Nette Forné Thomas, President
A graduate of Montclair State University with a B.A., M.A., and administrative and supervisory certification, Thomas was employed by the Newark Board of Education as an art educator and administrator for thirty six years. Her experiences in a comprehensive high school and a renowned magnet high school (Arts High School) have been successful on many […]
Rashidah Ismaili AbuBakr, First Vice President
Rashidah Ismaili AbuBakr; 1st Vice President, was Co-Chair of the African Heritage Month Celebration, Chair of Poetry and Performing Arts, is originally from West Africa. She has had an extensive and long academic career in both college/university and cultural institutions. Her teaching experiences have been in African and African Diaspora Culture and Literature, and her […]
Liz Cenedella, Treasurer
Liz Cenedella graduated from Wheaton College with a B.A. in Greek and Latin, and from Boston University, School of Fine and Applied Arts, with an M.F.A. in Stage and Costume Design. After graduating, Cenedella worked in regional theatre, summer stock and off-Broadway in Costume Design and Production. In New York in 1970 she began her […]
Anne Dushanko Dobek, Secretary
Anne Dushanko Dobek is an artist/activist whose multidisciplinary installations reference issues of social justice and or the environment. Often located in alternative venues including oceans, forests and fields, the artist’s work invites social engagement as well as conversations on the status of women and refugees in an increasingly dangerous world. A graduate of Pratt Institute (MS) […]
Elyse Topalian, Director
Elyse Topalian is an independent arts consultant specializing in communications. Over a 30-year career at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, where she was Vice President for Communications for the past eight years, she promoted the breadth of the institution’s exhibitions, announcements, and activities, and oversaw its advertising program. Earlier, she was the U.S. editor of […]
Janice Sands, Director
Janice Sands served as Executive Director of Pen + Brush from 1998-2020 before joining the board. She has over 37 years of experience in nonprofit management and administration and has served as a director for Planned Parenthood and The Los Angeles County Bar Association. Her work with arts and entertainment organizations began in 1992 when […]
Athena George, Director
Athena George is a versatile finance executive with more than 25 years of progressive experience in finance, operations, and business management within start-ups and global multibillion-dollar organizations. She is a proven team builder who delivers effective support to C-level executives and other stakeholders. A graduate of Newark’s acclaimed Science High School, who then went on […]
Heejung Kim, Director
Heejung Kim is an artist and art educator. Kim received her B.F.A. from Duk-Sung Women’s University in Seoul, South Korea, and received a scholarship from that university to attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she obtained an M.A. in Art Education. She received her M.F.A. degree at the State University of New York […]