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YOUR OCSFA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Donna Miller, President

Bart Thrasher, Vice President

Lisa Peters, Treasurer

Petrine Abrahams, Secretary


DIRECTORS

Petrine Abrahams

Justo Blanco

David Dunnigan

Isaac Martinez

Paula Mele

Donna Miller

Patti Monger

Graciela Montani

Travis-Lee Moore

Cynthia Paine-Drennan

Lisa Peters

Veta Redmond

Avis Strong

Bart Thrasher

Tammy Weiss



EMERITUS BOARD

Gay Addington

Russ Aikman

Chris Barker

Scott Chase

Jan Doherty

Marguerite Domatti

Carol Hagler

Linda Holt

Glen Jones

Thomas Marshall

Alfred Martinez

Marijane Michael

Kenda North

James Prothro

Diane Sherman


COMMITTEES

Programming

Membership

Building Restoration


MEET OUR BOARD MEMBERS!

Petrine Abrahams

Secretary

Petrine Abrahams is a landscape designer who has been practicing for ten years in the Dallas area. Her projects include both residential and commercial projects. She works closely with her clients to re-envision their landscape using native and adaptive plants and materials. Petrine has been an active neighbor and participant in the north Oak Cliff community for many years and has served on various neighborhood boards including Winnetka Heights and Oak Cliff Greenspace. Currently, she serves on the City of Dallas’ Public Art Committee through the Office of Arts and Culture. The Committee commissions local and international artists to design site specific art for the public realm. This provides various opportunities for place-making through community engagement and outreach.

As a North Texas Master Naturalist, Petrine has volunteered at the Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center. She has conducted Eco-Investigations with elementary school children on the importance of the conservation of birds and native habitats in addition to the connection between soils and the existing native flora and fauna.


David Dunnigan
Board Member

David Dunnigan, an Oak Cliff native, is a former Dallas Morning News reporter and public relations executive who has worked in government, corporate, agencies and non-profit organizations. He is a past president of the Rotary Club of Dallas, North Texas Chapter of the Public Relations Society, Press Club of Dallas, Society of Professional Journalists, Dallas iMedia (public access TV), and Kessler Neighbors United. He has served on the boards of the Dallas Historical Society, Clean Dallas, Historic Preservation League, Dallas Zoological Society, and others. He currently services on the board of the Greater Dallas Planning Council (where he was executive director for 25 years), The Mayborn School of Journalism at UNT, and Perkins School of Theology. 


Donna Miller
President

As the principal and founder of Miller Consulting, Donna Miller offers extensive experience in fundraising, marketing, public relations, strategic planning, and community relations. Donna is a hands-on consultant, working on everything from managing large teams to personally hanging lights prior to a special event. As a consultant, she helps clients reframe thinking, provides thought leadership, and guides projects successfully into new territory. She stays up to date on trends in public relations, business, nonprofits, politics, and the arts through reading, research, and interaction with a broad range of people. 



Graciela Montani
Board Member

Graciela has worked as a psychotherapist with the Therapy Institute of Dallas for more than 35 years helping families, children, and adults.


Lisa Peters
Treasurer

Lisa has worked in the home mortgage business for more than 25 years and currently serves as senior loan consultant and branch manager for Caliber Home Loans.


Avis Strong
Chair, Programming Committee

Avis Strong first landed in Oak Cliff right after college, doing outreach and mentoring in DISD’s. Pinkston and Carter high schools. She returned in 2003 with her husband, Jeff, and their three Children. Trained as an educator and theater practitioner, Avis taught at both the middle and high school level. She considered it a deep honor to help young people discover their voice and gain empowerment by teaching theater. In 2015, she joined her husband at his development company, Reserve Realty.

Though no longer teaching, Avis still engages in projects and programs that impact lives such as Jesuit Women’s Auxiliary, Democracy Now, and chairs the Advisory Board for Fashion Design and Marketing at El Centro Community College. Her latest creative project has been working as one of the writers for the documentary, Normie, which examines the beauty of love through the lens of Down Syndrome. 



Tammy Weiss
Board Member

Tammy Weiss and her husband, Greg, moved into their Winnetka Heights home on Clinton in November 2018 after wanting to move to this historic neighborhood for 10 years. Tammy grew up in Plano and went to college at the University of Texas - Austin. She worked in the General Counsel department at Southwest Airlines from 2006 until her retirement in 2019. One of her passions has been supporting the Make-A-Wish Foundation of North Texas for more than 20 years as a wish granter and Wish Night committee member.





