directors & advisors
board of directors
Josué González
President - Project STEP, Executive Director
A trained classical cellist, Josué holds a B.M. and M.M. in Performance and Suzuki Pedagogy from the Cleveland Institute of Music. He is also a graduate of the Perrone Sizer Institute for Creative Leadership and holds a Certificate in Professional Fundraising from Boston University. Professional accolades include the 2017 Emerging Leader Award from the Arts Schools Network (ASN).
He has served as a teaching artist and Director of El Sistema at the Conservatory Lab Charter School and Director of Education and Community Partnerships for Rockport Music and currently holds the position of Executive Director for Project STEP.
Lauren Eidson
Treasurer - Armanino, Risk Assurance Advisory Manager
Lauren works as part of the Internal Audit group for Ahold Delhaize, one of the world’s largest food retail groups. Lauren graduated from Wayne State University in 2011 with a BA in History, summa cum laude, where she also played Division I Ice Hockey. Lauren also holds a Master’s in Theological Studies from Trinity Lutheran Seminary. Most recently, Lauren completed all the business and accounting courses necessary to be CPA eligible at Western Illinois University.
Prior to Ahold Delhaize, Lauren worked as the lead internal auditor at a large food redistribution company, as well as a risk and business advisory consultant at a public accounting firm. Lauren lives in Portland with her husband Brad, four-year-old son Will, and three dogs. When Lauren is not busy working, she enjoys running, playing hockey, CrossFit, the beach, hiking, music, and hanging out with her family.
Kate Knox
Secretary - Bernstein Shur, Attorney
Meet Kate, campaign finance guru, lobbying law legend, and social justice advocate. When it comes to lobbying, campaign compliance, and election law, you are hard-pressed to find someone more capable than Kate. She has lobbied in Augusta for nearly 20 years, representing a wide variety of interests from developers to corporations and public interest groups, and worked on virtually every significant ballot initiative and campaign for public office in Maine. Some of Kate’s most recent and significant efforts include heading the legal team in the battle to allow Ranked Choice Voting, and assisting EqualityMaine draft and pass legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in Maine, marking the first time in US history that such legislation passed in both the House and Senate and was signed into law. At the statehouse, Kate is known for her strong Democratic connections and relationships. Her legal training allows her to understand and translate the often-complicated work of crafting statutes to solve practical problems. In addition, Kate has served as General Counsel to the Maine Democratic Party for the past 10 years, working with and representing democratic candidates up and down the ticket – from state legislators to presidential candidates. That position translates well into lobbying as it creates authentic and organic relationships with candidates before they become legislators. Post-election, she is naturally seen as a trusted ally for those newly elected legislators as they learn the ways of Augusta. Kate also holds a Master’s Degree in social work and worked as a family therapist for families dealing with severe mental illness. That experience has proven invaluable to her work, allowing her to remain calm and compassionate in challenging situations.
Christina Wright
Board Member
Chris couldn’t get enough of school. She holds a BA in Comparative Religion from Vassar College, an MA in Special Education from the Bank Street College of Education, and an MS and PhD in School Psychology from NYU. Chris is a teacher, now retired, who has taught young children, middle schoolers, at-risk high schoolers, undergraduates, and doctoral students and is more likely to find their similarities than their differences. Chris was an amateur chorister who sang with the Florilegium Chamber Choir in NYC and with the S Curves in Seattle, spanning Bach to Johnny Mercer. She is the definition of a dilettante musician, having played the hurdy gurdy (and flute and piano) for 20 years before taking up the double bass ten years ago. She is currently playing in two Seattle community orchestras, including the Seattle Collaborative Orchestra, an organization that provides a platform for women and BIPOC composers. Chris currently serves on the board of The Seattle Shakespeare Company and The Seattle Collaborative Orchestra. She is currently in training to become a Suzuki Book 1 teacher. When she’s not practicing her bass, she’s cuddling with her standard poodle, Nico, or playing cribbage with her husband, Luther. She is also Bill Black’s sister -in-law so she gets to spend lots of time in Maine listening to Bay Chamber Concerts.
Blanca Santiago
Board Member - Portland Public Schools, Clinical Advisor & Consultant
Blanca Santiago is a storyteller and healer who has spent three decades developing visibility, safe spaces, and resources for the Latinx and immigrant communities in Maine. She is a consultant, mentor and clinical supervisor to Portland Public Schools employees of color and social work interns. In her role she works closely with district leaders and specialists to bring diversity, equity, and inclusion to the systems that educate and prepare our next generation of students. A 2015 graduate of the University of New England’s social work program, she is a licensed clinical social worker providing therapy in a small private practice. Her biggest achievement is that through her efforts and collaboration with Portland Public Schools three new social workers representing language and ethnic diversity have been hired. Blanca is the 2020 recipient of the Courage is Contagious and the Cesar Chavez Award. She currently serves on the board of The Foundation for Portland Public Schools. Supporting the people who support our youth is her ultimate goal at this stage of her life. She is a grandmother of two young people and mother to two men and a woman. Blanca lives in Portland.
Carolyn Benthien
Board Member - Carolyn H. Benthien Associates LLC, Consultant
More than 40 years of organizational leadership comprise Carolyn’s professional experience. Since 1994 she has been co-owner of a consulting firm specializing in organization development, strategic planning, fund development and facilitation for small and medium-size nonprofits. Prior to her consulting she served as CEO of three United Ways including 11 years as President of United Way of Greater Manchester (NH).
