Staff
Lynn
Warshafsky is the co–founder of Venice Arts: In Neighborhoods. She is also a Fellow at the USC Annenberg School for Communications and a co–founder of the USC Institute for Photographic Empowerment, a joint Institute of Venice Arts and the USC Annenberg School on Communication Leadership and the Center for Public Diplomacy. In 2002 she was selected as one of ten arts leaders, county–wide, to participate in the LA County Arts Commission's Arts Leadership Initiative; in 2003, she received a Fellowship from Stanford University's Graduate School of Business and, with additional support from the LA County Arts Commision, participated in Stanford's summer residency Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders: Arts.
Lynn has been instrumental in creating Venice Arts’ innovative art mentoring model and in developing its innovative, technology–based art programs. She also created or co–created most of Venice Arts local, national, and international documentary projects of significance. In addition to her work with Venice Arts, Lynn has been a nonprofit organization development consultant since 1990, working with arts, activists, and human service organizations, foundations, schools, and governmental agencies. From 2000–2004, she was also Faculty at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in the Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center and, from 1990 to 2004, she was a consultant and trainer for the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine's Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention and its’ AIDS Mental Health Training Program.
Lynn studied photography as an undergraduate student, as well as at the Los Angeles Women’s Building, where she also taught. She received her Master's degree in Clinical Psychology in 1982 and was licensed in the State of California in 1985.
Jim Hubbard is an acclaimed documentary photographer who, in 2007, was the recipient of the prestigious Lewis Hine Distinguished Service Award given by the National Child Labor Committee. He is also a Fellow at the USC Annenberg School for Communications and a co-founder of the USC Institute for Photographic Empowerment. Jim has been nominated three times for the Pulitzer Prize and is the recipient of over 100 photography awards. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, featured in print and television media, and published in his book American Refugees, Forward by Jonathan Kozol, University of Minnesota Press (1991).
Jim began his career as a photojournalist in Detroit during the tumultuous 1960's with the 1967 Detroit riots one of the first major international stories he covered. Jim's photographs have been published in most of the world’s major print publications and he has covered many of the world’s major stories including the 1972 Munich Olympics and massacre, the 1979 Cambodian genocide by the Pol Pot regime, the death of 10,000 people during a cyclone near Calcutta, India, and the Wounded Knee siege in 1973. Jim also served with the White House Press Corps during his 16 year staff position with United Press International (UPI) and has photographed five U.S. presidents and numerous presidential campaigns including traveling with Bobby Kennedy shortly before his death in 1968.
After 25 years as a professional photojournalist, Hubbard founded Shooting Back in Washington, D.C. to empower disenfranchised youth with the ability to describe their world: with the camera they “shot back” as the experts of their lives rather than the subjects of a professional’s work. The pioneering nature of Jim's methodology has been cited in a wide range of literature and academic journals on photography, visual sociology and contemporary art. Hubbard also authored four books including Shooting Back, Forward by Dr. Robert Coles, Chronicle Books (1991) and Shooting Back from the Reservation, Forward Dennis Banks, The New Press (1994). Shooting Back’s photographs have been among the most widely viewed and publicized images in modern photographic history.
Jim holds both Master of Arts and Master of Divinity degrees. He is the father of four daughters.
Liz Leshin has more than 15 years of experience in non-profit development, starting with successfully writing grants for her own film projects. Her areas of expertise include strategic planning, individual giving, annual campaigns, volunteer development and event planning. Prior to joining Venice Arts, she worked with numerous non-profit organizations in the Los Angeles community ranging from schools to synagogues to the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association. Her position at Venice Arts marks the first time Liz has married her media arts background with her work in non-profits. In addition to her development work, Liz is a writer and filmmaker with a Masters of Arts in film production from New York University and a BA in Journalism and Comparative Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Joanne Kim is a photographer, artist, and educator based in Los Angeles. She has
been teaching and working in photography and media for the past ten years. In the
last four years, she dedicated herself to working with young people in the media
arts, particularly in photography. From 2005-2009, she was the Director of
Photographic Education and eventually the Director of Education for Venice Arts, a
non-profit organization focused on mentoring young people in the media arts to
express themselves creatively and to tell stories. At Venice Arts, she collaborated
with a web developer to create an innovative web site for young people to share
their work and to extend educational possibilities online.
