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Meet Christina and Leanne, new additions to Team Devo

September 5, 2018

Meet Christina and Leanne, new additions to Team Devo

Welcome to the two newest team members of your Mesa Arts Center development squad. Please say hello when you see them at MAC events!

Leanne Cardwell - Corporate Sponsor and Grants Manager
Leanne has a decade of experience working in the nonprofit and public sectors, most recently writing grants at Arizona Humane Society and coordinating community engagement programs at Scottsdale Arts. An Arizona native, she’s lived and worked in Honolulu, Pittsburgh and Singapore, and is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s Master of Arts Management program. In her free time, she likes to hang out with her husband and three dogs, hike South Mountain, ride her bike and take studio art classes at Mesa Arts Center.

What is most exciting to you about your new role?

In my new role, I’m excited to work collaboratively across MAC departments to help build support for MAC’s public and engagement programs through securing grants and sponsorships. This role also allows me to engage with external partners in businesses and community organizations, helping to connect them with opportunities to give back to their communities by supporting our programs.  

What was the best live performance you ever attended?

The best live performance that I ever attended was at performance by Nederlands Dans Theater 2 (NDT 2). In particular, I was wowed by their short piece called Shutters Shut, which is set to an audio reading by Gertrude Stein of her poem If I Told Him, A Completed Portrait of Picasso. It’s only four minutes long, but incredibly captivating.

What is the one thing you can’t live without?

At work, I can’t live without tea. I drink it constantly (it’s part of my “work” process), and, aside from bringing in my well-worn, lefthanded mug, building a tea drawer is one of the first things I do when I move into a new job.

Christina Haase - Membership Coordinator

With over a ten years of customer service experience and half a decade of managerial work under her wing, Christina made the shift to pursue her passion of working in the arts in 2015. Born and raised in Mesa, Arizona, she received her BFA in Fine Art from SAIC and a degree in screenwriting from UCLA. Her artwork has been exhibited at Hyde Park Art Center and The Gene Siskel Film Center in Chicago, Illinois. Most recently she worked as part of the marketing team at a local professional theatre company before returning to Mesa Arts Center as Membership Coordinator.

Why do you work in the arts?

The arts have always been an important part of my life. Some of my earliest memories of the arts were in school when teaching artists visited my classroom or our class attended a field trip to the theatre. Being able to help contribute in some way to making art experiences a realty for others is really fulfilling.

Why do you work in membership?

The people. MAC’s Membership Circle is filled with so many interesting and wonderful people. It is a pleasure to be surrounded by them and watch the circle/community continue to grow. I’m excited to be back at MAC and see some familiar faces. As well as, getting to meet all the new members, too!
What was the best live performance you ever attended?

I was lucky enough to win front row tickets to see Wicked on stage in Chicago. I’ll never forget that experience. Nothing is quite as immersing as having to duck out of the way to avoid “flying monkeys” directly above your head while watching a performance.

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