Glidehouse Initiative Project Architect & Proposed Team /Background:

Michelle Kaufmann AIA
Architect.

Graduated Princeton and worked with Frank Gehry (Guggenheim project) prior to opening her own studio and creating the innovative Glidehouse. (learn more about Michelle Kaufmann Designs)

Marshall Mayer
Operates Live Modern, which markets modern architecture and is the sales/construction liaison for Michelle Kaufmann Designs and the Glidehouse.

Greg Reitz
LEED Advisor.

Formerly Green Building Advisor for the City of Santa Monica, he is principle and founder of ReThink Development an innovative real estate development company committeed to environmental, social and economic sustainability. He is a LEED professional.  His own sustainably designed house that he built was featured in Dwell and the LA Times.

Steven Strong

Solar Design
Consults and designs solar applications. His clients have included the White House, The Discovery Center Santa Ana (The Cube), and Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Strong and his office were early advisors to the New Museum plan.

Nancy Goslee Power
Landscape architect.

A current award winning practice has included work with architects: Frank Gehry, Rem Koolhaas, Michael Maltzan, Koenig/Eisenberg on projects such as The Norton Simon Museum and Disney Hall.

Tim McNeil

Interactive Demonstration Site Exhibit Design.
Asst. Professor of Design and Director of Design Museum at UC Davis who is also a private consultant in sustainable design /interactive exhibitions. His work has included the Robert Redford Building/NRDC’s education center in Santa Monica.  Tim McNeil is a member of CAM’s* Green Museums Initiative Committee.

Sonora Beam

Brand and Web Design.
Consults with businesses on sustainable design for branding, web sites as well as strategic marketing. She holds a degree in sustainable business and is Chair of the AIGA SF Environmental Committee (Graphic Designers).

Tim Street-Porter

Photographer.
A noted photographer who documents architecturally significant homes and buildings. His work has been featured in national design magazines including Architectural Digest, Metropolitan Home and others.  Many books of his photography have been published.

Katherine Anne Lewis

Site Advisor.
Consults with developers on site placement issues. Her work includes the highly successful The Grove in West L.A.

Deborah Butterfield

Artist.
An artist whose work is in the collections of museums and institutions worldwide including UCLA.  A Deborah Butterfield Horse bronze sculpture will be commissioned for the Glidehouse visitor’s deck.

Andy Takakjian

Graphic Designer.
An innovative graphic designer and artist who has worked successfully with the Museum since 1999.


Third Party Review:

Sheila Campbell
Consults and conducts workshops for corporations on thinking creatively. Her clients include The World Bank and Newsweek. She also consults on strategic planning with clients such as Museum of Fine Arts Boston. She is the author of a book on Corporate Retreats.

Ed Hare Sr.
A retired CPA whose clients included J. Paul Getty and Kirk Kirkorian. Ed has been a long time Downey resident and member of DMOA’s Board. He is on the Executive Committee and is Treasurer.

Project Management & Operations:

Kate Davies
Project Executive Director
Has 30 years in the field of arts and culture with a degree in Art History and a background in art business, cultural tourism, and cultural communications. She was a member of LAVA (L.A. Visual Arts) that set out to make Downtown L.A. a designated Arts District that it is today. A member of the Board of Directors of the California Associaiton of Museums (CAM), she chairs the Communications Commitee and its public cultural tourism project.

She also has an almost 20 year knowledge of and involvement in the sustainability/ecology field. In 1992, she attended the U.N. Summit on the Environment (Earth Summit) in Rio.  She is Founding Chair of the Green Museums Initiative at CAM (California Association of Museums). Also, she is a founding member of the Southern California Chapter of Congress for New Urbanism.

She is the author of the New Museum Plan: Blueprint for Sustainability, that was enacted by the Board in 2000 and again with new budget by the Executive Board in 2005.  She has guided the renewal plan since 1998.

Anita McGarr
Project Management
Has a background in entertainment specializing in contracts and finances as well as other legal issues pertaining to business. Her background also includes non-profit education where she developed educational media programs. She has worked with artists and organizations such as Willie Nelson, NASA, and JPL.

Robert Maya Jr.

Assistant

A preservationist with a love of modernism. He is a collector of found objects with a history. Always meticulous in his work, he is a godsend in his support of our work.

Board of Directors

Executive Committee/ Officers:

Carmela Spencer
President
Philanthropist. Arts Supporter. Collector. She has an over 40 year love of the arts from the first time she saw Salvador Dali’s work at Barnsdall in the 60’s.

Jeff Marks
Secretary / Treasurer
Businessman. Photographer. Jeff has been a photographer for over 40 years and owned his own business for 30. He has served on the Board of the Fullerton Museum and the Anaheim Visitors and Convention Bureau. Jeff is a collector of art and antiques and an artist in his own right.

Jeff Millet
Vice-President
Publisher. Jeff has worked in design, advertising and publishing for over 35 years. He is also a noted expert on Western Historical Art and is a longtime collector.

Board Members:

George Redfox
Board Member
Teacher. Architectural and Neighborhood Preservationist.  Photographer. George teaches photography and R.O.P. at Warren High School in Downey. George is also a Public Arts Commissioner for Downey. He is Chair of the DMOA Young Visitors & Artists Committee. He is a long-time Downey resident.

Ara Oshagan
Board Member
Physicist. Artist. Ara is an accomplished photographer and the recipient of California Humanities Grant for his work Traces of Identity. He won the Freedom Award from the Armenian National Congress for his work Witness for its exhibit at DMOA in 2000.  He is Chair of DMOA’s Armenian Arts Council.

Jenny Pridham

Board Member

Teacher. Jenny is a long-time Downey resident who teaches at Griffiths Middle School. She formed and oversees the Ceramics club, an afterschool program.

Shirley Haworth

Board Member

Retired Socialworker with County of Los Angeles. Shirley is a long-time Downey resident. She is a lover of modern furniture and design as well as contemporary glass.

_________________________________

*About CAM: California Association of Museums. The California Association of Museums represents a diverse, dynamic community of individuals and institutions that seeks to assure the future of California’s cultural and natural heritage. DMOA is a member of CAM and its Director, Kate Davies is a member of the Board of Directors and the founding Chair of CAM’s groundbreaking Green Museums Initiative “ to inspire California museums to develop green business practices, eco-friendly facility management, and sustainable programming.” Follow these links to learn more about CAM and GMI.

*DMOA is also a member of: AAM (American Association of Museums), The US Green Building Council, USGBC/LA, Congress for New Urbanism (founding member of So Cal Chapter), Slow Food USA/Slow Food L.A., Southern Foodways Alliance and Bioneers.