Staff
Cara Goger
Executive Director
[She, Her, Hers] Cara Goger joined the Mariposa County Arts Council in 2012 as the Executive Director. She has over ten years of experience working in the fields of Arts Education and Arts Administration. Prior to her work at the Arts Council, Cara was the Lifespan Learning Coordinator at the Museum of Photographic Arts in San Diego where she served as the primary artist-in-residence for the Museum’s older adult programming and as the lead instructor and curriculum developer for the organization’s School in the Park’s 5th grade program. Additionally, she has worked with the AjA Project, a non profit arts-based organization providing photography-based educational programming to refugee and displaced youth in California.
Cara earned a B.A. in Political Science/Foreign Policy from Sonoma State University and a M.A. in Political Science/International Relations from San Diego State University.
Alicia Rodriguez
Director of Operations
Alicia Rodriguez joined the Mariposa County Arts Council in 1998 and serves as the organization’s Manager of Operations. Alicia holds a degree in Accounting.
Ava Burns
Director of Programs and Project / Lead Teaching Artist
[They, Them, Theirs] Ava Burns joined the Arts Council as Projects and Programs Manager and Lead Teaching Artist in 2022. They grew up in rural England, earned a BSc in Biology from Leeds University and a Ph.D. in Freshwater Ecology from Lancaster University. Ava brings considerable experience in community building, arts and environmental education. After moving to California in 2004, they worked as a mentor teacher at NatureBridge Yosemite before founding the Beat Harvest music education program in 2010, where they taught students of all ages to perform, create and express themselves. As a singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, Ava performs as a solo artist and with various ensembles.
Clay River
Director of Programs and Project / Lead Teaching Artist
Clay Muwin River joined the Arts Council as Lead Teaching Artist and Projects and Programs Manager in 2022. River has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Native Youth Education and a Master of Arts degree in Indigenous Education & Curriculum from Goddard College in Vermont.
River has a wide-ranging background deeply rooted in their Indigenous culture and works directly with culture keepers, cultural artists, tribal governments, tribal consortia, federal agencies and national and regional organizations impacting Indian country. River’s experience areas include cultural arts revitalization, Native education, curriculum, program development and implementation, social services, native wellness and community health, environmental protection and restoration, management and leadership, grant writing and positions held on cultural arts steering committees and boards.
River has served Native communities for most of their life, providing traditional education, cultural training and intergenerational guidance to build resiliency. River has traveled, lived and worked in many Native communities across Turtle Island and honors the knowledge learned from hundreds of traditional teachers and elders. Whether they are providing youth leadership training, assisting Elders healing from historical trauma or helping to bring indigenous wellness back to remote native communities, River shares their passion for being positive and proactive. River is a cultural arts activist, mural painter, poet, storyteller, weaver, beader, quilter, land steward, and water protector.
Andra Kovacs
Programs, Projects & Executive Coordinator
[She, Her, Hers] Andra joined the Arts Council as the Programs, Projects & Executive Coordinator in 2024. She moved to Mariposa in 2021 where she is the caretaker of a woodland property and its intricate trail system. Previous to moving to Mariposa, she lived in Oregon, where she spent a decade working and living on farms and with communities of working artists in the Willamette Valley. In her professional life, she has worn many hats, with a background in youth education, office management, freelance and grant writing, various land work contracting and community organizing. Her curiosity about personal and collective resilience through storytelling led her to study Narrative Therapy at Marylhurst University, eventually earning a BA in Creative Writing from Linfield University. She is excited and honored to bring her diverse tools and skill set to support and uplift rural art and all its creativity, legacy and power.
Derek Heule
Communications and Community Engagement Manager
[He, Him, His] Derek joined the Arts Council as the Communications and Community Engagement Manager in 2024. He moved to Mariposa in 2017 where he and his wife, Nancy, own and operate a home goods brand called Okie Dokie. Prior to that, he spent ten years touring and recording in bands on EMI Records (US) and Lizard King Records (UK), while living in LA, Nashville and eventually Brooklyn, NY. There, he transitioned into fashion and design. In 2016, after several years managing garment production for The Hill-Side, a highly esteemed Brooklyn/Japan based menswear brand, Derek moved with the company to Los Angeles. Once in Mariposa, he helped with the opening of Autocamp Yosemite as AGM and later became GM of the historic Groveland Hotel, contributing to both management and branding/design development. Derek’s experiences in branding, design, hospitality, and business ownership all bring a unique perspective to his work with the Arts Council.
Board of Directors
Flora Savage, President
[She, her, hers] Flora Savage grew up in the California Foothills surrounded by rural beauty and artists of all kinds. She graduated summa cum laude from CSU Fresno with a BA in Studio Art, emphasizing in painting, illustration, and ceramics. She and her husband went on to start several small businesses that gave amazing creative outlets for interior design and community building. During these endeavors Flora discovered her passion for facilitating connections and helping people through difficult times. She went on to get a Masters Degree in School Counseling and currently serves as the Director of Counseling Services at Mariposa County High School where she helps young minds and hearts find a path to a fulfilling and meaningful future. Flora also enjoys gardening, playing music and bike rides with her family.
