BOARD OF DIRECTORS
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VHF Board Officers
CAROL LEVY, PRESIDENT Carol is the founder of Pilot Light Foundation, an organization that works with people living in extreme poverty in Africa to help them improve their lives through creating a sustainable, livable income. She first discovered Venice as a teenager and over the years spent much time making friends with local artists. After raising her (now grown) family in Malibu, Carol and her husband moved to Venice ten years ago. She loves the community that is now her home and is fascinated by the rich, diverse history. Carol had wondered why Venice lacked a heritage museum and was thrilled to learn about the group working to make this a reality and to be part of it. CHRISTINA KRAUSE, TREASURER Christina brings over two decades of operational excellence to the Venice Heritage Museum's Board of Directors, having honed her skills in leading roles at BMW, Christian Dior, and as a co-founder of Canoo, an innovative electric vehicle company. Her career is marked by significant contributions in Corporate Communications, Human Resources, Facilities, and IT, showcasing her versatile leadership in various sectors including automotive, fashion, and luxury. An art enthusiast and advocate for sustainability, Christina has actively contributed to the art world, notably through her involvement in Desert X and the Frieze Art Fair, where she has played a significant role in promoting contemporary art and culture. Her management of the @the_venice_canals Instagram page further exemplifies her dedication to the Venice community, showcasing its unique charm and history. Educated in Art History at Arizona State University, Christina's academic background enriches her understanding and appreciation of Venice's rich cultural heritage. Her role on the board is driven by a passion to preserve and promote the artistic and historical treasures of Venice, ensuring the museum remains a central figure in celebrating and sharing this remarkable city's legacy. MARCIA XINTARIS, SECRETARY Marcia Xintaris is a Senior Content Production and Development Executive with over 15 years of experience managing Emmy-nominated television for NBCUniversal, CNBC, and large creative content studios. Her work includes programs such as Empires of New York with Paul Giamatti, the reboot of Deal or No Deal with Howie Mandel, the legacy justice series American Greed and The First 48, and fan favorite Jay Leno’s Garage. Marcia has led content creation projects across the U.S. and internationally, beginning her career in Chicago’s advertising world, where she produced campaigns for clients like Home Depot, State Farm, L’Oréal, and Lexus. In New York, she later supervised long-form documentaries, specials, and series for PBS, A+E, Viacom, and Disney. At NBC, she was a mentor for the Boys & Girls Club of New York and volunteered for City Harvest, in addition to her ongoing membership with The Television Academy. After 20 years in New York, Marcia achieved her goal of living in Los Angeles, moving here in 2022. She now calls it home and is honored to serve the vibrant Venice community through her work with the Venice Heritage Foundation and Museum. |
VHF Board Members
ALISON ROSE JEFFERSON, MHC | PhD A third-generation Californian, born and raised in Los Angeles, Alison is a publicly engaged independent historian and heritage conservation consultant. She brings expertise of Los Angeles and Southern California landscapes that feature historical significance as well as contemporary consequence which will help VHF elucidate less familiar stories of the Venice community’s historically diverse populations. She has completed a few Applied/Public History projects in recent years—Santa Monica’s Belmar History + Art and the Angels Walk LA Central Avenue Heritage Trail—which exemplify her work to re-center the African American experience in regional history, heritage conservation efforts, civic memory, and the American identity. Her most recent book, Living the California Dream: African American Leisure Sites during the Jim Crow Era (University of Nebraska Press), was awarded the 2020 Miriam Matthews Ethnic History Award by the Los Angeles City Historical Society for its exceptional contributions to the greater understanding and awareness of regional history. MICHAEL MURPHY Michael is an agency creative that has also had the privilege to design a traveling exhibition called Vedem Underground, that the Smithsonian hailed as one of the 10 “Don’t Miss…” new exhibits. In the last few years Michael created two books and two exhibitions about Santa Monica in 1902 and 1917, respectively, as well as a postcard book Los Angeles: A Look Back To Postcards of the 1930s & 1940s from Today. He is currently promoting his newly released book, Googie Modern (Angel City Press). JASON SUGARS Jason is a fourth generation born and raised Venice native. Life started in the loft above the family shop on W. Washington Blvd and led to countless homes all across the Venice neighborhood map. In 2019, Jason ran for and won a seat on the Venice Neighborhood Council—raising his hand and voice in honor of the community and energy that had first helped to raised him. Before officially joining the Board, he'd worked on various projects with VHF including the production of the Oral History Project and partnering to produce and present the [ ]AZZ-IS Venice Jazz Festival, an annual event that spotlights and honors the rich and diverse cultures of Venice and takes its name from Billie Harris's AZZ IZZ Jazz Club, which sat on W. Washington Blvd throughout the 1970s, long before the street was renamed Abbot Kinney Blvd. [* denotes founding Board Member] |
IN MEMORIAM: ELAYNE ALEXANDER*, HISTORIAN
A Venice historian and author, Elayne served on the board of Venice Historical Society for 18 years and Los Angeles Genealogical Society for a decade, where she held the presidency of each society. She was a founding member of the Venice Heritage Foundation, keen on bringing a museum to life for her beloved Venice. Elayne wrote six books on Venice history, including an authorized biography of Abbot Kinney, founder of Venice.
