CAEA State Council
Executive Board
Alisha Mernick
President
Los Angeles, CA
president@caea-arteducation.org
Anna Pilhoefer
Past President
Santa Barbara, CA
pastpresident@caea-arteducation.org
Ann Romero de Córdoba
Secretary
West Hollywood, CA
secretary@caea-arteducation.org
Gayle Nicholls-Ali
Treasurer
Altadena, CA
treasurer@caea-arteducation.org
Cat Chiu Phillips
President Elect
San Diego, CA
presidentelect@caea-arteducation.org
Area Directors
Callie Martin
Northern Area Associate Director
Tahoe City, CA
northern@caea-arteducation.org
Vanina Doce-Mood
Northern Area Associate Director
Oakland, CA
northernassociate@caea-arteducation.org
Debbie Haeberle
Central Area Director
Tehachapi, CA
central@caea-arteducation.org
Naomi Hart Johnson
Central Area Associate Director
Bishop CA
centralassociate@caea-arteducation.org
Jason Kartez
Southern Area Director
Redondo Beach, CA
southern@caea-arteducation.org
Chay Ross
Southern Area Associate Director Carson, CA
southernassociate@caea-arteducation.org
CAEA Chairs
Chay Ross
CAEA Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (ED&I) Commission Chair
Carson, CA
edi@caea-arteducation.org
Lara Schilling
Events Chair
Long Beach, CA
events@caea-arteducation.org
Rebecca Potts Aguirre
Awards Chair
Temecula, CA
awards@caea-arteducation.org
Jeannine La Bate
Scholarship Chair
Fairfield, CA
scholarships@caea-arteducation.org
Theresa Nguyen
YAM Chair
Sacramento, CA
yam@caea-arteducation.org
Division Representatives
Jeanne Hoel
Museum
Los Angeles, CA
museum@caea-arteducation.org
Veronica Gutierrez
Pre-Service
Reseda, CA
preservice@caea-arteducation.org
Support Staff
Linda Stevenson
Executive Secretary/ Membership
80 W. Sierra Madre, #373
Sierra Madre, CA 91024
membership@caea-arteducation.org
626-233-7879
Jun Ha
Communications Manager
Los Angeles, CA
communications@caea-arteducation.org
Get Involved!
Taking on a leadership role with CAEA presents a remarkable opportunity to co-lead the future of arts education, champion significant change, and engage with a vibrant community of educators. We invite all CAEA members to submit nominations—whether for yourself or for a colleague—who exemplify strategic thinking, collaboration, fiscal responsibility, and inclusivity in leadership.
You can learn more about open council positions, and submit a nomination form for upcoming elections through the CAEA Council Nomination Form.
You can learn more about local volunteer opportunities by reaching out to your regional CAEA Area Directors.
If you have any questions or would like more information about the roles, please reach out to president@caea-arteducation.org
Interested in serving CAEA? Contact Anne Pilhoefer, president@caea-arteducation.org, to learn more about volunteer opportunities!