Leadership Team

Claudia de Vasco serves as the Effective Storytelling Working Group Lead for HouArts in Action, where she helps shape strategies that elevate Houston’s cultural narrative while centering equity and access.

A nationally recognized arts executive and cultural strategist, Claudia is the Managing Director of the Miller Theatre Advisory Board and has held leadership roles across theater, civic policy, and nonprofit advocacy. She brings extensive experience in marketing, community-centered storytelling, and public engagement. Her work spans collaborations with artists across all levels of experience—from emerging voices to established leaders—ensuring that a wide range of creative perspectives help define Houston’s cultural identity. Claudia’s leadership in this role reflects her commitment to inclusive narrative-building and cultural sustainability.

Michelle Bonton serves as the Public Funding Working Group Lead at HouArts in Action, where she works to advance sustainable funding mechanisms that ensure long-term stability for Houston’s creative sector.

As Founder and Executive Director of the Anderson Center for the Arts, she leads public engagement and advocacy efforts that connect cultural work to policy, equity, and economic opportunity. With a background in public education, legislative policy, and nonprofit management, she has secured over $30 million in public and private funding to support community-driven initiatives. Her expertise in navigating public budget processes, building regional coalitions, and championing grassroots funding strategies makes them especially equipped for this work. Her leadership is rooted in a belief that artists deserve to be resourced, not just recognized, in shaping civic life.

RUEROB is the Economic Opportunity Working Group Lead at HouArts in Action, where he champions pathways for artists and creatives to thrive in Houston.

An interdisciplinary artist, cultural strategist and creative workforce advocate, RUEROB currently serves as Programs Manager at the BIPOC Arts Network & Fund (BANF), where he supports artist-led initiatives and design equity-centered resource-sharing models. His previous work with Project Row Houses, the City of Houston, and TORCH reflects a consistent focus on artist sustainability, economic justice, and cross-sector collaboration. With experience in policy, cultural organizing, and talent development, he brings strong leadership to conversations about creative economy infrastructure. His work is grounded in a belief that Houston’s artists should have the stability and support to stay, build, and lead.

Sha Davis serves as the Vibrant Spaces Working Group Lead at HouArts in Action, where she guides strategies that support street-level activation and ensure artists are central to shaping Houston’s public and cultural landscape.

She is a multidisciplinary artist, civic arts manager, and founder of SD Arts and Consultancy, with a decade of experience in public space activation, creative placemaking, and cultural policy. As Civic Arts Manager for the City of Sugar Land, she has led initiatives like the Summer of Sound Festival, HONEYLAND 2023, and the city’s journey to becoming a Music Friendly Community. Her work integrates artistic excellence with neighborhood revitalization and community wellness, bridging city systems with artist needs. Sha’s leadership is grounded in equity, imagination, and a lived understanding of how cultural spaces build stronger communities.

Harrison Guy serves as Collaboration and Coalition Lead for HouArts in Action, where he facilitates alignment and collaboration across four cross-sector teams focused on advocacy, public funding, economic opportunity, and cultural infrastructure.

A choreographer, civic leader, and cultural strategist, Harrison also directs arts and culture initiatives for Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment Corporation, leading Houston’s only state-recognized African American cultural arts district. He is known for bridging artists and institutions—large and small—to co-create strategies that center community memory, equitable development, and artist-led revitalization. From founding and  directing Urban Souls Dance Company to shaping artist residencies, exhibitions, and archival projects, his work reflects a deep commitment to place and people. At HouArts, Harrison helps ensure that coordination is rooted in care, clarity, and connection across the full spectrum of Houston’s creative ecosystem.

Melissa Kurkut serves as the Administrative Coordinator for HouArts in Action, where she supports collaboration across the initiative’s four working groups and helps track progress toward shared goals in arts advocacy, economic development, and cultural strategy.

A Dutch-born interdisciplinary artist, curator, and cultural worker with Rwandan and Kurdish roots, Melissa’s work focuses on memory, displacement, and the politics of preservation—using digital media, archival materials, and community-based methods to document and reimagine cultural histories. She is the Founding Executive Director of Milele Museum, a hybrid institution operating between the African continent and the diaspora that centers African heritage through a virtual museum and public programming. Currently completing her MA in Arts Leadership at the University of Houston as a Fulbright Scholar, Melissa brings experience in international cultural strategy, digital curation, and arts infrastructure. Her work with HouArts is driven by a commitment to accessible, artist-led systems that reflect and sustain the communities they serve.

As the Advocacy Lead at HouArts, Jaison Oliver strengthens civic engagement across the region by equipping local arts supporters to speak up, show up, and shape policy. Through targeted training, coordination, and storytelling strategies, he is building the capacity of artists and advocates to participate meaningfully in public meetings and budget processes.

Jaison is a seasoned community organizer and the Founder of Selden Resources, where he supports collaborative policymaking and community-led change. He also leads the Third Ward Cultural District in Houston, bringing deep knowledge of place-based strategy and cultural equity. Originally from Detroit and an alumnus of Yale University, Jaison brings a national perspective and a powerful commitment to local action.

Kathryn McNiel leads HouArts’ public affairs initiatives, bringing decades of experience in government relations, civic leadership, and strategic advocacy. As a seasoned political consultant and public policy expert, she guides HouArts’ efforts to strengthen relationships with elected officials and elevate the arts as an essential civic priority.

A native Houstonian with degrees from Simmons College and Harvard’s Kennedy School, Kathryn has worked across the political spectrum and advised campaigns at local, state, and national levels. Her leadership is rooted in coalition-building, public education, and a deep commitment to Houston’s cultural and civic vitality. She is the former executive director of Houston’s Theater District, and has also served on the boards of DaCamara, Project Row Houses, Legacy Community Health, and Citizens Environmental Coalition, advancing the intersection of health, environment, and the arts.

Marci Dallas serves as project coordinator for HouArts in Action, an initiative supported by Houston’s cultural districts to advance their shared vision of championing arts and culture across the Greater Houston region.  An experienced arts consultant, Marci works closely with Houston’s cultural districts on collaborative strategies that celebrate the region’s creative ecosystem and champion its role in civic life.

Over the course of her career, Marci has worked for large-, medium- and small-sized arts nonprofits and led a service organization supporting local artists.  In addition to her work with HouArts and Houston’s cultural districts, Marci is founder of Cultural Launch where she collaborates with cultural hubs of all varieties to elevate the public’s access and exposure to arts and culture within our cities; she serves on the executive board for Texans for the Arts where she works on non-partisan statewide arts advocacy to protect and increase funding for the arts at the state, national and local levels; and she teaches in the University of Houston’s MA in Arts Leadership program where she supports the next generation of arts leaders. Marci believes that access to the arts is vital because of their universal power to bring people together, foster deeper understanding of ourselves and others, and ultimately enhance quality of life for all.