Categories: Meet the Team!

VANGUARD Advisors

 

Our team of Advisors is composed of highly connected Creative Industry leaders
who believe in the power of the visual, performing, and culinary arts to bring
people together. Their insight and creative brilliance help us to design unique
and unforgettable programs for the San Diego community.

VANGUARD ADVISORS:

ALLISON ANDREWS is founder and director of Fashion Week San Diego® (FSWD), president of APA Business Consulting and executive director of FAB Authority. A passionate entrepreneur, Andrews founded FSWD in 2007, growing the year-long event to become one of the biggest and most prominent Southern California events, and the only bi-national Fashion Week in the world. Prior to launching FWSD, Andrews founded APA Business Consulting, a consulting firm that supports startups and entrepreneurs with business, brand development, marketing, and sales strategies. She started the company in 2005, at the age of 20. In 2015, she also launched the FAB Authority, a non-for-profit organization, providing resources and events for emerging artists, designers and beauty industry professionals. Andrews’ passion for helping and empowering others is apparent in all that she touches. In addition to her full-time commitments with FWSD, APA Business Consulting, and the FAB Authority, Andrews is an active community member, sitting on the board of several not-for-profit organizations and donating her time to support others. She serves as a Board member and longtime volunteer for Rancho Coastal Humane Society (12 years) and is a volunteer and donor for Love on a Leash pet therapy and St. Paul’s Senior Homes and Services. A recognized and respected industry thought leader, Andrews speaks frequently at various San Diego events, led by professional organizations, as well as local colleges, graduations, networking events, seminars and other fashion events. In 2013, she was selected as a finalist for San Diego Business Journal’s Women Who Mean Business Awards. Andrews holds an Associate of Arts degree in Merchandise Marketing from Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising and a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Leadership from National University.

CHARLOTTE CAGAN is a non‐profit executive with extensive experience in organizational development, strategic planning, fundraising, community engagement and institutional revitalization. She has led six nonprofits to achieve their mission, vision, and goals, including an 11-county food bank and a city women’s commission. She has provided leadership for four museums in organizational rejuvenation, financial stabilization, and growth, community engagement, and re-branding.  She has developed strategic alliances, coalitions, and public/private partnerships, and she has a broad range of experience that spans arts and culture, education, human service, business, and government. Cagan has also been a consultant to cultural, educational and business organizations in marketing, fundraising, event planning, strategic planning and organizational development. She has served on numerous nonprofit boards including arts, environmental, human services and leadership development organizations. Cagan has a B.A. in political science, magna cum laude, from Cornell University with post-graduate study at Harvard and Columbia universities as well as continuing studies at Stanford University

KANDACE CRYSTAL is a multi-hyphenate theatre maker and currently serves as the.Artistic Director of American History Theater and Associate Artistic Director of Trinity Theatre Company. Kandace spent 5 years working for Barbizon USA and is the creator of Theatre Alliance’s Roundtable series exploring issues that plague our industry. Additionally, Kandace developed a Podcast/Oral Documentary with Cloudcast Media entitled 8:46-The Catalyst for Change, in response to the disproportionate murder of black and brown people at the hands of police. You can find her performing around San Diego, most notably in the “Get Ross” commercials. Kandace graduated with a BFA in Acting from Florida State University.

