Board of Directors
Eric Wallner, President
Change agent committed to making nonprofits relevant and vital; experience ranges from organizational development and spearheading local cultural policy to collaborating on national initiatives and research; former Executive Director of Zaccho Dance Theatre in San Francisco, Deputy Director of the Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center; and Chief Executive Officer at the Torpedo Factory Art Center in Alexandria, VA
Ahmad Kakar, Treasurer
CEO with professional coaching firm Blossom; former consultant with McKinsey & Co., serving companies across numerous industries and helping them drive large-scale transformation and top-line growth; former Head of Strategy & Corporate Development at EdgeWave; Mr. Kakar has also been involved with charities such as Children of War
Matt Dedon
Bay Area attorney working directly with artists, arts organizations, and entertainers to help them realize their projects; former staff attorney with California Lawyers for the Arts; CLE Chair of the Art Law Section of the Bar Association of San Francisco, and Chair for the Licensing Technology & Transactions Interest Group of the California Lawyers Association
Afia Thompson
Co-founder of IAM affiliate Bahiya Movement in Oakland, CA; West African dancer for over 20 years; has performed nationally and internationally in genres including jazz, hip-hop, lindy hop, freestyle, and modern dance; has graced such stages as the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco International Art Festival, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and Oakland’s Art and Soul Festivals; her film MAPENZI: A dancer’s love affair with Dance, Body, and the Arts! was accepted to the 2019 San Francisco Dance Film Festival
Alexandria Wyllie, Secretary
Development Manager at Urban Ed Academy with over 10 years of event planning and fundraising experience; BA in Psychology and Film and Visual Culture from UC Riverside and Masters in Public Policy and Management from USC; before UEA, worked in Communications for Art Spark and The Sumba Foundation; born in Jakarta, Indonesia, and raised in the East Bay; Alex has called San Francisco home since 2015
Lisa Burger
IAM Executive Director since 2016; licensed attorney with over 10 years experience in arts nonprofit management; former Managing Director of Zaccho Dance Theatre; board member of SOMArts Cultural Center; Advisory Council Member of The Crucible; nonprofit consultant specializing in nonprofit formation, operations, and early strategic development
Robert Philipson
Founder of Shoga Films, a nonprofit media company in Oakland with a mission to create and distribute multimedia projects on race and sexuality that raise awareness and foster critical discussion; published author, newspaper drama critic, Peace Corps Volunteer, and member of the independent filmmakers collective We Make Movies
Maria Tuttle
Dedicated educator, writer, and artist of color based in Richmond, CA, with over a decade of experience designing and implementing innovative curricula focused on holistic, social-emotional learning and building resilience in marginalized communities; full-time English faculty member at Los Medanos College; founder and lead artist of Sketch Odyssey East Bay and IAM affiliate Children's Art Studio Richmond / Taller de Arte Para Niños Richmond