About TACFA
TACFA’s mission is to develop, showcase, and support the arts in our community. We strive to create rich opportunities for arts participation for everyone.
- We organize a student art competition and exhibit that draws over 200 entries and offers prize money to the students, and stipends to their teachers.
- TACFA provides the funding to send over 1,000 Tustin 4th graders to a symphony created just for children.
- We provide funding to nine Title 1 elementary schools to enable them to have art education for their students.
- TACFA’s scholarship programs help graduating seniors to continue their art education.
- Our support of Access to the Arts allows students attending classes through the Orange County Department of Education ACCESS Program at Academic Center of Tustin; to earn credits while learning the basics of art and composition.
- TACFA organizes and provides funding to the Smile Tustin photography contest each year at the Tustin Art Walk as well as provide the prize money for the Plein Aire Art Competition at the Art Walk.
- We also assist with funding of The Voices of Tustin chorus which performs throughout Tustin.
- TACFA, in conjunction with Chemers Gallery, helps to promote and fund an annual all-media juried exhibit for local artist.
- Our Artscapes program seeks to provide the city with public art sculpture that will enhance the beauty of Tustin.
- We also provide funding to the Tustin Art League.
- Finally, our signature program, Broadway in the Park, brings together over 140 volunteers so that nearly 5,000 members of the community can enjoy a professional musical production at an affordable ticket price.
For 25 years TACFA’s sound fiscal management and ability to keep operating costs low, has enabled us to continually expand programs that will help us create community through the arts.
Interested in serving on the TACFA Board?
The TACFA Executive Committee
Tony Wong
President
Tony’s strong belief about the impact arts has on our society, culture, and business edge brought him to TACFA and its mission to promote the arts to the community, especially to the kids’ education. Since his tenure on the Board for seven years and as President the last two years, Tony passionately promotes TACFA throughout the Tustin area. His proudest moment is seeing the impact TACFA funded arts programs has on the Tustin students and of course every summer delivering Broadway in the Park.
Erin Kociela
President Elect
Erin joined the TACFA Board in 2013, after watching her son star as Lt. Cable in the 2012 Broadway in the Park production of South Pacific. Since then she has chaired the Art Walk Committee and Chaired or Co-chaired five Broadway in the Park productions. Formerly a senior vice president and executive creative director at Frankel, a brand marketing agency, Kociela’s second act has been with First Team Real Estate for 16+ years. In her free time, she enjoys performing, painting and writing. She had a role on the TV series “M.A.S.H.,” has sung with the L.A. Jazz Choir, performed a one-woman cabaret show, acted in community theater and sings in her church choir.
A long-time resident of North Tustin, Erin lives with her husband Dick, two rescue dogs (Ford and Millie) and a cat, Tig. When not working or volunteering, Erin loves traveling and spending time with her children and five grandchildren.
Elise Angel
Vice President of Communications
Elise moved to Tustin in 2020 and joined the TACFA Board in 2022. She is currently on the Student Art Invitational Committee and creates the bi-yearly Spotlight Newsletter. Currently, she works as a Product Development Engineer for a medical device company. In her free time, she enjoys traveling and spending time with family.
A resident of Old Town Tustin, Elise lives with her husband, Luis, and across the street from her sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew.
Kim DeBenedetto
Vice President of Fund Development
A long-time resident of Tustin, Kim carried out a 32-year career as an educator in the same city where she grew up.
When she decided to retire from teaching in 2014, she looked into various volunteer opportunities. She began her time in TACFA as an Encore member, learning about TACFA’s art and music programs. Two years later, she joined the board and volunteered for the communications role with TACFA’s social media and advertising, followed by two years as TACFA’s President. For the past three years, she has partnered in the role of raising funds for TACFA’s programs, especially for our signature program, Broadway in the Park.
Kim lives in Old Town Tustin with her husband, Mitch, and their spoiled cat, Mika. When not volunteering, she enjoys rose gardening, photography, travel, and time spent with her sons and grandson.
Dr. Patricia B. Machado
Secretary
Pat is a long-time volunteer and member of TACFA. She is a former school district administrator, principal, and teacher. She’s a foreign language major from Whittier College and a doctorate in Educational Administration. She began by organizing volunteers at BITP; organized site food booths, and park logistics. She has been an editor of the Spotlight and BITP program book and scholarship coordinator. She is on the TAFCA Board as secretary.
