President’s Message
Welcome to The Ebell of Los Angeles. I am honored to serve as the 65th Board President. Thank you to my predecessors and to all who have worked tirelessly these past two years to keep us safe and strong.
The Ebell has been empowering women and serving the Los Angeles community since 1894. While much change has occurred during the past 100 years, we remain true to our original commitment to education, culture, and civic engagement. Through earthquakes, depressions, world wars, and pandemics, we have withstood the test of time. We have always found a way.
Our survival is testimony to a passionate and committed membership and a dedicated staff. We are a group of bold women, and a few men, of various ages, backgrounds, professions, and ethnicities, embracing each other, working together and persevering to build a better world.
Shuttered during much of 2020 and 2021, the doors of our historic 75,000 square foot, Italian Renaissance campus are back open, and our campus is once again humming with activity.
Our future is strong like the women behind us. The next two years will be a time of healing, recovery and of growth. We will focus on expanding and engaging our membership, building community through robust programming and partnerships, preserving our assets, diversifying our revenues, and strengthening our governing structures.
I invite you to visit us and become part of our extraordinary community of women. Check out our website or contact me directly to learn more about our history, programs, and volunteer opportunities.
Thank you again for this opportunity.
Laurie Schechter
Randi Jones, Vice-President
Stacy Brightman, Executive Director
Board of Directors
Laurie Schechter
President
Randi Jones
Vice-President
Donna Russell
Treasurer
Catherine Collins
Secretary
J. Lee Braly
Director of Finance
Phyllis Hansen
Director of Programs
Laura Louden
Director of Publications
Denise Parga
Director of Historic Collections
Christy McAvoy
Director of House, Theatre & Grounds
Julie Barkan
Director of Rest Cottage Association
Anne Lynch
Director of Scholarship
LaToya Hearns
Director of Membership
Claire Sebenius Cohen
Director of Public Relations and Marketing
Janis Barquist
Director of Governance
Fran Varga
Director of Development
Staff
323.931.1277
Tommy Bellissimo
Executive Chef
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Anessa Birkemeier
Director of Special Events
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Duane Davidson
Banquet Manager
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Meredyth Deighton
Director of Membership & Programming
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Alicyn Gianukos
Accounting Manager
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Erika Newman
Theatre Business Manager
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Rony Rosenbaum
Director of Human Resources
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Matthew Schroeder
Director of Production
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Alex Sierra
Bar Manager & Mixologist
Julia Soto
Director of Graphics & Data Systems
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Lorraine Bautista
Administrative Associate
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Taylor Coutcher
Theatre Administrative Coordinator
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Bre Flores
Special Events Coordinator
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Colleen Gonzalez
Payroll, Human Resources and Accounting Specialist
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Alexis Hernandez
Special Events Coordinator & Filming
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Amanda Kelly
SE Administrative Assistant
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Julia Long
Archivist/Collections Manager
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Sika Lonner
Development Associate
Anaida Makhmudyan
Revenue Specialist
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Katie Mastores
Senior Events Coordinator
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Holly Miller
Membership Assistant
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Jessica Morgan
Stage Supervisor
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Miriam Paredes
Graphic Designer
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Marsha Rosales
Graphic Designer
Greg Sidnam
Project Production Manager
Peter Sullivan
Filming Coordinator
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Thanh Tran
Special Events Assistant
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Yulita Zavada
Senior Events Coordinator
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Facilities Team
Gladys Gaona
Facilities Manager
Sal Mejia-Contreras
Lead
Sonia Barragan
Yesenia Medina
Arnulfo Mejia
Esteban Munoz
Marvin Perez
Oscar Serpas