THOM DANCY has worked in the arts non-profit sector for over a decade. He has had the pleasure of engaging with multiple dance organizations and company founders in program planning, outreach, social media marketing, development, and strategic planning. One of his favorite past projects was working with Joshua Manculich to win him the Princess Grace Award for Choreography in 2015. Thom has presented on the topics of social media and dance education to the Board of Directors at Arts for Learning San Diego, The Arts Empower Mega-Conference, and San Diego Unified School District. Thom has previously served on the communications committee for AERO San Diego, as well as on the executive committee for Rising Arts Leaders of San Diego. Thom studied Ballet Performance at the University of Oklahoma, and danced for Milwaukee Ballet II, Grand Rapids Ballet, The Big Muddy Dance Company, The Muny, and Malashock Dance. Thom is still an active teacher and choreographer, traveling nationally as a guest artist and has received multiple awards for his work at Youth America Grand Prix and various dance festivals. For the past three years, Thom has been a part of the The Rosin Box Project as the company’s inaugural Managing Director and now Executive Director. Through his work, the company has grown from a $30,000 to $300,000 budget and engaged students across San Diego in numerous dance education workshops. Thom is most proud of the success of TRBP’s flagship outreach program, The Ballet Machine, which will reach 40 classrooms in 2022. When he’s not working on TRBP, you can find him in the dance studio with the students he loves or having a whiskey on his patio while playing with his dog, Zoey.

SCOTT B. DAVIS has made photographs that explore unremarkable wilderness corridors and anonymous urban spaces in the American landscape since the 1990’s. A platinum printer for two decades, his night photographs and recent work with platinum paper negatives examine the far ends of the visible spectrum and consider the limits of human perception. His work with large format wooden view cameras (8”x10” up to 16”x20”) facilitates working slowly and affords large-scale negatives used for platinum printing. Scott b. davis’ work has been reviewed in the New York Times, Village Voice, the New Yorker, Los Angeles Times, and other print media. His photographs can be found in the collections of the J. Paul Getty Museum, Pier 24, the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Museum of Photographic Arts, and others. davis’s photographs have been exhibited throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. In 2012 davis founded the Medium Festival of Photography, an annual event that brings emerging and established contemporary photographers to San Diego for four-days of portfolio reviews, artist lectures, exhibitions, and related events.

CHI ESSARY is an artist, writer and photographer who promotes and explores the intersection of art, science and the public. She studied printmaking and photography at Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon and has an active practice in oil painting and found objects. She curates cross-disciplinary exhibitions that bring artists together with other fields of creative inquiry such as contemporary literature and science, as she is a firm believer that “the best gift to humanity is bringing people together.” In 2017 she curated “Extra-Ordinary Collusion”, pairing almost 50 scientists and artists for a massive cross-disciplinary exhibition encouraging further exchange in San Diego’s rich art and scientific communities. She also curated several lofts fro an immersive art takeover called SENSORIUM which was featured on the NatGeo Channel. Previously a board member of Vanguard Culture, Chi has been the lead contributor to the artists studio visit series: Poetic License. Her curating and writing has given her a unique perspective that she applies towards her mission to help build programs that support world-class art in San Diego.

PILIALOHA KILOHANA ESTALL is the founder of City In Design PR Agency and Think Tank. Which focuses on PR, youth programs and services, fractional business development for nonprofits, and publicity. With an emphasis on sustainability, arts and culture, on local, national and binational scale. A professional polynesian dancer for over 25 years, she has danced with groups all over San Diego, Southern California, Hawai’i and Tahiti. She is passionate about dance and the arts. She recently started her own global dance company, Hitimahana Dance Co. (named after her daughter) who is half polynesian. The dance company’s mission is ‘Preserving the Art & Culture of Dance.’ San Diego/Tijuana will be the focused region for the launch, with a fine art exhibit highlighting instructors in San Diego and Tijuana (cultural history, dance techniques, and costumes). Including instructor interviews and legacy cultural preservation. She is a board member for the Coronado Schools Foundation which fundraises for arts & stem pathways for K – 12 and is a passionate advocate for promoting increased arts funding and programs for public schools. In addition, she was part owner of Tonight in San Diego, a local late night variety talk show promoting the creative industry in San Diego. Also an original partner of Finest City Entertainment, she helped launch a local full service media production and broadcast company, supporting the local creative industry in production and live broadcasting. With productions including, San Diego Music Awards, San Diego Film Awards, as well as, many public service and nonprofit organizations in arts & culture in San Diego.

