Home > about us > our people

our people

Board of Directors

Robert E. Larson, Chair
Retired, John Deere

Bill Burma,
Chair-Elect
Grand View University

Vicki Comegys, Immediate Past Chair
Retired, Catch Des Moines

Natalie Tomaras, Treasurer
American Equity Investment Life Insurance Company®

Marsha Aldridge, Secretary
Nationwide

Mary Chapman
Executive Committee
Community Activist/Art Lover

Angela Connolly
Polk County Board of Supervisors

Barbara Decker
Catholic Charities Diocese of Des Moines

Chaden Halfhill
Silent Rivers Design+Build

Angela Jackson
The Great Frame-Up

Stephen King, CFEE
Executive Director

Chris Kramer
Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs

Brian Laurenzo,
Executive Committee
Brick Gentry P.C.

Kent Maahs
Event Management Team Representative

Scott Sundstrom
Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield

Ann Priftis
Krause Group

Carl Voss
Des Moines City Council

staff

DAPHNE DICKENS, CFEE, Director of Guest Engagement

Programming, Talent, Logistics, Production

STEPHEN KING, CFEE, Executive Director

Visual Arts, Sponsorships, Vision

COLLEEN MURPHY, Director of Community Relations

Sponsorship, Patron Support, Marketing & PR, Special Events

STACEY NAY, Volunteer Coordinator

All things volunteer related

Interns

Grace Ammann, Program Intern

Kaylee Jongerius, Program Intern

JILL LANGEBARTELS, GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERN

Samantha Morris, Program Intern

Lorelai O'Hara, Graphic Design Intern

Past Board Chairs

Pamela Bass-Bookey

Kirk Blunck*

Vicki Comegys

E.J. Giovannetti

*Deceased

Robert Josten*

Tracy Lewis

Kent Mauck

Pat McFarland

Susan Patterson Plank

Jim Quilty

Natalie Tomaras

Tom Whitney

2022 Event Management Team

Artist Relations Team
Jennifer Johnson
Jaclynne Maranell
Sean Masters
Ann Rolow
Andrew Tincher
Katelyn Brockmeyer

Banner Queen
Sage Halfhill-Boone

Beverage Team
Alec Davis
Andrea Lowe
Betsy Mitchell
Johnathan Preston
Kurt Weakland
Melissa Winters

Food Vendor Relations Team
Caitlin Clement
Sidney Pezley
Kate Steffen
Molly Vriezelaar

Interrobang Film Festival
David Derong

IT/Technical Support
Dierdre Large
Ryan Rohlf

Merchandise Sales Team
Renae Irvin
Erika Menke
Emma Pantini
Jeremy Weiss

On-Site Office Manager Team
Carrie Blackburn
Katie Dale
Amanda Joseph
Stephanie Pearl
Chris Slack

Production Team
Tony Behnke
Seth Conn
Megan Hanson
Kristina Huntsman
Katherine King
Raegan Nervig
Kayla Wagener

Sponsor Relations Team
Tiffany Espelund
Kent Maahs
Emily Lyon
Kate Mohr
Lynn Swanson
Julia Verhoef

Stage Team
Natalia Espinosa
Laurie Miller
Stephanie Reynolds

Student Art Exhibition Team
Alicia Lynch
Peggy Cokeley

Sustainability Team
Jessie McBroom
Farrah Phillips
Sam Christianson

Volunteer Relations
Sally Corcoran
Jessica Perez
Angeline Powers
Madalyne Rutledge

Interested in joining the Event Management Team? Find out more HERE.