Hope Staff
Michele Vavonese
Executive Director
Michele considers it an honor to work with, support and introduce to the broader arts industry the highly underexposed and underrated works of HOPE artists. Made up of many truly gifted individuals, Michele comes into work each day invigorated with the possibilities of giving HOPE artists every opportunity their hard work deserves. Through the utilization of fantastic funders, a dynamic HOPE team of professional artists and creative therapists, years of knowledge in programmatic systems,
Kita Wright
Executive Assistant
In 2004, I began my career in Special Education serving as a Program Aide with the Garden Grove Unified School District. In this role, I provided hands-on program development to students whom had a wide-range of intellectual disabilities.
Erica Melendez
Student Services Coordinator
Erica went to California State University, Dominguez Hills where she obtained her B.A. in Sociology in May 2016. She plans on continuing her education towards a Masters of Social Work. After volunteering in many non-profit organizations, Erica has gained a passion for work in the helping profession. Her compassion towards adults with intellectual disabilities has given her the skills and commitment to improve and strengthen the abilities of the students of Hope Center for the Arts.
Jorge Chavira
Student Services Coordinator
Jorge Chavira brings an energetic and enthusiastic passion to helping others at Hope Center for the Arts. This devotion also secured him a B.S. in Human Services from California State University of Fullerton.
Jorge’s background as Music Instructor eventually gave him the opportunity to start work at Hope Center for the Arts as a substitute music instructor. Like many of the facilitators at HOPE Jorge is an experienced and professional artist/performer.
Steve Enzweiler
Director of Performing Arts | Director of Hi Hopes | Performing Arts Instructor
Steve’s musical passion was inspired by his dad, a jazzstride pianist who introduced him to the American song book, gave him lessons, and showed him some rudiments on an inherited Spanish-American War drum. A professional musician from the age of 13, Steve’s played almost every gig imaginable, from middle school sock-hops to Big-10 Homecoming dances; smokey NYC or Chicago jazz clubs to major concert venues across the country; dates for home grown demos to studio work with grammy recipients. In between gigs,
Steven Noguera
Performing Arts Instructor | Co-Director of Hand Bells
A professional musician since the age of 12, Steven Noguera has performed all across the United States; and composed and recorded over 60 pieces of music. For a significant portion of his life he was a successful entrepreneur and business owner. However, after being struck by personal tragedy when his only son lost his life to spinal meningitis, Steven was inspired to redirect the focus of his life and his career when in 1999 he joined the Hope family.
Danielle Tsujino
Performing Arts Instructor: Video Production & Acting
Danielle Tsujino has a range of experience and expertise in Theatre and Film. Danielle started acting at the age of 8. From there, she performed in a variety of plays and performed in her first film at the age of 18.
Diana Garza
Director of Therapy Services | Director of Choir | Co-Director of Hand Bells | Music Therapist
Diana is a Board-Certified Music Therapist, HOPE Choir Director at Hope Center for the Arts and the Director of Therapy Services. She received her B.A. in Music Therapy from California State University Northridge and is currently obtaining her Masters in Counseling at California State University Fullerton. She completed her music therapy internship at Whidbey General Hospital in Coupeville, Washington where she worked with patients in Medical Surgery,
Lauren Romphf
Dance Movement Therapist
Lauren Romphf is a Registered Dance/Movement Therapist and dance instructor who recently joined the HOPE team! Lauren received her BFA in Dance from Wayne State University and her MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling from Drexel University.
Sandra Carter
Director of Visual Arts | Hope Handcrafted Coordinator
Sandra D. Carter is certified in both Horticultural Therapy and Social-Emotional arts therapies from UCLA and engaged as a therapeutic fiber arts facilitator. She has over 20 years of experience in the field of special education focusing on adults with intellectual disabilities. Sandra has a trained therapeutic approach to instruction which is evident in her appetency of task breakdown and tailored alternative instruction. Sandra is a fully regarded fiber artist.
Fatima Franks
Visual Arts Instructor
Hope Center for the Arts
295 E Yale Loop, Irvine, CA 92604
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