VICTORIA L. HAMILTON serves as the President of the California Arts Advocates / Californians for the Arts. She was the Founding Director of the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture where she led this nationally recognized multi-million dollar local arts agency for 24 years. At the Commission, she achieved unanimous approval of a plan for 2% for public art in capital improvement and 1% in private development as well as for the Penny for the Arts Blueprint for increased arts and culture funding. With over 30 years in the field of arts administration, she is recognized for her pioneering leadership and work on public policy, cultural tourism, grantmaking, arts advocacy and cultural diversity initiatives. Victoria has served as President of the United States Urban Arts Federation and California Assembly of Local Arts Agencies; been a grant panel member for the National Endowment for the Arts, the California Arts Council, San Diego Foundation and the Sacramento Arts and Culture office and on public policy committees at state and national levels. She also serves on the board of directors of the Balboa Park Conservancy and NTC Foundation, and is a member of the San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition Steering Committee, San Diego Arts + Culture Challenge Fund and the San Diego State University Campanile Foundation Arts Committee. She has received numerous local, state and national awards for her work including the Ray Hanley Innovation Award given by the United States Urban Arts Federation for “outstanding individual contributions to arts and culture in American cities,” and the Americans for the Arts Selena Roberts Ottum Award “for outstanding contributions in the local arts agency field.”

BROOKSIE HUGHES – Named in 2021 BizBash’s top 500 event professionals in the US. Currently operating out NY, CA, and Baja California Mexico. Brooksie has worked across the country in event production for over 25 years. Her approach to her career has led to a unique skill set that enables her to produce just about any type of event. She and her team have produced events such as music festivals, band tours, city celebrations, theatrical events, corporate events, entertainment, multi-staged / venue events, social events, political, high end private events, public spectacles, parades, food & wine events and on! She has sound experience working with political figures & celebrity artists so can handle anything from the secret service to tough as nails tour managers. Brooksie’s strength is in collaborative development of ideas and executing them through a well-managed design and production team. She is known and respected for her ability to form teams that are creative, diverse, professional, and are all around good natured and ready to do what it takes to bring life to her clients vision. Brooksie also works as a Public Space Strategist and Placemaking Consultant. As part of this work over the past 18+ years, she has developed events programs, production feasibility studies, consulted on public space design and infrastructure, developed management & operations guidelines, developed budgets ad funding guidelines, and provided overall project management for the activation program. She has extensive experience in working with high level city and government officials, stakeholders, developers,

JORDAN JACOBO – Jordan Jacobo is a San Diego-based performing artist who has developed and appeared in various films and series. As a writer, Jordan’s work has been featured on stage at the Old Globe Theater as well as a myriad of media platforms. He currently serves as host of the KPBS digital series, “Jordan Loves,” in which he highlights the seldom-explored corners of his native San Diego.”

LINDA MARIANO – With a career that spans 30 years, Linda is a leader in marketing, brand management, e-commerce and promotion initiatives for major retailers, specialty retail, art industry, licensing partnerships, media and entertainment, as well as entrepreneurial business environments. For Redwood Media Group, Linda oversees the marketing and brand extension efforts of the company.

Her expertise and strong track record of exceeding marketing and sales goals, building brands and driving business success makes her a vital part of any organization. Whether conceiving a breakthrough media-based retail concept for Discovery Channel, driving an integrated growth strategy of the core demographic as the chief architect of the Thomas Kinkade brand, overseeing every aspect of a major event, or coaching an emerging artist, Linda achieves success. She has built and managed branding, marketing, PR and communications programs. She has created programs that added multi-million dollar sales via directing strategic alliances and partnerships with Disney, Warner Bros., Elvis Presley Enterprises, NASCAR, Major League Baseball and others.

Linda’s expertise in the art and licensing industries, as a licensor, a licensee, a consultant and an agent, has made her readily recognized for her expertise and strategic approach to integrated brand and business strategies. Her engaging attitude, professional demeanor and clear ability to have fun and inspire others make Linda a persuasive change agent with strong consensus building skills and valuable insights into making every effort count.


