The Cambridge Arts Council (CAC) Advisory Board is a nine-member
board existing to advise and guide the policies and direction
of the services, programs and initiatives offered to constituents
by the CAC. Advisory Board members are officially appointed by the City Manager and reflect the cultural, ethnic and geographic makeup of the Cambridge population.
Members:
José Mateo, Chair
Susan Alvey
Rosanna Yamagiwa Alfaro
Barbara Baker
Phyllis Bretholtz
Lori Damon
Aliyah Gary
Andrew Mroczek
Charles Norris
Jeffrey Walker
Matthew Weinberg
Gail Pettiford Willett
José Mateo, Chair, is a Cambridge resident and the founder and artistic director of José Mateo Ballet Theatre (JMBT) also located in Cambridge. Originally incorporated in Boston in 1986, JMBT is the first company since the Boston Ballet to establish a regular performance season in Boston’s historic Theatre District and the only ballet company in New England to create an entire repertory of works by its own resident choreographer. Born in Cuba, José holds a BA in Art History from Princeton University, where he began his formal training in ballet, modern dance and musical theatre. Following additional training in New York, he danced with several companies that regularly toured the US and Europe before formulating his new vision of contemporary ballet which he calls the “New Classicism."
Susan Alvey, Treasurer, is an independent organizational development consultant, working with a wide variety of clients. Previously she served as Director of Organizational Learning & Development at Harvard Business School Publishing where she was responsible for programs in performance management and leadership, professional and organizational development. Susan’s skills include strategic planning for organizations, facilitation, management and leadership development, and organizational effectiveness. In addition to other professional activities, Susan is a lecturer in Babson College’s MBA program, and has taught courses in management and leadership at Endicott College. She established and ran a private company providing clients with services related to team building, leadership and business communication. Susan recently served as a board member for the Boston Dance Alliance (2001-2002) where she was also the Chair of the Membership Committee and facilitator for BDA’s long-range planning efforts. Susan is a founding member of the Cabot Street Cinema Theater in Beverly, MA.
Barbara Baker
Charles Norris is an Architect and Urban Designer with the firm Norris & Norris with partner Diane Norris since 1998. Norris has been a Cambridge resident for 35 years since his professional training at Harvard Graduate School of Design. In addition to the Advisory Board, Norris has been a member of the City of Cambridge’s Public Art Commission since 2002.
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Gail Pettiford Willett, Vice-Chair, has worked in the human services field for 30 years and presently works as the Program Coordinator for the Cambridge Public Library. She has worked as a consultant and researcher of children’s books and was the owner/founder of Savanna Books, a bookstore specializing in books about children of color. She has traveled extensively and is an avid quilter.
