Speakers

Learn more and connect with our speakers

Carolyn Merino Mullin

Carolyn Merino Mullin is a cultural changemaker and nonprofit executive who has spent more than two decades advancing the arts as a catalyst for community transformation and social impact. As Executive Director of OPAC, the Oxnard Performing Arts Center Nonprofit, she stepped in during a period of severe budget cuts and potential closure and has since repositioned the organization as a vital civic partner—expanding access, deepening community relevance, and reimagining how the arts can respond to this moment. Under her leadership, Downtown Oxnard Cultural District earned official designation from the California Arts Council, unlocking new opportunities for creative placemaking and economic revitalization in the heart of the city.

A Miami native and proud Mexican-American, Carolyn’s career has spanned multiple sectors including museums, animal welfare, and youth education. She currently serves on the Animal Services of Ventura County Foundation Board of Directors and previously served with the Ventura County Arts Council, Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara and the City of Ventura’s Arts Commission. Carolyn earned her Bachelor’s in Religion Studies from the University of Florida and holds a Master’s in Nonprofit Management.

She enjoys hiking, meeting everyone’s dog and thrifting.

Workshops:

Nonprofit ≠ Non-Revenue: Rethinking How We Fund and Do the Work

Casey Comstock-Mills

Casey is the Program & Development Director at TOArts as well as a working musician, music director, singer-songwriter, freelance writer, and arts education consultant. A graduate of Indiana University, Casey’s music-directing, performance, and studio credits span the genres of pop, rock, and musical theatre. In addition, her fiction has been published in the Chicago Quarterly Review and been awarded the Myrtle Armstrong Prize for Fiction.

Panelist:

VibeWell Panel

Cheyenne Proctor

Cheyenne Proctor is a Ventura County–based artist whose creative practice centers reflection, connection, and emotional honesty. Through painting and personal storytelling, Cheyenne explores how creativity can serve as both a grounding routine and a bridge to community. Her work invites viewers to slow down, reconnect with themselves, and recognize the role art can play in supporting mental well-being across all seasons of life. Chey was the featured artist for the VibeWell Ventura County Sound of Silence Exhibition and is a member of the Last Place Art Club.

Panelist:

VibeWell Panel

Danielle Hildreth

Danielle Hildreth is a museum leader and experience strategist with over a decade of international experience launching and operating dynamic, visitor-centered cultural institutions. She has held leadership roles at the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus and OliOli Children’s Museum, and the World Expo 2020 Dubai where she has led large teams, managed multimillion-dollar operations.

Her work sits at the intersection of operations, exhibit design, and guest experience, with a focus on creating cohesive, mission-driven environments that resonate with diverse audiences. Danielle brings particular expertise in balancing visitor experience with brand identity, launching new initiatives, and building scalable, sustainable operational models that support long-term institutional growth in non-profit, for profit and governmental organizations.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sculpture and Art History from Colorado State University and a Master’s degree in Arts and Culture Management from Rome Business School.

Workshops:

Nonprofit ≠ Non-Revenue: Rethinking How We Fund and Do the Work

David Yoshitomi

David Yoshitomi is the Arts and Culture Manager for the County of Ventura’s County Executive Office, where he leads countywide efforts to advance the creative economy and expand access to arts and culture. A seasoned arts administrator with deep expertise in program development, strategic planning, and cross-sector partnerships, his work positions arts and culture as essential infrastructure- driving community wellbeing, economic vitality, and inclusive civic engagement.

David has been instrumental in shaping initiatives that elevate underrepresented voices and integrate the arts into public systems, from local government to health and community services. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of California San Diego and a Master of Public Administration from California State University San Bernardino.

Moderator:

VibeWell Panel

Graham Wetterhahn

Graham Wetterhahn is a multimedia producer, director, and consultant focused on creating new styles of theatrical performance. He is the founder and Producing Artistic Director of After Hours Theatre Company and the co-founder of digital theatre production company Pixel Playhouse. With a foundation in traditional theatre, he is at the forefront of developing non-conventional theatrical styles including immersive, live-streaming, and culinary events.

