The Appointment of Council Members

The appointed California Arts Council consists of a maximum of eleven (11) members who serve four-year staggered terms. The Governor appoints nine members; the Legislature appoints two members, one from the Assembly and one from the Senate. Council Members serve without salary, elect their own chair, and meet throughout the state to encourage public attendance. This body has final approval of California Arts Council grants and contracts. All appointments made to the council by the Governor shall be subject to confirmation by the Senate.

California Arts Council Members

Michael Alexander, Chair
Malissa Feruzzi Shriver, Vice-Chair
Eunice David
Charmaine Jefferson
Carlos Martinez
Chong-Moon Lee
Fred Sands
Karen Skelton
William Turner

Michael Alexander, Chair
Los Angeles

Michael Alexander is both the Artistic Director and Executive Director of Grand Performances, a nonprofit institution which presents free performing arts reflecting the best of global culture. Grand Performances is Southern California's largest presenter of free performing arts programs and a landmark nonprofit arts institution established with a primary focus on bringing together the diverse peoples of Los Angeles for concerts celebrating the community's cultural contributions.

Mr. Alexander arrived at Grand Performances after a successful career in arts management with such companies as the AMAN Folk Ensemble and the San Francisco Ballet, managing his own artists touring/booking company, and serving as the Director of Performing Arts for the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department. He currently serves on several nonprofit arts and community service boards, and co-chairs Arts for LA, a committee of arts leaders. He has participated as a consultant and panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, Housing and Urban Development, the California Arts Council, the Los Angeles County Arts Commission and the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department. Mr. Alexander recently moved from being the Co-Chair of California Arts Advocates to become the organization's Legislative Chair.

Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson appointed him in December 2003 to a term that expires on January 1, 2008.

*Mr. Alexander remains as Chair of the California Arts Council until the annual Council meeting in January 2008 when the Council elects the chair and vice-chair for 2008.

Malissa Feruzzi Shriver, Vice Chair
Santa Monica

Malissa Feruzzi Shriver was elected as Vice Chair of the California Arts Council on January 31, 2007. The professional painter, writer, and owner of Feruzzi Fine Arts was appointed to the Council on March 16, 2005, by Governor Schwarzenegger. As an artist, Ms. Feruzzi Shriver works in oils and specializes in both originals and recreations of old master paintings. She studied painting and sculpture at the University of California, Los Angeles, and comes from a family of accomplished artists.

Feruzzi Shriver is also a partner in I KORI ("daughters" in Greek), a small import business that sells beaded accessories made by women from a Cape Town, South Africa empowerment center for HIV-positive women rape survivors. She has been actively involved in charity work, and works with the Santa Monica Museum, the City of Santa Monica Department of Cultural Affairs, and the California Museum for History, Women and the Arts in Sacramento. Ms. Feruzzi Shriver was appointed March 9, 2005; her term expires January 2009.

Eunice David
Los Angeles

Ms. David has served as president of the Los Angeles County Music and Performing Arts Commission (renamed the Los Angeles County Arts Commission in 1997) and as a member of the board for several organizations including the Los Angeles Music Center. She was appointed to the Los Angeles County Music and Performing Arts Commission by the LA County Board of Supervisors.

Ms. David, together with her husband Academy Award-winning lyricist Hal David, established a program at The ASCAP Foundation to promote music education for high school students. The Hal and Eunice David Music Instructor-in Residence Program at The Los Angeles County High School for the Arts was launched in the 2003-2004 school year.

A former Coro Foundation Fellow, Ms. David served on the Commission of the Californias, a commission which examined the relationships between California and the two Mexican states of Baja California. She also ran her own interior design business creating unique creations for both home and office.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Ms. David to the Council on October 26, 2004. Her first term expired in January 2007, and on February 23, 2007, Governor Schwarzenegger reappointed Ms. David until the term expires in January 2011.

Charmaine Jefferson
Los Angeles

Charmaine Jefferson is currently executive director of the California African American Museum, a position she has held since 2003. Previously, Jefferson worked for Disney Entertainment Productions from 1998 to 2002 and de Passe Entertainment from 1996 to 1997.  Prior to that, she was executive director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem from 1992 to 1996 and served the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs as acting commissioner and deputy commissioner from 1988 to 1992. She also served as general manager of the Dance Theatre of Harlem from 1986 to 1987. Jefferson danced professionally for 13 years and is a member of the California Institute of the Arts, Board of Trustees and International Association for Blacks in Dance.

