Sherry Caraballo Dorfman, President
Alamo, CA
Sherry Dorfman retired from her longtime executive position with the Contra Costa Superior Court in 2006, to direct the development of new certificate programs for judicial branch employees at Bay Area community colleges. Her firm, SCD Consulting, provides consultation on various projects, primarily related to the judicial branch. Sherry is also a faculty member at the California State University, Sacramento in public policy and administration and a former faculty member of the University of Connecticut, Golden Gate University in San Francisco, and San Jose City College. Many years of community organization experience preceded Sherry’s joining the Diablo Theatre board, including work with various education and youth organizations, the Junior League of Oakland-East Bay, and Meals on Wheels of Fairfield County, Connecticut. Currently she serves on the scholarship committee for the Contra Costa County Court Scholarship Fund. Sherry graduated with a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley and holds an M.S. from the Florida State University, Tallahassee. She has been a musical theatre-lover since her early teens.
Julie Hahn, Operations Vice President
Walnut Creek, CA
Julie has been an Office Manager for an engineering firm in Walnut Creek for the past 26 years and a resident of Walnut Creek for 28 years. Her passion for musical theatre began as a young girl. She is an avid theatergoer and began her involvement with Diablo Theatre Company in 2003 when her daughter began performing with STARS 2000 Teen Theatre. She has volunteered in several aspects of the company, which include auditions, backstage at productions, tickets, merchandising, concessions, programs, and marketing. She is honored to be a part of and contribute to Diablo Theatre Company and bring her personal, creative and managerial skills.
Claudia Mauzy Nemir, Secretary/Development Chair
Alamo, CA
A retired bank manager, Claudia is a fifth generation native of the Walnut Creek, Danville, Alamo areas. She is a past recipient of Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Woman of the Year award, has served in an executive capacity with the Eugene O’Neill Foundation, Phi Mu Foundation, and the Civic Arts Education Advisory Council and is a two-term member of the Walnut Creek Arts Commission. She is a past president of the Danville Alamo branch of the American Association University Women, Soroptimist International, and of the Alamo Police Advisory Committee, as well as past Chair of the Discovery Center. In March 2010, Claudia was one of five inductees to the Women’s Hall of Fame, sponsored by the Contra Costa Commission for Women. Claudia was honored in the category of Women Contributing to the Arts.
Carole Wynstra, Past President
Walnut Creek, CA
Carole joined the Diablo Theatre Company board in 2005. A 30 year resident of Walnut Creek, she is Vice-President of Marketing for the Walnut Creek Library Foundation and a board member of the Eugene O’Neill Foundation, Tao House where she served as President for three years. She is a Trustee of the Diablo Regional Arts Association, a member of the Junior League of Oakland-East Bay and a former Walnut Creek Arts Commissioner.
Martin Bach, Finance Chair
Danville, CA
Martin Bach is a Senior Vice President of Investments at Morgan Stanley. He will be celebrating his 46th year with the firm in June. He has acted as a Financial Advisor to Diablo Theatre Company for the past 25 years. Martin was elected to the Board of Directors in April 2004. Prior to that re- election, he had been a board member from 1980-1992, spending two terms as the Chairman of the Board. Martin has also been an active member of the Diablo Regional Arts Association (DRAA), Contra Costa Musical Theatre (CCMT), and the Lesher Center for the Arts (LCA). His relationship with these entities has been and will continue to be helpful to Diablo Theatre Company.
Grete Egan, Founder
Walnut Creek, CA
Grete is one of the original founders of DLOC. She has been President of the Board and was a frequent producer of the company’s mainstage productions. Grete is a member of PEO, a service organization that provides scholarship money to young women for college and served on the Walnut Creek Arts Commission for four years. She was honored with the Arts and Culture Commission of Contra Costa County award for outstanding achievement in the Arts. Grete started the youth tours of the Contra Costa law league Superior Court and sings in the St. Mathews Lutheran Church chancel choir. She is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley.
