Board of Directors
Board of Directors
Alisa Lindsay President
Alisa is a Professional Engineer with a Civil and Environmental Engineering degree from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. She is currently a team leader and senior environmental engineer with Fishbeck in Kalamazoo. In her free time, Alisa enjoys dancing and playing the violin. She is a life-long learner of dance and continues to study dance with Wellspring. She is a company member with Movement Reservoir Dance Company and Breakin’ Ballet, and has danced with Chamberlain Dance Company, Atelier Dance Company, and Grand Rapids Dance Ensemble. Alisa also volunteers as a musician for local churches and was formerly a violinist in the Kalamazoo College and Community Orchestra (now the Kalamazoo Philharmonia). She and her husband live in Portage and have three children.
Carl Brown Vice President
Carl describes himself as a Wanderlust, Brand and Digital Marketing Geek and Business Development/Growth Strategist. He makes things that connect humans with experiences, brands, and products they will come to love. Sometimes those things are digital, sometimes they are printed, they are always strategic and always respect that customers and brands should share the same values.
Lisa Wainwright Secretary
Lisa (Chew) Wainwright, originally from Kalamazoo, MI, is currently a Treasury Management Client Services Manager for PNC Bank. However, Lisa’s true passion is the art of dance. She earned her BFA in modern dance from Western Michigan University and an MA from Columbia College Chicago in Arts, Entertainment, Media Management. She was involved with numerous Chicago based organizations such as Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, the Joseph Holmes Dance Company, and the Chicago Moving Company in marketing, development, and strategic planning roles. She owned/operated her own dance studio in the Chicagoland area for several years. Lisa also currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Partners in Dance Foundation at WMU, Ballet 5:8 out of Orland Park, IL and teaches as an adjunct professor within the WMU Dance/Theatre department. Her boys, Dan, an engineer, and James, a company artist of Ballet 5:8, are her pride and joy.
Emily Deering-Caruso Treasurer
Emily Deering-Caruso was born and raised in Kalamazoo, attending her first dance class at Wellspring as a toddler in 1992. After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Depaul University in Chicago, Emily and her husband, Matthew, moved to Uganda to work on small business incubation projects with a local nonprofit. Upon their return home in 2015, Emily joined the team at YWCA Kalamazoo where she serves as a Director of Development overseeing the financial sustainability of the mission work of eliminating racism and empowering women. In addition, Emily co-owns and operates Bird Nest, LLC - the parent company of The Stamped Robin and sibling brands Lil Bird Cocktail Cart and Robin Bottle Shop. Through these roles Emily provides fund development expertise, accounting, financial management and strategic development to a variety of industries. She is grateful for her village in Kalamazoo including her colleagues, dear friends, close family and her boys - Matthew, Sebastian, Carson and Charlie.
Bianca Ciungan
Bianca Washington Ciungan has been teaching at the collegiate level four years now and has been an educator of young people for 10 years. She received her B.A. at Western Michigan University and her MFA at The Pennsylvania State University in 2012. She studied abroad both in London and South Africa, performing and engaging in master classes and research. Bianca is a former member of the Black Theatre Network through the National Black Theatre Festival in Winston-Salem, NC and has formed a theatre company with her colleagues from WMU called FACE OFF Theatre that focuses on diversifying theatre in the city of Kalamazoo. Bianca recently moved to Hamilton, New York with her husband, but before she left Kalamazoo, she served as Program Director at the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo. Bianca has had the pleasure of directing in the Kalamazoo area and other surrounding areas in Michigan.
Sarah Curtis Graziano
Sarah Curtis Graziano is a freelance writer and editor in Kalamazoo. She holds a BA from Rhodes College, an MS in journalism from Boston University, and an MFA in writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Her work has been published in numerous literary magazines, noted in the Best American Essays series, and anthologized. Sarah's writing experience spans the spectrum, from newspaper reporting to public relations to web content. A native Southerner, she and her husband Neal relocated to Kalamazoo in 2007 for his work at the W.K Kellogg Foundation. They have three daughters who have each attended Wellspring.
Ben Gulley
The American operatic tenor, Ben Gulley, has been hailed "as an outstanding tenor (Opera News)" and "startlingly-gifted (San Francisco Classical Voice)." Mr. Gulley's global career is flourishing with feature roles in opera, solo engagements, concert, film work, touring and prestigious appearances abroad. Recent artistic and critical triumphs include Quasimodo in Dennis DeYoung's HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (Skylight Music Theater 2022), debut as Mario Cavaradossi in TOSCA (Sarasota Opera 2022), the Tenor Soloist in Beethoven’s 9TH SYMPHONY (University of Texas-Austin 2022, Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra 2021), the Tenor Soloist in Mahler's DAS LIED VON DER ERDE opposite the incomparable Michelle DeYoung (Belgian National Orchestra 2021) in Brussels and Namur, Belgium, featured artist for the National WW1 Monument (Kansas City) Centennial Celebration 2021 and headlining both Masterworks and Pops performances with symphonies and arts presenters worldwide.