Panelist:

From Audience to Participant: Designing Immersive Experiences

Isha Ferraz

Isha Ferraz is the founder and director of Dance Ojai, nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing and promoting multi-cultural dance arts through classes, festivals, events, and performances that serve the local community. Since 2013, she has actively contributed to the artistic and cultural landscape of Ojai through performance, production, creative leadership, and community-centered programming. She currently serves on the Board of Directors at the Ojai Art Center, further supporting the vitality and continued evolution of the arts in the region. She has held leadership roles within nonprofit and commercial ventures in the United States and abroad across fields including health and wellness, visual and multimedia arts, performing arts, and personal development.

Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Vocal Performance with a minor in Business Management from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. She also holds multiple certifications in health and wellness, dance, group fitness, yoga instruction, and personal development.

Panelist:

VibeWell Panel

Supervisor Kelly Long

Kelly Long was first elected to the Ventura County Board of Supervisors representing the 3^rd District in 2016 and is currently serving her third term. Previously, Kelly was a Trustee with Pleasant Valley School District. Supervisor Long is a long-time Camarillo resident and comes from a family of small-business owners and educators.

Speaker:

Welcome Remarks

Maribel Hernandez

Maribel Hernandez is Executive Director of Bell Arts Factory, where she also serves as an art teacher, curator, and studio artist. She also started the first Spanish language youth art program in Ventura County. She holds an AA in Fine Arts and AS in Graphic Arts from Ventura College, and was the 2017 ArtWalk Ventura Artist of Distinction.

Originally from Michoacán, Mexico, her practice spans painting, murals, ceramics, photography, graphic design, and fashion accessories. She has coordinated Día de Los Muertos events in Ventura for over 25 years and established an annual Frida Kahlo tribute at Bell Arts Factory. Her work reflects a vibrant use of color and cultural pride, extended through group exhibitions across Ventura County and guided cultural tours in northern Baja California.

Panelist:

VibeWell Panel

Nan Young

Nan Young founded Art Trek in the early 1990s, transforming a bedroom startup into a thriving nonprofit with 110+ employees and a 16,000-square-foot facility. Her entrepreneurial, self-sustaining model delivers quality arts education to schools and underserved communities, serving hundreds of thousands across multiple countries. Nan was named 2024 Woman of the Year.

Workshops:

Nonprofit ≠ Non-Revenue: Rethinking How We Fund and Do the Work

Niki Richardson

Niki is the Executive Director of TOArts where she runs the nonprofit like a business with a triple bottom line philosophy of People – Programs – Profit for Good. When you focus on mindset instead of money, and relationships over transactions, money shows up. She writes a food and travel blog called www.thegalavantinggastronome.com blending her love for both.

Workshops:

Nonprofit ≠ Non-Revenue: Rethinking How We Fund and Do the Work

Patricia Friberg

Patricia Friberg is an academically published coach and practitioner-researcher with two postgraduate degrees in applied positive psychology and coaching psychology, and creative arts therapy. Now a doctoral candidate, her research explores the role of the arts in workplace relational well-being. She works with individuals and teams using evidence-based, reflective approaches to support growth.

Workshops:

Micro-Arts Practices for Workplace Well-Being: Creative Pathways to Reflection and Flourishing

Raudel Banuelos

Raudel Bañuelos is a respected Chumash elder and former Vice Tribal Chair of the Barbareño/Ventureño Band of Mission Indians. For more than 40 years, he has served as a cultural leader and educator, sharing the traditions, history, and spiritual practices of the Chumash people, whose ancestors have been stewards of this land for thousands of years.

Known for offering traditional blessings that honor the four directions and the sacredness of the land, Raudel has guided countless community gatherings, ceremonies, and public events with wisdom and care. Through his leadership, he continues to foster understanding, healing, and respect for Chumash traditions and the enduring spirit of the land.

Speaker:

Welcome Remarks

Tracy Hudak

As the Director of Policy & Advocacy for CA for the Arts, Tracy leads policy research and development, advocacy strategy and mobilizations of California arts advocates. She is a theater and visual artist, and a consultant who works at the intersections of art and economic development, civic engagement and creative placemaking.

Workshops:

Focus Group: Taking it to Sacramento