Staff

Aminisha Ferdinand, Arts Coach
Elise Gallinot, Program Director
Linda Irwin, Development Director
Echo Olander, Executive Director
Shannel Platenburg, Coordinator
Lauren Scarpello, Curriculum Coach

Aminisha Ferdinand
Aminisha returned home to her native New Orleans following a decade of studying, teaching, and performing throughout the United States and abroad. After completing an M.A. in Educational Theatre, she worked in Gulu, Uganda, partnering with a classroom teacher to integrate arts and participatory activities into student lessons. In New Orleans, she continues to approach theatre education as an opportunity for young people to express their individual creativity and academic learning. In addition to serving as the Arts Coach, Aminisha is a current teaching artist at Langston Hughes Academy and Youth Activity Coordinator at the Sankofa Marketplace in the Lower 9th Ward.

Elise Gallinot
Elise received her B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Georgia in Athens, her Masters Degree in Arts Administration from the University of New Orleans, and has researched and trained in best practices through national models including the Kennedy Center, Understanding by Design, ArtsConnection, New York and Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education. She received her certification training in Montessori education and spent four years in the classroom before focusing on arts administration. In addition to her work as an artist and educator, she has worked in the non-profit arts sector as Executive Director of the DeKalb Symphony Orchestra, Associate Director of the New Orleans Film Festival, and as Program Coordinator of KID smART.

Linda B. Irwin
Linda has an extensive background in not-for-profit management with particular emphasis on strategic planning and mission-driven fundraising and organizational development. She was Executive Director of Youth Alternatives, Inc., New Orleans, for ten years and of the Center for the Physically Limited in Tulsa, Oklahoma, for twelve years.

Echo Olander
With a background of 25+ years in arts administration with an educational focus, Echo manages the day-to-day logistics and directs the vision and the mission of KID smART. Echo has a BA in English from Newcomb College. For ten years, Echo consulted with the Mississippi Arts Commission on the professional development component of the Whole Schools Initiative; helping schools move towards arts integrated curriculum and instruction. Echo was recently named to the Louisiana team for the NEA Education Leadership Institute and coordinated the review of Louisiana Curriculum guides for the Louisiana Department of Education and the Louisiana Division of the Arts. Previous employers include the New York State Council on the Arts and the Arts Council of New Orleans.

Shannel Platenburg
Shannel has over fifteen years of experience in administrative support services, including accounting, human resources, data management and information technology support. She has professional experience in both non-profit and for-profit businesses.

Lauren Scarpello
Lauren moved to New Orleans two weeks after she earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Art Studio to serve as a Teach for America corps member. She obtained her Level 1 teaching certificate and taught for 3 additional years at New Orleans Charter Middle/Samuel J. Green Charter School. She received her Master in Arts Administration at the University of New Orleans in 2009. She earned an assistantship at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art and worked from 2007-2009 training new teachers for The New Teacher Project and teachNOLA.