Trustees
Dr. Jessica Russo Revand, President, moved to the City of Fairfax in 2016 and was inspired to join CFTC’s Board as Volunteer Chair after performing in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 2017. She and her family participate in numerous productions throughout the year, including the summer musical and CFTC camps. Her passion for the arts began during her childhood, where she performed extensively with the Greater Hartford Dance Academy and the Skating Club of Hartford. While at Dartmouth College, she performed and traveled with The Glee Club and her college a cappella group. She was a member of the San Francisco Symphony Chorus under the direction of Vance George and currently sings with the adult choir at St. Leo’s Catholic Church in Fairfax City. In 2019, she was appointed to the City of Fairfax Commission on the Arts. She is committed to increasing the presence of performing arts within the City. Dr. Russo is also an endodontist in private practice in Burke, VA, and holds a doctorate from the University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine and a Master’s degree from the University of Maryland – Baltimore.
Michael O'Dell, Chairman, is the President of RockFire Consultants, a Culinary and Customer Experience firm with project experience in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the United States. A graduate of the Cordon Bleu in Paris, France, Michael has worked with Hyatt, The Ritz-Carlton, Shangri-La, and multiple independent Michelin-star restaurants. A past board member of the Columbus Montessori Education Center, he is also the Past Chair of the Central Ohio Restaurant Association Political Action Committee. Michael has established a financial planning practice with Morgan Stanley and Wells Fargo, and has lived in Fairfax since 2012, where he lives and works with his wife Kathleen and their 3 children. Michael’s hobbies are coaching football & wrestling, acting in local community theatre, and working with his hands on residential design and construction projects.
Jim Eckloff, Vice President/Governance Chair, is a captain for Southwest Airlines and has been with the airline for 17 years. He received a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from UCLA and became commissioned into the United States Navy through ROTC. During his 12 years in the Navy, Jim became deployed to the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, and the Persian Gulf. He also received a master's in Aeronautical Engineering, graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School, and served the last four years as a developmental test pilot before transitioning to the airline industry. Jim is an avid piano and guitar player and played bass guitar in the pit orchestra for CFTC's Footloose and Beauty and the Beast. His initial involvement with CFTC was through his two sons, who have performed in the last four musicals. During those shows, he and his wife, Suzanne, have worked behind the scenes in everything from set builds and strikes to ushering and concessions.
Brandon K. Moon, Treasurer, is an attorney and affirmative action consultant at Sparlin Law Office, PLLC in Fairfax, Virginia. A graduate of William & Mary School of Law, he advises clients on employment issues, specializing in affirmative action planning and OFCCP compliance. He currently serves as the Vice President of the Washington Metropolitan Industry Liaison Group. Mr. Moon has one CFTC acting credit to his name, and is also involved locally in volleyball, softball, mountain biking, and improv comedy. He lives in Fairfax with his radiant wife, three glowing children, and his slightly less-effulgent dog. As a recent recruit to the CFTC, Mr. Moon is realizing that community theater is the answer to most of life's problems.
Renee Tajudeen, Secretary, is the Director of Policy Communication and Outreach at the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. In this role, she oversees nationwide public awareness and education campaigns to increase workplace success for people with disabilities. She is a graduate of the University of Florida where she earned a Master of Arts in Mass Communication with a specialization in Public Relations. Renee was heavily involved in athletics, music and theater when growing up and thoroughly enjoys parenting two boys with deep interests in these areas. She has served as a baseball coach and Fairfax Little League board member and is thrilled to now be a part of CFTC. She has witnessed this mighty theater company connect people of all ages, including her son Noah, and looks forward to helping CFTC continue to creatively expand while showcasing Northern Virginia’s finest talents!
