ABOUT US

Meet our team

whose work allows us to advance our mission.

STAFF & CONSULTANTS

Lisa Scails
Lisa Scails

Executive Director

Lisa joined the Cultural Alliance of Western Connecticut in 2007 with a background in civil rights, social service, and as a small business entrepreneur. Scails serves as a member of the Private Sector Council for Americans for the Arts; a member of the Western Connecticut Economic Develop District Advisory group; and an active partner with the CT Office of the Arts.

Tiffany Johnson
Tiffany Johnson

Program Coordinator

Artist and Social Justice advocate, Tiffany is passionate about the BIPOC community and all the intersections related to equity and justice. She is our guru behind our Walk in Their Shoes programming and resources. An artists and equity minded spirit helping us to lead on issues of equity and justice.

VOLUNTEERS

Barbara Cirella

Barbara Cirella

Web Content

Barbara is our news content guru. She keeps up with all the news to share on our website. We’re very lucky to have her!

Lisa D'Amico

Lisa D'Amico

Curator

Fifteen years as a curator, Lisa helps us with online art exhibitions we present, throughout the year and much more!

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Our Board of Directors are our behind-the-scene Gurus. Expertise, committee work, ambassadors, and fundraising, all while working tirelessly to adopt sound, ethical governance.  

Lew Wallace

Lew Wallace

Chairman

Lew is the founder of the Cultural Alliance and continues to lead us today. He is a Director with CommonFund, an investment management firm in Wilton.

Dawn Kaam

Dawn Kaam

Vice Chairman

Dawn is a real estate agent but dance and horticulture, especially orchids 😉 are her creative passions. Dawn is a Realtor for William Pitt Sotheby’s.

Paul Steinmetz

Paul Steinmetz

Secretary

Paul is the Special Assistant to the President at Western Connecticut State University. He helps us with grants, events, and PR for the Alliance.

Paula Woodhouse

Paula Woodhouse

Treasurer

Paula’s financial expertise expands our resources to help creative entreprenurs and nonprofits. Paula is a Commercial Portfolio Manager with Bankwell Bank of New Canaan.

Dennis Daugherty

Dennis Daugherty

Board of Director

Dennis is a retired business executive and the former Chairman of the Western CT Chapter of SCORE. He serves in many capacities for CA.

Andrea Gartner

Andrea Gartner

Board of Director

Andrea is the Executive Director for Norwalk River Valley Trail. She is passionate about revitalizing Danbury’s urban core to create a cultural, artistic, and prosperous place.

Vicki Taylor-Bloch

Vicki Taylor-Bloch

Board of Director

Vicki is not only an interior design genius, but she also brings over 17 years as a supporter and community activist of local non-profit organizations. Vicki is a strategist and knows how to get things done!

Matt Austin

Matt Austin

Board of Director

Matt is an actor, director, and a writer. He spent years working in NYC in the theater industry for Broadway.com. Matt is the Director of Community Impact at The Center for Empowerment and Education. 

Susan (Suze) Shaner

Susan (Suze) Shaner

Board of Director

Suze serves as a Global Leadership, Organization Development and Learning Expert who supports people and equips organizations to be healthy, robust and resilient in uncertain times. 

Makayla Hill

Makayla Hill

Board of Director

Mikayla Hill is a reading instructor at Jericho Partnership in Danbury, CT, and is a bookseller at Barnes and Noble. She has previous educational experience tutoring students from elementary to college, teaching them how to write and express their creativity.