ADVISORY BOARD

The Tacoma Creates Advisory Board serves in an advisory capacity to the Tacoma Creates administration on funding programs to support public benefit in arts, culture, heritage, and science programs throughout Tacoma.

The Advisory Board consists of 12 volunteer members appointed by City Council. All members are residents of Tacoma, and have interest in, and familiarity with public programming in arts, culture, heritage, and/or science, as well as interest in Tacoma Creates goals regarding equity, access, and programs that provide public benefit for residents across Tacoma. Monthly meetings are held 5:30-7:30 PM on the first Monday of each month.

Currently, all Tacoma Creates Advisory Board meetings are hybrid, and can be attended either on Zoom, or in-person at the Tacoma Municipal Building, 747 Market St., Room 248. You can find the meeting information on the Agendas and Minutes page on the City of Tacoma’s website. Please click on the meeting agenda to find the Zoom link and other relevant information.

‍ The Tacoma City Council is currently seeking applicants to fill five positions on the Tacoma Creates Advisory Board:

Two Seats Available Based on City Council District: Open to any person residing in City Council Districts Numbers 1 and 4.
Two Seats Available Based on Personal/Professional Experience: Open to any person residing in Tacoma with professional expertise in arts, culture, heritage, science, and/or community engagement.
One Seat Available for an Emerging Leader: Open to any person residing in Tacoma between the ages of 16-24.

Applications are due by noon on Monday, June 22.

Apply now: tacoma.gov/cbcapplication

You can read the full press release from the City of Tacoma here: Applicants Sought for the Tacoma Creates Advisory Board | City of Tacoma

The Advisory Board, as a whole, will reflect the diversity of the City; board appointments will take into account racial and ethnic backgrounds, gender, age, and other aspects of personal and professional identity.

Current Members of the Tacoma Creates Advisory Board:

Appointed Position	Advisory Board Members	Biography	Term Expiration
Council District 1	Len Adams	Len grew up in Tacoma, and is an active supporter and participant in the arts. He values arts from music to sculpture to the written word, and thinks that arts are essential to a healthy community.	August 31, 2028
Council District 2	Nicole Kendrick	TCAB Chair Nicole Kendrick (she/her) is an educator, internship program developer, and champion for experiential learning at University of Puget Sound. She enjoys learning and exploring, connecting with others, and supporting the communities she is a part of. She resides in Northeast Tacoma with her husband and two school-aged children.	August 31, 2027
Council District 3	Vacant
Council District 4	Holly Oizumi	Holly Oizumi (she/they) is a private flute instructor, freelance musician, and non-profit leader residing in Tacoma's vibrant Lincoln District. She is a strong advocate for equitable and accessible community-focused arts programming, and performs regularly with a wide variety of ensembles across the region.	August 31, 2029
Council District 5	Elena Chernock	Elena Chernock is a facilitator and evaluator who supports communities to use creative, participatory processes to inform change. With over twenty years working in the arts and culture sector in a variety of roles, she is passionate about the power of the arts and ensuring they are accessible to all community members in Tacoma and beyond.	August 31, 2028
Professional Position 1	Martina Ngo	Martina Ngo is the owner of Charme Natural Nails Studio in Tacoma. She is a small business owner and creative entrepreneur with a strong commitment to community engagement, arts access, and supporting the local creative economy.	August 31, 2029
Professional Position 2	Mandy Zylstra	Mandy Zylstra (she/her) has called Tacoma her home for over 20 years with her husband and two children. She is an Instructional Facilitator for Tacoma Public Schools and oversees Art, Drama, Health, Music, and PE and desires to connect our schools to the amazing work being done around the city. She also hopes to be a part of creating a city that is both welcoming and nurtures a sense of wonder for all who reside and visit here, especially our children.	August 31, 2029
Professional Position 3	Kenita Gaines	Kenita Gaines is a healthcare leader, entrepreneur, and community advocate committed to strengthening Tacoma through service, access, and connection. She manages a Primary Care Clinic in Hilltop, serves on the Board of the Employee Community Foundation, and is the founder of Earthshine Apothecary in Tacoma. Kenita is passionate about the intersection of community health, arts and culture, and equitable access to opportunities that help Tacoma’s diverse communities thrive.	August 31, 2029
Culture	Katie Mattran	Katie Mattran (she/her) is a Nisqually tribal member residing in Northeast Tacoma with her husband and two school-aged children. She is an analyst, advocate, and community leader with a focus on education and access.	August 31, 2028
Public Education	Holly Smith	Holly Smith (she/her) is the Dean of Arts and Humanities at Pierce College with a daughter in the Tacoma Public School system. Holly views the arts as essential to our humanity and our ability to connect with / learn from one another across diverse life experiences.	August 31, 2027
Community Engagement	Faith Brown	Faith Selga Brown (she/her) is a dedicated and loyal Tacoma communitarian who synthesizes her time raising her family of 5, volunteering to increase and support access to diversely robust cultural and educational opportunities through organizational leadership, and is the Operations and Communications Manager for the Bryant Neighborhood Center on the Hilltop.	August 31, 2028
Emerging Leader	Daniel Diedrick	Daniel is a senior at Silas High School, where he is captain of the swim team. He immigrated from Korea nine years ago and has a passion for serving underrepresented communities in Tacoma. He also enjoys writing and recognizes the value the arts provide to students in the community.	August 31, 2027

ADVISORY BOARD The Tacoma Creates Advisory Board will serve in an advisory capacity to the Tacoma Creates administration on funding programs to support public benefit in arts, culture, heritage, and science programs throughout Tacoma. The application process for this new Board was open December 2019-January 2020, and there was a strong response from qualified residents in all five City Council districts. Interviews for board positions had been scheduled for late March, and were put on hold when all of the City’s Boards and Commissions were paused. The City Council committee that oversees this process, the Economic Development Committee, will resume meetings in the late summer and will reconnect with this process. Once seated, the Board will consist of 12 volunteer members appointed by City Council. All members will be residents of Tacoma, and have interest in, and familiarity with public programming in arts, culture, heritage, and/or science, as well as interest in Tacoma Creates goals regarding equity, access, and programs that provide public benefit for residents across Tacoma. Monthly meetings will be held 5:30-7:30 PM on the first Monday of each month.

The Tacoma Creates Advisory Board will include the following positions: A community member from Council District 1 A community member from Council District 2 A community member from Council District 3 A community member from Council District 4 A community member from Council District 5 Professional expertise in the arts. Professional expertise in culture. Professional expertise in heritage. Professional expertise in science. Professional expertise in Pre-K-12 public education in Tacoma. Expertise in community engagement/community development Youth Seat: A representative from the Mayor’s Youth Commission.

Learn more about the Advisory board