Olga Bukharina, Finance Chair, has 20 years of finance operations background in multinational energy companies, most recently in Terraform Power, a public renewable energy company, as a Head of Treasury. She has professional certifications in accounting, treasury and internal audit. She has a BS in Economics from Eastern Kazakhstan University, and is pursuing Global Executive MBA in TRIUM, a partnership of New York Stern, London School of Economics and HEC Paris School of Management. She enjoys theater, music and art and continuously looking for opportunities for her three kids to grow their skills in performance, math and languages. She is happy to be part of CFTC and see it fulfilling its mission to connect community through theater.
Ashley-Rose Dickey, Development Chair, joins the City of Fairfax Theatre Company team after participating in shows through the company for over four years. Past production credits include Hairspray (CFTC, Costume Design), The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe (CFTC, Costume Design), Hope Endures(IBC, Producer/Stage Manager), Our Town (RCP, Run Crew) Hairspray (RCP, WATCH nominated Costume Design), Rigoletto (Wolf Trap Opera, supernumerary), and many more. When not prepping for a show, Ashley-Rose works at Georgetown University as the Executive MBA Program Manager and holds a BS in Business Administration. Ashley-Rose participated in the NOVA children's theatre scene as a child and is thrilled with the opportunity to bring the same joy, experience, and opportunity to those in Fairfax.
Chrystina Herring, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair, is a lifelong lover of the arts. Her love for a diverse range of artistic expression, learning and equity have led her to teach and share her passions with her students. She is a graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University, where she was on the dance team and had the opportunity to perform with the Starr Foster Dance Project. Most recently, Chrystina has been dabbling in the world of stand-up and comedic improv. She also loves to share how she sees and experiences the world through writing and photography. Her goal is to find ways to make the arts more accessible to all communities!
Lori Huberman Hayes, House Operations Chair, has been working in Fairfax County Public Schools for 25 years. She is a graduate of Towson University and earned her Masters of Education with an emphasis in Instructional Technology from George Mason University. She started her career as a 4th and 5th grade teacher, and has been working for the past 18 years as the Science Tech Resource Teacher at Daniels Run Elementary School located in the City of Fairfax. Ever since her daughter Samantha was cast in CFTC’s musical “Hairspray,” she has seen first-hand the amazing CFTC productions and is thrilled to be more involved in the organization. When she’s not working at Daniels Run, driving her two children to all their activities or volunteering with CFTC, she likes to play soccer, spend time with her husband, and try to tire-out her two year old Vizsla, Rooney.
Maria Moore, PR & Marketing Chair, is the Vice President of Marketing for DLT Solutions, a tech data company that provides IT solutions to the public sector. Maria and her team develop and create strategic marketing plans leveraging modern marketing tactics to drive thought leadership, pipeline development, and social awareness. Before Maria entered the IT market she was the Vice President of Fox Modeling & Acting Studio in Falls Church, VA. She was responsible for the recruitment of clients and models/talent for media, print, and runway bookings and placements for radio/tv commercial and local productions. She later toured the U.S. as a model/talent scout for The Models Group where she found and placed talent with agencies from New York, Miami, and Chicago. Maria lives in Fairfax Station, VA with her daughter and husband and has volunteered backstage on many Robinson “Rambunctious” theatre productions.
Sharon Petersen, Board Member At-Large, is the Managing Partner for Chap Petersen & Associates, PLLC. The firm's primary area of practice is litigation, primarily focusing on commercial disputes and property rights. She runs the human resources department and keeps the books, as well as oils the hinges of squeaky doors. Prior to this venture, she practiced elder law and estate planning for over 10 years. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (BA '93) and the American University Washington College of Law (JD '97), she tries to carve out time to write, make music, and perform while helping her four+ children navigate the beginnings of life and her parents navigate the difficulties of aging and disability. She is also a District Manager and Independent Consultant with Arbonne International where she finds much satisfaction in connecting people and promoting a healthy lifestyle. Sharon's other love is performing with George Mason University's pep band, Doc Nix and the Green Machine. She firmly believes that children of all ages, and at heart, can feel valued and experience healing when they are able to express themselves through the arts.
