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Our team of dedicated professionals is excited to bring the vision for Field Hall to life and enrich our community.
Executive Director
“Port Angeles is a magnificent place to experience life. Field Arts & Events Hall will rise up and join the majesty of our surrounds, which include the mountains, the Strait, and the people who live in this hearty community.”
Steven Raider–Ginsburg is honored to serve as the Field Arts & Events Hall as the Executive Director. Joining the team in August of 2021 Steven’s work is focused on closing out a $50 million capital campaign and get ready for the grand opening and beyond.
For over two decades, Steven has provided executive leadership to non-profit arts, higher education, civic and philanthropic organizations. Most recently Steven was the Director of the Autorino Center for the Arts and Humanities at the University of Saint Joseph, a mission-based, world-class performing arts presenter that receives over 30,000 guests a year.
In 2001, Steven co-founded the award-winning original creation theater company, HartBeat Ensemble. Steven was selected by American Theater magazine as one of 25 young theater artists most likely to influence theater in the next 25 years. He was also recognized as a 2018 State of Connecticut Performing Artist Fellow, and by the Hartford Business Journal on its “40 under 40” list.
Steven is an advisor for the New England Foundation for the Arts National Theater Project and the Ann T. and Edward C. Roberts Foundation. Steven is a member of the 2012 Lincoln Center Directors Lab, holds an M.F.A. in Directing from Boston University, B.A. from Hampshire College, a certificate in Curatorial Practice from Wesleyan University, a certificate in Community and Culture from the Harvard Business School and a certificate in Leadership and Change from the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business. He has served on Hartford’s Commission on Cultural Affairs, is a current Fellow at Yale University’s Pierson College, an alumnus of the National Arts Strategies (NAS) Chief Executive Program, and an accredited Executive Leadership Coach for the arts sector.
Steven began his career at New WORLD Theater under the direction of Roberta Uno at UMass Amherst, and then went on to work with some of the nation’s most illustrious theater-makers, including Anna Deveare Smith, Shakespeare and Company, Augusto Boal, Sojourn Theater, The Civilians, and others.
PROJECT Director
“No matter where I’ve worked or lived, I’ve always referred to Port Angeles, Washington as home. Now not only have I returned to the place I love but I also get to be a part of the most exciting and important project of my lifetime.”
Prior to joining the project, Chris led strategic planning and business development for the Petrizzo Group, a D.C.-based bipartisan lobbying firm whose Pacific Northwest clients included Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, and Vulcan, Inc.
Chris previously served as Director of Grants and Contracts for the Geneva Foundation overseeing more than 160 military medical research studies conducted at over 40 U.S. Department of Defense sites worldwide.
From 2010 to 2013, Chris served four tours as Country Director for Clear Path International on behalf of the U.S. Department of State’s Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in Afghanistan.
From 1994 to 2004, Chris directed federal government affairs for Airborne Express where he managed all legislative, regulatory, and external affairs pertaining to the domestic, international and airline operations of the company, including its hub in Wilmington, Ohio, the largest privately-owned airport in the world. In the aftermath of 9/11, Chris was named interim director of Airborne’s Aviation Security Department, a role he performed in addition to his government affairs duties for the next two years. In 2003, he successfully directed the nine-month lobbying and public affairs campaign to secure Congressional and regulatory approval of Airborne’s merger with DHL Worldwide.
Prior to joining Airborne Express, Chris worked for three years as Special Assistant for Trade Development with the U.S. Consulate General in Vancouver, B.C. He later worked eight years with the WRG Corporation, a Seattle-based security assistance management company where he ultimately served as Executive Vice President and Managing Director.
A native of Port Angeles, Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Saint Martin’s College and a Master of Science from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, as well as a Certificate in Languages from the Goethe Institute in Bremen, Germany. Chris was also a member of the adjunct faculty of the University of Washington’s nationally ranked Foster School of Business from 2000 to 2010.
MANAGING DIRECTOR
“The generosity and energy the community has shared to bring the vision of Field Hall to life is awe-inspiring. This beautiful gathering place will accelerate regional economic development, foster deep community engagement, and expand access to even greater artistic and cultural vibrancy on the North Olympic Peninsula.”
June Claypool is thrilled to join the Field Arts and Events Hall team as Managing Director. June served as Vice President of Strategy at Peninsula College for the past 3.5 years where she led institutional planning/effectiveness, grants, marketing, community engagement, philanthropy, and non-credit revenue strategy.
June was the first Cabinet member to receive the Peninsula College Above & Beyond Award (2020). She and her team redesigned and revived the Community Education program, growing it from 0 to 850+ students and from $0 to over $400K in revenue in under two years and during the coronavirus pandemic. June also envisioned and led the implementation of the first annual Fall Spectacular, an immersive community engagement festival attended by over 4,000 community members. She was a Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) Mission Fulfillment Fellow (2020-21).
