Meet The Team
Addie Lee
Addie Lee is a photography instructor at EPACENTER. Prior to joining the organization, he worked at an automotive restoration shop and studied photography at Foothill College. A passionate automotive enthusiast, Addie specializes in automotive photography and has developed his skills over three years into a professional practice. He now shares his expertise through teaching. In his free time, Addie enjoys gardening, capturing images, exploring the outdoors, and working on his cars.
Addie does not draw inspiration from a single work of art, but rather from a style; light painting. Having seen many photographers specialize in this technique, he is inspired to master it and incorporate it into his automotive photography and other creative work.
Angela Gonzalez
Angela Gonzalez is a culinary artist, educator, pastry chef, and founder of the dessert catering company Dial-a-Dessert. Originally, from Bogotá, Colombia, Angela’s love of food began in her childhood kitchen, where cooking was a way to connect, create, and care for others. With a background in architecture and design, formal training at The French Culinary Institute of California, internship experience at Chez TJ, and teaching experience at Sur La Table, Angela brings both artistic vision and professional expertise to her work.
Through Dial-a-Dessert and her broader culinary career, she has a long explored the connection between creativity, craftsmanship, and hospitality. At EPACENTER, Angela is passionate about helping young people build confidence, technical skills, and self-expression through culinary arts. She believes the kitchen is more than a place to cook; it is a space for storytelling, collaboration, cultural exploration, and empowerment. Through hands-on learning, she encourages students to see food as an art form and as a powerful way to share identity, imagination, and connection with others.
Angela is heavily inspired by the art and paintings of Mark Rothko!
Cassi Coleman
Since the age of 2, Cassi Coleman has been training in a variety of styles of dance including Ballet, Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Lyrical to name a few. She has danced and trained professionally in Los Angeles and the Bay Area as a back up dancer for 5 years. With over 10 years of teaching experience and 7 years at EPACENTER, she currently teaches a variety of dance classes including our highly awarded competitive dance team. Alongside dance, Cassi has over 5 years of social media content creation experience on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
In 2021, she was selected as a member of the Disney Creators Lab where she was educated about the business side of content creation and how to continue to grow her career. With her knowledge, she now teaches a content creation class at EPACENTER where students practice graphic design and social media video production.
A piece of art that inspires Cassi is The Little Mermaid movie!
David Castro
David Castro has been in the facility management industry for over 14 years. He started his career in the medical field, managing both Luxury high-rise buildings and Class A, B, and C Buildings. By obtaining different positions such as Plant Operations Manager, Environmental Services Director, and Facilities Director, David has gained experience and knowledge of the complexity of each building. Managing a group of highly skilled technicians while managing the security team.
As the Associate Director of Facilities for EPACENTER, David’s role is to ensure that all Fire/Life/Safety codes and procedures are being followed. His responsibilities consist of responding to all building and security-related issues, vendor management, and day-to-day facility operations.
A piece of art that inspires David is The Bronx Tale.
Elizar Ivanov
Elizar Ivanov, Production Operations Coordinator, is a San Francisco Bay Area based multi-disciplined theatrical technician and jack of all trades. Originally from Moscow, Russia, he has worked in professional theatre for over 18 years in many fields, including by not limited to, lighting, video, sound and production management. Prior to joining EPACENTER, he worked for the Tony Award winning company, TheatreWorks Silicon Valley, as Assistant Production Manager for 8 years.
As Production Operations Coordinator, he is responsible for smooth operations for technical elements for onsite productions and rentals.
A piece of art that inspires Elizar is Princess Mononoke by Hayao Miyazaki, because of its take on humanity and nature with the constant evolution of technology.
Fran Astorga
Fran Astorga is the Programs Operations Manager at EPACENTER. They are an arts administrator and multidisciplinary artist with experience across organizations including American Conservatory Theater, Marin Shakespeare Company, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Americorps, and the Latinx Theatre Commons. Their administrative work centers on supporting teaching artists, coordinating programs, and building systems that make creative work more sustainable and accessible.
As a dramaturg, Fran creates work that blends bilingual storytelling, physical comedy, and experimental theatrical forms. Their writing has been produced and presented nationally, often centering themes of labor, environmental memory, and communal resilience. Across both administrative and artistic work, Fran is committed to cultivating spaces where creativity, cultural specificity, and community connection can thrive.
A piece of art that inspires Fran is Carmina Burana!
Jacqueline Quintanilla
Jacqueline Quintanilla was born and raised in Oakland, and giving back to her community has always meant a lot to her. She has over 10 years of experience working in nonprofit accounting, and she truly loves what she does because it allows her to support missions that make a real difference. She’s also an artist, which is why working at EPACENTER feels so special. She feels lucky to be a part of a place that inspires imagination and creativity. She often thinks about how much she would have loved a space like this growing up.
Jacqueline is inspired by “Self-Portrait Dedicated to Dr. Eloesser” by Frida Kahlo, her favorite artist. The delicate lace framing her face reflects softness, but her eyes are strong and full of resilience, even through her tears. Jacqueline finds it a beautiful piece with intricate details, and finds it even prettier in person!
Jennifer Ifil-Ryan
Jennifer Ifil-Ryan is an artist, arts educator, and administrator. Working largely within non-traditional learning environments and cultural spaces, Jen has produced large scale participatory arts initiatives that have touched over 200,000 individuals. Jennifer holds an M.A. in Individualized Study from NYU and has served on the boards of the Fund for Public Housing and the NYC Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission. She has recently relocated to the Bay Area and is excited to contribute to the local arts ecosystem through her work as Director of Visual Arts with EPACENTER.