Shane Sweeting, 1st Vice President
[She, her, hers] Once Shane Sweeting could pull herself out of the Merced River Canyon long enough to go to college, she earned a BA in Literature with an emphasis in creative writing (fiction) from UCSC. After a stint running an independent cinema, Shane spent time as the Special Projects Manager for a non-profit music and literary magazine in San Francisco called Radio Silence, after which she moved on to serve as a creative content creator for a Santa Cruz film synopsis start-up called “WiggleHop.” Today she finds herself back in the lupin-smattered hills of her childhood with a Master’s degree in Education and a penchant for literacy through art via social-emotional learning. Shane is proud to have joined forces with her husband and the Mariposa County Arts Council on a virtual film club during the shelter-in-place chapter of the COVID pandemic and remains excited to actively plan for and foster a more engaged cinema scene here in town. Currently, Shane is finishing up watercolor illustrations for a friend’s children’s book, consuming large quantities of Sticks coffee and sourdough bread, and daydreaming about how she might better add to the crucial germination of safe/brave spaces through third-space art collaborations within this community.
Jesse Chakrin, 2nd Vice President
[He, him, his] Jesse Chakrin is the director of the UC Merced Wilderness Education Center. He also partners in the direction of the Yosemite Leadership Program and, assists with the Yosemite Leadership Program Summer Internship. Through his work on campus, Jesse provides a direct link between the Park and UC Merced as well as an official liaison for grants, agreements, and research. He works collaboratively, on both regional and national initiatives, to provide opportunities in natural spaces for underserved and underrepresented communities. Jesse began his Park Service career in 1999 at Denali National Park working as a Wilderness Ranger. In 2004, he moved to Yosemite National Park to continue his development as a Wilderness Ranger. In 2007, Jesse became the first Director of the UC Merced Wilderness Education Center, and has been working since then on supporting the growth and development of partnership-based programming.
John Stewart, Treasurer
[He, him, his] A long time resident of Mariposa County, John has managed many local institutions including the 49er Market, the Miners Inn, and Pioneer Market. For the past twenty-four years he has worked for the Mariposa County Unified School District and served on the California School Employee Association’s State Board of Directors. John graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Liberal Arts from Ashford University. In his retirement, John continues to volunteer activity in his community, and believes the arts are an essential part of any culture and a vital part of public education.
Polina Pivak, Secretary
[She, her, hers] Polina was born in St. Petersburg, Russia and immigrated to the U.S. at a very young age. After having lived in many places around the country, Polina moved to Mariposa County in 2022 to serve as an Assistant Planner for the Planning Department once obtaining her B.S. in Community and Environmental Planning from the University of New Hampshire. Polina’s professional interests are in the arts, community, and education and she soon became involved with the Arts Council through her work. Her passions include creating mixed media art, aerial silks, reading, and adventuring outdoors. Above all, Polina believes that everyone deserves to live in a safe, healthy, and sustainable community and hopes to facilitate this goal through her work.
James Mason, Director
[He, him, his] James Mason was born in San Francisco, CA and raised in the East Bay City of Piedmont. He graduated from Claremont McKenna College in 1963 and received an M.S. from the University of Southern California in 1965. Following college, Mr. Mason served four years in the U.S. Army Signal Corps, including one year in Vietnam, attaining the rank of Captain. Following the army he went to work for the Santa Clara County Health Department where he held positions of Assistant Mental Health Administrator, Director of Alcoholism Services, Emergency Medical Services Administrator and Public Health Administrator, retiring in 1993.
Post retirement, Mr. Mason has worked as Regional Safety Manager for TCI/ATT Broadband, Park Aid/EMT at Henry Coe State Park, and Emergency Room Technician at John C. Fremont Hospital in Mariposa. Interests include volunteering with the Mariposa County Sheriff’s Office, Henry Coe State Parks, the Mariposa County Arts Council, and Post 6042 Veteran’s of Foreign Wars.
April Kunieda, Director
[She, hers, her] April Megumi Kunieda is a Ranger Naturalist for the Yosemite National Park Service. While being an educator in the outdoor industry for over 12 years, her passion as a storyteller is telling the undertold stories. For the past three years, she has specialized in telling the story of California–Yosemite artist Chiura Obata. As an undergrad in Chicago, she majored in fine art while also pursuing deep studies in philosophy and creative writing. She remains passionate about art making, not just for herself, but for its power to uplift others and grace us all with human dignity. Born and raised in California, she has lived in Mariposa County since 2014. She currently lives with her partner Dustin Garrison (Wildlife Biologist at Yosemite National Park) and their sons Haruki and Asa.
Lizz Darcy, Director
[She, her, hers] Lizz was raised in Mariposa County and earned her BA at the University of Idaho with an educational and working background in health science and nutrition. In recent years, Lizz branched into governance communications and public information, serving both the Mariposa County Health and Human Services and Mariposa County. She holds a great passion for communication through community-building and connection and has recently transplanted to Bishop to serve Inyo County Public Health. When not at work, Lizz pursues her love for the written word, dabbling in poetry and short stories; her other creative outlets include dance, choreography, and watercolor painting. She can often be found outdoors in the High Sierra, enjoying a good book.
