Board of Directors
Lissa Reynolds, Founder
Lissa Reynolds, Founding Director is an actress, President of the California Performing Arts Centre, and Co-Artistic Director of the Fremont Centre Theatre. Lissa was a recent 29th District Congressional Woman of the Year, has received a Gold Crown Award from the Pasadena Arts Council, recognition awards from Women At Work, Women In Theatre, two PTSA Distinguished service awards and, most recently, an Image Award from the Mayor of South Pasadena. She received Senator Carol Liu’s 2014 Women Mean Business Award Recipient that honors local women whose endeavors and contributions have enhanced the economic vitality, diversity, and quality of life in the 25th Senate District.
Sandy Kitto, President
Sandy Kitto has enjoyed a successful career in the textile industry for over thirty years. Her endeavors have been creative merchandising, marketing, fabric design & development as well as administrative – sale, production, purchasing & management. Happilyshe has been a South Pasadena resident for the past eleven years and enjoyed the vibrant, creative, and family friendly culture unique to South Pas. Her two children came to South Pas in their early teens and have benefitted from the diverse artistic experiences afforded them here before leaving the nest as adults.She looks forward to building on this creative energy to support the multifaceted artistic community of South Pasadena.
Dean Sheldon Serwin, Vice-President
Dean Serwin is a graduate of UCLA Law School who began his practice of law in 1990, works primarily in the entertainment industry. His experience prior to establishing his private practice included working for a sole practitioner with several platinum artists, as head of legal for a film and TV production and distribution company, and positions at the Director's Guild of America, BMI and Capitol Records.
Dean has lectured extensively for groups ranging from Art Center film students to Harvard MBA’s and from California Lawyers for the Arts conferences to The Learning Annex. Dean's South Pasadena, CA based solo law practice began in 1994 and serves clients in all areas of the music, film, video, TV, internet, distribution and social media businesses, including record labels; music publishers; recordings artists; songwriters; music, television and film producers; social media personalities; managers; television, film, internet and video game production and distribution companies; business executives and consultants; authors; social media influencers; clothing companies; as well as others involved within the entertainment industry.
Dean spent 6-years on the SPEF Board, including 5-years on the Executive Committee, chairing the Fall Fund Drive for three years and helped found and then chair the Major Grants Committee for the other two. He has served the South Pasadena community in other ways, including as Committee Chair for his son Liam’s Boy Scout Troop (342), as a member of the committee running Measure S and Measure SP (including acting as co-chair of the Marketing Committee and producing and/or directing 2 short films to promote Measure SP), and most recently serving as Vice-Chair of the Measure SP Community Oversight Committee.
Lynne Heffley, Secretary
Lynne Heffley, a former Los Angeles Times staff arts writer, is a South Pasadena-based freelance writer/editor whose clients include non-profits, educational institutions, and arts organizations. A founding member of The Journalism Shop, Lynne is a copy editor for the LA Stage Alliance's online publication, thisstagela.com, and recently served as a copy editor for Art Center College of Design's new edition of the school's comprehensive history in hardcover (a major project involving more than 45 bios of artists working in multiple disciplines). Lynne is currently working as both editor and copy editor for a veteran university teacher of teachers on a book about her educational methodology rooted in the spatial domain.
Other clients: The Huntington (botanical features), USC School of Theater, Braille Institute, Burbank Leader and Glendale News-Press (theater reviewer, fine art, classical music features), Center Theatre Group, Parents’ Choice Foundation (senior music critic and book reviewer), Kirkus Indie (book reviewer).
Brian Bright, Treasurer
Brian Bright is an avid tinkerer and technologist with a bad case of an ever expanding record collection. Brian moved to South Pasadena 4 years ago with his wife and their three children and has worked for the video game company, Activision for the past 23 years. Brian began his career as an audio designer, scoring iconic music loops, recording VO and creating unique sound effects for a number of 1990's era Activision games. In the 2000's Brian became the Game Director for many Tony Hawk, Guitar Hero, and Call of Duty games, responsible for sales of over $5 billion. In working in the gaming industry, Brian is a listed inventor on eight issued patents in both hardware and software, including the iconic Guitar Hero guitars and drums. In addition to game design direction, Brian has been responsible for the curation and music supervision of eleven influential game soundtracks. Brian has been a DJ for thirty years and enjoys restoring classic analog synthesizers and discovering new ways to explore the creation of music.
Andrew D. Bernstein
Andrew Bernstein grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he was an avid sports fan who participated in the action through the lens of a camera. While attending the University of Massachusetts Amherst, his portfolio earned him a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship and a scholarship to attend the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Calif., where he earned a BFA in 1981.