We honor the legacy of Elayne's unparalleled service to preserving and celebrating Venice history through the Elayne Alexander Collection—her impressive archive of images and artifacts, oral history interviews, and written pieces, which forms the foundation of our permanent collection.
A Venice historian and author, Elayne served on the board of Venice Historical Society for 18 years and Los Angeles Genealogical Society for a decade, where she held the presidency of each society. She was a founding member of the Venice Heritage Foundation, keen on bringing a museum to life for her beloved Venice. Elayne wrote six books on Venice history, including an authorized biography of Abbot Kinney, founder of Venice.
We honor the legacy of Elayne's unparalleled service to preserving and celebrating Venice history through the Elayne Alexander Collection—her impressive archive of images and artifacts, oral history interviews, and written pieces, which forms the foundation of our permanent collection.
Advisory Council
Our Advisory Council is comprised of individuals who lend us the invaluable resources of their expertise and lived experience as we have brought the Venice Heritage Museum to life.
Senator Ben Allen, California Senate District 26
Max Benator, Co-Founder & CEO of Orca
Jason Benesch, Cultural writer & Community Coordinator
Ray Bradbury [In partnership with the Estate of Ray Bradbury], Internationally renowned author (In Memoriam)
Steven Ehrlich, FAIA, Founding Partner, EHRLICH YANAI RHEE CHANEY Architects
Sergio Enriquez, MA, Sustainable Cultural Heritage and Creative Director
Grant Francis, Master Carpenter and 35+ Year Venice High Teacher
Frank Gehry, Internationally renowned architect
Dr. Judith Goldman, Psychologist and Venice housing activist
Sarah Haft, Professional Independent Museum Exhibit Developer
David Hertz, Architect & Founder, Studio of Environmental Architecture
Karen Kiss, Nonprofit Grants & Administration Expert
Josh “Bagel” Klassman, Underground Venice Photographer
Juri Koll, Founder & Director, Venice Institute of Contemporary Art
Jeremy Kove, Owner, Munson Industries, Inc.
Francisco Letelier, Visual artist, Writer, Educator
Rob Lissner, Co-Founder, The Venice West, BeachLife Festival & BeachLife Ranch
Lisa Marquez, Event producer and multigenerational Venetian
Earl Newman, 1960s–70s Venice artist
Dr. Naomi Nightingale, Social justice advocate & Oakwood community leader
Stephen Pouliot*, Writer, producer, and restorer of The Venice-of-America House
Michael Preiss, President, RSFLA Inc. | Commercial Real Estate | Leasing and Investment Sales
Marilyn Ramirez, Photographer & Community Coordinator
Tom Sewell, Multimedia Artist & Venice restoration expert
Spanto, Co-founder, Born x Raised (In Memoriam)
Alex and Edizen Stowell, Founders, Venice Paparazzi
Kristina von Hoffmann, Former VHM Board President
Pep Williams, Fine Art Photographer
Our Advisory Council is comprised of individuals who lend us the invaluable resources of their expertise and lived experience as we have brought the Venice Heritage Museum to life.
Senator Ben Allen, California Senate District 26
Max Benator, Co-Founder & CEO of Orca
Jason Benesch, Cultural writer & Community Coordinator
Ray Bradbury [In partnership with the Estate of Ray Bradbury], Internationally renowned author (In Memoriam)
Steven Ehrlich, FAIA, Founding Partner, EHRLICH YANAI RHEE CHANEY Architects
Sergio Enriquez, MA, Sustainable Cultural Heritage and Creative Director
Grant Francis, Master Carpenter and 35+ Year Venice High Teacher
Frank Gehry, Internationally renowned architect
Dr. Judith Goldman, Psychologist and Venice housing activist
Sarah Haft, Professional Independent Museum Exhibit Developer
David Hertz, Architect & Founder, Studio of Environmental Architecture
Karen Kiss, Nonprofit Grants & Administration Expert
Josh “Bagel” Klassman, Underground Venice Photographer
Juri Koll, Founder & Director, Venice Institute of Contemporary Art
Jeremy Kove, Owner, Munson Industries, Inc.
