The Arts Forward Collective Board
The Arts Forward Collective Board is committed to helping local artists develop their skills, meet and collaborate with other artists, and reach new audiences.
Eric Conner received his BA from the University of Pennsylvania, and his MFA from the University of Southern California. Eric has taught hundreds of aspiring storytellers at the New York Film Academy (LA), the Writer’s Store, the Animation Guild and Starcoach. At NYFA, he’s interviewed dozens of entertainment professionals including Django Unchainedproducer Reginald Hudlin and John Wick director Chad Stahelski and wrote/hosted the entertainment industry podcast The Backlot.
He produced the feature length documentary Other Voices (Aswat Acherim), available on Amazon. His work has also been featured on the Howard Stern Show, On Demand Cable, Entertainment Tonight and Ranker.com. Eric has been a Burbank Cultural Arts Commissioner since being elected by the City Council in 2019 and is on the board of the Burbank International Film Festival.
You may have seen Eric’s inner and outer geek appear regularly on the Geekscape podcast, perform as plant victim Mr. Mushnik in Conundrum’s Little Shop of Horrors or share his true tale of being a woefully underprepared Santa Claus at JAM Creative’s Jingle Tales.
A rare native Delawarean, Eric lives in Burbank with his wife Lauren, sons Alex & Judah and their chaotic canines Fezzik and Iggy Pup.
Stefanie Girard is an artist, curator, and community arts advocate with over twenty years of experience spanning film and television production, craft publishing, and content creation. Her own art practice is informed by the power of words, language, and found materials, creating large modular installations and mixed-media works that combine text, image, and repurposed objects in ironic and unexpected ways — inviting viewers into moments of humor, reflection, and discovery.
Driven by a commitment to grassroots arts advocacy, Stefanie brings expertise in community engagement, creative production, and public art to her leadership work. She serves on the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission, as Director of Development for California Creative Arts, and as Exhibits Co-Chair of the Burbank Art Association. Stefanie holds a degree in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute in New York City.
As a Burbank resident, Stefanie is the creator of the Art Candy Machine, a neighborhood vending machine dispensing original art by local artists, which has featured the work of 68 artists and sold over 2,600 pieces of original art with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the artists.
Rebecca Newcomer is an arts executive, soprano, educator, and advocate for community engagement through the performing arts. She currently serves as Director of Operations for Salit Conservatory of Music and as a Board Member of the Salit Foundation. Rebecca previously served as Administrator of the Burbank Philharmonic Orchestra. Throughout her leadership career, she has developed educational curricula, produced concert series, coordinated competitions and educational programs, cultivated partnerships with schools and civic organizations, written grants, and led initiatives that connect artists with audiences while creating meaningful opportunities for musicians of all ages.
A classically trained soprano, Rebecca has performed as a soloist and recitalist throughout the United States and internationally, appearing in opera, oratorio, musical theatre, and concert repertoire. Her experience as both performer and educator informs her commitment to artistic excellence, mentorship, and creating meaningful educational experiences for emerging musicians.
Rebecca earned her Bachelor of Arts in Voice and Composition from Anderson University and pursued graduate studies in Vocal Performance at Ball State University. She studied with Mei Zhong and Fritz Robertson and further refined her artistry through work with numerous distinguished artists and pedagogues, including Marilyn Horne, Tim Noble, and Ann Baltz. In addition to maintaining an active private teaching studio, Rebecca has taught voice at the university level and remains committed to mentoring the next generation of musicians.
Cindy Pease is an artist and a founding commissioner of the City of Burbank Cultural Arts Commission, a position she has held since 2009. For the past decade, she has served as Managing Director for the Musicians at Play Foundation.
Ms. Pease has collaborated with The Valley Non-Profit Resource Center on arts-related nonprofit initiatives, and has been an LA County Arts Grantee since 2010. She is also an LA County ARTS ACTIVATE Fellow and previously worked as an education program collaborator with The Music Center’s Education Department. In addition, she formerly served as Executive Director of the Pacific Ballet Dance Theatre.
Before retiring, she spent four decades as a senior-level business manager for a Fortune 500 company, working across marketing, finance, business law, operations, human resources, training, and control.
Ms. Pease has worked tirelessly to promote the arts in Burbank and remains dedicated to continuing that effort through the Arts Forward Collective.
Tom Pease, a native of Burbank California, received both his BM and MM degrees from the University of Southern California in music composition. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree, he taught music for LAUSD, most recently at Taft Charter High School where he built an award winning choral program. While at Taft, he also wrote and directed musicals, taught theater, served as Taft’s Technology Coordinator, and was the school’s School Site Council Chairperson and Lead Teacher.
Since retiring, Mr. Pease has devoted himself full-time to music composition (having written and arranged several classical works as well as a musical), writing (he has written several plays including, In Burbank), playing classical guitar, and photography. Mr. Pease is also the conductor and musical director of the chamber choral ensemble, Musona. As a photographer, he specializes in live performance photography. He has photographed the Pacific Ballet Dance Theatre, the Los Robles Master Chorale, and numerous musicians such as Poncho Sanchez, Michael Giacchino, Lalo Schifrin, Peter Erskine, and Pat Williams. He also volunteers for various NPOs, and is on the advisory board for Musicians at Play.
Bryan Snodgrass (he/him) is the Executive Director and co-founder of Conundrum Theatre Company. He previously worked at the Burbank Community YMCA for 19 years, most recently serving as their Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He also serves on Burbank’s Board of Library Trustees and is on the membership committee for the Theatre Producers of Southern California.