On February 23, 2007, Governor Schwarzenegger appointed Ms. Jefferson; her term expires January 2011.

Carlos Martinez
Fresno

Carlos Martinez, executive director of the Fresno Art Museum, is a native Californian (Los Angeles) with significant arts administration and community organization experience. He has been in his position with the Fresno Museum since 2004, and was previously a program officer for the James Irvine Foundation from 2002 to 2004, specializing in issues important to the Central Valley.

Mr. Martinez has also lived on the east coast, and from 2000 to 2002 he was vice president of community investments for the United Way of Massachusetts Bay. From 1995 to 2000 he was with La Alianza Hispana (The Hispanic Alliance), a community based, non-profit organization for the Latino population of the Boston area, serving as executive director from 1997 to 2000 and director of operations and personnel from 1995 to 1997.

Mr. Martinez is vice chair of the Fresno Coalition of Arts, Science and History; president of the Board for the Fresno Barrios Unidos, a community-based organization that provides healthy alternatives to violence and a nurturing environment for youth; and a member of the Fresno CORAL (Communities Organizing Resources to Advance Learning), the local branch of a major initiative of The James Irvine Foundation designed to boost student learning through out-of-school programs.

Mr. Martinez was appointed by Governor Schwarzenegger in November 2006 for a partial term that expired in January 2007. On February 23, 2007, Governor Schwarzenegger reappointed Mr. Martinez; his second term expires January 2011.

Chong-Moon Lee
Portola Valley

Mr. Lee is the founder and chairman of the AmBex Venture Group and the Silicon Valley Venture Fund, and the chairman of Nara Bancorp. His is also a commissioner and trustee for the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco: Chong-Moon Lee Center for Asian Art and Culture, a trustee of the Asia Foundation, and a founding member of the U.S. Asia Pacific Council.

On May 9, 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger appointed Mr. Lee. His term expires on January 1, 2010.

Fred Sands
Bel Air

Fred Sands is the chairman of Vintage Capital Fund. He is also a founder of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles and currently serves as a member of the Board of Trustees. In addition, Mr. Sands is an appointee to the President's Advisory Committee on the Arts, where he acts as a liaison to the Kennedy Center, and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Los Angeles Opera.

On May 9, 2006, Governor Schwarzenegger appointed Mr. Sands. His term expires on January 1, 2010.

Karen Skelton
Sacramento

Since 2000, Ms. Skelton has been a partner with the Dewey Square Group, a public affairs firm.  Ms. Skelton previously served as chief counsel for the Federal Highway Administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation from 1999 to 2000 and deputy assistant to President Clinton for political affairs in the White House and Vice President Al Gore's first political director from 1996 to 1999.  Prior to that, she served as counsel to the Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice and an attorney in the Environmental Division from 1993 to 1996. 

Ms. Skelton is a former ballet dancer and danced for 13 years with the Sacramento Ballet Company and while on scholarship danced with the San Francisco Ballet and the American Ballet Theater.

On February 23, 2007, Governor Schwarzenegger appointed Ms. Skelton; her term expires January 2011.

William Turner
Santa Monica

Mr. Turner has owned the William Turner Gallery since 1991. The gallery is located in Santa Monica and specializes in representing contemporary California artists. For the past 15 years, Mr. Turner has served on the Board of the California Lawyers for the Arts, where he has been an advocate and lecturer concerning issues of importance to artists.  Mr. Turner is a member of the State Bar of California and received his law degree from the University of San Francisco. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Colorado College, where he studied philosophy and fine arts. 

From 1995 to 2003, Mr. Turner co-chaired the LA International, a biennial art event. Galleries throughout greater Los Angeles invited international artists to exhibit in their galleries, with the goal of promoting collaboration between Los Angeles and the international art community. In that position, he worked closely with the Los Angeles and Santa Monica Departments of Cultural Affairs, galleries, museums and Consuls General throughout the city. Since 1994, Mr. Turner has been a contributing editor to the arts and entertainment magazine, Venice, and contributing writer to the Visual Artist’s Business and Legal Guide.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Mr. Turner to the Council on April 9, 2007, and his term ends in January of 2011.