Board of Directors

Village Art in the Park has a volunteer Board of Directors who work behind the scenes. They have many duties, but their main task is to ensure that a quality art exhibit is offered to the public such that adequate funds are generated to support Village Art in the Park into the future and to fund the Scholarship and Grant programs that Village Art in the Park maintains.

The Board is made up of between 7 and 9 Board Members who serve three-year terms, renewable by a majority vote of the Board at the annual meeting. Officers serve one-year terms which are also renewable annually.

Monthly meetings are held year-round on the first Tuesday of each month.

Are you interested in joining?

If you have any questions about the Village Art in the Park Board of Directors or would be interested in joining, please contact us!

Contact Us

Laura Hansen

President

I have been a resident of Leavenworth for 38 years. I co-founded the Leavenworth Brewery with my husband Scott in 1992, helped it grow and then merge with Fish Brewery in Olympia in 1999. I was on the Chamber of Commerce Board for nearly ten years (1983 to 1992) and President for two years. During that time we developed and implemented most of the events, funding sources, and advertising that have helped make our village a year round visitor destination. Since 1999, I have been doing the display and design work at Kris Kringl, the year round Christmas store here in Leavenworth. It is a physically and mentally challenging job, in the best possible sense, and I thoroughly enjoy it. About four years ago I was invited to join the Board of Village Art in the Park. I was very familiar with the goals and mission of the organization, but as with any new endeavor, I have come to learn just how much work goes into making it successful. 2020 is my first year as Board President. All of us are extremely proud of the artists who return each year and who have the opportunity to sell their works in exchange for the commission that funds local school art programs and yearly college scholarships. Though 2020 will be off to a late start I believe that, with careful stewardship, we will rebound and make this a successful year for all.

Teddy Rieke

Vice President & Secretary

Together with my husband, Kevin, we own and operate three Leavenworth businesses, The Wood Shop, Hat Shop and Wurlygigz. I am honored to volunteer on the Village Art in the Park Board and have proudly served since 2008. I appreciate the opportunity to work with each of the dedicated Board Members and support all of the talented artists. Village Art in the Park is a storied community treasure. Together we have created an Enriched Education Program that is awarded annually to a local school. It is designed to facilitate and enhance art education in our local school art programs. This $2000 grant is given to allow local art teachers to fund art projects for their students that would otherwise not be possible. This is just one of the positive programs we support as Village Art in the Park and is absolutely my favorite. For more information on the programs we support, please see the Community Involvement page.

Jamie Howell

Treasurer

Writer and filmmaker Jamie Howell founded one of the first digital media production companies in North Central Washington in 1999 and quickly became one of the region’s most recognizable filmmakers. Howell’s commercial and documentary works have garnered two Emmy nominations, been named as a finalist in Banff Mountain Film Festival and earned accolades from Seattle Weekly for TV Commercial of the Year, among other awards. He has served on the Village Art in the Park Board of Directors since 2018 and also serves on the Board of the Leavenworth Mountain Film Festival.

Adele Caemmerer

Board Member

I came first to the Leavenworth area back in 1987 to attend art classes and volunteer at the Grunewald Guild, an artist retreat center in Plain, 30 minutes from Leavenworth. I met my husband Mike there and now, after years of living and teaching overseas in international schools, we call this area home. I have always appreciated the natural beauty of the Wenatchee Valley and the bustling, sparkly energy of Leavenworth. I recently retired from teaching in the Wenatchee School District and am honored to serve the community and support the arts as a board member of Village Art in the Park. Being a working artist as well as art teacher, what excites me about this organization is the way it engages at every level of the cultivation of art and artists: from supporting school art programs, to providing art scholarships to students, to providing a thriving space for artists to share their work, and finally to creating opportunities for locals and visitors to tap into their own artistic sides through the seasonal art market, which in turn supports all the other aspects. I look forward to participating in this meaningful community endeavor!

Heidi Swoboda

Board Member

I have a photography studio in Leavenworth specializing in portraiture and Pacific Northwest Fine Art. I am a past president of Professional Photographers of Washington (PPW) and the 2020 PPW volunteer of the year.  In 2021, my images earned several awards including best illustrative entry and 2021 best of show at the PPW state competition. I was awarded the Professional Photographers of America (PPA) National Award for service to the industry in 2019. My 2021 PPA images were recognized for creative excellence in the field of professional photography for being a silver medalist in the international print competition and were selected for the imaging excellence collection, the showcase collection, and as a grand imaging award finalist. I have been fortunate to be a LEAP art volunteer, guest instructor, student mentor and sports team photographer in the Cascade School District where both of my daughters have gone to school.  This valley has a wonderful community of artists and art supporters.  I’m excited to be a new board member and have the chance to work to benefit the arts community in the upper valley.

Jill Keyser

Board Member

My family and I have called Leavenworth home since 2008. Since I became a stay-at-home mother when my son was born, I have been trying to help make a difference outside our home by doing volunteer work. I started in the schools with helping revamp the parent group, helped Cordi Bradburn get LEAP up and running, and after realizing I really do have farmer’s roots because I love having my hands in the earth, I helped start the WRI’s Community Garden. Making sure the arts don’t get overlooked has always been a passion (Look at the art in the community garden when you have a chance!). I saw first hand what an important role Art in the Park had supporting art in our schools way back in 2008 when their funds made sure art classes were present in our elementary schools. I’m so excited to be on this board of amazing people!