By Samantha Dueñas
Bread & Roses Presents has undergone some staff changes in 2022. We would like to welcome new staff including Program Manager Jayme Jackson and Grant Specialist Skip Corsini. We send a big hello to our two new Bread & Roses Food Bank Coordinators Sophia ‘So~Sé’ Setrakian and Alexis Harte. Special congratulations also to Samantha Dueñas who was recently promoted to Director of Development & Communications.
Program Manager Jayme Jackson is a San Francisco native who brings her extensive administrative skills to Bread & Roses. She comes from a family of event producers and performers so she grew up around live music. Jayme also loves learning and has an M.A in Women & Gender Studies from San Francisco State University. She is also the daughter of Kim Teevan, a Bay Area event planner who resides in Fairfax and has been involved with Bread & Roses as a volunteer and event producer since the 1990s.
In April, we said farewell to former Vice President of Development, Heidi James who was with Bread & Roses for over three years. Heidi continues to pursue her passion for development and fundraising at the nonprofit Institute of Community Services which focuses on a wide range of programs for those living with disabilities.
New Director of Development & Communications Samantha Dueñas has been with Bread & Roses for over a year and is enthusiastic about being more involved with the organization’s fundraising efforts. A graduate of Tamalpais High School with a B.A. in Anthropology from Sonoma State University, she is adept at using new technology for digital marketing and project management at Bread & Roses.
Grant Specialist Skip Corsini has also recently joined our organization to assist with grant writing. Skip's awareness of Bread & Roses goes back to the early years of the successful fundraising concerts that took place at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley and continues with his more recent volunteer activities. The San Rafael resident is a father of four and a grandfather of two. A graduate of Redwood High School and the University of California at Berkeley, he received his teaching credentials from Sonoma State.
We also recently introduced two new coordinators who have been hosting our Food Bank programs every week in Oakland and San Rafael. Our partnership with the Bay Area Food Banks began in 2020 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. When indoor gatherings were suspended, we searched for additional social service organizations with isolated audiences in safe, outdoor settings and began our program of live music for large distribution centers at Bay Area Food Banks.
This year, we welcomed Sophia ‘So~Sé’ Setrakian as our music coordinator for the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank. Hailing from Bolinas, Sophia’s mission in life is to serve as a builder of unity and connection. With a B.A. in Ethnicity and Race Studies from Columbia University, Sophia is armed with a cannon of tools to advocate for the marginalized voices of our nation and world. Once named Bread & Roses’ Volunteer for All Seasons under the stage name Sofi Rox, Sophia is delighted and honored to share a role in the B&R family. Every Saturday, she assists our performers ensuring that the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank volunteers and recipients are presented with live, entertaining music during our morning music programs on-site.
We also welcomed Alexis Harte as our music coordinator for the Alameda County Community Food Bank. A long-time Bread and Roses performer, Alexis is a Peabody and Annie Award-winning singer-songwriter, composer and filmmaker. He has shared stages with the likes of Taj Mahal, Dar Williams and Cat Power, while placing numerous tracks from his six studio releases in many national television shows and films. Harte has a B.A. from U.C. Santa Cruz and a Masters in Environmental Science from the Yale School of Forestry.
We are thrilled to be expanding our team with talented, remarkable and skilled people who will help us carry out our mission of bringing hope and healing through live music to isolated audiences in the Bay Area. To learn more about the Bread & Roses team, check out our staff page.