The Oak Park Area Arts Council announces the addition of three individuals to its Board of Directors:

Marva Anderson is Director of Corporate, Foundation and Government Relations for the Museum of Science and Industry.  Formerly, Marva was the Associate Executive Director, Development and External Affairs for the Arts & Business Council of Chicago.  

Angela Gershenson is an active community volunteer.  She has worked with Parenthesis and D/97 school art projects, as well as serving as the foreign language coordinator at Beye School.  Angie is past president/founder of the Oak Park & River Forest Children’s Chorus.  She is also past board member of River Oak Arts. 

Mel Wilson works in customer service at the Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio.  An architect, Mel has worked in the field for 22 years.  Mel is very active in the community.  He is the co-founder of the Oak Park Area Lesbian & Gay Association, Oak Park River Forest High School Parents Human Relations Committee, Oak Park Community Relations Commission, Village Manager Association, Community Response and Frank Lloyd Wright Preservation Trust.

As the new board members are welcomed, farewells and heartfelt thanks go out to departing directors:

Sarita Smith Childs served three terms on the OPAAC Board and served on a number of committees including the OPAAC Fine Arts Scholarship Committee, Artful Object Committees, Diversity Committee, Martin Luther King Jr. Day Children’s Workshop Committee, and A Symphony of Place Committee.  She is an independent dancer/choreographer, a dance instructor at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Joel Hall Dance Center, Gus Giordano Dance Center, Ruth Page Foundation and the Academy of Movement and Music.  Sarita is a recipient of the 2000 Chicago Dance Coalition’s Ruth Page Award for Achievement in Dance for Performances in the 1999-2000 season.

Ethel Cotovsky served one term on the OPAAC and served on the Diversity Committee.  Ethel is a social worker and community activist.  She has worked with a number of organizations in the village including the Village Manager Association.  Ethel was one of the founders of the Oak Park Area Lesbian and Gay Association; she has chaired OPALGA’s Cultural Arts Committee for a number of years.  In fact, she organized the First Annual Lesbian and Gay Cultural Arts Festival, held in Scoville Park in 1991.  

William Fillmore served three terms on the OPAAC Board and served on the ArtsFunds Committee, Personnel Committee, Artful Object Committees, A Symphony of Place Committee and the Diversity Committee.  Bill is the Divisional Social Services Director for the Salvation Army.  Previously, Bill has served as a Trustee for the Village of Oak Park for 4 years.  An accomplished musician and singer, Bill lends his voice to Heritage Chorale.

The Oak Park Area Arts Council (OPAAC) is a not-for-profit community arts organization that promotes, develops and supports the performing, visual and literary arts in Oak Park and neighboring suburban communities.  It is partially funded by grants from the Illinois Arts Council, a state agency, and the Villages of Oak Park, Forest Park and River Forest
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