LCAD Trustees Are Passionate College Ambassadors
Get to Know Our Trustees
Laguna College of Art + Design’s Board of Trustees guides our not-for-profit college in governance, policies, finances, and strategic planning. Each Trustee plays an important leadership role by inspiring others to join them in a commitment to accomplish or to exceed LCAD’s organizational goals. LCAD Trustees are passionate College ambassadors who apply their unique professional acumen to responsibly advance LCAD’s mission to empower creative leaders.
Trustees
Jared K. Mathis, is CEO of Orange County based Moulton Company - an investment company involved in commercial, industrial and residential real estate. A twenty-five-year veteran of the real estate industry, Jared worked previously for the California Building Industry Association and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Jared received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Public Policy from Pomona College in Claremont and pursued his Masters of Real Estate at Georgetown University.
Jared and his wife Kate are proud parents of their three children and they spend most weekends at soccer games. Jared is also President of Moulton Museum, Co-Chair of the Laguna Playhouse Board of Directors, Member of Chapman University Board of Governors, Life Member of the Saddleback Area Historical Society and Board Member of 4-M Water District. Jared also loves to spend time on the golf course and has a deep appreciation for early California plein air art.
Justin Thavirat is an award-winning video game developer since 1994 when he answered a local job posting at school that read, "Do you like to draw and play video games?" Since then, Justin has worked art directing games, building art departments, developing new IPs, and contributing to game art, concept art, cinematic art, marketing illustrations, and box covers for many of Blizzard's award winning games in the Warcraft, StarCraft, Diablo, Hearthstone, and World of Warcraft series. Justin was art director on World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade, lead artist on Starcraft 2: Legacy of the Void, and an assistant art director overseeing art for several new game development teams at Blizzard Entertainment.
Justin’s art has been featured in numerous publications and museums including The Smithsonian American Art Museum, Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art, The Laguna Art Museum, and the Computer History Museum. Justin was one of the recipients of the 1995 Game Developers Choice Award for “Best Visual Arts”, and has presented at the Game Developers Conference, THU, Vision X Live, and numerous other conferences, art schools, and colleges. Justin currently sits on the Game Developers Conference advisory board and is the recipient of an honorary doctorate of fine arts from the Laguna College of Art + Design for his contributions to the industry and his assistance in establishing a thriving game art major at the college.
When not spending time with his wife and two boys, Justin’s passions are plein air watercolor painting, experimental game development, and building exceptional art teams who cultivate a collaborative development culture and strive to achieve something greater than anyone thought possible.
Ms. Burton Gray is The Founding Principal of Seniors Capital LLC. The Fund provides Equity and Debt to the Seniors Housing Industry. Ms. Burton Gray has led several national platforms in her 37 year tenure in the healthcare industry providing financing and private placement activities in the health care sector, including real estate proprietary bridge lending, GSE lending and FHA loans. Her areas of expertise include the long-term care sector of the health care industry with a focus on underwriting and portfolio responsibilities. Prior to joining Hunt, she was Head of Health Care and Senior Managing Director for Hunt Mortgage Group, RED Mortgage Capital, LLC, both divisions of Orix International.
Ms. Burton Gray has extensive banking experience in both large commercial banking platforms, including Wells Fargo Bank, as well as smaller regional and community banks. Ms. Burton Gray has also worked for finance companies, including CIT Group- where she ran the National Healthcare RE Group, GE Finance, and Finova Capital.
Ms. Burton Gray also serves on the Foundation Board of Mission Hospital, a Providence Healthcare System.
Ms. Burton Gray taught courses in SAT, LSAT, MCAT, GRE, and GMAT for the Princeton Review; and participated on many other industry specific boards including Executive Board positions with ASHA (American Senior Housing Association), and Vice Chair of Urban Land Institute's Seniors Housing Council. Her past board memberships have included HCap, LTC 100, CALA, ALFA-Argentum, and the NIC Advisory Committee.
Nancy L. Milby currently serves as Chief Financial Officer of MedEvals Management, Inc., a family business providing disability evaluations and health readiness assessments for US military veterans and service members. For the 15 years leading up the MedEvals, she was Executive Director of Laguna Culinary Arts, a hands-on cooking school for the home chef that opened in Laguna Beach in July 2001, then LCA Wine, a wine retail and wine education business. Before becoming an entrepreneur, Nancy was a senior financial executive, serving as Chief Financial Officer for several start-up and early-stage companies. Her financial training comes from 16 years at KPMG, a worldwide accounting and consulting firm, where she was a tax partner. While at KPMG, Nancy was actively involved in developing and teaching the firm’s in-house training programs, earning numerous awards for instructor excellence. She also served as partner-in-charge of the firm’s National Business School for her industry group.