 
Justo Blanco
Board Member

Chef Justo Blanco offers 16 years of food and beverage experience and 12 years of event experience in social and corporate settings. Extremely well-traveled, Justo’s takes his inspiration from the places he has visited. From Europe to Southeast Asia to South America, he has been heavily influenced from each culture and the culinary knowledge he acquired in each country. Justo loves creating dishes that relate to the experiences he has had in his life and as he says, he prefers to work from the heart - something he believes helps elevate the dishes that he thoughtfully prepares.



Paula Mele

Board Member and OCSFA Graphic Designer

Dallas Designer Paula Mele is an award-winning communications professional with years of top-level experience in design, advertising, corporate communications, brand positioning, web development and many other areas of business communication. Paula has proven expertise in strategic communications planning and implementation across an array of industries including health care, financial, technology, retail, landscaping, sports, real estate, community non-profits, fine arts and more. Before forming Paula Mele Design, Paula developed and directed in-house creative departments for companies distinguished as first of their kind in terms of innovation and concept. She serves as Creative Director and Member Board of Directors for The Clark Hulings Fund for Visual Artists and is a member of Executive Women of Dallas.


Patti Monger
Membership Committee Co-Chair

Patti Monger is committed to her philanthropic work with the Episcopal Church of the Incarnation. She has held leadership positions with the church’s Belize Mission Trip, Angel Tree campaign, Altar Guild, and the Growth Group. In Oak Cliff, she is a member of the North Oak Cliff Breakfast Club and co-chaired the Breakfast Club float in the Winnetka Heights Mardi Gras Parade.



Travis-Lee Moore
Membership Committee Co-Chair 

Having grown up in Fort Worth and spent most of his adult life in Dallas, Travis-Lee is a well-anchored native. He developed an affinity for taking great care of people and honed his sales and negotiating skills during a twenty-five-year career in the special events industry.  Other community involvement includes service to Heritage Oak Cliff, Preservation Dallas, the MetroTex Association of Realtors and a marketing calendar of events that benefit great organizations like the SPCA of Texas, AIDS Services of Dallas and the Scottish Rite Hospital for Children.

Travis-Lee lives in South Oak Cliff with Steve, his partner of more than twenty-five years, a cat named Molly and a Husky named Jake.  “Free” time is spent entertaining friends and family and remodeling their 1966 bungalow located adjacent to beautiful Kiest Park.



Cynthia Paine-Drennan
Board Member

Cynthia is a Texas proud third generation Dallas realtor following in her grandmother and mother’s footsteps. Since 1997, she has worked with Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate. Cynthia has served on the board of the Rosemont Early Childhood PTA and is an experienced fundraiser.



Veta Redmond
Board Member

Veta Redmond is a native Texan, who spent 25 years in Houston before moving to Dallas 14 yearsago with her husband and daughter. She graduated from the University of Houston with a degree in Psychology.  She spent 15 years in the real estate industry managing and leasing residential, commercial and, industrial real estate throughout Houston.  She has spent the last 10 years working for Stroud Companies, a Senior Housing Real Estate company that builds and owns Assisted Living and Alzheimer’s communities throughout Texas. Veta has been on the design and build team for 6 communities, and most recently has been both a regional and executive director for several of the communities owned by her company.  She currently manages an Assisted Living and Alzheimer’s community in Carrollton and is a Certified Dementia Practitioner and leads a monthly Alzheimer’s support group.  



Bart Thrasher
Vice President
Chair – Building Committee

Bart has many years working with a multi-disciplinary design studio designing and building furniture, cabinetry, and interior spaces. He also designs and builds anything from a new house to an addition, historic preservation remodel to leveling a pier and beam foundation. With an aesthetic ranging from the traditional craftsman style to mid-century Modern designs, Bart enjoys exploring what makes design speak to the individual while creating a product that emphasizes material, comfort and utility. In addition to design and building, Bart works as a realtor specializing in Oak Cliff historic properties. 




EMERITUS BOARD

Gay Addington

Gay was one of the 12 remaining members of the Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts before it was reconstituted in 2000 and began to accept male membership and adopted a new mission.



Chris Barker 
President (2013 – 2015)


Jan Doherty
 
Marguerite Domatti 

Marguerite was one of the 12 remaining members of the Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts before it was reconstituted in 2000.


