Staff

Amy Kitchener, Executive Director, is a folklorist who has worked in the public sector since 1991 including coordinating the LA Public Library’s Shades of L.A. community photo history collecting project, consulting with the California State Library’s project Shades of California, and serving as folklorist in residence with the Arizona Commission on the Arts.  She started the first programs of the Fresno Arts Council’s Folk Arts Program in 1993 and served as the program director for 9 years.  Amy co-founded ACTA in 1997 and spearheaded its development as a private nonprofit organization.  She was hired as the Founding Executive Director in March 2002.  She holds an M.A. in Folklore & Mythology from UCLA and is a published author.  Contact Amy.

Lily Kharrazi, Living Cultures Grants Program Manager, earned an M.A. in Dance Ethnology, studying at UCLA with Allegra Fuller Snyder, a pioneer in the field of dance and culture.  Kharrazi served as the Program Director of World Arts West, the producers of the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival for 9 seasons, during which time through extensive outreach efforts, new and little known cultural dance had the opportunity to be presented.  Prior to joining ACTA, Lily worked in the refugee resettlement field as well as arts education.  She continues to write freelance on issues of dance and culture.  Lily was hired as the Living Cultures Grants Program Manager in May 2005.  Contact Lily.

Russell Rodríguez, Ph.D., Apprenticeship Program Manager, has extensive experience as a cultural worker, academic, and accomplished artist.  Russell received his Ph.D. from the department of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Cruz.  In 2007, he became a University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellow.  Russell worked as a curator for the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage annual festival, co-curating the Latino Music Program in 2004, and 2005, he co-produced the Smithsonian Folkways Recordings CD compilation Rolas de Aztlán: Songs of the Chicano Movement.  Russell is an accomplished musician, composer, and dancer specializing in performance styles of huasteca, jarocho, mariachi, and other traditional music forms of Mexico.  In 2010, he completed work as the assistant producer and musical director for the documentary La Danza Escenica: El Sello de Rafael Zamarripa.  Today Russell continues to play music professionally with Mariachi Mundial de Mexico and Los Hijos de José.  He speaks fluent Spanish.  Russell joined ACTA in May 2012.  Contact Russell.

Nayamín Martínez Cossío, Program Manager, has extensive experience as a community health and cultural worker.  For ten years she served as the advocacy and development coordinator for El Centro Binacional Para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño (Binational Center for the Development of the Oaxacan Indigenous Communities) as the advocacy and development coordinator.  At Centro, she implemented the organization’s fund development strategies to support the statewide activities of the five regional offices in Fresno, Greenfield, Hollister, Santa Maria, and Los Angeles.  Nayamín has vast experience in working with immigrant and indigenous communities, managing cross-cultural projects, conducting research, providing technical assistance, and fund development.  She holds a Master’s Degree in both Sociology and Public Health and speaks fluent Spanish.  Nayamín joined ACTA in October 2010.  Contact Nayamín.

Quetzal Flores, Program Manager, has extensive experience as a community organizer, cultural worker, and accomplished artist.  As the son of labor union organizers, Flores inherited an undying accountability to community struggles.  From land struggles with South Central farmers, immigration reform, supermarket workers union strike, and the indigenous Zapatista struggle, to the everyday community struggles in East Los Angeles, he has been active with music in hand.  Since 1993, has been the musical director for the East Los Angeles-based rock group Quetzal, whose fifth album, Imaginaries, was released by Smithsonian Folkways in 2012.  Since 2002, Quetzal has been a central figure in Fandango Sin Fronteras, a transnational dialogue between Chicana/o musicians and artists from California and Mexicano musicians and dancers from Veracruz, Mexico.  Quetzal has served as an instructor for the Migrant Education Program in Boyle Heights and the Program Coordinator for the American Music Partnership of Seattle in 2008.  He speaks fluent Spanish.  Quetzal joined ACTA in May 2012.  Contact Quetzal.

Amy Lawrence, Operations Manager, has worked in the nonprofit sector since 1999.  She served as the Education and Tour Coordinator for the Fresno Historical Society and managed the Society’s museum store.  Amy earned a multiple subject teaching credential from CSU, Fresno, and has taught second, third, and fourth grade elementary school students. She holds an M.A. in History and her master’s thesis, Minnie Eshleman Sherman: Agricultural Pioneer, Social Activist, City Mother, won a research merit award from CSU, Fresno.  Amy joined ACTA in June 2009.  Contact Amy.

Kenya Curry, Administrative Assistant, has over seven years of experience in administrative work, office management, and customer service.  She previously worked at the Willow International Center where she served as a student aide in student admissions and student activities.  Kenya is currently a full-time student at Fresno State University where she is majoring in Criminology.  Kenya joined ACTA in November 2010.  Contact Kenya.