The UTC Team

Staff and Board

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Laurie Marshall

Executive/Artistic Director,

Program Manager, President of Board

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.

Jenna Dickerson

Secretary/Treasurer

Jenna has been an educator for over 30 years and a librarian for the past 12. She is a creative educator who uses story, dance, puppetry and song to bring positive values to life.

Edward Schuldt

Director of Operations,

Vice President of Board

Edward has 37 years experience in non-profit administration and organizational development.

He has been connected to Unity Through Creativity from its inception.

Beatriz Vera

Board Member at Large

Beatriz Vera, BSW MA, is a bilingual Sociocultural Anthropologist. She is a top-performing and result-driven Program Management Executive and Youth Advisor.

Lili Lopez

Marketing and Web Specialist,

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.

Elenna Goodman

Board Member at Large

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

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.

Emmanuel “Emma” Kavuma

Certified Singing Tree Mural Facilitator

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

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.

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.

Wanda Whitaker

Master Facilitator

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

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.

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.

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

Kanizius Nsabimana

Certified Singing Tree Mural Facilitator

Kanizius Nsabimana is a social entrepreneur who has lived at the Kyangwali Refugee Settlement, with his wife and three children, since 1996. While at Kyangwali, Kanizius co-founded and worked at Youth Challenge-4-Change, Uganda (YC4C, Uganda).

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.

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.