Bernstein’s photography has appeared in thousands of newspapers and magazine covers worldwide, as well as major advertising campaigns for over 30 years. Recent commercial projects include featuring some of the world’s top athletes for Nike, Reebok, Adidas, Pepsi, Coca-Cola, Icy Hot and GlaxoSmithKline.
Andrew and his company, Andrew D. Bernstein Associates Photography, Inc., has served as team photographer for the LA Lakers, LA Kings, LA Clippers and LA Dodgers. In addition, Bernstein holds the position of Director of Photography for STAPLES Center and Microsoft Theater L.A. Live, the sports and entertainment complex in Los Angeles.
Andrew is a mentor and board member at Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA), a youth center benefiting inner city children and teens, where he was also instrumental in creating an after school photography program. In December 2005 HOLA honored Andrew with their “Hero of the Heart Award” recognizing him as their volunteer of the year.
Blue Trimarchi
Richard Blue Trimarchi has a BA in Fine Art with a emphasis on painting from the College of Creative Studies at U.C.S.B. He also attended Art Center College of Design with a major in Environmental Design at the old Art Center campus in Los Angeles. In 1987, Mr. Trimarchi started the Art Works in Pasadena, California. The Art Works has continued to serve the Art community to this present date. The Art Works specializes in the reproduction of Art and all aspects of promotion in helping artist further advance their careers. Through the years the business transitioned from traditional film and photography to a studio with state-of-the-art digital capabilities both in digitizing art and also fine art “Giclée” printing. The Art Works’ website is www.fineartpublishing.com.
Celina T. Duffy
Celina Duffy is a creative director and artist with an extensive background in brand strategy, graphic design, and website development. As the founder and CEO of Tagline Communications, Inc. (tagline.com), Celina has been helping companies grow through the use of effective branding and visual identity for over two decades. She enjoys helping organizations and businesses evolve and find solutions for their creative needs. Over the last 20 years, she has had the opportunity to work on projects for the City of Los Angeles, Smithsonian Institution, ArtCenter, The White House, USC Pacific Asia Museum, LA Cultural Affairs Department, LA County Department of Mental Health, Starwood Resorts, Hilton, Deluxe Entertainment, Company 3, Picture Shop and Epson America. Celina is passionate about the arts and has been recognized by the City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Office and Board of Public Works for her artistic contributions.
James Reynolds
James Reynolds is a 2-time Emmy nominee best known for his role as Abe Carver on NBC’s Days of Our Lives. He is a 40-year veteran of stage, screen and television. James is proud to have played one character, Abe Carver, longer than any African-American actor in the history of television, daytime or nighttime. James received a Special Recognition Award from the National Black Theatre Festival in 2011 for his contributions to theater, television, and film. A native of Oskaloosa, Kansas, James has been named one of that state’s 105 Greatest Citizens: a list that includes Dwight Eisenhower, Emilia Earheart, Bob Dole and Gale Sayers among other notables of the Sunflower State. A former Marine, James served as the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Spokesperson for Hospitalized Veterans from 2010 to 2012. He is the only person to have served in that position for 3 terms. James and his wife Lissa are the owners and co-artistic directors of the Fremont Centre Theatre in South Pasadena.
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Tracy Macrum
Tracy is a long-time resident of South Pasadena. Once the operations manager of the South Pasadena Review and editor of the Quarterly Magazine, she is now a real estate agent at Compass. Raised in the San Francisco Bay Area in the late 60s and 70s, she grew up surrounded by art and music, courtesy of her hippie mom and by virtue of being a teenager in the 70s. Her original career as a paralegal in San Francisco has provided for a well-rounded skill set, with a broad range of experiences. In her spare time, Tracy is constantly seeking out live music experiences, the great outdoors, or a ballgame at an iconic stadium. She is also a big supporter of the arts, sponsoring or volunteering her time to local organizations and events.
Margo Newman
Margo Newman is an Emmy-winning writer, producer, and director with over 25 years’ experience working in film, television and theatrical productions. Born in Washington DC, Ms. Newman grew up steeped in museums and the arts. She received her BA from The University of Maryland, College Park, then worked as a theater critic and US Park Ranger before moving to Los Angeles. She holds an MFA in directing and producing from The UCLA School of Theater Film and Television and works in both narrative and documentary production wearing a variety of creative hats. She designed and taught a filmmaking boot camp to former foster youth as part of the PBS initiative To Foster Change and received an Emmy Award for her producing work on the prime-time documentary, Finding Home. She is currently in development with Alexander Payne on a limited series about the artists Diego Velazquez and Juan de Pareja. She counts among her greatest accomplishments producing a live interview with astronauts in space and being the mother of two wonderful young adults. She lives in South Pasadena, California with Henry, her Old English Sheepdog from the pound.