Charmaine Jefferson is Kélan Resources, a cause driven consulting firm dedicated to integrating art, history, culture, business and diversity into the DNA of education, community, philanthropy, and resulting public and private collaborative ventures. From content to structure, services are customized for each client for maximum success and long term benefit. Ms. Jefferson has always been a strong leader and advocate for the arts and community with an educational grounding that includes a Dance B.A. from UCLA, Dance Education M.A. from NYU, and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center. Her practical expertise includes recently retiring from an eleven year run as Executive Director of the California African American Museum (CAAM) and Executive Vice President of CAAM’s non-profit partner Friends. During her tenure, CAAM’s exhibitions and membership roster doubled; public and education programs, facility rentals and attendance tripled; the collection expanded; and engagement in mentoring generations, cross-cultural and business collaborations resulted in more socially relevant and life-impacting offerings for youth, families and communities. Ms. Jefferson’s career began as a professional concert dancer before she migrated into arts administration becoming a Senior Dance Program Specialist at the National Endowment for the Arts. Dually trained in law, she practiced civil litigation in the Florida firm of Holland and Knight. She retains law licenses in Washington, DC and Florida, but was lured back to the arts when asked to serve as Executive Director of Dance Theatre of Harlem by the legendary Arthur Mitchell. She was subsequently appointed by Mayors Koch and Dinkins to serve as Deputy and twice Acting Commissioner of Cultural Affairs for the City of New York. Eventually, she returned to her native Los Angeles as Vice President of Business Affairs for dePasse Entertainment and later joined the Disneyland Resort as Director of Show Development for Disney Entertainment Productions. Ms. Jefferson continues to serve as a Commissioner on the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, member of the California Arts Council, Board Director of Arts for LA, and as a Board Trustee for the California Institute of the Arts.