Board of Directors
Lenore Masterson, President
Lenore Masterson has been a resident of Marina for 30 years. She is a Custom Cartoon Illustrator with a BA in Commercial Art and a Graduate Degree in Fine Art and over 40 years as a professional illustrator with 5 books to her credit. She, along with Nancy Amadeo, founded Marina Youth Arts and has been its President for 13 years.
Tina Rosa, Vice President
Cheryl Swix, Secretary
Gail Youngblood, Treasurer
Jennifer Kocher
Board Members
Nancy Amadeo
As a child, I was exposed to the arts from the earliest years of my life. My dad was involved in community theater as an actor and director. My mother, grandfather, and great aunt were all artists. Singing and learning to play an instrument seemed as important as breathing. It was an essential part of life.
As a result, when I was asked if I was willing to be a founding board member, I was excited to say yes and helped to develop this amazing nonprofit organization.
I am honored to continue to participate in our ongoing effort to bring arts programs to our youth.
"You put the STEAM in STEM when you include the Arts in education"
Michael Masterson
Heidi Humphreys
Kelly Pelton
Kelly Pelton has been sharing her love of dance and musical theater with the scholars of MPUSD for the past 13 years. Whether she is directing the Los Arboles Middle School drama club, or teaching dance and yoga to the TK-12th grade students, Mrs. Pelton loves all styles of dance! Kelly started her career as a professional dancer touring internationally in Japan and around the orient at age 18, touring for almost 15 years. She enjoyed Broadway style tours, performing on RCCL cruise ships, with rock bands and children’s theater National Tours. She has certifications in many modalities of dance, movement, yoga and meditation in hopes that she can connect with our local youth knowing that each one of us is unique. Kelly finds joy sharing her love of the arts with her 3 daughters, and the youth of our community, as they currently start preparations for the 2022-23 season of Newsies Jr. with the LAMS after school drama club sponsored by Marina Youth Arts.
Cristina Medina Dirksen
Art is otteragious!
Nick Kite
Some of my fondest memories as a child were that of my mother volunteering in my classroom to teach art. To this day I still have former class mates coming up to me saying how they remember my mother and loved every minute of her teaching.
I hope to continue her legacy and provide ways for our local youth to be creative and express themselves through art.
"Art is a place for children to learn to trust their ideas, themselves, and to explore what is possible"
- MaryAnn F. Kohl