Howard Spector – Executive Director
Howard Spector is the Executive Director of P.S. ARTS. He has been involved in the arts and arts education as a visual artist and administrator for over 30 years. Prior to coming to P.S.ARTS he served as the Director of Education at the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County Maryland, where, among other responsibilities, he developed a Teaching Artist Institute that trained artists in arts integration and school culture and developed extensive after school programs for at-risk youth. In addition, Mr. Spector has served as Vice-President for Education at Americans for the Arts, a national advocacy and policy organization in Washington DC; Cultural Arts Manager for the City of Manhattan Beach California and Executive Director of two on-profit photography organizations, the Los Angeles Center for Photographic Studies and the Light Factory, in Charlotte North Carolina.  He also continues to consult with non-profit organizations on program assessment, planning and arts education, and has been a panelist for many grant making organizations, including the U.S. Department of Education and the National Endowment for the Arts.   He has a B.S.C.E. in civil engineering form the University of Connecticut, and a Master of Fine Arts Degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo.  Mr. Spector has been a professional visual artist and has exhibited his work both nationally and internationally. 

Dr. Kristen Paglia – Director of Programming
Kristen Paglia began at P.S. ARTS in 2008 as the Director of Programming.  Kristen holds Masters’ Degrees in World Arts and Cultures from UCLA and Arts Education from Harvard University as well as a Doctorate Degree focusing on social development and dance programming from Harvard University.  She has extensive experience teaching in the visual and performing arts, managing arts programs in urban public and independent schools and developing arts curriculum and staff training materials.  In addition, Kristen has been a Special Education Teacher and is a working artist.

Victoria Querubin – Director of Finance and Operations
Victoria Querubin has 13 years teaching experience and over 18 years combined experience in for profit and nonprofit fiscal management. Prior to joining P.S. ARTS in 2006, she was the Director of Finance & Administration for Toberman Settlement House where she was instrumental in maintaining the fiscal viability of this century old social service organization. She obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Masters in Business Administration from the University of the Philippines. Whenever time allows, Victoria enjoys doing arts & crafts, gardening and taking short trips. She lives by “No other success can compensate for failure in the home” and “ buy what you need, what you can afford and what you want”.

Amy Shapiro – Director of Communications & Advancement
Amy, who has a background is special education, joined P.S. ARTS in September of 2001. Prior to P.S. ARTS, she was a High School Program Manager for Best Buddies of California, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the lives of people with developmental disabilities. During her tenure at P.S. ARTS, Amy has served as the Development Assistant, Associate Director of Foundation and Government Grants, Director of Special Events and currently, Director of Communications & Advancement. In her current capacity, Amy is responsible for overseeing the marketing, event planning and fundraising efforts of the organization.  Amy graduated from the University of Georgia with a B.A. of Science in 2000. In 2006 Amy earned a Masters Degree in Public Administration, with an emphasis on Non-Profit Management, from the University of Southern California. Amy currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Westside Food Bank, an organization that annually distributes more than a million pounds of food to social services agencies, shelters and food pantires across West Los Angeles.

Alison Forbes – Development Officer
As the Development Officer for P.S. ARTS, Alison unites her experience in arts education and fundraising.  Prior to joining P.S. ARTS, Alison was a Development Associate for the Autry National Center of the American West, the Education Outreach Coordinator for the Fuller Craft Museum, and the Grants Coordinator for the Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Foundation. She has a Master’s degree in Arts Education from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Tulane University.  Alison enjoys writing and co-authored a book titled The Peaceful Nursery published by Random House in 2006.

Elda Pineda – Program Manager
A Los Angeles native, Elda Pineda began her career as an actress at the age of thirteen and has been involved in theater ever since.  She received her B.A. in Theater from UCLA where she started her work as an arts educator for Kindergarten through high school students. Prior to joining P.S. ARTS in 2005, she worked extensively with theater companies with educational outreach components targeting at-risk youth, among them, Sinegang in Los Angeles and Sining KilUSAn in Seattle.  She is also the co-creator of the “Tell Your Story” after-school theater program dedicated to building self-esteem in eight grade girls. She continues to be involved as a volunteer with grassroots, Los Angeles area non-profits like WriteGirl, a writing and mentoring program for teen-aged girls and as an actor and director for Trade City, appearing in High Glamour in Ypsilanti, The Subscription and White House Dogs.

Richard Scher – Director of Professional Development
A noted composer and educator, Richard is the Director of Professional Development at P.S. ARTS.  He is also an instructor for the Orff Schulwerk Levels Certification Program at Cal State University, Los Angeles, former president of the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Orff Schulwerk Association, and a presenting clinician for numerous school districts and arts education organizations.  Richard joined the P.S. ARTS faculty in 1995 and was a Teaching Artist for eight years before joining the administrative staff in his current capacity, which includes designing curriculum and managing the professional development of our Teaching Artists.  Currently, Richard composes music for youth and adult choirs, creates music activities to support classroom literacy curriculum, and performs in traditional music ensembles. Previous to his career in education, Richard was a much sought after session musician in the R&B and Pop/Rock record industry. Richard has written and arranged songs for, played with and produced music for many superstars in the music industry, including Diana Ross, Bob Dylan, Jennifer Holiday, Kool and the Gang, Al Green, Jeff Beck and Patti Austin. Mr. Scher holds a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Sara Straubel – Marketing Manager
Sara joined the P.S. ARTS staff in 2006.  Within a year she was promoted to the newly created position of Marketing Associate.  In addition to working with the Director of Communications & Advancement in planning and executing events, Sara’s responsibilities include developing and updating P.S. ARTS marketing materials including the website, annual report, newsletters, event invitations, and press kits. Prior to P.S. ARTS, Sara worked in the entertainment industry at Creative Artists Agency and Kadokawa Pictures. Sara holds a B.A. in Journalism from Ithaca College.
 
Katie Schluntz – Development Coordinator
Katie is the newest addition to the P.S. ARTS family working as Development Coordinator.  Prior to her involvement with P.S. ARTS, Katie worked in the entertainment industry at All Access Staging and Productions. She received her B.A in General Studies with minors in Non-profit Management, Journalism, and Leadership, Ethics and Social Action (LESA) from Indiana University. During her time at IU, Katie worked as Director of Volunteer Support and was involved in many service-learning initiatives.  Katie’s responsibilities at P.S. ARTS include supporting the Advancement Department and Director of Communication and Advancement, as well as, assisting with events planning and fundraising events.