NOCCA Foundation Welcomes Seven New Board Members

NEW ORLEANS (press release) — The NOCCA Foundation welcomes seven new members to its board of directors for the 2024-25 school year. Among the new arrivals there are three NOCCA alumni, the parent of a NOCCA alum and a past president of not only the Foundation’s board, but also NOCCA’s board.

The list of new board members includes Katherine G. Batiste, Daniel Hammer, Terry Kavanagh, Lauren Malara, Elise Ryan, Madalyn Schenk and Cedric Watts. They will be part of the first Foundation board to work directly with the nonprofit’s new executive director, NOCCA alum Adonis Rose, whose appointment was announced in June 2024.

Katherine G. Batiste is a native New Orleanian. She attended New Orleans public schools and received post-secondary education at Southern University in New Orleans and a master’s degree from Tulane University. Katherine is a retired environmental programs manager from the Department of Energy, where she served for over 30 years.

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She is a lover of the arts and a mother of two children and instilled the arts in them from an early age. As a parent of a 2004 NOCCA graduate, Katherine believes and has seen the transformative and enriching power of this institution. Katherine looks forward to supporting NOCCA in providing young people with an excellent foundation in the arts.

NOCCA alum Daniel Hammer is dedicated to preserving the history and culture of New Orleans through his work as president and CEO of the Historic New Orleans Collection, where he has worked since 2005, serving in various capacities including as head of reader services and deputy director. Hammer’s vision for HNOC, the region’s largest local history institution, is to strengthen its role as a critical resource for locals and visitors. In addition to his daily activities on behalf of HNOC, he regularly appears as a guest lecturer at conferences and symposia.

Hammer earned a bachelor’s degree in German literature from Reed College and a master’s in historic preservation from Tulane University School of Architecture. He currently serves as chair of the French Quarter Museum Association, and as a member of the board of the Vieux Carré Commission Foundation and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation Advisory Council.

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Terry Kavanagh, a native New Yorker who recently moved to New Orleans, was a writer/editor for Marvel Comics for many years, shepherding characters such as Spider-Man, Iron Man and the Avengers. Kavanagh maintains his ties with the comic book industry, attending conventions, participating in podcasts, sitting on panels and consulting on TV shows for Disney+, Tubi, etc.

Kavanagh also launched an internet start-up company, incorporating gaming rewards into advertising, and now runs inksmyth.com, a company that offers custom comic books as high-end gifts, utilizing his story-telling talents to transform everyday people into the heroes they want to be. He looks forward to doing the same for the students at NOCCA.

Lauren Malara is a proud New Orleans native, NOCCA alum and NOCCA faculty member, and she currently serves as the school’s faculty representative on the Foundation board. Lauren holds a B.F.A. in Acting from DePaul University, an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from University of New Orleans, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Educational Leadership from Xavier University of Louisiana. In 2016, she implemented a Comedy Studies program at NOCCA. In addition to her decade of experience in secondary education, she facilitates professional development activities and provides affordable community classes for adult learners.

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Outside of the classroom, Malara enriches the community with laughter. She is an alum of the famed Second City. Her NPR podcast, Life Raft, is a regional Edward R. Murrow Award-winner. Currently, she hosts and produces The Bear With Me Comedy Open Mic, the longest woman-run comedy show in the state of Louisiana. She is thrilled to have recently released her first comedy album through The New Orleans Public Library.

NOCCA alum Elise Ryan is Vice President at Hancock Whitney, specializing in serving a diverse clientele with their commercial banking needs. Elise is a lifelong resident of New Orleans and an art enthusiast, studying art and business at Ole Miss followed by a master’s in business at UNO. Ryan is a member of NOMA Junior Contemporaries, Women’s Professional Council, and serves as the Treasurer for Legacy Donor Foundation.

Madalyn Schenk is a volunteer community leader who advocates for life-long learning and high-quality public education. Schenk supports NOCCA because it prioritizes the ability of both faculty and students to pursue their passions. During Katrina and its aftermath, Madalyn was the president of the NOCCA Institute, now NOCCA Foundation. From 2016 to 2018, when the state faced a fiscal cliff, she was president of the NOCCA board. Currently, she serves as co-chair of the 50th Anniversary Campaign to assure that NOCCA can continue to deliver world-class arts training.

Schenk has also served as board chair and/or founder of several other organizations including the Louisiana Serve Commission, Jewish Family Service, the Louisiana Policy Institute for Children, the Foundation for Science and Math Education and the Nancy M. Marsiglia Institute of Justice.

Cedric Watts, a New Orleans native and University of Louisiana at Lafayette alumnus, is a dedicated father of four children and a third-generation educator turned entrepreneur. With his company TWG Inc., Watts has successfully transitioned from the classroom to business, devoting his life to creating career pathways for unskilled to skilled laborers throughout the Gulf South. Watts’s long-term commitment to community service is evident through his extensive work in youth coaching, mentoring, and supporting education. His passion for empowering the next generation and fostering growth within his community continues to drive his professional and personal endeavors.

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