Christine Her (she, her, hers)

Executive Director
#1 Value: Joy

Christine Her is the daughter of Hmong refugee parents from Laos. She graduated from East High School and pursued her B.A. at Drake University studying Creative Writing, Philosophy and Political Science. She is a Mid-Iowa Health fellow and a part of the Des Moines Performing Arts (DMPA) Equity Diversity Inclusivity (EDI) Community Task Force and a serving board member. She is also a member of the Iowa ACES 360 Steering Committee, Drake University’s Community Engagement Advisory Council, the Community Foundation of Greater Des Moines’ Nonprofit Leadership Cohort Advisory Committee and the Business Record newsroom’s Racial Equity Advisory Board. She is a cultural architect who is highly motivated to interrupt social and systemic injustices with hope and art while helping others rise in their own power and lean into their purpose.

Claudia Kyalangalilwa (she, her, hers)

Heroes Program Director
#1 Value: Forgiveness

After immigrating to Des Moines at a young age from Kenya, Claudia began school at Riverwoods Elementary School and then was a student at Weeks Middle School. An East High School graduate, Claudia attended the University of Iowa and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies as well as a Human Rights certificate. Claudia strives to serve as an advocate for young people in the Heroes Program, building collaborations within the community as well as serving youth directly. Claudia believes it to be important to uplift healing spaces and aspires to continue on a path that disrupts systemic inequities preventing us from envisioning as well as enacting our fullest potentials.

Emma Parker (she, her, hers)

Creative and Financial Director
#1 Value: Joy

Emma is a visual artist with a talent for envisioning collaborative projects. She graduated from Iowa State University with a BFA in Studio Art with an emphasis in printmaking. She is a firm believer in the power of the arts and self expression, and that all young people should have the opportunity to create. Through the act of creating people are able to reflect and better understand who they are. Emma values growth, because it is through growing that we continue to learn who we are and our role in this world.

Keezeng Lee (he, him, his)

Arts Engagement Creator
#1 Value: Beauty

Born in St. Paul, Minnesota, Keezeng is a second generation Hmong-American and a former ELL (English Language Learners) student. He has previously served his community in Minnesota and has continued to do so in Iowa. After joining RISE AmeriCorps and serving with his host site, ArtForce Iowa, his passion for the arts was reinvigorated. He continues to practice traditional art and aims to grow in the graphic design field. With his #1 value being beauty, he wants to share the beauty of his community with the world. Keezeng continues to create art and believes he can always improve to bring out the beauty in his art.

Kamaura Kim (she, her, hers)

Arts Engagement Creator
#1 Value: Authenticity

Kamaura is a photographer and fiber artist who previously served 3 AmeriCorps terms with ArtForce Iowa. Born and raised in Des Moines, Kamaura spent a lot of time within the Hmong and Cambodian communities doing traditional Khmer /Kuh-My/ dancing, and performing with her local church's worship team. She hopes to use her passions of adventure and photography to highlight refugee/immigrant, and youth stories in her community. Authenticity is her #1 value, as she believes it's important to come as you are and not morph into society's standards.

Tyler Gates (he, him, his)

Arts Engagement Director
#1 Value: Purpose

Tyler is a filmmaker with a passion for justice. Born in Cedar Rapids and educated at the University of Iowa, Tyler gravitates towards film, writing and animation. The son of a Filipino immigrant, Tyler respects the work it takes to learn about a culture that is one generation removed. Tyler wants to create media that engages and inspires people to envision a better world.

Johnathan Fusco (he, him, his)

Know Justice Art Curator
#1 Value: Love

Johnathan Fusco is a visual artist and art installation technician. He graduated from Iowa State University in 2014 with a bachelor's degree in fine arts. He's worked with Art Force Iowa as a mentor since early 2017 and through this work it's his hope that youth may find appreciation for craft and learn to really see the world around them.

He believes that having the power to create something one can be proud of and share it with others is both a powerful and meaningful experience and a language all its own worth sharing.

Mee Xiong (She, her, Hers)

Know Justice Archivist #1 Value: Courage

Mee is a second generation Hmong person living in the U.S. and a child of Hmong refugees from Lao PDR. She has experience working in university libraries and archives, state historical societies, and community-based institutions with reference, collections, outreach and fundraising. Her interests include the intersections of Asian American communities, social justice and the practice of archiving. Mee values courage because she believes it’s integral to the success of working towards a more just and equitable world.

Jackson Meister (He, Him, his)

Artist Mentor #1 Value: Consistency

Jackson Meister is a painter, sculptor, and graffiti writer from Des Moines,IA. Jackson graduated from Roosevelt high school in 2012 before heading to Olympia,WA to attend the Evergreen State College. After graduating with a degree in Drawing, he moved back to Des Moines. Jackson started as an Artist mentor with ArtForce Iowa before doing an AmeriCorps tour in 2017. Routine is very important to him so his number one value is Consistency and he believes in an unstable world, your words should align with your actions.

Kayla Brown (she, her, hers)

Graphic Designer
#1 Value: Kindness

Kayla Brown is a graphic designer and all around goof. She recently completed a thesis researching ways people can connect and communicate through food. When she isn’t designing, she can be found baking, reading a book, or going on a hike and taking photos. She believes that through art, folks can share their stories, make connections, and build community.

December PAw (She, her, Hers)

ArtForce Shop Associate #1 Value: Self-Determination

December Paw is Karen, born in Mae La Refugee Camp in Thailand and she came to the United States in 2009. She grew up in Des Moines and is currently a junior studying Management and International Business at Drake University. December's #1 priority is self-determination. She values the ability to make her own life decisions that can shape her future. She has a passion for traveling and hopes to explore more of the world in the future. Her ultimate goal is to work abroad to make a positive impact on her community.

DAn jaquez (he, him, his)

Artist Mentor
#1 Value: Mindfulness

His number #1 value is mindfulness. Dan strives to remain conscious of how his actions impact others, and is attuned to the feelings and emotions of those around him. His goal is to create an environment where everyone feels safe, secure, and respected. This mindfulness guides Dan’s interactions and decisions, ensuring a positive and empathetic approach in everything he does. 

Board Members

Malai Amfahr, Senior Program Officer, Campaign for Grade Level Reading

Scott Anderson, Tax Director, Principal Financial Group

Francis Jayoma, Consultant Analyst, Allianz Life Insurance, North America

Alix Sanchez, Risk Assurance Senior Associate, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Jessica Villegas, Studio Arts Educator, Des Moines Art Center

Sarah Welch, Communications Manager, DART

ADVISORY BOARD

Carl Vieregger, Past Chair
Drake University

Katy Swalwell
Iowa State University

Noreen Rodriguez
Iowa State University

Chris Foreman
National Center for Child Traumatic Stress

ARTIST-MENTOR TEAM

Ceramic Arts
Garnet Nordine, Matthew Scheetz

Movement Arts
Juan Lourido

Fiber Arts
Christine Her, Christine Tran, Jordan Olson,

Music
Christine Her, Micah Smith, Cameron Schneider, Daniel Scheetz, Justin Schneider, RJ Hernandez, Jason Gorsuch, Sarah Bodle

Filmmaking and Photography
Dan Jaquez, Kristian Day

Theater and Creative Writing
Rachel Vogel-Quinn, Sarah Welch, Christine Her, Claudia Kyalangalilwa, Monserat Iniguez,