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The UTC Team

Staff and Board

Facilitators

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Laurie Marshall

Founder, President of Board of Directors

For 35 years, author, speaker and artist Laurie has empowered youth and adults through creative collaboration. She practices Peace-Building through Art, inspired by Nature and founded The Singing Tree Project.

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Edward Schuldt

Vice President and Director of Operations

Edward has over 40 years’ experience in organizational development and administration. He has been connected to Unity Through Creativity from its inception.

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Rachel Quintana

Secretary

Rachel Quintana, a native of El Paso, Texas, is an advocate for community unification, public service and the well-being of children.

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Lili Lopez

Marketing and Web Specialist, Collaborative Art Facilitator

Lili is in charge of UTC’s website, social media, and marketing. She generates imagery, posts, and videos to raise awareness of Unity Through Creativity’s programs. She has also co-facilitated over 35 murals in the San Francisco Bay area.

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Beatriz Vera

Board Member at Large

Beatriz Vera, BSW MA, is a bilingual Sociocultural Anthropologist.

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Elenna Goodman

Board Member

Elenna holds a BA in Political Science, an MA in Anthropology and Social Change. Her work is devoted to gathering and nourishing community.

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De Palazzo

Board Member at Large

De Palazzo brings a passionate spirit and a solid depth and breadth of schools, corporate and community-based knowledge in her varied roles as classroom teacher and advocate.

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Kathleen Brigidina

Board Member at Large

Kathleen is an Artist, Creative Doula and Earth Activist whose mission is to nurture creativity and reconnect to Earth as an accelerated path to unite communities and inspire transformation for a healthy world.

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Katia Petersen

Master Facilitator

President of Petersen Argo Inc. a Transformational Education company, Katia brings decades of experience as a psychotherapist, educator, story teller and author.

Wanda Whitaker

Master Facilitator

Wanda Whitaker is a visionary artist, hypnotherapist, information facilitator and conscious leadership coach residing in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Emmanuel “Emma” Kavuma

Certified Singing Tree Mural Facilitator

Emmanuel “Emma” Kavuma is a self-taught artist born in Masaka, Uganda.

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Gabi Lipska

Certified Singing Tree Mural Facilitator

Gabi is a human working from the heart with the intention of connecting people to themselves, each other and all life. She is a purpose-driven educator and community weaver with passion for bringing harmony.

Bobbie Rae Jones

Certified Singing Tree Mural Facilitator

Bobbie Rae Jones believes arts is an essential aspect to solving our social problems. A credentialed visual arts educator with over twenty years of experience instructing groups of all ages in a variety of modalities.

Joanna Redfield Vaughn

Certified Singing Tree Mural Facilitator

Joanna is a Quaker who has been devoted to children, education and art for over four decades. She taught at the Austin Waldorf School for 11 years and was an elementary Art Specialist for 17 years at 10 of Austin’s public schools.

Leslie Rein

Certified Singing Tree Mural Facilitator

Making collaborative murals as a Singing Tree Project facilitator aligns perfectly with Leslie's passion for art and creativity. This artistic and peace-building process serves her desire to bring people together and heal common heartbreaks.

Sweta Chawla

Certified Singing Tree Mural Facilitator

Sweta Chawla PharmD, MS is a Former Professor of Pharmacy and Clinical and Residency Director turned Speaker, Facilitator & Leadership Coach and Author.

Diana Sciarretta

Certified Singing Tree Mural Facilitator

Diana Sciarretta (She/They) is a Healthcare Justice Advocate, Somatic Expressive Healing Artist and Director of The Red & Orange House.

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Naomi Duben

Certified Singing Tree Mural Facilitator

Naomi Duben is mixed-media artist and painter based in Los Angeles. Originally from Marin County just north of San Francisco

Jane Gabrielle McCadden

Certified Singing Tree Mural Facilitator

Jane is a writer, songwriter and visual and performing artist. Her work inspects the intersectionality of inward-focused creative practice.

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Fernanda Lugo

Certified Singing Tree Mural Facilitator

an activist and community organizer in El Paso Texas, where she strives to raise awareness of nature-based creative solutions and build bridges between organizations local and national, emphasizing how all our struggles are connected.

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Carrie Ziegler

Certified Singing Tree Mural Facilitator

Carrie Ziegler harnesses the collective power of art to drive social and environmental transformation.

Consultants

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Tanya Vlach

Interdisciplinary Consultant

Tanya Vlach is an Interdisciplinary Artist weaving her arts background into communications and strategy with special projects and nonprofits

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Bennett Smith

Events Liaison

With over 5 years of events experience and knowledge, Bennett is a jill-of-all-trades when it comes to events.

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