Ernest Guzman, Education Chair
Walnut Creek, CA
Ernie is an Executive Director and 20 year veteran of Morgan Stanley Smith Barney. Ernie began his career as a Financial Advisor in San Francisco and has held many management positions throughout Northern California. He joined the Diablo Theatre Company Board of Directors in 2009 and currently serves as the Education Chair. Ernie is also a senior advisor to the Kinetic Arts Foundation and Diablo Valley Performance Arts Center.
Cheryl Yee Glass
Danville, CA
Cheryl Yee Glass is the Music Director/Conductor for most of the Diablo Theatre Company productions. She started playing bass in the orchestra while in college at U.C. Berkeley and began conducting in 1992 for Diablo Theatre Company. Currently, she is the Instrumental Music Director and District Coordinator of Music at San Ramon High School in Danville where she conducts an award-winning Jazz Band, Symphony Orchestra and Marching Band. She has also served on the Play-Reading Committee (which ultimately became the Diablo Theatre Company Artistic Committee).
Betty Harwood
Alamo, CA
Betty Harwood performed leading roles with Diablo Theatre Company for many years, and was Publicity and Marketing Director from 1985-2001. She has also been a producer, assistant stage manager and assistant to the director. She had previously served on the Artistic Committee since 1993. Betty studied classical voice and opera for 17 years, piano for 7 years and had 4 years of acting classes.
Steve Kilner
Walnut Creek, CA
Since moving to the Bay Area in 1982, Steve has founded and operated several businesses including software consulting, e-commerce and mobile products, women’s apparel and internet marketing services. He also wrote and published a popular macaroni and cheese cookbook. Steve is a long time lover of musicals in any form, though his first interests were in the old MGM musicals and Broadway musicals, later followed by new developments in contemporary musicals and the musical extravaganza known as YouTube. Today Steve is a consultant to small and medium businesses that want to leverage IT and the internet to expand their businesses to a global reach or evolve their products and services in new directions.
J.P. McDermott
Danville, CA
JP is a Managing Associate with MassMutual Financial Group whose practice focuses on serving entrepreneurs and small business owners. He helps them attract and retain top talent using executive bonus plans and helps them plan for a comfortable retirement while leaving a legacy for their families. With an MBA in Finance and 20+ years experience with corporate giants like AT&T and SBC, JP also brings business, leadership and management experience to his clients. When JP is not helping business owners protect and grow their assets, he enjoys time with his family. He volunteers for several civic, community and non-profit organizations: board member and former President of Diablo Theatre Company, St. Mary’s College Alumni Association, St. Mary’s Graduate Business Alumni Council, Art Commissioner for the Town of Danville and columnist for SF Examiner.com.
John Pangia
Walnut Creek, CA
John Pangia is a professional musician and conductor who has been playing in the Diablo Theatre Company orchestra for many years. He is currently the Orchestra Manager for the company.
Richard C. Raines, Nominating & Governance Chair
Walnut Creek, CA
Rich is an attorney with Gagen McCoy in Danville, handling general civil litigation. He is Past President of the Contra Costa County Bar Association, Past President of Contra Costa Legal Aid Foundation and is an author and lecturer for California Continuing Education of the Bar. He served as Advisor and Member of the Litigation Section of the California State Bar, and as a Delegate to the California Bar Convention. He graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Hastings College of the Law.
Martha Rosenberg, Marketing Chair
Walnut Creek, CA
Martha Rosenberg has played flute and piccolo as a member of the Diablo Theatre Company orchestra for the past 15 years. She is also involved in performing chamber music for various venues in the Bay Area. Martha is a licensed attorney and her legal career has included a private practice in civil, family law and juvenile dependency litigation and several years as a court administrator for the Superior Court in Contra Costa County. Martha is also a trained mediator. Since May 2007, she has been the managing attorney for a non-profit agency.
Ellen Smith
Walnut Creek, CA
Ellen Smith has been producing Diablo Theatre Company shows for many years. She founded Diablo Theatre Company’s STARSTRUCK youth theatre program, which evolved into our current Performing Arts Academy. She is the Director of Performing Arts at the local Jewish Community Center and produces their teen theatre program. Ellen is a College/Career Advisor at Las Lomas High School in Walnut Creek.
Diablo Theatre Company is always looking for new board members. If you support the arts and would like to get involved, email Sherry Dorfman for more information.