In this interview with 
KIMBERLY HAYES, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 
Kimberly Hayes recently moved to San Francisco to join the African American Art & Culture Complex as its new Executive Director. She hails from NYC where she worked for Viacom (f/k/a) MTV Networks for seven years as a senior sales executive. Kimberly has previously worked for Paramount and NBC Universal where she handled publicity for nationally syndicated Talk Shows “Judge Judy” and “Maury”. Additionally, she spent time as a researcher for “The John Walsh Show” on NBC where she booked guests for the talk show dedicated to helping families reunite with loved ones.
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Kimberly has “an extreme passion for public service” and has spent much of her free time pursuing philanthropic initiatives. She traveled to Haiti with former President Jimmy Carter and Habitat for Humanity International to help rebuild Haiti following the devastating earthquake of 2010. She has also been a volunteer with the United Nations for the last five years, serving as a press consultant and securing sponsorships, celebrity talent and in-kind donations for major UN events.
Kimberly also has “an appetite for politics” that has thrived since she was a White House Intern during the Clinton administration. She has since volunteered for major political campaigns by lending her support to the Obama presidential campaigns of 2008 and 2012, as well as the Bloomberg mayoral campaign of 2000.
Kimberly completed her undergraduate degree in Political Science at Hampton University in Virginia, and completed a master’s program at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, where she received her degree in Public Administration and a certification in Public Management.
TAMIKA CHENIER, PROGRAM MANAGER
Tamika Chenier is an artist who has performed with many local theater companies, such as the African American Shakespeare Company, Cultural Odyssey, The Medea Project, DaddyLion Pictures Theater Ensemble and Woman’s Will. Tamika's experience also includes working on the film “Beloved,” performing at the “National Black Theater Arts Festival” in North Carolina and “Lorraine Hansberry Theater” in San Francisco with The Medea Project and curating and coordinating for “Colours Fine Arts” at the “National Black Fine Arts Show” in New York.
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Tamika was introduced to the visual and performing arts as a youth while traveling and studying abroad and all over the Caribbean. During her extensive stay in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Cuba, Grenada, Guadeloupe and Barbados, she explored the artistic cultures of Europe and the Caribbean. She speaks French and Mandarin.
MICHELLE PARKER, ADMINISTRATOR
MELORRA GREEN, VISUAL ARTS COORDINATOR
A native of Memphis, Tenn., Melorra Green graduated magna cum laude from Tennessee State University in Nashville before moving to San Francisco to study Motion Pictures & Television at the Academy of Art University. She graduated with honors in 2003 with a Bachelors of Arts in Motion Pictures & Television with an emphasis in editing. She began volunteering for the San Francisco Black Film Festival in 2002 and became a Co-Executive Producer in 2005.
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Along with her twin sister, Melorra helped found Infin8 Sync, LLC, and created Bring Your Own Art (BYOA) and Independent Artists' Week (IAW). Both events promote independent emerging artists and create an ego-free platform for networking. Melorra is currently pursuing her Masters of Arts in Education at the University of Phoenix. She loves all genres of art, hats, Latin and afro-beat music, and Ethiopian and Japanese food.
NICOLA FIGGINS, YOUTH PROGRAM COORDINATOR
A graduate of the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Nicola Figgins is a long time resident of the Western Addition community. Nicola comes with six years of experience working with children and youth in myriad capacities. As an onsite counselor for incarcerated youth, she worked to rebuild their confidence by facilitating a curriculum that encompassed self-esteem building, anger management strategies, and goal-setting and time management workshops.
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Following her youth-centered work, she shifted gears to focus on improving the quality of life for the homeless population by providing counseling and shelter and transitional housing placement services. Nicola currently oversees all of the youth and teen programming and serves as a liaison between the AAACC and several youth organizations in the Western Addition.
MALIK WADE, CASE MANAGER
Malik Wade has a strong passion for working with at-risk youth. Having grown up as an African American male in public housing, Mr. Wade has the empirical experience and practical knowledge necessary to engage youth who come from similar situations. Mr. Wade has worked with at-risk youth throughout San Francisco and currently facilitates Personal Development workshops at the San Francisco Juvenile Justice Center, is a football coach for the Junior 49ers Football League in the Sunnydale Housing projects, and is a volunteer coordinator for the Youth Development Program in the Potrero Hill public housing development.
ERROL HALL, FACILITY MANAGER
