Financial Advisor, Edward Jones Investments

Having experienced the ultimate joy and power of Jazz Camp West for 20 years, and participating in the offshoot Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir since 2007, I am thrilled and honored to serve as President of Living Jazz's Board of Trustees.

More than 40 years ago, Stacey Hoffman created a truly transformative experience that brings together a glorious tribe of every layer of music makers - from teens to octogenarians, the Bay Area and around the world – and Lyz Luke has taken us to the next level.

I can't imagine a better place to serve, carrying the torch forward as Living Jazz continues expanding the light of transformation and community through music.

Associate, Reed Smith LLP

Mariah is an Oakland native, an attorney, and a proud new mom who’s passionate about building a more just and inclusive world.  As a first-generation college and law school graduate, she understands how life-changing access to a quality education can be—and she's committed to helping open doors for the next generation.  Mariah doesn’t just talk the talk; she walks it, with heart, hustle, and the kind of sharp insight that separates the doers from the dreamers.

Senior Accountant, Head-Royce School 

Adrianne Batiste serves as Treasurer of Living Jazz and is the Senior Accountant at Head-Royce School. With a strong background in finance and nonprofit governance, she brings thoughtful stewardship and a deep commitment to sustainability in service of Living Jazz’s mission.

An Oakland native, Adrianne was born and raised in the city’s vibrant arts and culture scene. Music and creative expression played a formative role in her childhood, shaping not only her love for the arts but also her belief in the power of community-centered education. Those early experiences inspire her to pay it forward for the next generation of young artists.

Adrianne is especially passionate about Living Jazz’s RootED program and its work to bring music into schools, ensuring that students of all backgrounds have access to creative opportunities. She is honored to support an organization that embraces artists of all skill levels while building a community rooted in collective care, joy, and belonging.

Music remains a source of joy in Adrianne’s life, and she is excited to blend her financial expertise with her lifelong passion for making music education more accessible across Oakland and beyond.

CFO for Bay Area Ocean Cluster - Retired from Chevron Corp after 33 years

Dave worked as an engineer, engineering manager, and business manager for Chevron Corporation for 33 years, retiring in 2013.  Most of that time was spent in Chevron businesses and joint venture companies that licensed refinery technology that produced clean transportation fuels and lubricants to other companies worldwide.

Dave is currently CFO for Bay Area Ocean Cluster - A first-ever service organization for the SF Bay Area, connecting Blue Economy companies to allies and investors. From 2015 to 2020, Dave served as the Chief Financial Officer for Future Fires, a Bay Area immersive arts start-up company that produced two Luminary events at the Midway event space in San Francisco as well as other smaller art installations around the Bay.   He has also been the Database Manager for the Art Deco Society of California for the past 30 years (and was honored with their Preservation Award in 2025).

Dave is a jazz and classical bassist in the San Francisco Bay Area, an avid photographer and bird watcher.

Consultant to Organizations

“Living Jazz does two very important things that are often incompatible in today’s results-at-any-cost world. It fosters individual mastery while also building community and connectedness. In so doing it brings out the best in all of us and is really a very unique gift to the world.”

Realtor® | Compass

Courtney grew up in Dallas, Texas, but she hit the road the moment she could. First, she toured the country as a singer-songwriter. Next, she moved to Philadelphia to run operations for a record label. After that, love took her northward to New York to live with her now-wife, as her career evolved again to managing musicians. When a wild hair pulled them toward California, well over a decade ago, they moved west and found their true home in Oakland.

At every phase of her career, in each city, one thing has remained constant: Courtney is known by friends, family, colleagues, and clients for her honesty, fairness, inventive problem-solving, and relentless work-ethic. She admires loyalty, compassion, and good humor in other people; in kind, she embodies those traits with every task she takes on and with every person she meets.

Buying her first home in 2021 sparked Courtney’s love for real estate and she got her license as soon as possible. In addition to being a practicing REALTOR®, Courtney remains active in the music community and continues to support artists’ growth and ability to share their music with the world.

Operations Consultant

Michael Gill is an independent consultant in business and IT operations. His thirty year career has focused primarily on companies in the biotech and pharmaceutical industries. He holds a BA in Humanities from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Saint Mary’s College of California. Michael is also a pianist and composer, with a background in rock, jazz, progressive rock, and Jewish music. As a Fellow in the Max Helfman Institute for New Jewish Music, Michael was one of eighteen international composers who authored a new musical “David’s Quilt” based on a biblical libretto, its 2017 world premiere in Los Angeles featuring the UCLA orchestra and chorale. In 2022, Michael was one of fourteen composers commissioned for a Los Angeles production presenting new music in honor of the 50th anniversary of the death of Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, a key figure in 20th century Jewish philosophy and the fights for American and international social justice. Michael recently completed a two year certificate program in the Berklee School of Music’s (Boston) online program, studying digital orchestration techniques and soundtrack composition.

Michael is another in the long list of people associated with Living Jazz for whom Jazz Camp West touched his life deeply, providing education, confidence-building, and deep friendships.

