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MEET THE BOARD
LAURA VILLANYI
PRESIDENT
Laura’s roots in Fishers go back to 1977. She thought her parents moved her to the edge of the earth. My how things have changed! Graduate of Hamilton Southeastern High School and Purdue University, Laura has always been involved in the arts. She considers herself a skilled craftsman and has done many art projects in many mediums including but not limited to painting, ceramics, lamp working, calligraphy, illustration, photography and jewelry design.
Personal Philosophy - Support the Arts = Buy Art.
Laura joined the board in 2020.
TOM RICH
VICE PRESIDENT
Tom is a retired business owner who has lived in Fishers for over 25 years. He appreciates all art, visual and performing. However, all artistic talent escaped him. Tom tries, through chairing the Cultural Alliance Committee, to bring more opportunities for art and artists to the citizens of Fishers. Besides the Fishers Arts Council, he is active with the Heritage Meadows Homeowners Association and the Fishers Police Academy Alumni Association. Most recently Tom held the position of President of the board.
Tom joined the board in 2016.
DR. LEAH LEACH
SECRETARY
Dr. Leah Leach is the founder of Gal’s Guide to the Galaxy which is home to the first lending library dedicated to women’s history in the United States. Before founding Gal’s Guide in 2016, she ran a successful film company for a decade winning 12 cinematic awards along the way. Leah has won six awards for the podcasts she has produced, you can hear her weekly on the Gal's Guide Podcast talking about cool women of history. Dr. Leah Leach holds an honorary degree in Metaphysics from the Universal Life Church. She has studied Joseph Campbell, Carl Jung, and Sigmond Freud. She made a solid attempt to study Nietzche but stopped because it nearly broke her positive spirit. Leah is a writer and mixed media artist. Her most recent writing work won her 3rd place in the Polk Street Review 2020, and her art has been on display at Nickel Plate Arts, Hub & Spoke, and Meyer Najem.
Leah joined the board in 2022.
ROSS HILLEARY
TREASURER
Ross currently serves as the Assistant Director of Planning and Zoning for the City of Fishers. A native of central Illinois, Ross moved to Fishers in 2017. While in Illinois he served a three-year term on the Danville, Illinois Arts in the Park non-profit board where he led their marketing efforts and served one year as president. Ross has a passion for looking at ways to improve the built environment and the community we live in today through sustainable measures, smart growth practices, and community design standards. Ross believes that public art and cultural programming are essential for a vibrant community and quality of life. In 2021, Ross was awarded the Nickel Plate Arts Emerging Arts Champion. Ross has a bachelor’s degree in Urban Planning and Development from Ball State University and is CNU-Accredited. Ross lives with his husband and two dogs in Fishers, Indiana.
Ross joined the board in 2022.
PAT GRABILL
BOARD MEMBER, JURIED EXHIBIT CHAIR
Pat is a retired English/Language Arts teacher with 30 years of classroom experience. A resident of the Indianapolis area since 1993, she and her husband moved to Fishers three years ago when they built a house in Avalon of Fishers. Pat is involved in several organizations, and has been a watercolor painter since she received a Lilly Teacher Creativity grant at the end of the 90's, which allowed her to take her first art classes. She has been painting ever since and currently serves on the Board of the Watercolor Society of Indiana. Pat is an appreciator of ALL the arts and loves music, dancing, reading, writing, and, of course, painting.
Pat joined the board in 2020.
OLIVIA HOLT
BOARD MEMBER
A 2016 graduate with a Bachelor of Arts, Olivia honed her skills and passion for fine art at Ball State University. She pursues creativity and emotion through artistic expression, eliciting contemplation and curiosity from her audience. With a preference for charcoal Olivia puts a twist on the classic concept of drawing and experiments with mixed media. In her spare time she can be found in her element of art, playing trivia with friends, and traveling.
Olivia has been a board member since 2018.
THOMAS K-JOHNSON
BOARD MEMBER
Thomas is the Founder and Executive Director of The Kneeland Center for Poetry, Inc., a 501c3 nonprofit organization that discovers, cultivates, and enhances the voices and works of underrepresented poets across the globe. The Kneeland Center has gained international following and participation through its digital publication, The Elevation Review, which publishes original poetry quarterly. Thomas serves as the Founding Editor-in-Chief alongside his editorial team.
Having published three poetry collections within the last three years, Thomas considers himself an influential figure from his home in Indiana to various cities and countries across the world. He wholeheartedly enjoys every form of art and is able to discover beautiful poetry in each moment. Thomas graduated from DePauw University in 2014 with a Bachelor's Degree in Creative Writing, and will graduate from Wesley Seminary at Indiana Wesleyan University in the Spring of 2021. Afterwards, Thomas will pursue an MFA in Creative Writing at Butler University.
Thomas joined the board in 2021.
STAFF
LES REINHARDT
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Les is an Equity Stage Manager, mother, and Fishers resident since 2017. Born in Indianapolis, she lived in the San Francisco Bay for 15 years before returning to her home state. Les has worked professionally in audio/visual, theater, ballet, Bach festivals, new works festivals and enjoys art in all its forms. She also volunteers for Fishers Cub Scout Pack 160. She served as Treasurer of the board from June 2018 through December 2020. Les is currently the Operations Manager for Nickel Plate Arts.
Les was appointed Executive Director in January 2021.
OUR AMAZING VOLUNTEERS
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