Amanda Herman Snellings, Artistic Director, ex-officio is thrilled to help lead the City of Fairfax Theatre Company as its Artistic Director after being involved in productions for the past few years. Amanda is a director, performer, and producer. Directing credits include CFTC: Beauty and the Beast (WATCH nomination), The Importance of Being Earnest; NextStop Theatre: The Giver; DC 1 Minute Play Festival; Forum Theatre: Color Lines (Young Playwright's Theatre 20th Anniversary Festival), The Shipment (Asst. Dir.); James Madison University: Awake and Sing!, They're Playing Our Song. Recent performance credits include: CFTC Cabarets, Martha in Heathers (Dominion Stage). In her non-theatre life, Amanda plans fundraising galas for the National MS Society. A native of Herndon, VA, Amanda holds a BA in Theatre and Dance from JMU. www.amandacherman.com
Emeritus Trustees
Kirsten Boyd, Producing Director, ex-officio
Wendy Knight, Founding Artistic Director, ex-officio
Kirsten Boyd, Producing Director, ex-officio
Wendy Knight, Founding Artistic Director, ex-officio
Advisory Board
Wendy F., Donor Relations
Janice Gambaccini, House Operations is the president and founder of Lend A Box, which provides environmentally friendly concierge moving and storage solutions to clients in the greater Washington, D.C. area. Together with co-founder Stephanie Zimmermann, Ms. Gambaccini has created a thriving company in a niche market that did not previously exist on the east coast, achieving 70% growth year over year and growing the Lend A Box team to over 30 employees. She began that role in August of 2011. Prior to Lend A Box, Ms. Gambaccini practiced law for ten years in Washington, D.C. and Cleveland, Ohio, with a focus on health care and employee benefits. Ms. Gambaccini is committed to supporting the local community through the promotion of the arts and through her company, which supports local food banks, disaster relief, and shelters. She received her BA from the University of Virginia and her JD from the George Washington University School of Law.
Mikael Johnson, Improv, has spent the last 16 years as a performer, writer, director, producer, teacher and consultant in the DC/Baltimore Metro area. In 2002 he started taking acting and improv classes with the Maryland Ensemble Theater (MET) in Frederick, Maryland, where he was a company member for 3 years. While at MET, he was a member of the sketch and improv group, The Comedy Pigs, where he produced the Mid-Atlantic Comedy Festival that consisted of acts from all over the region. Additionally, he was cast in "The Underpants" (Cohen), "Wonder of the World" (Kip), "Betty the Yeti" (Trey), and "Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Bing" (Jimmy Stewart). While in DC, Mikael has performed with the American Ensemble Theater in two productions, "Why Torture is Wrong; and the People Who Love Them" (Zamir) and "Bobby Gould in Hell" (The Assistant). Since 2005, Mikael has been a mainstay in the DC improv scene, most notably as one-half of the previous award winning 2-person improv troupe "ShawnMikael(s)". The group claimed back-to-back titles as the winners of the Harrisburg Improv Festival, and received multiple 5-star reviews for their run during the 2012 Capital Fringe Festival. Mikael also is a 2-time winner (2011, 2013) of the Washington Improv Theater F.I.S.T tournament and star of the web-series, "Vlog Dad Fail" which drew over 22 million Facebook views in 2015.
Since 2006, Mikael has been host, talent, writer and an associate producer of the 72 Film Fest in Frederick, Maryland. Every year, over 60 teams of film crews compete in the 3-day event to make a movie in 72 hours. Mikael, along with members of the 72 Film Fest production staff, have created over 100 promotional short-films to promote the fest, as well as featurettes that are played as entertainment during the night the entries are presented.
A sought-after teacher, coach and consultant, Mikael has used improv to train groups in communication and team-building from McKinsey Institute, The Psychotherapy Network Symposium, Toast Masters, Public Broadcasting Service, Truth Initiative, Olgivy Public Relations, Aerospace Industries Association, Capital One Banking, Fairfax County Public Schools, and AstraZeneca.
