BOARD PRESIDENT Regina Cialone Alaimo has been actively involved with APAC since 2003. Her career in arts administration includes working at Carnegie Hall and THIRTEEN/WNET in Individual Giving annual fundraising; and facilitating national auditions for professional theatres and college programs at the Southeastern Theatre Conference. Regina holds a BS in Arts Management and a Masters in Nonprofit Management and is currently the Director of Academy Advancement at The Mary Louis Academy. In addition to her work with nonprofit organizations, she is the owner and founder of Cloud Nove Events, a full service event planning company located on Long Island.
BOARD TREASURER John Koprowski received a BS in Accounting from St. Peter’s College and an MBA in Economics from NYU. After two years working with the CPA firm of Deloitte & Touche he received his CPA license. After working for twelve years with the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation in Brooklyn as the VP for Accounting and Information Systems, John joined the Ford Foundation, first as Comptroller and later as Treasurer and Director of Financial Services. In 1993 he started his own consulting firm, John J. Koprowski & Associates, working exclusively in the non-profit sector. As a member of the arts community, he has produced and performed four cabaret shows and has appeared at many clubs in the NYC area. As an actor, he is a member of the award winning Blue Coyote Theatre Company and has also appeared in and co-produced a number of shows with Without Papers Productions, a company he co-founded. John has been the Board Treasurer of the Singers Forum for over ten years and joined the APAC Board in 2008.
BOARD MEMBER Ran Craycraft is a proud Astoria resident and founder of the local social network, Why Leave Astoria?! He holds an MA from the Syracuse University Newhouse School and a BS in Digital Design from DAAP at the University of Cincinnati. Ran became one of the youngest producers in the history of NBC Universal and was later recognized with the company’s Ovation Award for outstanding achievement in new mediums. He is a recipient of the Gordon J. Alderman Award for Creativity in Broadcast and has guest lectured to students on the future of broadcast at the S.I. Newhouse School on several occasions.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Taryn Sacramone became the Executive Director of the Astoria Performing Arts Center in August 2005. To APAC, she brings both theater and non-profit experience. Taryn graduated from Kenyon College (Gambier, OH) and, in 2003, she completed a training program at the Atlantic Theater Company Acting School. From 2002-2010, Taryn worked at the Social Science Research Council, first as a Program Assistant for the Program on the Arts, then as a Special Projects Director (Communications & IT). She moved to Astoria in 2002 after tasting the pizza at Sac’s Place on Broadway. Taryn is especially excited to have the opportunity to contribute to the arts in one of New York’s most vibrant neighborhoods–this is a place for story-telling.
BOARD MEMBER George D. Mihaltses currently serves as Vice President for Government and Community Affairs at The New York Public Library. He acts as the library’s liaison with elected officials and their staffs at the Federal, State and City levels. His responsibilities include, planning, developing, implementing and maintaining strategies for sustaining and increasing government support of the library and its programs. He previously served as Chief of Staff to Council Member Peter F. Vallone Jr., Chairman of the New York City Council’s Public Safety Committee. George holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from Fordham University where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. He received his Juris Doctorate from St. John’s University Law School in 2007 and was admitted to the New York State Bar in 2008. George was born and raised in Queens, New York and presently resides in Bayside.
BOARD MEMBER Shelly Felder As Senior Director, Marketing and Communications, Shelly Felder is responsible for promoting the culture of excellence in medicine and patient care at Mount Sinai Queens. Since joining Mount Sinai Queens, Felder has increased public response to the hospital’s educational offerings by nearly 93 percent. Responsible for community outreach and volunteer services, as well as Workplace Wellness, Felder has a strong commitment to the western Queens community.
Felder has more than 25 years experience in public and private sector marketing communications. Most recently, she was the Director of Marketing & Customer Relations at the 92nd Street Y, one of New York City’s preeminent cultural and community organizations. During her 10-year tenure, she was responsible for creating, implementing and managing the marketing and promotion of the Y’s hundreds of health, fitness, family, social, political, educational and performing and literary arts programs. She also worked at Liberty Science Center in Jersey City as Director of Group Sales and Marketing.
Felder served on the board of the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce and the National Academy. She is currently on the board of directors of the Astoria Performing Arts Center.
Felder holds a BA in sociology and psychology from City University of New York, Hunter College.
APAC Founding Directors
APAC FOUNDER & PAST EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Susan Scannell is an accomplished actress/singer/lyricist with television, theater and cabaret appearances to her credit. Television credits include starring roles on: “Dynasty”, “Ryan’s Hope”, “Search For Tomorrow”, “Remington Steele”, “The A-Team” and others. As a singer/songwriter she has performed on “The Merv Griffin Show” and in various cabaret rooms in New York and Los Angeles. She also sang the national anthem at Shea Stadium. Her original one woman show Love Jokes can be seen on Queens Public Television. As an entrepreneur, APAC is one of Ms. Scannell’s many successful endeavors. She has also been successful in the business world having opened and run two franchises of the national video dating service Great Expectations and currently writes original songs and poems for people in a bi-coastal company she started named The Rhyme of Your Life.
FOUNDING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Brian J. Swasey is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire with a degree in Musical Theatre and Dance. Brian served as Artistic Director from 2001-2008, during which time APAC gained notoriety in Astoria and the NYC theatre community-at-large. For APAC Brian directed and choreographed productions of Triumph of Love, A New Brain, Forever Plaid, Nunsense, Lucky Stiff and Is There Life After High School?, in addition to numerous readings and workshops. His productions garnered eight New York Innovative Theatre Award nominations, including directing and choreography nods for Brian’s work on Forever Plaid. His production of Is There Life After High School? was awarded the Off-Off-Broadway Theatre Review Award for Outstanding Musical. Brian continues to direct, choreograph and perform all over the country. For more information, visit www.brianswasey.com.