JOHN MALASHOCK brings 35 years of experience in dance, theater and film to his current endeavors as Artistic Director of Malashock Dance & The Malashock Dance School, during which time he has created over 70 choreographic works, dance/theater collaborations, theater and opera productions, and award-winning dance films. John founded Malashock Dance in 1988, after a distinguished performing career.  Under his leadership, Malashock Dance has grown to become one of California’s premiere dance companies and his work has now been presented throughout the United States, Central America, Japan and Central Europe.

With the Tharp Company, he performed worldwide; appeared in the Academy Award-winning film Amadeus; was featured in numerous television specials; and performed in benefit concerts with Mikhail Baryshnikov. Malashock has many notable collaborative credits to his name.  He has choreographed for productions at the La Jolla Playhouse, The Old Globe Theatre, and the San Diego Rep.  His work has been commissioned by the San Diego Symphony, La Jolla Music Society and San Diego Opera. He has garnered four Emmy Awards for his dance films, which have aired on over 30 affiliate PBS stations nationwide.  His recent collaboration with The San Diego Museum of Art, The Floating World, was widely praised.

A leader within the local and national dance communities, Malashock currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Dance USA and is proud to have taken the leadership role in conceiving, developing and establishing Dance Place San Diego at Liberty Station. As an Artist in Residence at the La Jolla Playhouse, John is currently developing a dance musical based on the life, work, and relationships of artist Marc Chagall.

ROB MARLBROUGH is a technology and marketing pro who knows his stuff when it comes to WordPress, site integration, development, and digital marketing. A San Diego Magazine Top Tech Exec Award nominee, Rob started his own web development company in 1997, and today Press Wizards is a leading WordPress services and web hosting provider. He also co-founded Fandom Marketing, a social media marketing agency in 2011, and created Minglestream.com, a Tweetwall service. He also teaches WordPress through the WordPress Web Help Meetup group.

His prior 20 year career in Software Engineering and IT management was most recently with Nik Software (acquired by Google), creators of Apple’s 2011 iPad App of the Year, Snapseed. He was a past board member of AIGA San Diego as Marketing Strategist, and past Event Director on the board of Social Media Club San Diego.

ARTURO RODRÍGUEZ is an arts leader and entrepreneur and with a Degree in Business Administration from CETYS University of Tijuana. His passion for the arts and collecting art, led him to found La Caja Galería in 2005. Eighteen years later, the gallery has transformed into a cultural project which has been redefined as The Art and Culture Box, where it promotes exhibitions, sells works, advises on art acquisitions, conducts appraisals, organizes auctions, provides specialized information, workshops, courses andthree certificate programs from México’s Secretary of CultureINBA. They also provide a space for community gatherings, culinary experiences and conferences. The space stands out for combining artistic expressions with culinary art into a novel “100 percent regional” concept named VOGOT.Rodríguez is currently Vice Chair of the COCAT (Committee of Organizations of Culture and Arts of TIJUANA AC) which has 10 members of the most outstanding cultural bodies of the city including the Opera de Tijuana AC, Lux Boreal AC, and Sinfonica Juvenil de Tijuana ACamong others. He also serves on Artes Sin Fronteras A.C. and was former chair of the Red Aser, AC, which has 24 members of the most outstanding non-profit organizations in the city. In addition, the international impact that he has achieved with his career and his untiring contributions to the community, led him to be named by the newspaper Frontera, as the “Man of the year 2015” in the city of Tijuana and in that same year the weekly Zeta also designated him As the “Man of Culture 2015”. In 2015 he was awarded with a 2-page feature story in the L.A. Times about his 10 years of work within the cultural promotion of this city, and in 2016 was acknowledged in NEWSWEEK Mexico a notable leader in the arts.

