Education & Community Engagement > Community Advisory Group
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Seattle Theatre Group's Community Advisory Group (CAG) creates and holds space for the greater Puget Sound BIPOC, LGBTQ+, Disabled and/or Neurodivergent Communities to gather and converse; empowering individuals to participate, share knowledge and support the art they want to experience; thereby making STG venues and programs safe and accessible for all.
Seattle Theatre Group is greatly indebted to those who participate and share their knowledge, stories and passion for the arts.
GOALS
- Maintain and grow STG’s relationships with communities in a sustainable and genuine manner.
- Provide a place where artists and arts supporters can collaborate, create, and grow their artistic connections.
- Receive feedback on potential curated and programmed STG events and how these events can serve and best impact community.
- Share mutual resources based on needed support including: space, art industries mentorship, gear, materials, and promotion.
- Understand how we can make STG a safe and accessible space for community members to engage in a meaningful way where desired - whether it's as audience members, patrons, participants and students, artists, crew, and/or office staff.
- Facilitate a place for difficult, honest, and open conversation within the scope of arts and with a position of respect.
ALL PARTICIPANTS RECEIVE
- Invitations to Community Engagement events. STG's core Education & Community Engagements events can be found here
- Special invitations to community conversations, meet the artist events, pre/post show discussions, and master classes
- Invitations to Fine Arts Season Engagement events
- A stipend, for meetings attended
GUIDELINES FOR MEMBERSHIP
- 1 year term, with the possibility of up to 2 term extensions
- Greater Puget Sound region resident
- Black, Indigenous and People of Color, LGBTQ+, Disabled and/or Neurodivergent community members
- Parents, teachers, artists and arts supporters
2022-2023 Community Advisory Group Members
Brian Guy
Brian Guy has been an advocate for the neurodivergent community for over 20 years, and Brian is passionate that everyone should be able to enjoy theatre. Brian promotes inclusion and is also an ally of the LGBTQ+ community.Brian serves on the Board of Directors of Bainbridge Performing Arts, where he is actively advocating for sensory-friendly performances, a sensory room for typical performances, and an all-gender restroom optionfor both talent and guests.Brian can frequently be seen sprinting from an STG performance to the ferry to Bainbridge Island, where he currently resides with his neurodivergent son. Brian also has a daughter at the University of Washington and a son at North Seattle College. Brian’s day job is with Google, and Brian has an MBAfrom the University of Washington.Brian’s favorite theatre moment of2022 was in New York City when Roxie (Bianca Marroquín) tossed him a rose at the end of Chicago.
Jesse Higman
I am a quadriplegic in a wheelchair with an injury to my neck at the C-5, C-6 vertebrae from a car accident as a teenager when I swerved to miss a squirrel that ran into the road. I am paralyzed from the chest down. Some of the muscles in my arms and all of the muscles in my hands have also been affected. I have an incomplete injury, meaning that some of the ascending nerves which carry feeling are still intact. I am an artist. While my disability it is not the subject of my art, limits have inspired my systems of painting, from working with gravity to social collaborations enabling larger art. I appreciate the dynamic that disability imposes on relationship through tensions, awkwardness, and revelations to reconsider how we relate to and with other people, objects, the world and ourselves. I began a creative career painting imagery in the 1990s for Seattle’s rock bands. I received the Mayor’s Arts Award in 2009. My work has been presented by MTV, Lollapalooza, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Experience Music Project, The Smithsonian Museum, and Kennedy Center for the Performing arts.
Karen Okonkwo
Karen Okonkwo is a first-generation Nigerian-American entrepreneur owning several businesses in the online sector. Her latest business venture,TONL, is a stock photography business that aims to provide diverse images of people all around the world while also trying to tell their stories. Karen considers herself a social entrepreneur and has made it her mission to empower her community. She has been honored for her great work in many ways over the years including making it on the Inc 30 Under 30 List, being featured in Forbes, POPSUGAR, Adweek and more. Her expertise centers around business development, marketing and event planning. Community and philanthropy are what drives Karen. She believes that representation matters and has visited companies and conferences like REI, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Women In Digital, University of Washington and more to speak on the importance of diversity & inclusion on and offline.