Throughout her career, Carolyn has helped hundreds of organizations develop vision and mission statements, organizational and governance structures and strategic plans. In the area of fund development, she has directed and/or designed strategies for fundraising efforts in annual appeals, major gifts, endowment building, and capital campaigns.
Carolyn has served on numerous boards of directors (both for-profit and not-for-profit), committees, and task forces. She was a founding board member of Leadership Manchester, Leadership NH, Women’s Fund of NH, Manchester Regional Community Foundation and Manchester Community Music School.
Carolyn earned a BA from Northwestern University and an M.Ed from Ohio University and has advanced management certificates from Harvard University and the JFK School of Government. She had 13 years of training in classical piano. Carolyn relocated to Cape Elizabeth from New Hampshire in 2019 and is the mother of two adult children and four grandchildren, all of whom live in the Portland area.
Dana Swenson
Board Member - North Point Realy, Realtor
Dana is a lifelong music lover and father to an eight year old Palaver violinist. A jack-of-all-trades, his hobbies and interests include live music, camping, boating, snowboarding, cooking, motorsports and travel. Dana has lived abroad in England and Singapore and now resides in Portland with his wife and two children. He is honored to serve on the board to support Palaver’s creativity and commitment to families of all backgrounds.
David Lakari
Board Member - Renewal Housing Associates, LLC, President
David Lakari is President of Renewal Housing Associates, LLC of Portland, Maine, which is a joint venture with Leon N. Weiner & Associates Inc. of Wilmington, Delaware. Renewal Housing Associates acquires and rehabilitates existing federally-assisted multifamily housing to preserve its affordability. Since inception in 2001, Renewal Housing has acquired and/or developed about 2,800 rental apartments in four states and the District of Columbia, at a total development cost of $280 million. Before forming the company, Lakari was Executive Director of the Maine State Housing Authority from 1994-1999. Except during this period of government service, Lakari has been a real estate owner, developer, manager and consultant for his entire career. He is an active volunteer, having served on many nonprofit boards. He currently serves as a member of the board of Palaver Strings, Inc., a group whose members perform professionally and also educate children in music. Lakari is a graduate of Goddard College (1972) and the University of Maine School of Law (1984).
Ekhlas Ahmed
Board Member - Cultural Alliance of Maine, Community Engagement Director
Ekhlas Ahmed was forced to flee the outbreak of civil war in Sudan with her mother, father, and three younger brothers in 2004. Her family was resettled to Portland, Maine, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a Masters degree in Education from the University of Southern Maine, with hopes of helping resettle other refugees. She is the Vice President and co-founder of Chance to Advance, an nonprofit organization raising awareness in her community about the violence and needs in Darfur, and implementing initiatives to make education more feasible for all. Those who are devoted to “The Ellen Show” will be familiar with Ekhlas, an educator from Maine. She gives credit to Ellen DeGeneres with helping her learn English. Ms. Ahmed devotes her life to helping refugees navigate culture differences and works outside the classroom to build bridges with the community at-large.
Max Monks
Board Member - Tarifica, Director of Consulting and Subscription Services
Max spent the first 12 years of his career in project management and consulting, where he led engagements with many of the world's largest telecommunications companies as well as other large enterprises in related industries. Max provided strategic and tactical recommendations on pricing, bundling opportunities, ARPU growth, and product level ROI analysis and advised senior executive teams on long-term strategic initiatives. More recently, Max is responsible for deal sourcing, raising equity, and investing in operating companies in the U.S. and Europe for RIC, a Maine and New York-based investment firm. Max is a graduate of I.E. Business School in Madrid, where he earned an M.B.A, and Vassar College (B.A.).
Pargha Leboua
Board Member - Mid Coast Hospital, CNA
Pargha was born and raised in Gabon and arrived in Maine in December 2015. After learning to speak English at Portland Adult Education, Pargha got her CNA certificate from Scarborough Adult Education and continues learning English at the University of Southern Maine. Pargha now works as a CNA at Mid Coast Hospital in Brunswick. Pargha is the mother of five children and enjoys spending time with her family and has a commitment to helping people in as many ways as possible.
William Black
Board Member - Maine Public Advocate Office, Deputy Public Advocate (Retired)
Bill Black is retired from thirty years of serving as General Counsel and Deputy Public Advocate in Maine’s Public Advocate Office. Bill continues occasionally to represent public-interest concerns before public utilities commissions in northern New England. He is a long-time board member of Pine Tree Legal Assistance, and serves as co-chair of the annual Edmund H. Muskie Award Dinner, which raises funds for Maine’s six legal services organizations. Bill also serves on the Board of Bay Chamber Concerts in Rockport, Maine and on the Board of the Friends of the Strand Theater (FOST) in Rockland, Maine. Before moving to Maine, Bill graduated from Stanford University, received an MAT from Reed College, and graduated from the Boston University School of Law.
advisory council
Manuel Bogorro - Carnegie Hall & Bay Chamber Concerts & Music School
Sarah Darling - A Far Cry
Moisès Fernández Via - Boston University Arts / Lab
Bayla Keyes - Boston University
Heath Marlow - The Food Project
Shay Stewart-Bouley - Community Change Inc. & Black Girl in Maine