MARILU SALINAS (M A L U) is a classical and electronic musician based in Tijuana, Baja CA, México and New York City. M A L U ’s main focus had been in orchestral works and now she is focusing in electronic music compositions and performances, touring CA, US, MX, Asia and Europe. Recently, she composed the music for Portrait of a Nation short film honoree Dr. Anthony Fauci at the National Portrait Gallery in Washington DC. and performed for the Cesar Chavez Anniversary with son speaker Paul Chavez at the University of California, San Diego. Founder of South Train, festival that united more that 80 artists and art projects from two countries, four cities: Los Angeles, San Diego, Tijuana, and Ensenada to perform and promote in pandemic time. M A L U has performed in many festivals including Raw Festivals Canada and US, La Mesa Music Festival,US , La Jolla Playhouse SD, ART San Diego, ART Los Angeles, Latin American Art Fair, We Want Women of Liverpool, England, Cyberpunk & Underground Festivals in Mexico, SD & TJ Film Festivals, Buddhagaya in Japan, Música y Visuales Universidad de Artes UABC Ensenada, Das Vierte in Switzerland, Collateral Collective SD, SubStore Electric Fest, Tokyo, Heroic Procession House of Blues.

RICHARD P. TRUJILLO is the Artistic Director at San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts. Under his guidance the arts have flourished into five distinct majors and multiple programs of study preparing students for success at the post-secondary level.  In addition, the SDSCPA has had 18 YoungArts Award winners, received two Craig Noel Awards for Outstanding Resident Musical in partnership with the San Diego Repertory Theatre Company, and was awarded the 2018-2023 Exemplary Arts School Award from the Arts Schools Network.  He served as Multi-district Arts Director for the West Valley Arts Council and presented at several Americans for the Arts National Conferences on this unique systemic change model.  He was nominated for the Governors Arts Award in Arizona for his community partnership with the Herberger Theatre Center while teaching at Herrera School for the Fine Arts.  Mr. Trujillo is a proud member of Actors Equity Association, with over 100 shows to his credit as an actor, director and producer, and UNESCO International Dance Council.

Tatiana SIzonenkoTATIANA SIZONENKO (Board Member at Large) is a University Professor, art historian, and curator. She received her Ph.D. in Renaissance art history, with a specialization in Venice and the Mediterranean world, from the Visual Arts Department at University of California, San Diego. Ms. Sizonenko teaches courses on Western art, from ancient to contemporary, with a strong focus on the intended function of art objects in their respective historical settings and cultural contexts. Ms. Sizonenko’s research and teaching has been informed by her wide-ranging curatorial practice.

Ms. Sizonenko held positions as curator for the University Art Gallery at UC San Diego; curatorial fellow at the Timken Museum of Art; curatorial fellow for the dean of the Division of Arts and Humanities at UC San Diego; curator of collections and special exhibitions at the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, CA; and guest curator at the La Jolla Historical Society in San Diego and at the Barrington Center for the Arts at Gordon College, MA. She received her M.A. in Museum Studies from John F. Kennedy University, Berkeley, CA, and a Diploma (MA equivalent) in Art History from Leningrad State University, St. Petersburg, Russia. Before coming to the United States, she was assistant curator in the Department of Medieval Art at the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia. She has been the recipient of several fellowships including the Getty Foundation’s “Connecting Art Histories” Fellowship, the Timken Museum of Art Fellowship, the Dean of Art and Humanities Dissertation Research Fellowship from UC San Diego, the UC San Diego Visual Arts Department’s Funded Semester at Harvard University and Russia’s National Fellowship for Distinguished Scholarship in Art History.

Vanguard Culture

Vanguard Culture is an online media entity designed for culturally savvy, socially conscious individuals. We provide original interviews and reviews of the people, places, and events that make up San Diego’s thriving arts and culture community, as well as curated snapshots of the week’s best, most inspiring and unique cultural and culinary events. We believe in making a difference in the world, supporting San Diego’s vibrant visual and performing arts community and bringing awareness to important social and community causes.