Since 2006, Mikael has been host, talent, writer and an associate producer of the 72 Film Fest in Frederick, Maryland. Every year, over 60 teams of film crews compete in the 3-day event to make a movie in 72 hours. Mikael, along with members of the 72 Film Fest production staff, have created over 100 promotional short-films to promote the fest, as well as featurettes that are played as entertainment during the night the entries are presented.
A sought-after teacher, coach and consultant, Mikael has used improv to train groups in communication and team-building from McKinsey Institute, The Psychotherapy Network Symposium, Toast Masters, Public Broadcasting Service, Truth Initiative, Olgivy Public Relations, Aerospace Industries Association, Capital One Banking, Fairfax County Public Schools, and AstraZeneca.
Nancy Loftus has been involved with CFTC since its inception, first as a parent volunteer then joining the board in 2013. Nancy works as corporate staff counsel for Encore Capital, after serving 17 years as an Assistant County Attorney for Fairfax County. Nancy graduated from Virginia Tech and earned her JD at George Mason. Married with two daughters, Nancy is a lifelong resident of Fairfax City and served on City Council. Although she hasn’t been on stage since drama classes at FHS, Nancy is an enthusiastic supporter of theater in Fairfax.
Heather Negley, Donor Relations, is a research librarian, project manager, writer, wife, mother and dog owner. She is a consultant with Silverline, a boutique Salesforce consulting firm, based in New York City. She is a graduate from Virginia Tech (Go Hokies!) and Simmons College in Boston, MA. She holds a MS in Library and Information Science and served two years working for the Congress Research Service in the Library of Congress. In her spare time, she likes supporting artistic endeavors, hiking, painting, writing and going to the theater. She has lived in Fairfax City since 2013 with her husband and two daughters who all love participating in thespian endeavors.
Jim Negley, Fundraising, currently works at Spire Investment Partners as one of the firm's compliance principals. With more than 20 years experience in capital markets, he has subject matter expertise in investment banking, full service brokerage and private wealth management. An active member of CFTC over the last two years, he has acted alongside his daughter, and has has served in various capacities during the company's productions. His wife and their two daughters have proudly called Fairfax their home for the past five years. He formerly served as CFTC's Fundraising Chair and continues to advise that position.
Mindy Thomas is a children's media professional, with over 17 years of experience, both in front of and behind the scenes of audio entertainment. Since 2001, she has been the host of the Gracie Award-Winning Absolutely Mindy Show on SiriusXM’s Kids Place Live. Spending over a decade serving as the channel’s Program Director, she was responsible for programming initiatives, promotions, and live events. In early 2017, she co-founded Tinkercast, a company specializing in quality audio entertainment for kids and families. Through Tinkercast, she co-created and co-hosts the top rated kids and family podcast, Wow in the World, which is distributed by NPR. Mindy has a B.A. from the University of South Florida.
Ana Young, Administrative Assistant, grew up surrounded by theatre but never meddled much in it beyond playing violin in the pit orchestra at age 14. A stroke of luck (and meeting fellow violinist Sharon) in early 2017 led Ana to CFTC and several wonderful years of managing the books, keeping track of events and deadlines for the board, and more. A 2019 GMU graduate with a B.A. in Environmental & Sustainability Studies, Ana's hopes for the near future include living in the woods and regaining the ability to play stringed instruments without blisters.
Juliann Park, Marketing Assistant, joined CFTC as a volunteer about a week after the first stay-at-home order in Virginia. Getting involved with CFTC allowed Juliann to tap into her love for writing and graphic design. Most importantly, participating in CFTC served as a source of hope for her. Seeing that no circumstance could silence the arts motivated Juliann to recently become the voice behind our social media accounts and newsletters. In her spare time, she enjoys learning how to cook new dishes with her mom, discovering new trails in her neighborhood, and playing the guitar. Since graduating from Virginia Tech in 2018 (Go Hokies!), Juliann realized she couldn't live without creating, so she hopes to find more opportunities where her creativity can run free.