Nancy Bushnell was born in Bogota, Colombia. Her family lived in La Paz, Bolivia and Lima, Peru before moving to the United States in 1960. Nancy received her bachelor's degree with a double major in Spanish and Humanities from Pitzer College in Claremont, California and a California Teaching Credential from the University of Southern California. She earned a Master's Degree in International Management at The American Graduate School of Management in Glendale, Arizona. After completing her education, Nancy worked for Security Pacific National Bank in Los Angeles as a Latin American specialist in their International Banking Division. In 1976, Nancy married David P. Bushnell, founder of Bushnell Optical Corporation known for their sports optics and moved to Laguna that year. Nancy had been a member of the Board of Directors of Pitzer College for 20 years, serving as Co-Chair for Policies and Procedures. She also served on the boards of Human Options a battered women's shelter in Orange County, for 8 years, Sally's Fund a nonprofit transportation organization for Seniors of Laguna Beach for 4 years, and The Laguna Art Museum for 6 years, and serves on the Board of the Pacific Marine Mammal Center in Laguna. The Bushnells have also been supporters of the Laguna Playhouse, The Friendship Shelter, and two Micro Credit NGOs: Opportunity International and FINCA
Suzanne Chonette was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. After moving to the United States, she attended Simmons College and the Museum School of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Marriage intervened and after a hiatus as wife and mother of five children, she returned to academic studies when her youngest began high school. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the Art Institute of Southern California, renamed Laguna College of Art and Design, in 1990. Suzanne’s representational works are primarily in pastel and oil. She has been an active participant in Orange County philanthropies for the past 40 years holding many offices and chairs. As a former oboe player, Suzanne has a great love of symphonic music. She has been a Pacific Symphony Board member for the past 12 years and is currently a Life Board member. Suzanne’s current priorities include the support of performing and visual arts education for the youth of our community.
Nelson Coates is an award-winning Production Designer for film, television, and theater. The fourth of five children of Abilene Christian University professors Drs. Ed & Jane Coates, Nelson graduated magna cum laude from ACU with a BA in Journalism/Mass Communications with an emphasis in design, and a minor in Biology. He was involved in more than 30 collegiate and professional theatre productions while in college, and went on to perform Off-Broadway, in regional theatre, and film & television, and subsequently began his career in theatrical feature film production design.
Coates was nominated for an Emmy® Award for his work on the eight-hour miniseries STEPHEN KING'S THE STAND for which he designed 225 sets and locations. He was named Abilene Christian University's Outstanding Young Alumnus of the Year in 1996, and was recipient of the ACU JMC Department’s Gutenberg Award. In 2013, Coates was nominated by the Art Directors Guild for Outstanding Contemporary Film Design for his work on FLIGHT, and in 2019 won that category for his Production Design of CRAZY RICH ASIANS. Other Art Directors Guild nominations include “The Morning Show” for AppleTV+, and the feature adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony® winning musical IN THE HEIGHTS.
Nelson’s film design work includes such hits as THE PROPOSAL, FIFTY SHADES DARKER, FIFTY SHADES FREED, MURDER AT 1600, KISS THE GIRLS, ANTWONE FISHER, RUNAWAY JURY, BIG MIRACLE, THE GUILT TRIP, ON THE BASIS OF SEX chronicling Justice Ginsburg’s work on gender discrimination, and most recently, Disney’s HOCUS POCUS 2. Coates recently was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award from his adopted hometown of Abilene, Texas, and the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council.
Coates is a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and the Television Academy. He currently serves as President of the Art Directors Guild and as a member of the Executive Committee for the Designers Branch of the Academy.
Lisa Dallendorfer, a native of Southern California, is owner and principal of The Dall Group, a client solutions consultancy. Before starting her own company, she enjoyed 20 years at The Walt Disney Company in entertainment attraction retail design, store planning, construction and installation. During her tenure at Disney, her focus was on construction management and developing cost effective retail programs from concept to installation. Prior to Lisa's career at Disney, she was a dedicated art educator and administrator at the secondary and community college level. Creative education has always been her passion and first love. Lisa earned both her BA and MA in Art and Design from California State University, Long Beach, California. She holds a Standard Secondary Life Credential in Art Education as well as a Clear Administrative Credential from studies pursued at the University of California, Irvine campus.
