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Our Team

Kristianne Kurner

(she/her)
Founder & Executive Artistic Director

Kristianne founded New Village Arts in 2001, and she has grown the organization from a starting budget of $2,500 with two employees to a current budget of $1.8 million with over 20 employees. Trained as an actor and director, she has worked on every NVA theatrical production. Her directing credits include Awake & Sing! The Weir, The Trip to Bountiful, True West, Sailor’s Song, The Waverly Gallery, A Lie of the Mind, and the premiere outside of Broadway and London of Jez Butterworth’s The Ferryman. Her work has received numerous awards, including San Diego Theatre Critics Circle and KPBS Awards for Theatre Excellence. She is the recipient of the Clare Rose Sabbatical Award from Fieldstone Leadership Network and serves on the Board of the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce. Education: BFA Theatre, College of William & Mary; MFA Acting, the Actors Studio/New School.

Dave Eassa

(he/him)
Managing Director

Dave Eassa came to New Village Arts as the Managing Director from Baltimore, MD where he was the Director of Community Engagement at the Baltimore Museum of Art, developing and overseeing initiatives that drive the overall public engagement strategy of the institution. He envisioned and built initiatives such as the BMA Lexington Market, the JJC Artist in Residence at MICA program, as well as developed new curatorial commissioning processes as co-curator of Histories Collide: Jackie Milad x Fred Wilson x Nekisha Durrett. From 2015 to 2017, he was the founding Director of Free Space, an organization leveraging the arts within the Maryland Prison system, bringing arts programming to two men’s and one women’s correctional facility in Jessup, Maryland. Eassa currently serves on the Advisory Board of Baltimore Youth Arts, and is a Salzburg Global Fellow with the Salzburg Global Seminar. He holds a BFA in Painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art. In addition to his institutional work, he has exhibited extensively in solo and group presentations nationally, and participated in residencies from Stueben, Wisconsin to Amman, Jordan.

Junne Esguerra

(she/her)
Director of Operations

As a “Navy Brat” born in Washington D.C., Junne Esgerra lived up and down the East Coast of the United States and in the Philippines before planting roots in San Diego. Junne’s performance experience is limited to a Square Dance recital in early elementary school, getting asked to leave a Hula dance in a family/friends Christmas performance due to having two left feet, and self-serenades in her car. She enjoys cooking, the outdoors, and traveling. Junne has her Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences, with an emphasis in Sociology, Political Science, and History, and earned a Master’s in Public Administration. Junne has a wealth of front-line and leadership experience working in the non-profit sector. Junne has owned and operated her own business and is well-versed in organizational development, compliance, and policy/procedure development. She is thrilled to be a part of the NVA team.

Kali Boston

(she/her)
Artistic Producer

Originally from Massachusetts, Kali moved to California to attend University of California, San Diego. She holds a BA in Theatre with a specific focus of Directing. Over the past couple of years Kali has worn many hats in different theatre companies, festivals and UCSD Credits ranging from Production Assistant to Artistic Director/Producer. Recent Credits and Jobs Include: Producer and Director (Heathers, Zorina Productions), Production Assistant (Dishwasher Dreams, The Old Globe), Assistant Director (A Weekend with Pablo Picasso, New Village Arts), Production Manager (Jewish Arts Festival), Assistant Director (Thicker Than…, UCSD), Assistant Stage Manager (FallWorks Dance Performance, UCSD), Black Girl Joy (Trina, UCSD), In Every Generation (Production Assistant, San Diego Rep).

Bre Eugenio

(she/her)
Patron Services and Bar Manager

Bre was first introduced to the world of performance as a dancer. She was represented by DDO Artistic Agency in LA where she went on countless auditions, landing jobs like being a background dancer on Dance on Sunset, Hoopersize Me exercise video, a featured dancer in the Kung Fu Panda music video, and dancing for the WNBA LA sparks basketball team as a Sparkid for two seasons. Now retired from dance, she came to New Village Arts to explore her love of theatre and discovered a passion for working behind the scenes. Bre has worked Front of House for 3 years, including House Management, Bar, and Box Office. She loves NVA, and is so excited to help the company continue to flourish! 

Olivia Pence

(she/her)
Manager of Marketing and Communications

Olivia is thrilled to be joining the NVA Team as Manager of Marketing & Communications. Olivia has been seen on the NVA stage in multiple past productions, including Around the World in 80 Days, Into the Woods, and Singing in the Rain. In addition to her professional performing career, Olivia works for the Servant Leadership Institute as their Social Media Producer and Administrative Assistant. It was here that she learned of her passion for marketing and social media. In her free time, Olivia enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading from her extensive book collection, and performing when she can. Being a part of the NVA Team is an absolute dream come true!

Marcus Rico

(he/him)
Interim Technical Manager

Marcus graduated from Mt. San Jacinto College with an AA in Audio Technology. Previous NVA credits; Leonard Bernstein’s New York (Sound Designer/Sound Engineer), Into the Woods (Sound Engineer), 1222 Oceanfront: A Black Family Christmas (Sound Engineer), Beehive (Sound Engineer), Murder for Two(Sound Engineer), Around the World in 80 Days (Sound Engineer), Little Shop of Horrors (Sound Engineer), and The Roommate (Co-Sound Designer).

Kiara Hudlin

(she/her)
Education and Fellowship Manager

Kiara Hudlin has been at New Village Arts since August 2021. She started as the Lead Patron Services Representative, then became the Programs Coordinator, and is now the Education and Fellowship Manager. “It really is an honor to be in this position. My whole life I’ve known I want to be someone who serves and advocates for the community, and being the Education and Fellowship Manager allows me to do just that. I am so excited to bring more opportunities to young people of color and other underrepresented and marginalized communities. And I’m really excited to put myself out there and just get to know more of our community members and see how we can collaborate. It takes a village!” Kiara wants to thank her New Village Arts family for giving her a place to grow and to learn.

Almar Ahad

(she/her)
Events and Engagement Coordinator

Almar has been working with New Village Arts since December 2021. She is thrilled to be stepping into the creative side of things at NVA by planning events, helping out as an in-house photographer, and building relationships with our donors. Outside of being the events coordinator, she is also exploring production and media. Almar can’t wait to see where her newfound love of the arts takes her. 

Lanette Granger

(she/her)
Bookkeeper

Born and raised in Los Angeles County. Math was my favorite subject in school, and it was a natural transition into bookkeeping. Earned a BS (Bachelor’s of Science) degree in Business Administration with a major in Accounting from Cal Poly, Pomona. Worked as a bookkeeper while raising three daughters. Later, earned an MLIS (Master’s of Library and Information Science) degree from San Jose State University, and worked as a cataloging and systems librarian at two community colleges. Did collection development for one of their Theater Arts programs. Relocated to San Diego in 2017, continued remote bookkeeping, and worked as a part-time librarian at SD Miramar College. Excited to work with such friendly and creative spirits at NVA. Their passion for their work is boundless, and for me to branch out to the nonprofit accounting processes. 

Sid Louise

(she/her)
Social Media Marketing Assistant

Embarking on a creative odyssey, I find inspiration in the vast landscape of the arts. Every piece I craft is a testament to the diverse realms of creativity that reside within our minds. Having relocated to San Diego after graduating from University of Northern Colorado, I’ve been on a mission to disseminate my art across the golden state, accompanied by the harmonies of my band, as well as my passion work with my community. As I eagerly step into the enriching realm of Dea Hurtson’s New Village Arts, I am filled with excitement and anticipation. This new chapter promises a continued exploration of artistic expression and collaboration, further enriching the tapestry of my creative journey.