As a contemporary crossover artist, 2016 marked the commercial release of his debut solo album of original music, “IN BETWEEN,” which is available on every major music distribution and streaming service. Mr. Gulley was a member of the SONY/BMG Masterworks recording & global touring group, THE AMERICAN TENORS, 2010-14, alongside fellow tenors Nathan Granner and Daniel Montenegro produced by THE IRISH TENORS' Frank McNamara. Mr. Gulley was twice featured on the PBS nationally-televised Memorial Day event “CELEBRATION AT THE STATION” with the Kansas City Symphony (2011 & 2009) with Maestro Michael Stern and violinist, Mark O'Conner. Plus, numerous crossover concerts and charity events with mainstream artists and entertainers such as David Foster, Natalie Cole (R.I.P.), Brenna Whitaker, Mustafa Shakir, Jamie Fox, Idina Menzel, Blues Traveler, SNL alumni Darryl Hammond, Mark O'Conner, Rogelio Douglas Jr., JoJo, Malia Civitz, Jesse Lynch and others.
Rebecca Hahn
A dancer, yogi, therapist and coach/consultant, Rebecca has nearly 30 years of experience in the realms of co-creation, therapeutic arts and coaching. She is a speaker, national consultant and Professional Certified Coach who has developed suites of trainings, branding/content and benchmarks/standards in such diverse areas as education, corporations, arts organizations and global coaching companies. She has worked with all ages from 4-74! She teams with both the budding solo-preneur and full scale companies to drastically up-level the mission, vision, messaging, content, facilitation acumen and leadership value.
Additionally, Rebecca partnered with renowned thought leader Judith E. Glaser as Lead developer of and is Master Certified in Conversational Intelligence (The Neuroscience Behind Healthy Co-Creative Conversations). In this vein, Rebecca has spent years conducting fieldwork, consulting and workshop-ing in the areas of trust, group dynamics, mindfulness/spirituality, somatics/embodiment, whole brain learning, design thinking strategies, creativity and neuro-innovation.
Rebecca has sat on the Rootead Enrichment Center board for 4 years and is currently serving as Co-chair of the Board of Directors.
She received her master’s degree in movement centered psychotherapy (D/MT) from UCLA in 1999 and holds the highest registry with the National Dance Therapy Association. As a therapist in Los Angeles Rebecca specialized in treating trauma and Defiant Disorders in children and teens affiliated with generational gang violence. Formerly Rebecca was a Professor of Human Growth and Development, an A+ Educational Consultant and a national trainer for The Kennedy Centers Arts Integration Consortium. Rebecca is a certified teacher of Para Hatha Yoga and Kundalini Yoga and has taught and facilitated teacher trainings across the country.
West Nelson
West Nelson is a graduate of Kalamazoo College and is the proprietor of Rosetta Consultants, specializing in documentation and training for corporations and municipalities in the process of upgrading their computer systems, valuable work that he has shared with students during several stints as an adjunct professor.
West came to know of Erick Hawkins and his technique through a phys. ed. class with Lynn Maurer at Kalamazoo College. He was so fascinated by it that he ended up doing his Senior Individualized Project on Hawkins, which entailed an intensive study period in 1981 at the Hawkins studio in New York City. While there, he learned of Cori Terry and, as soon as possible, West introduced himself to Cori upon his return to Kalamazoo. Shortly thereafter, West became Wellspring’s lighting designer. The rest, as they say, is family history. West has been on Wellspring’s board since 2010 and he has been known to cook for the company and the board when the conditions are right.
Cori Terry Artistic Director & Founder
Cori Terry, born in 1952 to politically active, Jewish liberals in Brooklyn, NY, danced with the renowned Erick Hawkins Dance Company from 1972-1980, touring nationally and abroad. During her career, Ms. Terry has created over 85 choreographic works. She has received numerous awards including two MCA Choreography Awards, Kalamazoo College's Women In Town Award, Kalamazoo's Community Medal of Arts Artistic Excellence Award, the Partners in Dance Advocacy Award, was a finalist for the Governor's Artistic Achievement Award, and the YWCA's Women of Achievement Award.
Marisa Bianan Associate Artistic Director, Dance Academy Coordinator
Originally from Kenosha, Wisconsin, Marisa Bianan obtained her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Western Michigan University in April 2018. 2020-2021 will be Marisa’s third season performing with Wellspring Cori Terry and Dancers. Her most recent accomplishment includes the trio she choreographed on Chicago-based Jazz Dance Company, Inaside. “Forge the Flame” premiered in July 2020 during Inaside’s in-person/virtual hybrid concert.
Kate Yancho Executive Director
Kate joins the Wellspring family as an administrator and an artist. Originally from northeast Ohio, Kate is the oldest of four girls, all of whom danced. Her parents are artists at heart and made sure that artistic endeavors were always available to their children. She received a BFA in Dance Performance from Kent State University in 2005 then took a turn in a new direction and embarked on a career as a higher education administrator for over 10 years. In addition to her roles with Wellspring, Kate also teaches group fitness classes makes delicious, healthy meals in her kitchen with her husband, and chases around her young sons.