Board of Directors
Delphine Brandt, Chair
Born and raised in France, Delphine was fortunate to have grown up with access to a wide variety of artistic expressions, ranging from music, performance art, visual art, and literature. This early exposure sparked a passion and a deep appreciation for the transformative power of the arts. When approached to participate in the Beale Street Theater Renovation Project, she was quick to recognize the potential benefits that this endeavor could bring to her community of Kingman, AZ, and wasted no time getting involved. She dedicated long hours to raising awareness about the importance of the renovation project. Her efforts have helped mobilize support from community members and stakeholders and inspired many to get involved with KCA and the Beale Street Theater.
Delphine has been on the Board Of Directors for KCA since 2016. She has served on the fundraising and event planning committees and has participated in developing the Disney Musical in Schools Program offered to some of our local elementary schools. Delphine has also had the opportunity to direct and act with the Beale Street Theater. She is now Co-Chair of the Productions Committee.
Delphine has a university degree in Communications and Marketing from ECS France. In the United States, she has worked for the Mayo Clinic Rochester’s International and Language Departments. She is currently the Vice-Chairperson of the Board of Directors for Kingman Academy of Learning and has served on the Board of Directors for Grace Lutheran Church. She hopes that her volunteer work will create a vibrant and inclusive theater and art center where all forms of art and expression can thrive and flourish.
Matt Hecht, Vice Chair
Matt Hecht has been doing theatre in the community for over 30 years now. Graduated with a degree in Theatre and Computer Science, he found himself in Kingman without an outlet for his theatre background. When he heard about the theater project he was “all in” and has been a part of Kingman’s community theater from the beginning.
Chanel Turner, Secretary
Chanel Turner has been involved in local non-profits for the last 10 years. The first 18 years of her career were in bank management and two years ago, opened her own real estate brokerage with her husband and became a full-time real estate agent. Chanel brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her work with local non-profits, and she firmly believes that the non-profit sector is what sets her small community apart. As a member of the Fundraising Committee for the Kingman Center for the Arts, Chanel aims to place an emphasis on raising funds to help bring the Beale Street Theater back to life.
Roger Jacks, Treasurer
Mr. Roger Jacks obtained his bachelor’s degree in Social Studies, a master’s degree in Sociology, and a master’s degree in Educational Leadership. He has served as a Classroom Teacher, Principal, and a Superintendent of Schools. He was appointed by the Governor of Arizona to The State Board of Education. He served in the military as an Air Force colonel, base commander, and as an aviator in B-52 bombers and SR-71 aircraft. Roger has a strong belief that “The Arts” are crucial in the education of the whole child and the cultural strength of a community.
Christine Fredriksen, Director
Christine has been involved in the non-profit sector for 15 years and worked as the Executive Director for a breast cancer support non-profit before moving to Kingman. She has experience in grassroots fundraising and non-profit leadership. She began her career as an attorney in Vancouver, British Columbia; but became interested in non-profit work several years into practicing law. Christine has a passion for the arts. She is a cartoonist and illustrator, with graphic design experience. Her first non-profit job was as an editor and illustrator in an international non-profit’s publications department. While there, she illustrated a cartoon strip, edited publications and helped lay out the non-profit’s magazine. Christine has been a member of the KCA Board of Directors since 2017. Her work on the board has been largely in fundraising for the Beale Street Theater Renovation Project, and she was formerly the Chair of the Board. She established the creation of board committees and is currently the Chair of the Human Resources Committee, working in training and policy development. If you have questions for Christine, please email [email protected].
David Stehly, Director
David Stehly has been a long time resident of Kingman. With both parents as art teachers at Mohave Community College, art was an immersive experience for him and David chose to express himself through the trumpet. He started playing in 4th grade to eventually become part of the Northern Arizona University Jazz band. David received a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from NAU in 1994. He worked several years in the auto industry in vehicle development. A drive for working outdoors pushed David to start a landscape company. 22 years ago he opened Vision Landscape and Design and has been the Operating Officer ever since.
Sara Peterson, Director
Jamie Stehly, Director
Executive Director
Kristina Michelson, Executive Director
Kristina is an avid participant and consumer of the arts. She has over 30 years of experience as a pianist, both in performing and teaching. She loves to accompany other artists as well as solo. She is also experienced with hand bells, having played in a professional hand bell choir in the Las Vegas area. Kristina also has 10 years of experience in community dance programs including tap, jazz, ballet and modern dance. She is the mother of five boys and hopes to bring more opportunities for arts based programs to the city so her boys can share in her passion.
