Our Mission

The Castro Valley Arts Foundation enriches the arts education of students and the community by securing funds and sustaining an endowment that enhances the operations and programming of the Castro Valley Center for the Arts.

Our Board of Directors
 

MIKE BUSH	is the Deputy Superintendent (Business Services) for the Castro Valley Unified School District. He serves as the primary liaison between the School District and the Foundation with a special emphasis on the construction, outfitting, and operation of the Center. He maintains the establishment of the Center as a stand alone financial entity within the School District’s financial operations and works daily with the Center’s Managing Director to enhance the Center’s capabilities and operational capacity
SERENA FOXWORTHY	has been a Castro Valley resident for many years. She was Owner / Partner of Foxworthy's Tire Pro Shop in Castro Valley and the Hayward Branch Manager for Certified Personnel Services Inc, of San Francisco. She is a member of the Castro Valley Chamber of Commerce and has served on numerous committees and the Board of Directors for many years. Serena currently works for the Castro Valley Unified School District at the Castro Valley Adult School.
DODI FRANCISCO	is a Program Manager with 20 years experience in the software industry. She has been an active volunteer at the Center for the Arts since its opening with a focus on box office systems and operations.
DUSTIN GACHERIEU Vice-president	is a teacher at Chabot Elementary School where he also produces, directs and conducts their annual musical production.  Prior to teaching at Chabot, he founded and directed 5 musical productions at Stanton School and served for two years as the student conductor of the Saint Mary’s College Choir.  He is an alumni of CVHS where he had the privilege of serving as the student member of the CVUSD Board of Education.  An arts advocate, Dustin enjoys conducting research in the numerous benefits of arts education.
BERNIE KEMPEN	is a Certified Family Law Specialist with a practice in Castro Valley and Modesto. He is Past President of the Castro Valley Rotary Club, has been PTA President at Proctor; Creekside; and Castro Valley High School as well as serving on the Proctor Elementary School Site Council and several other CVUSD Boards. Bernie also serves as Vice-President of the San Francisco School of Arts (SOTA) PTSA and is a Board Member (alt) of the SOTA School Site Council. He and his wife Kathy live in Castro Valley with their two teenage sons, David and Nick. Bernie appears in some local productions with son Nick just for fun.
SHERRIE KONG Secretary	is an independent consultant. She is an amateur musician with the Castro Valley Adult School Orchestra, music advocate and was an officer of the Castro Valley Music Parents Society.
DARRELL LAVIN President	is a chiropractor in private practice since 1989. He serves on the board of the Castro Valley Sports Foundation and the Joseph Matteucci Foundation for Youth Non-Violence and is active with the Castro Valley Rotary Club and Rotary District 5170. CVHS alumni ‘81
TERRY LIEBOWITZ Immediate Past- President	is an educator, arts advocate and founding member of the Castro Valley Arts Foundation.
MELISSA PHILLIPS
ERMA SMITH Past-President	is co-founder of the Smith Center for the Study of Private Enterprise at Cal State East Bay, and co-owner and Board member of the Nutek Corporation, a medical and surgical device sterilization company. She is a founding member of the Castro Valley Arts Foundation.
GIA SOLARI	is a choreographer, director, performer, educator, and arts administrator.  Formerly the Artistic Associate for American Musical Theatre of San José, Gia is currently on faculty at Notre Dame de Namur University and works as a creative artist throughout the nation.
KIRSTEN WIEGARDT Treasurer	is a former CPA with more than 25 years of accounting experience with KPMG and Mervyn's.  She has served on several boards as treasurer for Proctor PTA and Creekside Middle School Parent Teacher Club.  Kirsten is a long-time resident of Castro Valley and has two teenage sons attending Castro Valley High School.  She is now retired and enjoys traveling.
MICHAEL MORGAN Honorary Board Member	is music director for the Oakland East Bay Symphony. He serves with many other musical organizations and is a widely acknowledged expert in arts education.