The changing seasons have brought some significant staff transitions this fall. Zahra Mahloudji, our dedicated Managing Director for the past 8 years, is transitioning away from PCT to pursue new endeavors. Zahra joined PCT in 2015 at a special time in our growth and greatly helped us strengthen our operations and development capacity during her time. Zahra brought a great deal of production and management experience and insights from her prior work with the Oakland Symphony and Darvag Theater Group. Over the last eight years, Zahra helped us increase the quality and reach of our annual Spring Showcases and Spring Fundraisers. Throughout our programs, she ensured teaching artists and staff were supported and brought individualized attention and support for each employee. She was active in supporting our students whenever needed at programs and events throughout the year. Thank you, Zahra, for your service and for growing with us over the years!
In September, we enthusiastically welcomed Ella Rochelle-Lawton as our new Program Manager. Ella is a visual artist and educator from San Francisco. She has worked across non-profits spaces to create professional development training programs for educators and to support arts enrichment programming for a variety of creative disciplines – from the visual to the culinary. She is active as a teaching artist playing leading program roles with Scrap and Culinary Artistas, programs that share common values with PCT. Welcome, Ella!
The rest of our caring teaching artists and staff cohort this year includes Executive / Artistic Director David Hunt, Performing Company Manager Carolina Duncan-Page (Coach Coicoi) with returning artists from last year: Aileen Lawlor, Cesar Amaruc, Flavio Domeni, Anese Hensley, Lance (Derique) McGee, and Judy Finelli. We welcomed three new-to-PCT members this past summer who are all continuing in our school programs: Maggie Lally, London Stevenson, Jamal Korin, and Bo Gordon-Murer.