STAFF

Shyla Spicer

President/CEO
Yakama

Shyla, an enrolled member of the Yakama Nation grew up in Portland, Oregon, and returns to her hometown to take on this pivotal role. With over 15 years of dynamic leadership experience in building thriving organizations and fostering high-performing teams, Shyla brings a unique blend of strategic vision and operational expertise to NACF.

T. Lulani Arquette

Outgoing President/CEO
Kanaka ‘Ōiwi

T. Lulani Arquette is the founding past President and CEO of the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation (NACF). Under Arquette’s tenure, NACF has awarded over $14M in total program support to almost 400 Native artists and organizations in 34 states; co-hosted in collaboration with NEA and NEH, the first ever national convening of Indigenous arts and cultures with public agencies in DC; and facilitated the “landback” transfer of a historic building in Portland, Ore., the Center for Native Arts and Cultures, a vibrant artist maker, exhibiting, presenting space and new headquarters for NACF.

Amber Ball

Program Specialist
Dakubetede, Shasta, Modoc, Klamath

Amber joined NACF in 2022 and supports the executive office planning and implementation as well as the program department. Amber is a passionate advocate, programmer and coordinator committed to serving and creating community through the arts. She has worked locally and regionally with arts organizations such as Safe Harbors NYC, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, Oregon Contemporary Theater and In the Margin. Amber studied, Theatre Arts and Native American Studies at the University of Oregon. She is a citizen of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz.

Robert Franklin

Media and Communications Specialist
Diné (Navajo Nation)

Robert started at NACF in 2022 and supports the communications team with a range of experience in storytelling, graphic design, photography, videography, podcasting, streaming, branding, advertising, and marketing. Previously, Robert served as the Manager of the Native American Student and Community Center at Portland State University. He earned his BFA in Visual Communications, cum laude, with an emphasis in Graphic Design from Northern Arizona University. He is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation (Hashk’aa Hadzohí | Táchii’nii).

Andrea R. Hanley

Vice President of Programs
Navajo

Andrea Hanley joined NACF in 2023 and is responsible for leading the programming at NACF. Andrea is dedicated to the work of contemporary Native American artists and the Native American fine art field. She has over thirty years of experience in the field including National Museum of the American Indian, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., as both special assistant to the director and exhibition developer/project manager, the fine arts coordinator/curator for the city of Tempe, executive director of ATLATL, Inc., a national service organization for Native American arts, the founding manager of the Berlin Gallery at the Heard Museum, and the membership and program manager for the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts. More recently she was the Chief Curator at the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian. She serves on the board of directors for the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts, Santa Fe Indian Market and Voices in Contemporary Art (VoCA). She is on the Native American advisory board for Nest and the Ucross Foundation National Advisory Council.

Rachel Hershey

Associate Director of Development

Rachel joined NACF in 2023 to support and grow the organization’s fundraising programs. She is a lifelong Oregonian and has held multiple roles in arts philanthropy and nonprofit operations and program development. Most recently, Rachel served on the capital campaign team and as Donor Engagement Manager to build and open the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts in Beaverton, OR. She is honored to be a part of a transformative organization advancing access to and celebrating Native arts and cultures.

Katy Hilton

Director of Development

Katy Hilton joined NACF in 2022 and is responsible for leading and implementing all fundraising initiatives for the organization. Katy recently served in development leadership roles at Inner-City Arts and Center Theatre Group, and previously managed the state-wide Investing in Artists grants program and the L.A. County-based ARC grants program at the Center for Cultural Innovation. She has engaged in multiple, community-wide advocacy projects in the arts in both the Bay Area and Los Angeles, and brings two decades of arts non-profit experience and service to the team.

Laura (Cales) Matalka

Associate Director of Programs
Chickasaw Nation

Laura joined NACF in late 2016, and is responsible for developing, coordinating, and managing several aspects of the foundation’s grantmaking programs, special projects, convenings, and visibility opportunities. She has over ten years of experience working in the nonprofit arts sector, and earned her MA in Art History from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and BA in Art History from Wright State University. She is an enrolled citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and also of European-American heritage, including Bohemian, Dutch, English, German, Irish, and Slovenian. Laura lives in Portland, OR with her husband and son, and enjoys hiking, camping, cooking, and exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest.

Beckett Royce

Facilities Manager

Beckett joined NACF in 2022 and is responsible for building systems and maintenance, as well as coordinating and supporting events and rentals, in the exciting new Center for Native Arts and Cultures. With a background in theater and construction, she brings more than 25 years experience in building trades to her role.

Annie Silver

Development Operations Specialist

Annie joined NACF in 2020 and is responsible for building, maintaining and utilizing the organization’s fundraising systems. With a background in arts and education nonprofits, she brings more than five years of fundraising experience to her role. Annie received her BA in International Affairs and Anthropology from Northeastern University and lives in Portland with her husband and three cats.

Gabriella Tagliacozzo

Director of Operations

Gabriella joined NACF in 2013. She has over 20 years of experience in non profit governance, programs, events planning and administration. Gabriella’s multicultural upbringing, and her journalism and music backgrounds, are also well put to use in her role at the organization. She oversees NACF’s daily operations and human resources.

Kevin Washington

Director of Finance

Kevin joined NACF in 2021 with over 20 years’ experience as an accounting and finance professional in for-profit and non-profit organizations in the US and Japan.  He holds a BA in Business from Morehouse College, a MS in Accounting from Walsh College and a MBA from Temple University-Japan. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Kevin splits his time between Portland, Oregon and Honolulu, Hawaii.

Lovi Woods

Staff Accountant

Lovi (Lovesha) Woods joined NACF as Staff Accountant in 2022. Lovi is building her professional career in the accounting industry. As a member of the NACF team, she brings experience from the customer service, business operations, and more than enough enthusiasm to fuel the country twice over. Lovi saw the importance of civic engagement throughout her childhood and serves the community with her inimitable desire for knowledge and aptitude for research. She is a Portland native and lives with her cat, Sylvester.

Mandy Yeahpau

Director of Marketing & Communications
Comanche / Cherokee / Tarahumara

Mandy Yeahpau joined NACF in 2022 and is responsible for leading the communications and marketing initiatives for the organization. Mandy recently served as the social media manager at IllumiNative working to disrupt harmful stereotypes about Indigenous peoples and increase respectful and authentic representation of Native Americans in the media. At the same time, Mandy assisted Native Organizers Alliance, working to build power for Native peoples by supporting effective organizing to empower Indigenous leaders and communities for transformational change. Uplifting Native peoples and highlighting their strengths and knowledge is the motivation behind much of Mandy’s career path, including her time as an award-winning journalist and Independent filmmaker. She earned her B.A. in Convergent Media and Communications with an emphasis on Video Production from Southern Oregon University, and is of Comanche, Cherokee and Tarahumara descent. She sits on the Roundhouse Indigenous Advisory Committee.