Kristina has spent the last six years as executive director of Kingman Center for the Arts. During this time, she has been executive producer to over 26 live community theater productions. She is currently overseeing the renovation plans of a local historic theater into a performing arts venue. Other activities she is engaged in are Disney Musicals in Schools, a program that creates sustainable live theater programs in the city’s elementary schools, SOAR, Student Outreach and Art Renditions, an art based, opioid education program and oversight of the KCA Gallery and the education space that is run by Kingman Center for the Arts.
Education Director
Sidney Valdez, Education Director
Sidney Valdez is a dedicated and passionate artist who strives to create more art and theater opportunities for all in our community. Sidney has been involved with Kingman Center for the Arts for six years now, and has directed or been directly involved in over 15 Beale Street Theater Productions. Sidney serves as our KCA Education Director, one of our Disney Musicals in Schools Teaching Artists, and an Artistic Director for Beale Street Theater. She also teaches several musical theater classes through our partnership with Wildflower Art Studio and Gallery both for kids and teens and invites all of our local youth to get involved in out thriving theater and arts community.
Gallery Team
David Francisco, Gallery Exhibitions Curator
David received his Bachelor of Fine Arts at the Maryland Institute of Art in 1975, then spent a year traveling in Europe to visit many of the art museums and relevant sights in numerous European countries. In addition, he interned and studied with American sculptor Jonathan Shahn in Rome. David returned to the US for an intensive German language course and was then accepted to Graduate Studies at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin, (West) Germany, in 1977. He received his Master’s Degree in Fine Arts in 1982. After his return to the US, David started teaching sculpture at the Putney School in VT, and general art courses later on at a college in Gardner, MA. Raising a family, renovating houses and earning a living, did not allow for much time to pursue his art.
After a move to North Carolina, David started sculpting and exhibiting in Solo and Group Shows again in 2013 in Georgia, North Carolina. Since his move to Arizona in 2017, he continues to expand his catalog of work, now also focusing on painting. He has been exhibiting in group shows in Nevada and at the Kingman Center of the Arts since 2018. www.davidfranciscoart.com
Christa Francisco, Assistant to the Gallery Exhibitions Curator
Christa was born and raised in (West) Germany. She went on to study at the Universities of Bonn, Saarbrücken, and Cologne and received degrees in the fields of Education Sciences, German and English Language and Literature, and continued studies in Counseling after graduating at the University of Cologne in 1983.
In Germany she first worked as a department head and translator as well as assistant coordinator at international trade shows for an international optical company (ZEISS). She moved on to work as a Co-Counselor and developer of a group therapy manual at a pastoral counseling facility in the center of Cologne.
After her marriage to David Francisco she moved with him to the US, initially living and working as a teacher and dorm head at Putney School in Vermont. Further moves in New England brought new work opportunities and she rapidly advanced to Management and Director positions in the nonprofit field of Human Services. She also was co-owning and operating a Motel and Country Store in Fryeburg, Maine, for 5 years in between working in the Human Services field. After the family moved to North Carolina, Christa was offered the opportunity to work for a German/International medical device company where she quickly advanced into management positions. When she retired she held the position of Human Resources Manager for all US offices and personnel.
While she is not an artist herself, she has a lifelong interest in the Arts and has used any opportunity in Europe and the US to visit museums and galleries and has always supported her husband and children in their artistic endeavors.
Kathi Vargo, Retail Chair
Kathi has been a professional artist for the past 25 years. When in San Diego she ran an art studio and worked with a nonprofit arts and education foundation. Since moving to Kingman she was pleased to find the Kingman Center for the Arts and has been participating in events and the KCA Retail Gift Shop. She enjoys working with all the local artists and meeting residents and tourists that visit. Promoting and developing the KCA Retail Gift Shop has become a passion.
Inessa Burnell, Staffing Coordinator, IT Specialist, Web Designer, Graphic Artist
Inessa Burnell has been with KCA for one year and assists in many gallery operations. Outside of KCA, Inessa is a Freelance Digital Illustrator, bringing ideas of authors, game developers, comic writers, and individuals to life in the form of full illustrations and concept art. Inessa also enjoys painting with watercolor, working with ceramics, and any other art form she can get her hands on.
Inessa is a multi-faceted individual with experience in visual arts, music/performing arts, management, and chemistry/food science.