A piece of art that inspires Jennifer is Fortuna and the Immortality Garden (Machine) by Kara Walker from June 1, 2024 – June 1, 2026.
José Aviles
José Aviles is EPACENTER’s Director of Theatre and Dance. With over 30 years of experience as an actor, director, producer, and educator, he most recently directed the world premiere of *All My Mothers Dream In Spanish* by AZ Espinoza with Azuka Theatre and Teatro del Sol. His other directing credits include school tours of *Cinderella: A Salsa Fairytale* and *The Day You Begin*, along with the Philadelphia premiere of *Elliot, A Soldier’s Fugue* by Quiara Alegría Hudes.
He is also the co-founder and Artistic Producing Director of Teatro del Sol, where he directed the world premiere of *Good Cuban Girls* and produced *Oedipus El Rey*. Previously, José served as the Director of Education for American Stage Theatre Company and Arden Theatre Company, and was an Education Associate at the Walnut Street Theatre.
Leanny Muñoz
Leanny Muñoz, Director of Program Operations & Production, received her Master of Music from Louisiana State University. She completed a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts with a concentration in Fine and Performing Arts and a minor in Music Performance at the Louisiana Scholars’ College at Northwestern State University of Louisiana. She joined EPACENTER after nearly 4 wonderful years with the Sacramento Philharmonic & Opera, where she left her role as Director of Operations. Additionally, Leanny spent 7 years at the University of California, Davis as a PhD Candidate in Musicology.
Her primary research interest were late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century Spanish and Latin-American music, especially as related to nationalism and other socio-political issues. She is interested in film music, the discourse of colonialism in music and the classroom, arts administration, and remaining an active community member.
Leanny is inspired by Manuel de Falla’s orchestral-suite Homenajes (1938). She admires and connects with Falla’s homage to his mentor and his friends, showcasing the influence of those personal relationships on his own identity and the identity of Spanish music. Leanny values all her mentors, friends, and family; and they continuously shape her actions and choices.
Michelle Benigno
Michelle Benigno serves as Associate Director of Administration at EPACENTER. She leads human resources, administrative systems, and organizational compliance, and partners closely with the CFO to support sound financial management and long-term sustainability. Passionate about building thoughtful , efficient infrastructure, Michelle focuses on creating systems that allow creative teams to do their best work and ensure the organization operates with integrity and accountability.
She earned her B.S. in Business Management from San José State University and began her career interning in the Finance Department at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System. She later spent several years in senior living healthcare, leading operations through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Transitioning from serving seniors to supporting youth and families has been deeply meaningful for her, and she is inspired by the opportunity to help expand access to the arts for historically underserved communities.
One of her favorite artists is Takashi Murakami. His work blends bold color and playfulness with extraordinary detail and depth. She is inspired by art that invites curiosity; pieces you can return to again and again and still discover something new, which is an approach that feels especially powerful in creative learning spaces.
Nadine Rambeau
Nadine Rambeau, Executive Director of EPACENTER, has spent the past 25 years activating creativity as a catalyst for youth empowerment, economic equity, and social change in multiple communities across the United States. Nadine has served as the Executive Director of EPACENTER for the past 7 years. Before that, she was the managing director of the community arts and education division at the California Institute of the Arts in Los Angeles. Before arriving in California, she played key leadership roles in establishing accessible arts education programs for vulnerable youth at the YMCA of Metropolitan Chicago Chernin’s Center for the Arts.
She got her start in arts education working for the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs’ nationally recognized, award-winning job-training-in-the-arts program for youth, Gallery 37. Nadine holds and MFA in critical theory from the California Institute of the Arts and a BA in political science from Northwester University.
Staci Edwards
Staci Edwards has deep roots in East Palo Alto, as her family’s history here goes back four generations. She attended school in the Ravenswood City School District, went to Eastside College Preparatory School for high school, and then graduated from the University of San Francisco with a degree in Sociology. During middle school, she was one of the founding youth members of EPACENTER who helped conceive how the organization should serve the community she grew up in. She later served on EPACENTER’s board for two years while she was in college.
Now as EPACENTER’s Strategic Initiatives Associate, she supports, develops, and coordinates partnerships and cross-sector coordination efforts at EPACENTER. You might find her planning events, connecting with families, or building relationships with potential partners while she is on-site.
A piece of art that inspires Staci is “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” by Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald, especially the live version! She absolutely loves hearing Ella scat while Duke is playing on the piano. Such a beautiful piece!
Suzanne Romaine
Suzanne Romaine brings extensive experience in nonprofit fundraising and developmental leadership, with a track record of building major donor programs, leading fundraising teams, and growing revenue for mission-driven organizations. At EPACENTER, she leads fundraising, earned revenue, and communications strategies that strengthen partnerships with donors, supporters, and community partners while advancing the organization’s long-term sustainability and impact. She studied at UC Berkeley, where she received a BA in Rhetoric.
Following her master’s studies in Graphic Design and Film, she co-founded a local production company and spent more than a decade at KQED Public Media. During her tenure, she was part of the producing team for many national PBS projects including FRONTLINE/World, American Experience & Cousteau’s “Ocean Adventures”
Suzanne is inspired by Rainer Maria Rilke’s “Letter to a Young Poet” because it offers timeless, profound advice on nurturing creativity from within, and finding patience in life’s uncertainties. “To be an artist means not to calculate or count but to grow like a tree which does not force its juices but confidently stands amidst the spring storms without any fear that summer might not arrive. For summer will come.”