Carol Galloway Hagler
OCSFA Secretary

Carol moved to Winnetka Heights from Arlington in 2006 and immediately became interested in the historic architecture of the homes in the area including Turner House.  She enjoys collecting art from local artists and attending live performances of music and theatre. As a retired Dallas elementary teacher and instructional coach, Carol is passionate about guiding children in the love of reading.  She continues to tutor students in reading and writing. Carol spends much of her spare time playing with her two toddler grandsons. In addition to OCSFA, Carol is active in Winnetka Heights Neighborhood Association and currently serves as secretary.



Alfred Martinez
President (2005 – 2008)



Marijane Michael
Secretary


James Prothro
President (2001 – 2004)



Judy Pollock 

ADELLE K. TURNER Award 2021

Former Board Member, Art + House Capital Campaign Committee Member 2018 - 2021

Judy Pollock has been a corporate and non-profit industry executive for many years.  After moving to Oak Cliff in 2009, she became involved in the community, serving as President of the Old Oak Cliff Conservation League (now Heritage Oak Cliff.)  

Prior to moving to Oak Cliff, she held many civic leadership positions including:  4 years as Chair of the Dallas Cultural Affairs Commission, 8 years as a Dallas Cultural Affairs Commissioner, and was a member of the President’s Advisory Board for the Dallas Center for Performing Arts.  Her corporate experience includes being President of Rebmar, an international subsidiary of Pier One Imports.  She currently serves on the Board of Adjustment for the City of Dallas.

Judy has been involved with leadership and board positions with a variety of Dallas organizations including:  Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts, Fort Worth Avenue Development Group, Hampton-Illinois Library, Dallas Arts District Strategic Planning Council, Dallas Cultural Advocacy Coalition, Dallas Institute for Humanities and Culture, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Opera, Dallas Symphony, and Dallas Theater Center.











Russ Aikman
President (2009-2010)

Russ served in a variety of roles on the OCSFA board over a six-year period from 2004 to 2010. He was instrumental in coordinating the Wine & Art fundraising event (2008-2009), a precursor to the Rising Star fundraiser now held annually. Russ moved to the Winnetka Heights Historic District in 2004. He has been active in a variety of volunteer roles since moving to Oak Cliff and continues to serve on the board of the Winnetka Heights Neighborhood Association. Russ is an engineer and has been on the staff at The University of Texas at Arlington since 1996.


Scott Chase

President (2011 - 2012), Centennial Capital Campaign Chair (2012), Capital Campaign Co-Chair 2018 – 2020 

Scott Chase has practiced health law, corporate, international and intellectual property law for almost 50 and has served as General Counsel for 2 public companies, including a large hospital management company.  Scott is a partner at Farrow-Gillespie Heath Witter LLP where he leads its healthcare practice.  In 2002, he was among the first 28 Texas lawyers to be Board Certified in Health Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and continues to have such certification.  

Scott is consistently listed as a Texas Monthly Super Lawyer (a Thomson Reuters service), included in Best Lawyers in America for 17 years and D Magazine Best Lawyers in Dallas. He currently serves as Board Chair, Center for the Advancement and Study of Early Texas Art (CASETA), and as Board Member, Texas Art Collectors Organization (TACO).

Scott served on the OCSFA Board for several years before becoming its Chair in 2011 and 2012.  He and his wife Debra Witter moved to Oak Cliff in 1998 and both have been active in the Wine & Art Rising Star fundraising events (2008-2009.) 


Linda Holt 


Glen Jones
Immediate Past President (2015 – 2020)
Capital Campaign Chair 2018 – 2021, Rising Star Co-Chair
 
 

Thomas Marshall



Kenda North
Founder and Chair - Rising Star

Kenda North is professor emerita of art at UT Arlington where she taught photography since 1989. She received her MFA from the Visual Studies Workshop (University of Buffalo.) Her work is represented by Craighead Green Gallery in Dallas. She has had over fifty one-person exhibitions (national and international) and participated in hundreds of juried group exhibitions since 1977.  Her work is in the public collections of over fifty international museum and gallery collections. As a Board member at OCSFA she created and managed the Salon Series and the annual Rising Star event.


Diane Sherman

Diane is a realtor who knows the communities from the inside out. She has been a resident of historic Winnetka Heights for 40 years. She is a founder of the Winnetka Heights Neighborhood Association and helped spark the preservation-based renaissance of North Oak Cliff.




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The Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts at Turner House

401 N. Rosemont, Dallas, Texas 75208

Mailing Address

Oak Cliff Society of Fine Arts

P.O. Box 222332

Dallas, Texas 75222-2332


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