In 2007, she traveled with Venice Arts to Mozambique to teach photography to
young people orphaned by AIDS. In June of 2010, she will be traveling to Palestine to
work on a Venice Arts’ participant-produced photography project with teens. She
has also taught and led several local participant-produced photography projects in
the Los Angeles area, predominantly with young people.
From 2003-2005, Joanne held a position as Adjunct Faculty at The Evergreen State
College and taught photography courses to college students, as well as teaching
community adult courses. Currently, she consults with Venice Arts on photography
and media projects, as well as consulting with businesses and organizations
interested in innovative ways to use media and technology.
Cathy de la Cruz is a filmmaker and writer originally from San Antonio, Texas. Cathy received her Bachelors degree from the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA in 2003 where she was a recipient of several research and projects grants to fund her filmmaking endeavors. In 2008, Cathy completed her MFA candidacy at the University of California, San Diego where she was a San Diego Fellow. Cathy has been a film festival programmer for several film festivals and screenings and has worked in various capacities of the film and video industry. Most recently, Cathy was the Youth Film Instructor at the 2008 San Diego Women's Film Festival. Cathy has a wide range of teaching experience, including teaching documentary video production to junior high students to teaching film and video production and theory to upper division college students. Cathy has shown her films both nationally and internationally and has written about her own filmmaking processes through contributions featured in the books, This Day in the Life: Diaries from Women Across America (Three Rivers Press, 2005) and Betsy Greer's Knitting for Good!: A Guide to Creating Personal, Social, and Political Change Stitch by Stitch (Trumpeter, 2008).
Deanna Erdmann is an artist and educator, working primarily in photography and video. Prior to joining the team at Venice Arts, Deanna was Adjunct Faculty at UC San Diego and Southwestern College. She received her Bachelors degree from UC Irvine and her MFA from UC San Diego where she was a Russell Grant recipient. Deanna is also co-partner of compactspace, an artist run gallery space in downtown Los Angeles. Recently, she culminated a collaborative project called Studio Green, which consisted of a two month long residency with accompanying interactive installation at the New Children's Museum in San Diego. She has exhibited work throughout the Southern California region, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Tijuana. Her photographs have been featured in publications like The Advocate, as well as book projects; Complicity with the Ground, by Serena Porrati; and Tijuana, A Fantasy of Absolute Place, by Shannon Spanhake. Deanna recently relocated back to Los Angeles from San Diego.
Board Officers
Leslie Robin (President/Treasurer) is President of Bamboo Associates, which helps non-profit organizations realize their full potential by connecting their vision to community impacts. Leslie has over 20 year of experience in the non-profit philanthropic field at the local and national levels, fostering change and meeting social and community needs through strategic planning, leadership training and organizational development. Leslie has provided management consultation to non-profit agencies serving in the fields of education, arts and human services. She held positions with the United Jewish Community (UJC) in community consulting, with the Council of Jewish Federation in national planning and with the Jewish Federation of the Greater East Bay, California in strategic planning, leadership development, grant making and fundraising. Leslie also has ten years experience as an Urban Planner. She has a Masters degree in Urban Planning from the School of Public Administration at New York University and a Bachelor degree from the School of Business Administration at the University of California at Berkeley.
Ruth Seroussi (Vice President) is an attorney. She has a long history of being active in the civic affairs of Venice and other local areas, including working as an attorney and advocate for poor tenants. Ms. Serossi, a Venice resident, is currently a member of the Venice Neighborhood Council’s Land Use and Planning Committee and is a major donor to Venice Arts.