June also served as Director of Planning and Resource Development and Director of Grants at Peninsula College going back to 2013. She was the lead in securing over $5 million in competitive federal and foundation grant awards. June facilitated the development of the college’s 2020-2025 Strategic Plan and improved the college’s comprehensive system of planning and assessment.
Prior to working at Peninsula College, June had the privilege of serving at Arizona State University’s Center for Indian Education and on the corporate and foundation relations team at Arizona State University Foundation. Before that, June spent nearly ten years leading county- and state-wide public health advocacy Initiatives at San Diego State University Research Foundation. Her career began as a juvenile justice advocate at a community-based nonprofit in San Diego County.
June has raised over $60 million throughout her career, primarily through institutional giving. June has also worked as a grant writing and project management consultant for several nonprofits and state agencies in California and Arizona. She has a Master of Business Administration from Western Governors University and a Bachelor of Arts in Literature and Writing from California State University, San Marcos.
June was born and raised in Redondo Beach, California. She fell in love with the Pacific Northwest when she moved to Seattle in 1990. She has lived in Sequim and Port Angeles off and on since 2013 and is delighted to be back on the beautiful North Olympic Peninsula full-time. Actively engaged in theatre for over 20 years, she is excited to return to her roots and is passionate about the power of the arts to transform lives and communities.
MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
“Field Arts & Events Hall is a community project that will have a huge impact on everyone in Clallam County. From the educational programs that will reach our students to the new jobs it will create– this building is just what we need at just the right time.”
Jess Grello was born and raised in rural Maine. She moved to Port Angeles in 2018 with her husband Sam and fell in love with the community. They are currently working on renovating a local church together.
Jess graduated from St. John’s University in New York City with a B.A. in English and Communications. She began working as a marketing consultant for nonprofit arts organizations and developed a niche in Shakespearean performance. Her original children’s play The Twelve Labors of Hercules, was produced as part of Adirondack Shakespeare Company’s 2012 season.
She began her career in development at the Brooklyn Academy of Music where she planned fundraising events. While at BAM, Jess met her husband Sam and they later travelled the country together in search of a permanent home.
Since moving to Port Angeles, Jess has continued to work in nonprofit development, first with Peninsula Behavioral Health and now with Field Arts & Events Hall. During the 2020 pandemic, she took a brief hiatus from Field Hall to manage the One of a Kind Art Gallery in downtown Port Angeles and start Squatchcon Comic & Arts Convention.
DONOR RELATIONS MANAGER
“The arts are a catalyst for bringing people from all walks and experiences together. Knowing that Field Arts & Events Hall will be a cornerstone of revitalization for our community and the Olympic Peninsula is extremely exciting.”
Cheri Jessup has lived in Washington most of her life, and moved to Port Angeles in 2015. She attended Washington State University, where she earned Bachelor of Liberal Arts, with emphasis in Fine Arts, Interior Design, and Communications.
Throughout her working career, she has taken on a variety positions that have challenged her to learn and grow. She has worked in retail, for start-up companies, for nonprofits, and more. In her roll as Office Manager at Field Hall, Cheri brings a wide range of skills and knowledge and is able to assist the team in many areas of the organization.
Cheri considers herself a lifelong learner, whether at work or in her personal life. In her free time, she loves to travel, fish, craft, garden, and build with her hands. A spirit of adventure and creativity runs deep in her family.
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION & ARTISTIC ENGAGEMENT
“The arts bring people together and provide communities with a sense of identity, belonging and understanding. I want to be a part of that. Port Angeles has been my home for over 18 years and I truly believe that Field Arts & Events Hall is a resource that will offer unique shared opportunities, foster significant economic growth, and develop meaningful inter-community connections that allow us to thrive together. Art is all around us and lives in each one of us in some form. Establishing a home for the artist, the patron, the student, the advocate, the citizen, the experience…well, that is the gift that FAEH is to Port Angeles and the greater North Olympic Peninsula.”
Kayla Oakes joins the FAEH team as the Director of Education & Community Engagement following her tenure as Executive Director of Juan de Fuca Foundation for the Arts. Originally from the Central Coast of California, Kayla relocated to Port Angeles from Boise, ID in 2005 and has made it her home ever since with her husband and two children.
Holding a BFA in Dance from the University of California at Santa Barbara, Kayla maintains a unique artistic lens which compliments over 10 years of administrative leadership experience in the performing arts industry. She’s held artistic and operational positions at various organizations and institutions including Boise Contemporary Theater, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, Ballet Idaho Academy, Boise State University, Eagle Performing Arts Center, Balance Dance Company and The Ballet Workshop. Through these diverse experiences, Kayla has established an extensive background in nonprofit management, program development, curation, event planning, communications, education outreach, community relations, fundraising and grant writing.
Kayla feels privileged to support FAEH as it unfolds and grows to serve the North Olympic Peninsula through arts education and access. Her passions for community, beauty, education and collaboration are strong and active. Kayla continues to teach modern dance technique for The Ballet Workshop and serves on the Board of Directors for both the Juan de Fuca Foundation for the Arts and the Port Angeles Education Foundation.
DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING FOR CONFERENCES & EVENTS
“Field Arts & Events Hall was built for the community and by the community. The events that will take place will function as a “red carpet” to the front door of our town. It will bring people to our restaurants, hotels, shops, adventure companies, wineries, grocery stores, coffee shops, and so much more. I truly believe that Field Hall will establish Port Angeles as a destination location for conferences and events, allowing even more visitors to enjoy this beautiful place where the mountains meet the sea.”
Ms. Georgia Meyers relocated to Port Angeles in July 2019 by way of Minneapolis, MN. However, she is not new to the Olympic Peninsula. She had the pleasure of working at Lake Crescent Lodge 26 years ago. Living and working in this area she quickly developed life-long friendships, later moving to Minneapolis for her professional career. For over two decades Ms. Meyers continued to visit her friends in Port Angeles and took advantage of the splendor of Olympic National Park 3 times a year. She would enjoy kayaking, hiking, mountain biking, festivals, wine tours, and camping with friends. She always knew she would move here permanently and is thrilled to now be an official resident.
Professionally, Ms. Meyers was handpicked to research, develop, and mount a full-service banquet facility for Christos in the Historical Union Depot in St. Paul, MN from 1996- 2016. Within a year it became a premier and award-winning event facility that won several awards and hosted corporate galas, political fundraisers, award ceremonies, fashion shows, mayoral inaugurations, and weddings.
Ms. Meyers not only oversaw the catering sales and operational management aspects of the venue, but also took great pride and ownership overseeing facilities management, marketing, human resources, and procurement. She managed landlord relations as well as interfaced with the City of St. Paul and the State of MN on regulatory matters. She negotiated many high-end contracts and events that revolved around the traveling Titanic Museum Art Show, The Republican National Convention, site location for various movie productions, music videos such as Prince, and commercials with various production companies including Warner Brothers.
Ms. Meyers is known industry-wide for her ability to take event venues that are having operational issues and turn them around to be more efficient utilizing her marketing skills, building venue teams, developing policies and procedures, controlling the operational budget, and executing flawless events. She has done this with both the Great Hall (2013- 2017) before the beautiful historic commercial building located in St Paul was bought out and the award-winning venue in Minneapolis; The Van Dusen Mansion (2017-2018).
Based on her proven results Ms. Meyers was chosen to be a part of a team for an exciting project that would develop another high-end event venue with a $15M budget. She was brought into the Bavaria Downs project: a 30,000 square foot venue on 270 rolling acres with a private lake, wetland, and existing farmland. As Director of Venue Operations, she was responsible for developing a venue that would rent for $20K per night, not including food or beverage. She and her team researched the marketability of the venue before the purchase was made and although this had never been done in the Midwest, it was concluded there was a viable market. She helped in every step of the project from the beginning of the purchase to the design and project management of the $8M construction renovation including managing the construction budget. The project involved updating and renovating existing structures from residential into commercial space and new build construction that included a state-of-the-art ballroom, outdoor amphitheater, large scale landscape architectural design, interior design, 250-person parking lot, and re-routing roads. Ms. Meyers oversaw brand management, developing the policies and procedures, creating, and overseeing the operational budget, and the collateral including contracts for the event space. She was responsible for hiring vendors and choosing the on-site catering partner that would be a key investor. Ms. Meyers developed, supported, and managed an incredible team to market, plan and execute events that held budgets of up to $300K. The team she put together won an award before the first event took place “Best New Venue” from Minnesota Bride magazine
Bookkeeper
“This project represents hope for Port Angeles’ future in becoming more than a jumping-off point to the rest of the Olympic Peninsula. We will be able to provide residents and visitors access to much more culture than we currently can.”
LEGAL COUNSEL
“Recent generous financial gifts have provided a once in a lifetime opportunity to build a community gathering place that will transform our community. It is now up to all of us as citizens to work together and support this project, so our community has the chance to prosper culturally and economically for decades to come.”
Stephen Moriarty was born in Washington, D.C., and moved to Port Angeles with his wife, Deborah, in 1989. Stephen and Deborah raised their family west of Port Angeles. They enjoy traveling and visiting their four children anytime they get the chance.
Stephen earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Clemson University and a Law Degree from the University of South Carolina. Stephen has been practicing law for over 29 years in Clallam and Jefferson Counties. His primary areas of practice are estate planning and probate and trust estate administration.
Stephen participates in many civic activities aside from serving as legal counsel for PAWC. He also serves as legal counsel for the Boys and Girls Club and the Sequim Education Foundation. He has served as President of Clallam County United Way and the Clallam County Bar Association. Stephen recently received United Way of Clallam County’s 2017 Community Impact Award for his service to non-profit organizations and his successful efforts to encourage and support philanthropic giving to local non-profit organizations. Stephen is also a member of the Port Angeles Rotary Club.
© 2022 Field Arts & Events Hall | All rights reserved | Designed with you in mind by Sparrow Websites