Executive Producer, Burning Man Project

Justin Katz is a Bay Area-based arts and cultural producer with more than 30 years of experience across music, performance, and community-driven creative work. His multidisciplinary background includes roles as a bassist, composer, designer, nonprofit program director, and civic arts producer.

Justin currently serves as Executive Producer for Burning Man Project’s year-round events, working with global programs to support the regional network and nourish the creative culture beyond the annual Black Rock City event in the Nevada desert.

He served for four years on the Board of Directors of the Berkeley High Jazz Association, including as Chair, supporting one of the nation’s leading high school jazz programs.

As Director of Production for Goldenvoice San Francisco, he oversaw events ranging from theatres and arenas to major festival stages, including a season at Coachella. He was a founding member of the Bay Area band Rosin Coven and founder and lead producer of The Edwardian Ball, now an internationally recognized event more than 25 years strong.

Principal Engagement Strategist, Rachel Medanic Communications

Rachel helps companies build more vibrant workplaces through program design, coaching, training, and employee listening. She specializes in reimagining the employee experience using strategic communications, community-building, and human-centered design workshops. She has led change initiatives with over 25 organizations across healthcare, biotech, entertainment, medical technology, and non-profits.

With deep expertise in communications and the human experience, Rachel is a lifelong student of the performing arts with a passion for the vocal arts and dance. She believes the arts are undervalued for their power to put people of all ages in direct connection with their own powers of empathy, creativity, adaptability, resourcefulness, and resilience.

My love for music and dance started in my childhood home with my Puerto Rican family; our gatherings always included the wonderful musical rhythms of Puerto Rico.

I have been part of the Living Jazz community since 1993 when I started singing with the Oakland Jazz Choir.

In my professional career I was fortunate to spend 30 years advocating for immigrant children and families and providing treatment for those suffering from trauma.

After my retirement from the Department of Public Health in San Francisco, my engagements have included volunteering and/or fundraising for the Berkeley YMCA, the International High School in Oakland, Consider The Homeless, and Bread and Roses.  I was involved in campaigning to elect Adena Ishii as Berkeley Mayor.  I am currently fundraising and volunteering for the Berkeley Food Network and continuing to produce and perform Porch Concerts in Berkeley -- to date there have been 40 such concerts since 2020.

I hope to continue to build Community by making music accessible to all and by networking to increase community and prevent isolation.

Entrepreneur - 1528 Webster Cowork

Anthony Severo is a founder, technologist, and creative force with a deep passion for innovation and community. Though rooted in tech, his interests span space design, filmmaking, and community-building. He is the creator of 1528 — a coworking space in Oakland that fosters creativity — and the founder of Inclined, an agency focused on eCommerce and Shopify launches. His versatility has earned him a reputation as a connector and builder across industries.

Throughout his career, Anthony has held leadership roles at Macy’s, Intuit, and Williams-Sonoma, and contributed to the success of startups like Demandforce and Rocket Lawyer. He brings together business strategy, user experience, and technology to turn ideas into reality.

Above all, Anthony is driven by a deep love for Oakland. Through every project, he works to help the city gain the recognition it deserves — as the world-class city he knows it to be.

Bandleader, The Super Super

Bebecca Sharp (they/she) is a musician, composer/arranger, founder of non-profit LGBTQ+ big band The Super Super, and works with other non-profits to prevent financial exploitation and sexual violence towards women and the LGBTQ+ community. Bebecca is passionate about creating musical opportunities free from the patriarchal oppression that discourages women and girls away from the bandstand and about working with Living Jazz to increase access to jazz music for both audiences and performers.

Director of Financial Systems, Genentech

Ji Winkler came to the United States independently as an international student at the age of 18, an experience that shaped her lifelong appreciation for education, cultural exchange, and community. She sang in the Women’s Choir during her undergraduate years on the East Coast, an early expression of her connection to music. After moving to the West Coast for graduate school, Ji made the Bay Area her home, where she raised two children, both now in college. She previously served on the board of the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir, where her daughter was a chorister from early childhood through adolescence. Through both personal experience and nonprofit involvement, Ji has seen firsthand how music education supports the development of the whole person, builds confidence, and fosters a deep sense of belonging. A lifelong admirer of jazz, with a long-held dream of opening a jazz and wine bar, ashe is delighted to support Living Jazz’s mission of expanding access to music education for underserved communities while building community through a shared love of jazz.

Chief Business Official, Albany Unified School District

Linda Wu brings over 20 years of experience in Education Administration, backed by a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and a Master’s in Finance. Born and raised in East Oakland, she navigated life with limited resources, finding a path to thrive through education and musical enrichment programs.

Playing in an orchestra provided a deeply transformative foundation, instilling the core values of discipline, collaboration, leadership, and perseverance that shape her professional approach today. Having experienced firsthand how access to learning and the arts opens doors to success, Linda has dedicated her two-decade career to creating those same transformative opportunities for students. She remains deeply committed to empowering future generations through her continued work in educational leadership.