Staff
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 the Willow International Center, a campus of the State Center Community College District; she will transfer to Fresno State University next fall, where she plans to major in Criminology. Kenya joined ACTA in November 2010.
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.
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.
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.
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. Nayamin 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. Nayamin joined ACTA in October 2010.