection of wearable luxury items that are inspired by the creative spirit of Los Angeles by using approved quotes by artists (i.e.: Joan Didion, David Hockney, Werner Herzog) on the product. She curated the Wear LACMA fundraising project from 2012 -2018 which has raised over $1.7million for the Los Angeles County Museum of Art - working with over 30 Los Angeles-based designers that found inspiration in the museum’s permanent collection. She has consulted on communications for Nicolas Ghesquière while he was at Balenciaga, Creatures for the Wind, Hermes and other luxury brands and entertainment organizations. Ms. Ross was a former Senior Vice President at LVMH Moët Hennessy · Louis Vuitton, a leader in the luxury business that possesses a unique portfolio of over 60 prestigious brands. She worked with many of the brands on strategic communications and reported directly to the Chairman, Bernard Arnault. Prior to her work at LVMH she was Senior Vice President of Communications for Prada. She worked directly with Miuccia Prada and opened all the Rem Koolhaas designed stores for the brand. Preceding her work in fashion, she was a Senior Vice President at Sotheby’s in New York working in business development.

She lives in Los Angeles with her husband Michael Govan, CEO and Director of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and their teenage daughter.

Steve Ruchefsky

Private Investor

Bio coming soon

Mimi Song

Chairman of Superior Grocers

Mimi Song, Chairman of Superior Grocers, leads one of the largest independentlyowned chain of grocery stores in Southern California. She has more than 40 years’ experience in the supermarket industry, and has dedicated her career to making
Superior Grocers a recognizable leader and innovator in the Southern California retail grocery industry.

Superior Grocers was established in 1981 with one store location. Since then Superior has grown to 75 stores comprising of 2 banners – Superior Grocers and The Market by Superior employing over 6,800 employees throughout Southern California, Central California and Nevada.

The company’s core values focuses on quality, variety & value for its customers, while offering a wide assortment of the freshest perishables to include produce, meat & seafood, bakery, service deli and hot foods.

With a strong focus on offering customers a superior grocery shopping value, excellent service and community involvement, Mimi’s visionary leadership enables Superior’s employees, customers and vendor partners to work together and create a true partnership in their Southern California communities.

Mimi is a strong supporter of community organizations that support arts and youth education. She established the non-profit organization, uperior Foundation, and for over 20 years has supported many local schools, youth organizations and  nonprofits that enhance the well-being of children and their families. Partnerships have been established with the following organizations to help make arts education accessible to local communities:
• The Music Center
• Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
• Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
• USC Pacific Asia Museum
• Pretend City Children’s Museum
• City of Hope
• St. Jude Children’s Hospital
• Korean American Family Services

Pelle Sjoenell

Chief Creative Officer | Droga5

Pelle was named Worldwide Chief Creative Officer (CCO) of Droga5, part of Accenture Song in March 2024, having served as the inaugural CCO with Activision Blizzard from September, 2019 to 2024. Prior to joining, he was at BBH Group where he also served as the Worldwide CCO, overseeing the firms creative efforts on behalf of brands, such as Google, Nike, Samsung, Audi, E! and T-Mobile. 

Pelle serves on the advisory council for The Women in Public Service Project, a global initiative at the Wilson Centre in Washington DC, which mobilizes young women on issues of critical importance in public service. He also works with the Creative Alliance to address gender equality and justice around the world.

Ben Vandebunt

Entrepreneur | Inspire Energy

Ben Vandebunt is an entrepreneur and co-owner of Cypress Creek Renewables, Paramount Equity, LoanPal, FHR, Nestidd and Rosewood Homes. Previously, Ben worked at Guthy-Renker, serving as CEO and President for over 15 years. Since leaving Guthy-Renker, Ben has made many venture capital and social entrepreneurial investments in start-ups and serves and served on many various boards of directors, including Houlihan Lokey, Solar City, St. Johns Hospital and the Watts Learning Center. Ben has been married for 28 years, has two daughters and is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School.

Christina Vo

Program Management Consultant

Christina Vo is a Silicon Valley professional who has a career that spans 20+ years in Information Technology in software, telecommunications, marketing/advertising and semiconductor industries. She received both her BS and MA degrees in Mathematics (computer science/financial engineering) from the University of Alabama. Christina has worked in high tech companies such as NVIDIA, PointCast, Rhythm NewMedia, and AirTouch Communications. In addition to high tech, Christina was at Pagemill Partners, an investment bank firm in Palo Alto, CA, researching on different vertical emerging markets for client portfolios. In her most recent position at Apple, Inc., Christina successfully managed numerous programs within the organization, implementing business process improvements to achieve optimal efficiency in customer systems. Success translated into one of her programs receiving the highest Apple User Satisfaction acknowledgment (greater than 97% success rate).

Christina appreciates the value of fine arts in shaping young people and believes that there is an untapped niche market for art students in the high tech sector.

Gail Werner

Retired Real Estate Professional

Bio coming soon.

Mandy Einstein

Philanthopist

Mandy attended UCLA where she was their national tennis doubles champion. As a young tennis competitor, she was ranked #2 in California and was the Eastern Clay Court Champion as well. She used her significant skills to become a highly regarded tennis professional, teaching a wide range of students for many years.

Mandy was also an accomplished commercial actress, performing over a decade in several national television commercials.

In the early 1980's Mandy and her husband, Cliff, became founders of The Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and helped form the museum’s Acquisition and Collecting Committee. This activity spurred their own collecting, and this activity grew to the point of earning them inclusion in Art and Antiques Magazine’s 100 collectors in America.

Mandy became an early member of MOCA's Project Council where she supervised the creation and production of a long list of museum editions that contributed significant funds to the museum.

She is a long serving member of the Cedars Sinai Art Council, a volunteer organization that secures artworks for the hospital and its affiliated campuses. More recently she and her husband have created and supported the Visiting Artists Lecture Series at Otis, a project that brings her great joy and satisfaction.

Mandy and Cliff have two children and four grandchildren. Her daughter-in-law, Jennifer, is a proud Fine Arts graduate of Otis.

Barbara Horwitz

View Barbara Horwitz' Obituary