Our team

As Executive Director, Sharon provides visionary leadership in fulfilling the Levitt Foundation’s mission. She is the chief spokesperson for the organization, traveling across the country to share the impact of Levitt programs and creative placemaking. Her passionate commitment to the arts as a vehicle for creating equitable, sustainable and healthy communities has guided the strategic growth of Levitt programs nationwide, including the development of long-term public/private partnerships and sustainability strategies for the national Levitt network of venues and concert sites. In her role, Sharon also leads the Levitt Foundation’s contributions to the field, including research and field-building initiatives.

Prior to her position with the Levitt Foundation, Sharon was the founding Executive Director of Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles at MacArthur Park. Her work there and the venue’s impact in the community earned her the recognition of “Los Angeles Park Hero” by the City of Los Angeles. Sharon’s career began working with arts nonprofits in metropolitan Chicago. She earned a Bachelor of Music from Northwestern University with a concentration in arts and business management.

Sharon is often an invited speaker at regional and national conferences, including the National Main Street Conference; Grantmakers in the Arts; Walk/Bike/Places; Growing Sustainable Communities Conference; Association for Performing Arts Presenters; EcoDistricts Summit; National Recreation and Parks Association Conference; Music Cities Convention; City/Nation/Place Americas; FestForums; VenueConnect; and National Outdoor Recreation Conference, amongst others.

As the Director of Operations, Mark manages Levitt’s office operations, human resources, financial reporting and IT infrastructure. He plays a key role in ensuring all systems and procedures add to the efficiency of the Foundation so that our mission can be realized in the most cost-efficient and effective way.

Mark has dedicated his career to helping others through service in the nonprofit sector—from civic engagement, HIV/AIDS, and social work to healthcare, the military, and performing arts. For more than 10 years, Mark has been a strategic thought partner with boards and staff while creating and managing budgets, developing and implementing policies and procedures, and recruiting and nurturing staff, all while fostering a culture of accountability, inclusivity and collaboration. Mark prides himself on being a hands-on leader, supporting his teammates wherever needed.

Mark studied at the University of Southern California earning both a bachelor’s degree and a Master’s in Public Administration.

As Director of Programs, Victoria administers Levitt’s grants management process and plays a key role in the various network activities related to Levitt’s mission-driven work. Working closely with existing and prospective grantees, she is responsible for identifying resources and initiatives that provide meaningful support to the Levitt’s growing national network.

Victoria has over nine years of experience in grantmaking and community engagement. Prior to working at the Levitt Foundation, she worked at the Orthopaedic Institute for Children (OIC) where she developed operational standards, increased brand awareness through community relationships and secured major donations. Prior to OIC, she served as the Community Engagement Associate at the Lymphoma Research Foundation where she implemented an overall communications strategy and local grassroots marketing efforts to increase awareness of available resources, services and fundraising events. In addition to her community engagement experience, Victoria has worked in grantmaking with verve. At the W. M. Keck Foundation, she supported grantmaking activities for high-impact research, undergraduate education, and programs that enrich lives of local children and families. She received her B.A. in Sociology from Occidental College.

Victoria is very excited to utilize her experiences to support the grant programs at the Levitt Foundation which strive to help ignite economic growth, drive community engagement and enhance overall quality of life.

As Database Administrator, Lauren provides administrative support and data management for all of the Foundation’s grantmaking activities.

Before joining Levitt, Lauren worked in various education-related positions in Dallas, Texas and with survivors of gender-based violence in New York City. She is extremely excited to help advance Levitt’s mission of expanding equal access to the arts and fostering human connections across differing backgrounds nation-wide. Lauren graduated from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX with a B.A. in Public Policy and minors in Economics and Chinese.

As the Digital Communications Associate, Joanna creates content that is aligned with the Levitt Foundation’s mission, to create community through music. Supporting the Communications team, she manages the day-to-day curation, scheduling and posting of content on Levitt’s various social media channels. Joanna also plays an important role in the creation of blog posts, eblasts, web banners and other collateral materials as needed by the foundation.

Prior to joining the Levitt foundation, she worked in various content curation-related positions and as an English teacher for both high school and middle school students. Joanna graduated from University of California, Irvine with a B.A. in English and, most recently, earned a M.A. in English from California State University, Long Beach. Combining her skillset with her love of music and desire to make it accessible to all, she is honored and proud to be a part of the Levitt Foundation.

As Senior Communications Manager, Nicole plays a key role in implementing Levitt’s communications strategies for both internal and external audiences. The Senior Communications Manager supports the Director of Communications in the creation, implementation and oversight of print pieces, e-newsletters, eblasts, and website content.