Queen Sheba aka Lateefah Johnson
I am honored to be a part of this advisory group. I've spent most of my life in Washington state and have seen changes that are both glorious as well as heartbreaking. I'm looking forward to elevating the presence of STG within the community for all walks of life. I'm also known by Queen Sheba, and I enjoy being creative in various ways. I look forward to meeting and working with this year's group and creating harmonious adventures for all of humanity.
Louis Mendoza
Louis is the recently retired Director of the Washington State Fathers Network, husband, and father to two adult children. The early part of his career was spent in the corporate world, primarily as a supervisor and manager trainer. He left that career path to become a stay at home dad, which he did for over 10 years before rejoining the workforce as a special education paraeducator. From there he joined United Way of King County in Seattle, WA to manage Project LEAD, a program to train people of color to serve on the boards of non-profit organizations. Until recently he served as Director of the Washington State Fathers Network. The Network has 3 focus areas: Connecting men who have a child in their life with a disability; raising the voices of these men so their stories are heard; and advocating for equitable access to the community for those with a disability. He has worked with numerous organizations across the country to advocate for fathers, especially those who have children with disabilities. And, he is the founder of an informal group of men, called Organizations Supporting Special Dads International, who currently support or have interest in supporting dads of children with disabilities. He retired in October of 2022 but plans to continue supporting the disability community.
Lulu Carpenter
Luzviminda Uzuri “Lulu” Carpenter (aka Ms. Lulu or LuluNation) - she/her pronouns - is a Media Justice Advocate, Educator, and Organizer. Currently, she is the Station Manager of KVRU 105.7 FM in SouthEnd Seattle; a Performance & Media Arts Teacher and Equity Team Director at Seattle Girls’ School, a social justice and STEAM middle school; Founder of Alphabet Alliance of Color (AAoC), a grassroots organizing alliance for Queer and Trans Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (QTBIPOC); Teacher Advisory Board Member at MoPop Museum; Community Advisory Board Member at Seattle Theatre Group (STG) and member of Washington State Advisory Board to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission. She has worked and performed for over 17 years in Seattle with community organizations that helped to form her analysis around youth and intergenerational work, gender-based violence, media justice, art, and cultural work: Washington Hall, Ladies First Project of Communities Against Rape and Abuse (CARA), VoicesRising, Asian Pacific Islander Women and Family Safety Center (now APIChaya), Pinay sa Seattle (now GABRIELA-Seattle), OnTheBoards, the Service Board (tSB), YouthSpeaks, and as as a former Commissioner and Co-Chair of the City of Seattle LGBT Commission, and worked as a consultant at organizations such as Roots Young Adult Shelter, YouthSource (Department of Community & Human Services), and YouthCare.
Marcel Sanders
In the entertainment business, a mentor is an essential tool in paving your way through an ever changing industry, and at the prime age of 15, Marcel Sanders was fortunate enough to be mentored by the production mastery of industry icons Terry Lewis and Jimmy Jam. Under the tutelage of arguably one of music’s most dynamic duos, he developed the tools that would prove to be instrumental in his future success becoming a noted producer in his own right. Blessed to have the guidance of not only his mentors, but, also legendary vocalist Ms. Natalie Cole who introduced him to esteemed vocal coach to the stars Seth Riggs. Sanders had the fortune of being surrounded by music royalty including Dr. Funkenstein George Clinton who during an all night recording session gave him his funky nick name Delic Vibe.