Wendy Slusser, M.D. (Secretary) is an attending physician (pediatrics) at the Venice Family Clinic. She is also an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Department of Pediatrics in the UCLA School of Medicine, an Assistant Professor (Adjunct), at the UCLA School of Public Health and is Co-Director of the UCLA Community Health & Advocacy Program for Pediatric Residents. In addition, Dr. Slusser is Director of the UCLA Breastfeeding Resource Program, a member of the National Advisory Board for Parents Action for Children, and a board member for the Redwood Foundation. Dr. Slusser has been on the Venice Arts Board for nearly 3 years and is a major donor to Venice Arts.
Board Directors
Mike Newhouseis a real estate attorney and a Venice resident. He serves as an elected member of the Venice Neighborhood Council and is active on its Land Use and Planning Committee, among other responsibilities. Mr. Newhouse is a major donor to Venice Arts.
Neal Baer, M.D. is a Harvard–trained physician, practicing pediatrician, and award winning television writer and producer. Since 2000 he has been the Showrunner and Executive Producer of the NBC series “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit.” Before his tenure at Law and Order, he was Executive Producer of “ER.” He was also an adjunct professor (2001–2005) at the University of Southern California teaching in the area of health communications, health promotion and disease prevention, and sex education.
Dr. Baer's primary medical interests are in adolescent health and he has written extensively for teens on such topics as teen pregnancy, AIDS, drug and alcohol abuse and nutrition. He also serves on the boards of numerous health care organizations, including the Venice Family Clinic, Advocates for Youth, Children Now, and Physicians for Social Responsibility.
Dr. Baer has a unique ability to address the intersection between health, social issues, and media. As a television writer and producer, for example, Dr. Baer has developed public–health messages in conjunction with stories from the hit TV show ER, as well as after–school specials for teens on STDs. He also has presented locally and internationally to medical and public health students and faculty, television producers, and others on such topics as: Utilizing the Media to Effect Social Change; Storytelling and Social Change; Domestic and International Policies Affecting HIV and AIDS; Teens, Sex, and T.V.; and Health Messages in Prime Time Television.
Colette Bailey is an executive at Lucky Brand Jeans, a Venice resident and has been an active member of a number of local initiatives. Colette recently completed a term serving on the Venice Neighborhood Council. Colette is a major donor to Venice Arts.
Jodi Gusek, PhD is a strategic research executive and consultant with over 15 years experience developing branding, marketing and product development strategies for traditional and digital media companies. She provides actionable, customized research and strategic counsel to top media executives in broadcast and cable television, syndication, Internet, mobile, electronic gaming, and interactive technology. In addition, Dr. Gusek is Adjunct Professor at USC’s Annenberg School for Communications & Journalism. Previously, she led research and strategy as Senior Vice President, Corporate Research for Gemstar-TV Guide, Int’l. She has served on the Venice Arts Board for one year. In addition, she serves on the Advisory Board for Hollywood, Health and Society a program of the USC Annenberg Norman Lear Center, which provides entertainment industry professionals with accurate and timely information for health storylines.
Ian Toynton worked as a producer and director in television in England for 15 years before moving to Venice, California, in the mid-1990s. He has worked on many high-profile prime time productions both as a freelance Producer/Director and through his own Production Company, Turning Point, and has won awards on both sides of the Atlantic, most recently an Emmy nomination for his work on the critically acclaimed series ‘24’. He is currently Executive Producer/Director of the Fox series ‘Bones’.
Honorary Directors
Joy V. Simmons, M.D., Member Emeritus, is a radiologist at Kaiser Permanente, a founding member of the Venice Arts Board, and an avid collector of contemporary African-American Art. She is currently a member of the Board of Trustees of Stanford University and, in addition, sits on several other boards. She is a major donor to Venice Arts.
Mark Swope, Honorary Member, is a photographer and the manager of the John Swope Trust. He is a major donor to Venice Arts.