Before joining the Levitt Foundation, Nicole contributed to various nonprofit arts organizations including the Guggenheim Foundation, Whitney Museum of American Art, and MoMA PS1. Nicole earned her B.F.A. from the University of Denver and M.A. in Arts Administration from Columbia University. Passionate about building community through the arts, Nicole is thrilled to be part of the Levitt team.

As Operations Manager, Arianne is responsible for providing administrative support to the foundation, including providing daily support to the Executive Director and Director of Operations. She also plays an important role in maintaining and managing the organization’s financial, HR, IT and donor records.

Arianne has a background in performing arts and is passionate about live entertainment and serving the community. She graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a B.A. in Theatre Arts, and earned a M.A in Theatre Arts, with a focus on audience and community engagement, from California State University, Northridge. Her community engagement experience includes developing and moderating multiple pre-show and post-show theatre panels on the California State University, Northridge campus, and working as an Audience Engagement Fellow in the Education, Engagement, and Community Partnerships Department at Center Theatre Group in downtown Los Angeles.

As Deputy Director, Vanessa plays a key role in the strategic direction and long-term vision of the Levitt Foundation as it pertains to funding allocation, program development, communications, research and field-building initiatives. She also spearheads new and existing partnerships to advance the organization and reflect Levitt’s mission, values and commitment to EDI, including funding and program collaborations.

Previously, Vanessa served as the Levitt Foundation’s Senior Director of Communications & Strategic Initiatives for nine years, where she led the Foundation’s creative vision and communications strategy and developed a vast portfolio to share the inspiring impact of the Foundation, its nonprofit partners and grantees, and the field of creative placemaking at large. Vanessa built her career working in the arts & culture sector as an award-winning writer, editor and content strategist. Her previous roles include: Editorial Director at Art Center College of Design; Arts Specialist for the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; and various communications and program positions with The Museum of Modern Art, Columbia University’s Research Center for Arts & Culture and The Philadelphia Museum of Art. Vanessa has been an invited speaker at a variety of national conferences including City Nation Place Americas, National Forum on Family Philanthropy, Main Street Now, ComNet18, Grantmakers in the Arts, the National Creative Placemaking Leadership Summit and the CASE Conference of Publications Professionals. She was also executive co-producer of the 2019 National Creative Placemaking Leadership Summit | Pacific in partnership with the National Consortium of Creative Placemaking and ArtPlace America. Vanessa earned her bachelor’s degree from Swarthmore College and received a master’s degree in Arts Administration from Columbia University. Her position with Levitt combines her lifelong passions for the performing arts, storytelling and social impact.

As Director of Communications, Sabrina develops and implements comprehensive communications strategies to build national visibility for the Levitt Foundation and the national network of Levitt music venues and Levitt AMP concert sites. Strategizing media and public relations, brand management and social media on behalf of the organization, she works with the Deputy Director and Communications team to support Levitt programs and advance the vision, mission and core values of the Levitt Foundation.

Sabrina is an accomplished public relations professional, crafting successful internal and external communications campaigns for high-profile corporate and nonprofit organizations. Combining her skills with her passion for spreading the joy of the arts and making them accessible for everyone, she’s proud to be part of the Levitt Foundation following careers at The Kennedy Center, The Music Center, Geffen Playhouse and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Sabrina graduated from the University of California, Irvine, with a B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Global Peace and Conflict Studies.

As the Programs Manager, Elizabeth works with existing grantees and plays a key role in identifying resources to support the Levitt Foundation network. She also manages network-wide collaborations and opportunities that are aligned with the Foundation’s values and mission.

Before joining Levitt, Elizabeth worked at various nonprofit organizations, assisting in programmatic support, organizational sustainability, and events management. Most recently, she worked in a nonprofit arts organization that supported music education through private instruction and cultural enrichment. Elizabeth graduated from California State University, Northridge with a B.A. in Journalism and recently received her M.A. in Nonprofit Management from Antioch University Los Angeles.

As the Program Officer, Amber provides meaningful support and resources to advance the work of Levitt AMP grantees as part of the Levitt Foundation’s grantmaking activities.

Amber has over ten years of program management and community engagement experience. Prior to the Levitt Foundation, she worked at a Los Angeles-based education and enrichment nonprofit where she developed their outreach and overall programmatic leadership. In addition to her programmatic experience, she also balanced her work while studying for her doctorate in African and African-American religion and culture. Amber is honored and excited to utilize her experiences to support the Levitt AMP program at the Levitt Foundation. Amber earned her Ph.D. in History from UCLA and is also a proud Howard University alumna.