Board

Pam Krill

President, CTM representative

Pam Krill is a shareholder in the Investment Management Practice Group at Godfrey & Kahn, S.C., a law firm headquartered in Milwaukee. She has practiced law for over 30 years, with a focus on corporate and securities law. She is a native Madisonian, with deep roots in the community. Pam served as a member of the inaugural Board of Directors of MYArts during its first four years of operation, and is thrilled to be back in the role of President. Pam is a past member of the Board of Directors of Children’s Theater of Madison, and a member of the Business & Finance Committee of Edgewood High School.

Laurie Nason Fellenz

Vice President, MYC representative

Laurie Nason Fellenz has spent the last 35 years of her career as a youth arts advocate and knows the work will never be finished until every child has access without barriers to a well-rounded education inclusive of the arts. Laurie is the current executive director for Wisconsin School Music Association (WSMA), Wisconsin Music Educators Association (WMEA), and Wisconsin Foundation for School Music (WFSM). Additionally, Laurie currently serves as the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) Council of State Executives chair and is serving a two-year term on the NAfME Equity Committee (2022-2024). She is also proud to have spent nearly 30 years of her career with the Madison Metropolitan School District as an arts administrator and music educator.

Jessica Schwefel

Treasurer, community representative

Dr. Jessica Schwefel is a singer, voice teacher, and business owner in the Madison area. She passionately believes that arts exposure has the power to enhance lives, and she strives to make the arts accessible for all. Jessica has previously been on faculty at UW-Whitewater, Madison College, and UW-Oshkosh. In addition to her duties as Treasurer for the MYArts Board of directors, Jessica currently serves as Corresponding Secretary for the Wisconsin Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).

Emaan Abdel-Halim

Community representative

Emaan serves as a MYArts community board member with a lifelong admiration and enjoyment of the arts in all its forms, theatre and live music. She is a strong believer that art and music connect us across all cultures, removes barriers of languages, promotes our humanity and an inclusive community.

In her youth, she participated in school theatre – both on and back stage, various choirs, and dabbled in piano. Emaan’s latest artistic (and lifelong) pursuit is finally learning to play bass guitar.

As a Human Resources professional, she uses her expertise to consult and advise MYArts on an array of human resources policies and topics. Emaan currently works full time as the Human Resources Services Manager for the City of Madison. Her career has spanned across private sector, non-profit fundraising, and local/state government.

David Schmiedicke

MYC representative

David Schmiedicke is the Finance Director for the City of Madison. He is a
career budget and finance professional with 37 years of experience in Wisconsin state and local government, including serving as the State of Wisconsin Executive Budget and Finance Director, Administrator of the State of Wisconsin Building Program, and Secretary of the State of Wisconsin Building Commission. He currently serves on the Executive Board of the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada. David is a lifelong Madison resident and is a past member and treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Madison Youth Choir.

Dan Sinclair

MYC representative

Dan is a software developer by trade but a product of Madison’s excellent youth arts programs. A Madison Boychoir alum, he married a fellow chorister from UW-Eau Claire after moving back to Madison. Having served on the Madison Youth Choir board for many years and being a proud parent of two MYC singers, he’s excited to start a new chapter of service to Madison youth arts through this exciting new organization.

Meri Lau

Community Representative

Meri has taught art for forty-one years in Milwaukee and Madison public schools with three additional years in Montessori Schools. She served on the board of MMoCA for six years and continues to work with the UW-Madison in supporting future art and elementary teachers.

Meri’s passion is to create art experiences with wonder and playfulness that will endure throughout the student’s lifetime. The highlight of being an art educator is connecting with others through meaningful conversations about their ideas and making them come to life! Of course, being an art educator is synonymous with being an artist so Meri is always making or painting something with an added touch of quirky drawings that make her laugh.

Arlen Moss

CTM Representative

Arlen W. Moss is a seasoned leader and advocate with over 30 years of experience working to create opportunities and foster collaboration in Madison. As co-founder of Tuition Equity and Accessibility Modeling, Inc. and I-jedi LLC, Arlen has developed practical solutions to make education and organizational life more accessible and welcoming for everyone.

He currently serves as President of the Children’s Theater of Madison Board and has held leadership and volunteer roles across a wide range of community organizations. Arlen holds a degree in Management and Project Management from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is passionate about building strong support networks for people with disabilities and older adults.

Amy Collins O’Hara

Madison’s Youth Arts Center’s Board of Directors is made up of members who benefit from white privilege and members who experience systemic racism and oppression. Together, they make this promise: Madison’s Youth Arts Center (MYArts) stands in solidarity with communities of color and people who suffer racial injustices in our local community and across the country. We share in the anger and grief of historical racial injustices and marginalization. We pledge to do our part to fight for the changes that are so desperately needed. We commit to looking inward and examining our own beliefs and actions. The MYAC Board of Directors promises to invest in diversity as we build the center, and work to abolish the effects of structural racism. We promise to build a thriving hub of discovery and creativity in which youth from all backgrounds experience a true sense of safety, belonging and celebration of identity.

EMAIL OR CALL US

To learn more about becoming a donor, serving on our board or a committee, ask questions, or to inquire about space use, please email us or call us at (608) 416–1945.

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info@madisonyoutharts.org

(608) 416-1945

1055 E Mifflin Street
Madison, WI 53703