Advisory Committee

Michael Alexander
Executive Director, Grand Performances, California Arts Council Member
Michael Alexander has been the Director of Downtown Los Angeles’ free public concert series Grand Performances since 1990 and a member of the California Arts Council since 2004 – appointed by then Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson.  He was twice elected Chair of the Council – in 2007 and 2008.  He has a career-long history of involvement in developing programs that bring the performing arts into people’s lives in new and interesting ways; leading statewide and regional arts advocacy and networking efforts; and supporting the work of outstanding performing artists.  He is a native Angelino who started his performing arts career in the 60’s as a clown with the City of Los Angeles Traveling Circus and as a dancer with the Aman Folk Ensemble.

Jasmin Arneja
Vice President, Development, Global Heritage Fund
Jasmin Arneja joined Global Heritage Fund in 2007 and is responsible for the overall fundraising development strategy to support organizational, project and program needs; institutional capacity building; communications; and public relations. Jasmin has 15 years of experience in fundraising development and executive management for arts and cultural organizations in the nonprofit sector. Prior to joining Global Heritage Fund, Jasmin served as director of development for the East Bay Zoological Society (Oakland, California), Castilleja School (Palo Alto, California), San Francisco Botanical Garden (San Francisco, California), and San Francisco Parks Trust (San Francisco, California),. She served as a member of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Save America’s Treasures campaign and as executive director of the Chinese Historical Society in San Francisco. Jasmin is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and the Cantonese dialect.

Wayne Hazzard
Executive Director, Dancer’s Group
Before his manifold career in arts management, Wayne Hazzard had a distinguished 20-year career performing with many notable choreographers and companies including the Joe Goode Performance Group; Margaret Jenkins Dance Company; Ed Mock & Company; June Watanabe; Aaron Osborne; Emily Keeler and more. Coinciding with his life as a dancer, Hazzard has and continues to work as an advocate for dance. In 2000 he worked with the dance legend Anna Halprin presenting her work in a performance retrospective celebrating her 80th year. He also received an Isadora Duncan (Izzies) Award for his innovation, dedication and contribution to the field of dance. In 1996 Hazzard was acknowledged for his role presenting The Dedication Project: remembering those lost to AIDS. Frequently asked to serve as an advisor and panelist with such organizations as the National Endowment for the Arts, California Arts Council, and Dance Advance/PEW Charitable Trusts in Philadelphia, Hazzard currently serves on the board of trustees for Dance/USA.

Amy Kitchener
Executive Director, Alliance for California Traditional Arts
Amy Kitchener is a folklorist who has worked in the public sector since 1991 including coordinating the LA Public Library’s “Shades of L.A.” community photo history collecting project, consulting with the California State Library’s project “Shades of California,” and serving as folklorist in residence with the Arizona Commission on the Arts.  She started the first programs of the Fresno Arts Council’s Folk Arts Program in 1993 and served as the program director for 9 years.  Amy co-founded ACTA in 1997 and spearheaded its development as a private nonprofit organization.  She was hired as the Founding Executive Director in March 2002.  She holds an M.A. in Folklore & Mythology from UCLA and is a published author.

Ganesh Natarajan
Vice Chairman & CEO Zensar Technologies
Ganesh Natarajan has been leading Zensar as the CEO for over seven years now, making Zensar one of the most successful IT companies in the country and amongst Fortune’s Top 10 global offshore outsourcing companies from India. Ganesh was named ‘CEO of the Year’ by the Asia Pacific HR Conference in 1999 and received the Asia HRD Congress Award for Contributions to the Organization through HR in 2005. Ganesh was a part of two major success stories in IT Training and Consulting earlier – NIIT and APTECH. Ganesh is the National Chair for Confederation of Indian Industries – IT and ITES Committee and a fellow of the Computer Society of India. He also chairs the Higher Education forum of the Confederation of Indian Industries in Western India. He is a member of the Board of Governors of NITIE Mumbai and member of the Executive Council and Chairmen’s Council of NASSCOM. Ganesh is an avid supporter and enthusiast of Indian classical music and dance.

Julia Olin
Executive Director, National Council for Traditional Arts

Cathy Pruzan
Artist Representative
Cathy Pruzan represents international and domestic dance companies whose works range from pure dance to theater/performance art.  In addition to securing engagements for the artists, she is also committed to finding ways of working in communities to strengthen awareness of the arts through education and meaningful residencies.

Herbert Rosenthal
Herb Rosenthal is an attorney, former CEO (Ret.) of the California State Bar and the current President of the Chitresh Das Dance Company and Chhandam School of Kathak.  He has a long history of supporting the ethnic performing arts and previously served as President of the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival (World Arts West). He is currently Board Member Emeritus of the California Bar Foundation. He has also served as President of the North San Mateo Boys and Girls Clubs and its Foundation and currently serves on several social justice and legal non-profit boards.

Hon. Margarita Vela Rosenthal
Hon. Margaraita Rosenthal (Ret.) is a former Presiding Administrative Law Judge, Oakland Region. She was also previously affiliated with California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board and Southern California Region, Office of Appeals, California Dept. of Social Services. She is current Trustee and former Chairperson of the Board of Trustees, Fielding Graduate University and former President of the Mission Learning Center, San Francisco and Pasadena Family Services.

Harkishan Vasa
Harkishan Vasa came to the USA from Mumbai, India in 1967. After getting his Masters degree in Computer Sciences and Industrial Engineering in 1968 from West Virginia University, Mr. Vasa joined Decision Sciences Corp. (DSC) in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. After relocating to California in the early 80’s Mr. Vasa purchased the PDSC business unit from DSC and became President and CEO of PDSC. In October 2007, Mr. Vasa set up his own business – Vasa Business Services which provides a range of services for business. Mr. Vasa was instrumental in founding the Indo-American Cultural center (since then renamed Artwallah), the Friends of Sardar Patel Award Association, and the Indo American Senior Heritage Group.  Currently Mr. Vasa is the Director of the Jain Center of Southern California and chairman of SWAR, an organization dedicated to advancing classical Indian music and dance.