Francisco Letelier, Visual artist, Writer, Educator
Rob Lissner, Co-Founder, The Venice West, BeachLife Festival & BeachLife Ranch
Lisa Marquez, Event producer and multigenerational Venetian
Earl Newman, 1960s–70s Venice artist
Dr. Naomi Nightingale, Social justice advocate & Oakwood community leader
Stephen Pouliot*, Writer, producer, and restorer of The Venice-of-America House
Michael Preiss, President, RSFLA Inc. | Commercial Real Estate | Leasing and Investment Sales
Marilyn Ramirez, Photographer & Community Coordinator
Tom Sewell, Multimedia Artist & Venice restoration expert
Spanto, Co-founder, Born x Raised (In Memoriam)
Alex and Edizen Stowell, Founders, Venice Paparazzi
Kristina von Hoffmann, Former VHM Board President
Pep Williams, Fine Art Photographer
Founding Board Members Emeritus
We are thankful to the following board members who formed the Venice Heritage Foundation to help sow the seeds for our much-needed institution:
Nadine Parkos
With a long record of Venice volunteerism, Nadine served on the boards of the Venice Neighborhood Council, the Venice Canals Association, Friends of the Venice-Abbot Kinney Memorial Library, the Venice Canals Foundation, and the Venice Historical Society.
Bonnie Poon
With credentials in History, Art History, and Arts Administration, Bonnie worked in museums for over 15 years, including the Fowler, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Bard Graduate Center.
Stephen Pouliot
Stephen is a 40+ year Venice resident who restored the Venice of America House, which is listed on the Historic Register. He is a career writer whose specialty was in scripted awards shows such as the Oscars.
Daniel Samakow
Daniel is a well-known restauranteur and co-owner of former beloved local restaurants, James’ Beach, Canal Club, and Danny’s Deli. Daniel is a Venice historic preservationist and helped spearhead the re-creation of the Venice Sign in collaboration with Todd von Hoffmann.
Sarah Schacht
An educator and administrator, Sarah and her husband, John, are 40+ year residents of the Canals and prolific collectors of Venice historical ephemera.
Paul Tanck
A graphic designer, historian, and poet, Paul wrote a column and book on Venice history, entitled “Venice Firsts.” Together, Stephen Pouliot and Paul Tanck created unique Venice historical community calendars and postcards for 15 years, which have become collectors’ items.
Todd von Hoffmann
A specialist in event programming, Todd was a lead organizer of the Venice Centennial celebration and served as Project Manager for the Venice Sign Restoration Project. He also helped lead the team behind the beloved annual Oakwood BBQ Picnic in partnership with Fire Station 63 for a decade.
We are thankful to the following board members who formed the Venice Heritage Foundation to help sow the seeds for our much-needed institution:
Nadine Parkos
With a long record of Venice volunteerism, Nadine served on the boards of the Venice Neighborhood Council, the Venice Canals Association, Friends of the Venice-Abbot Kinney Memorial Library, the Venice Canals Foundation, and the Venice Historical Society.
Bonnie Poon
With credentials in History, Art History, and Arts Administration, Bonnie worked in museums for over 15 years, including the Fowler, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Bard Graduate Center.
Stephen Pouliot
Stephen is a 40+ year Venice resident who restored the Venice of America House, which is listed on the Historic Register. He is a career writer whose specialty was in scripted awards shows such as the Oscars.
Daniel Samakow
Daniel is a well-known restauranteur and co-owner of former beloved local restaurants, James’ Beach, Canal Club, and Danny’s Deli. Daniel is a Venice historic preservationist and helped spearhead the re-creation of the Venice Sign in collaboration with Todd von Hoffmann.
Sarah Schacht
An educator and administrator, Sarah and her husband, John, are 40+ year residents of the Canals and prolific collectors of Venice historical ephemera.
Paul Tanck
A graphic designer, historian, and poet, Paul wrote a column and book on Venice history, entitled “Venice Firsts.” Together, Stephen Pouliot and Paul Tanck created unique Venice historical community calendars and postcards for 15 years, which have become collectors’ items.
Todd von Hoffmann
A specialist in event programming, Todd was a lead organizer of the Venice Centennial celebration and served as Project Manager for the Venice Sign Restoration Project. He also helped lead the team behind the beloved annual Oakwood BBQ Picnic in partnership with Fire Station 63 for a decade.