Lisa is also an accomplished designer and artist. She is an experienced fine-finish woodworker and has created artisan bandsaw boxes, furniture and multi-media art pieces. Her bandsaw boxes are part of a wide variety of fine art collections. She participated in the Irvine Fine Arts Center All Media Juried Show multiple times and was awarded an Honorary Mention. She also was juried into The heART of Orange County All Media show at Chemers Gallery in Tustin.
Her name appears on the City of Irvine’s “Wall of Recognition” giving tribute to her service as the Founding Chair of the Irvine Fine Art Advisory Board. Her leadership and partnership with the Irvine Community Services Department was instrumental in getting the Irvine Fine Arts Center designed and built. Along with her tenure as a Trustee at LCAD, she also served on the Board of the Pacific Art Foundation.
Ron Holecek grew up on a farm & ranch in southwestern North Dakota and pursued his love of drawing and making things through the study of architecture at North Dakota State University (NDSU) and receiving a Bachelor of Architecture degree.
After serving in the US Army Strategic Communications Command in Germany, Ron continued his education receiving a Master of Architecture from the University of Washington (UW).
Upon graduation from UW, Ron accepted a position with Wimberly, Whisenand, Allison, Tong & Goo, Architects (now known as WATG) in Honolulu, Hawaii. With offices in the Irvine, Los Angeles, New York, London, Cairo, Shanghai, Singapore, and Hawaii. WATG is recognized as one of the leading architecture, planning, interior design and strategy consulting firms specializing in hospitality, leisure, and entertainment design around the world.
Known for his direct involvement with projects, Ron gained invaluable knowledge of cultural variations in design and business while working with clients around the globe. He came to epitomize his firm’s commitment to a dynamic, personal approach by its leaders. Serving as President and CEO of WATG from 1993-2009 he led the firm through successive years of growth and expanded the firm’s operations to be truly global. Formally retiring after 40 years with the firm Ron continues to serve in an advisory role.
Ron is a 2001 North Dakota State University Alumni Achievement Award Honoree, and currently serves as a NDSU Foundation Trustee, and a member of the NDSU School of Design, Architecture and Art Advisory Board. He is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Over the years he has served on numerous advisory boards and organization panels.
Lisa Mansour has called Laguna Beach home for 22 years. When she moved here with her family in the year 2000, she knew she wanted to be involved in the arts community. She was appointed to the Laguna Beach Arts Commission in 2009 and served the city for six years in this capacity. She began formal art training at Laguna College Art + Design in 2014 in the Post-Baccalaureate Program and graduated from LCAD in 2018. Lisa exhibits her art at the Sawdust Art Festival and 2022 marks her 5th year as an artist in the show. She is also a member of Quorum Gallery, the longest-established artist cooperative in Laguna Beach, and an artist member of Oil Painters of America, California Art Club, and Laguna Plein Air Painters Association. In April of 2022, she was the featured Artist of the Month in the LPAPA Gallery in north Laguna.
Lisa has served on the board of directors of LOCA Arts Education for the past 5 years, and was co-chair of their Birthday Bash fundraiser in 2022. She is a LOCA teacher, and has taught classes at Glennwood House. Lisa has previously served as a special trustee to the Friendship Shelter, and on the board of directors of the Laguna Beach Community Foundation, Lagunatunes, and Laguna Beach Arts Alliance. She chaired the LBAA Art Star Awards in 2011, which honored musician Lee Rocker among others. Lisa is a current member of the Board of Trustees of SAEF, Sawdust Art Enrichment Fund, a philanthropic effort that provides experiences in creating art to underserved populations throughout Orange County and beyond.
Lisa graduated from the Eller College of Management at the University of Arizona in 1988 with a degree in Marketing and spent 5 years working for an advertising agency in downtown Chicago. Her marketing background has served her well in her artistic career and endeavors.
Lisa and her husband John have raised three amazing daughters in Laguna and love giving back to the city, which has been so good to them. They are involved in many different organizations and causes in town including the Laguna Art Museum, Friendship Shelter, LCAD, Laguna Canyon Foundation, and Grower’s First.
Hiro Kinoshita was born and raised in Japan and graduated from the Architectural School of Nihon University in Tokyo. He came to California to further pursue his career in architecture and planning.
Hiro is a founding partner of KTGY, now one of the largest Orange County based architectural firms. The firm has six offices throughout the U.S. and employs over four hundred. While at KTGY, he designed residential and resort projects in California, Hawaii, and throughout Asia.
He retired in 2014 and now spends his time playing golf and traveling to destinations on his bucket list.
Hiro resides in Newport Coast with his wife, Irene, and adorable poodles, Ben(nie) and Jerry.