CC PERRY is driven to help artists & organizations cultivate complex and creative communities. As the Founder and Executive Director of Hestia — a nomadic, traveling artist residency — she leverages the power of place to provide site-specific opportunities for collaboration and creative risk-taking. As a consultant, she brings over ten years in nonprofit fund development to advisement for organizations from Mumbai, India to Los Angeles, California. CC is passionate about All Things Narrative – story-crafting that captures authentic voice and provokes earnest engagement. Her agency is a one-stop shop for artists, providing brand strategy, creative direction, and exhibitions that are dynamic & results-oriented. At her core, she believes in being “both.” Her writing has garnered fellowships at the Bread Loaf Writer’s Conference & Tin House Writer’s Workshop and she holds a BA from Vassar College and Certificate in Writing from UCLA. She’s pursuing her MA in English from Oxford University (the Bread Loaf School of English) and presenting at AWP 2018. A self-professed Citizen of Everywhere, CC has lived in 40+ states (30+ in the last three years) in an attempt to satiate incurable wanderlust. Her band, Penelope, wrote their first folk opera on the road, in the way back of a 1996 Volvo Stationwagon.
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CATHY PFISTER is devoting her time to helping nonprofit organizations after working as an electrical and software engineer for over 20 years. In addition to Vanguard Culture, she volunteers with a number of human rights and social justice organizations, including the local chapter of Amnesty International, for which she currently serves as co-coordinator. She also serves on the board of an all-volunteer US-based nonprofit working for Middle East justice and for several years has done one-on-one adult literacy and math tutoring through the San Diego Public Library’s READ/San Diego volunteer tutoring program. She earned a B.S. degree in Biological Sciences from Indiana University-Bloomington and two M.S. degrees, one in Biomedical Engineering and another in Electrical Engineering, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She hopes to use her writing and research skills to help Vanguard Culture succeed and thrive .
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PATRICIA MALDONADO is an independent interpretative dance professional with extensive experience in dance, choreography, and performance administration from her native country of Guatemala. She was part of the National Guatemalan Modern and Folk Dance Company, traveling internationally to USA, Europe, and South America. She has been a member of the Conseil Internacional de la Dance CID (International Dance Council) since 2015. In association with UNESCO, the CID World Congress has been the biggest gathering for all forms of dance for over 30 years. Since her arrival to this country, she has researched, choreographed and directed dozens of original works. Patricia earned a B.A. in Dance from the University of California Riverside and a M.A. in Performance Studies from New York University. She has a passion for community development, cross-cultural promotion of the arts, and being a community organizer. Her commitment to community is reflected in her past experience as a Unit Language coordinator at Camp Pendleton; Artistic Administrative Assistant at City Heights/Institute for the Arts Education San Diego; Dance Advisor at City Heights Performance Annex; and Coordinator of the Latin-American Films Exhibitions at Videoteca Del Sur in Manhattan, New York. Patricia has performed and emceed for the World Heritage Cultural Center at the San Diego Convention Center. She has also taught improvisational movement at the National School of Ballet Marecelle Bonge de Devaux, Instituto de Turismo de Guatemala and Teatro de Bellas Artes de Guatemala. Recently, Patricia was the Arts Advisory Committee Chair for the Centro Cultural de la Raza, organizing community events, as well as a Board member of the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership. Patricia is also a dedicated visual artist and photographer.
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GABRIELLA SARAVIA is an industrious entrepreneur that is passionate about creating experiences for people to dive into and reawaken their senses. She is a native San Diegan that earned her BA in Communication from the University of San Diego. Gabriella owned and operated a custom furniture and art shop in Little Italy area of San Diego, for two years, where she hosted many events and meshed together her love of various art under one roof for memorable evenings.
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SAMANTHA SIGUENZA is a writer, a social media buff and events coordinator with a keen eye for detail. She is a hard working mother and wife. She is very involved with her daughter’s school in Point Loma, where she participates in fundraising efforts for her school’s foundation. Samantha has a deep appreciation for the visual, performing and culinary arts and is very happy to contribute to Vanguard Culture’s mission to advance San Diego’s Creative Industries.