Eligia Nikolai
Vice President of Membership
Eligia is the founding member of TACFA. Prior to the organization’s incorporation in 1992, she was an original member of the 1977 and 1987 City of Tustin Cultural Arts Advisory Boards whose mission was to build a center for the cultural arts in Tustin. At the time, she was teaching language, music and drama for the Tustin Unified School District while concurrently running a children’s theatre called Pandora’s Playbox. She initiated and operated it as a nonprofit in the evenings. Eligia’s love for the arts started at a young age with parents who frequently attended operas at New York City’s Metropolitan Opera House and a mother who aspired to be an opera singer. She loves bringing young talent to the stage and has dedicated her time, talents and efforts to volunteer in myriad activities to support her passion with young actors, singers, comedians and dancers; several of whom are very famous celebrities today.
Even though she has been a long-time resident of Orange, Eligia spends a great deal of her time volunteering on the TACFA board, as well as serving her second term as President of the Soroptimist International of Santa Ana/Tustin club. Her greatest joy is to spend time with her loving daughter Dina and son in law Ray and her incredibly amazing grandchildren Sophia and Joseph. She gardens, cooks, hosts lavish events and loves to wrap raffle baskets for therapy, work on her computer to remain relevant, and above all embrace every opportunity to engage with people personally so as to feel the pulse of life.
Mark Ewing
Treasurer
Mark has been a board member for three years. His passion for the arts comes from his experience singing in choirs. Also, his parents were professional actors/singers. He is a retired IT professional in the finance industry.
Bonny Atzeff
Assistant Treasurer
She became a member of TACFA in 1995, at the invitation of a TUSD music teacher, David Peay. It was in the early years of the nonprofit, years before Broadway in the Park began. She has held many leadership roles including President, VP Fund development, Treasurer, and multiple years BITP Sponsor Chair.
She is also a life voting member of Assistance League of Tustin and served on the executive board for over 20 years.
She has been married for 47 years, has three married children, and four granddaughters. Much of her free time is spent with them.
She has worked front office for William Langstaff, DDS for 44 years, working part time from home since 2020.
She loves what TACFA has achieved over the years, enriching the lives of so many with the gift of fine arts.
The TACFA Board of Directors
Jonathan Abelove
Jonathan, and his wife Laurie have been residents of Tustin for over 30 years. He admits to having absolutely zero talent in all areas of arts and music. However, being a member of the TACFA Board of Directors provides the opportunity to bring arts to TUSD schools and greater community. Jonathan has been a TACFA Board Member for over 20 years. He is a Trustee on the TUSD Board of Education, Vice President for Tustin Dollars for Scholars, Board Member for the Boys and Girls Club of Tustin, and a member of the Tustin-Santa Ana Rotary Club. Laurie Abelove is a member of Encore and is the Director of Volunteers for TACFA’s annual Broadway in the Park.
Jennifer Acuna
Jennifer Acuna is an educator at SAUSD, working with students to find employment and explore career options. She has been involved with TACFA as a volunteer at Broadway in the Park, designing centerpieces and running the table hosting crew for BITP, and now joining the board. She has a passion for arts education and fostering creativity in the community.
Debbie Ewing
Debbie has been a board member since 2020. She worked in sales and marketing for large companies for 18+ years and has been an active Tustin area community volunteer. Her father is a retired Art Professor, and she played the violin for most of her childhood. She continues to have a strong interest in the arts and art education.
Nettie Hershman
Nettie has been a member of TACFA for 5 years and started out as an Encore member helping with Broadway In The Park. From there she was accepted as a board member. She has been active in many fund raising events, as well as assisting with administrative duties for the past few years with Broadway In The Park.
Adele Casso Heuer
As a long-time educator in Tustin Unified, Adele served as principal of Columbus Tustin MS, Pioneer MS, and Arnold O. Beckman HS. She has a passion for community service and values the arts in education. Adele appreciates working with and for people of all ages and backgrounds in bringing arts to the community. Adele is married to her husband, David, and has two adult children. She is a current member of the Assistance League of Tustin and serves on the Board of the Laguna Canyon Foundation.
Robert Machado
Bob, as he is known in the community, has been a Tustin resident for over thirty years. He has been on the TACFA board since 2002, has worked annually on Broadway in the Park since 2005 and was TACFA President in 2015 through 2017.
He is a devoted husband, father, and grandfather of three.
Bob’s dedication to the arts is a testament to his commitment to the Tustin community.
NOT PICTURED EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE:
Jeff Meyers
Vice President of Programs
Kelly Meyers
Vice President of Broadway in the Park
NOT PICTURED BOARD OF DIRECTORS:
Betty Carle