Born and raised in Seattle, Washington, Sanders began playing instruments as a child and by the time he was in his teens was quite accomplished at keyboards, lead/ rhythm guitar, bass guitar, drums, as well as being a skilled vocalist. Honing his musical skills and implementing the lessons of his mentors, he began producing, writing and recording for local rappers, singers and other musicians and by age 17 decided it was time for his own music to be heard. Marcel delivered his first 3 song self produced EP record through a Canadian Label called Imperial Records. The response from that record put his artistry on the radar and gained the respect of recording groups like Tease, Lakeside, Bootsy Collins, Georgio, Atlantic Starr, Mastering legend Bernie Grundman, Magazine publishers Steven Ivory, Graham Armstrong, Belma Johnson, songwriter Thea Austin, Seth Riggs, and Entertainment Attorney Curtis Shaw.
Radio was a fan of the new producer’s fresh sound as he quickly found success with the release of his follow up projects by way of the single "Two Faces" and later followed by "Lay Your Pretty Head Down", garnering Top 5 status on various Urban and Pop Stations around the country. In 1989, Sanders teamed up with his childhood friend Ishmael Butler (Butterfly of the group Digable Planets) to demo 4 songs that were instrumental in leading Butler to his connecting with Mecca and creating the group Digable Planets. Keeping himself busy as a musician and producer he began collaborating with fellow Producer DJ Skill, to lay the guitar work for C-Bo's "Straight Killa", as well as guitar work on the remix of Bay Area rap group 415's "Gaffled Like That" (feat.Tupac Shakur and Richie Rich). In 1996, he collaborated with fellow Producer Kevin Gardner creating the guitar work for B-Legit's "Gotta Buy Dope From Us" (feat. Lil Bruce) and the unreleased "Ain't No Joke". In 1997 he re-connected with Butterfly to co-produced a solo album titled “Ishmael Since 1999(The 10 Commercials)” which was released thru Red Ant Records, as well as producing and recording the demo for Cherrywine, Butterfly’s band, which secured the deal with D-cide. Their magnetic grooves caught the ear of actress Nia Long and prompted her to want to join them in the studio and ad her verbal spice to the track “In Here”. Soon after, 2001 found Cherrywine 12" single release of "16th Minute" / "In Here" becoming #1 seller at www.sandboxautomatic.com. Incidentally it was this same body of work that left footprints in the memory of super producer Teddy Riley at a chance meeting between the two, encouraging efforts to collaborate on Riley’s solo record.
The multi-talented musician’s most recognized work came in 2003, when he and Grammy Award winning engineer Dave Darlington, co-founded NYC based smooth jazz group D>Tour. The accomplished producer recorded and wrote 5 tracks for D>Tour’s debut album “Leave A Message”. The album was released in 2005 and debuted at #2 on CD Universe. Staying in the Top 5 for the summer.
The young producer’s grasp of musical themes and concepts allows him to orchestrate the perfect stream of melodies and harmonies into a systematic flow and just when you think you’ve arrived at the perfect groove he switches it up and takes you higher. He meaningfully marries generations of jazz and funk and hip-hop into a relevant composite of contemporary music. His vast knowledge of instrumentation has allowed him to join forces with Open labs. “I’m Blessed! My NeKo LX5 is the quickest access point to my rawest ideas.” Currently the producer/songwriter is creating new music for licensing in film and television
Mindie Lind
As a musician and film director, Mindie has grabbed attention in Seattle and beyond. She's been named City Arts Magazine Artist of the Year, one of Seattle Magazine’s 50 Best Artists, and shared a stage with Lena Dunham, Ben Folds, and a headline with Cindy Lauper. Through her music and videos, Mindie Lind is using Crip Culture to create stronger visibility and more variance of the stories we hear or see in the media.
Dr. Mona Lake Jones
Is a retired educator and college administrator She is the author of five books. She was recently commissioned by the Northwest African American Art museum in partnership with Comcast to author a children’s book to be published this year. Mona is the former Seattle Poet Laureate. She presently serves as Poet Laureate for the National Links Inc. Mona has been an active member of the Seattle community.
Interest & Contact
If you are interested in participating in STG's Community Advisory Group for the 2022-2023 season or have questions, please fill out this survey.
Note that any new members would start in October 2022.
If you have questions or need to contact someone with the CAG, please reach out to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..