Board
Gabriela Lena Frank, President
Born in Berkeley, California (September, 1972), to a mother of mixed Peruvian/Chinese ancestry and a father of Lithuanian/Jewish descent, Gabriela explores her multicultural heritage most ardently through her compositions. Inspired by the works of Bela Bartók and Alberto Ginastera, Gabriela is something of a musical anthropologist.
John Nuechterlein, Secretary
John Nuechterlein recently retired as President and CEO of the American Composers Forum, a leading national service organization based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Founded in 1975 as the Minnesota Composers Forum by a small group of students, the organization has grown exponentially over the past 45 years through innovative programs that support the artistic careers of composers and develop new opportunities for their work. John served as Managing Director of the Forum from 1998–2003, and became President in July 2003. He was instrumental in leading several strategic initiatives that grew membership, expanded educational programming and strengthened professional grant making. During his tenure, innova® Recordings also became one of the leading labels in the country for new music, helping hundreds of performers and composers reach new audiences.
Prior to joining the Forum, John worked for 15 years in the corporate sector. He held various senior management positions in leading consumer product companies, including Yardley of London USA, Maybelline and L’Oreal. Nuechterlein holds an MBA degree from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, as well as a Bachelor of Music degree in organ and voice performance from Valparaiso University.
John lives in Minneapolis with his husband Dan and sings in the Cathedral Choir at St. Mark’s Episcopal Cathedral. He currently serves on the board of Chorus America in Washington and has several advisory posts with other organizations.
Elaine Castellanos, Treasurer
Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
With over 20 years' experience, Elaine currently serves as the Chief Accounting Officer at Reata Pharmaceuticals, Inc., overseeing financial accounting and reporting, including ensuring company accounting procedures and reporting conform to generally accepted accounting principles. Prior to Reata, she served as a Senior Manager in the health sciences external audit group at Ernst & Young, with clients ranging from non-profits and development-stage companies to the Fortune 500. Elaine graduated from Rice University with a B.A. in Economics and Managerial Studies and a Masters of Accounting and is a Certified Public Accountant. Elaine and her husband Patrick have a daughter and a son. They spend time enjoying their home in Quilcene, Washington near the Olympic National Park, but return to Frisco, Texas for work and family activities.
Sheri Hansen
In 1966 I graduated from Anderson Valley High School, eager to leave small town living behind. I landed a job in San Francisco shortly before graduation and off I went. The job turned into a career, where I worked for the next 28 years. When my adventuresome, somewhat rebellious days waned, I longed for the beauty and peace of Anderson Valley.
I filled that longing with visits to our family ranch, just outside Boonville. On each of those visits, my parents provided days filled with country fun and evenings around the family dinner table. During these years, I was raising my family in Santa Rosa and they too grew to love Anderson Valley.
In 1994 I retired from the job that turned into a career. Shortly after, my husband and I moved back to beautiful Anderson Valley. We now live on the family ranch and enjoy filling visits from our kids and grandkids with country fun and evenings around the family dinner table.
A second career evolved when my dad reached the wonderful age of 80 and decided to retire. My brother, his partner, ask me to join him in his Real Estate office.
I often pinch myself to be sure it is all real. I am back in beautiful Anderson Valley, working on the ranch, swimming in the creek or pond and hiking through the hills. And, through my second career, I am meeting wonderful folks like Gabriela Frank and Jeremy Lyon. What a pleasure it was to be a part of their journey as they sought properties that would be the backbone of their dream.
Enjoying the music of the community concerts Gabriela stewards and observing their properties evolve with Jeremy’s skilled hands have opened my eyes to worlds that were previously unknown. It is my pleasure to join their journey again, as a board member of the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music.