Ballet Arizona’s
Administrative Staff
Executive Leadership

Jami Kozemczak
Executive Director
Jami Kozemczak was appointed Executive Director for Ballet Arizona in May 2022, after having served as the Director of Development since 2015. Kozemczak works to advance the organization through a people-centered leadership model that focuses on building culture, expanding programs, and increasing revenue generation. During her tenure, the organization has successfully implemented a culture of philanthropy that permeates throughout the organization. She has secured more than $50 million in contributed revenue during her time at Ballet Arizona, and increased earned revenue by 53% since her first year as Executive Director.
Kozemczak has 16 years of experience in arts non-profit management which includes fundraising, strategic planning, public relations, communications, donor relations, and marketing. Beginning her career as a marketing professional, she quickly transitioned to fundraising after discovering her true vocation was connecting donors to their passion. Jami holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Arizona State University. Jami’s volunteer work centers on mentorship; she served on the AFP Professional Mentoring Program Committee for 7 years and has a passion for helping individuals invest in themselves and their future.

Jami Kozemczak
Executive Director
Jami Kozemczak was appointed Executive Director for Ballet Arizona in May 2022, after having served as the Director of Development since 2015. Kozemczak works to advance the organization through a people-centered leadership model that focuses on building culture, expanding programs, and increasing revenue generation. During her tenure, the organization has successfully implemented a culture of philanthropy that permeates throughout the organization. She has secured more than $50 million in contributed revenue during her time at Ballet Arizona, and increased earned revenue by 53% since her first year as Executive Director.
Kozemczak has 16 years of experience in arts non-profit management which includes fundraising, strategic planning, public relations, communications, donor relations, and marketing. Beginning her career as a marketing professional, she quickly transitioned to fundraising after discovering her true vocation was connecting donors to their passion. Jami holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Arizona State University. Jami’s volunteer work centers on mentorship; she served on the AFP Professional Mentoring Program Committee for 7 years and has a passion for helping individuals invest in themselves and their future.

Jami Kozemczak
Executive Director
Jami Kozemczak was appointed Executive Director for Ballet Arizona in May 2022, after having served as the Director of Development since 2015. Kozemczak works to advance the organization through a people-centered leadership model that focuses on building culture, expanding programs, and increasing revenue generation. During her tenure, the organization has successfully implemented a culture of philanthropy that permeates throughout the organization. She has secured more than $50 million in contributed revenue during her time at Ballet Arizona, and increased earned revenue by 53% since her first year as Executive Director.
Kozemczak has 16 years of experience in arts non-profit management which includes fundraising, strategic planning, public relations, communications, donor relations, and marketing. Beginning her career as a marketing professional, she quickly transitioned to fundraising after discovering her true vocation was connecting donors to their passion. Jami holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Arizona State University. Jami’s volunteer work centers on mentorship; she served on the AFP Professional Mentoring Program Committee for 7 years and has a passion for helping individuals invest in themselves and their future.
Administrative

Alexandra Sarver
Director of Operations

Alexandra Sarver
Director of Operations

Christian Espinoza
HR Generalist

Christian Espinoza
HR Generalist

Korina Mitchell
Executive Assistant

Korina Mitchell
Executive Assistant
Accounting Service – Four Leaf Financial
Philanthropy

Steven Henderson
Director of Philanthropy

Steven Henderson
Director of Philanthropy

Alana Davis
Philanthropy Events & Volunteer Manager

Alana Davis
Philanthropy Events & Volunteer Manager

Paige Manne
Philanthropy Assistant

Paige Manne
Philanthropy Assistant

Elyse Salisz
Associate Director of Philanthropy

Elyse Salisz
Associate Director of Philanthropy

Gabriella Titolo
Annual Fund Coordinator

Gabriella Titolo
Annual Fund Coordinator

Sasha Vincett
Corporate & Foundations Manager

Sasha Vincett
Corporate & Foundations Manager
Grant Consultant – Good Works Grant Writing
Marketing and Box Office

Averi Gutierrez
Director of Marketing

Averi Gutierrez
Director of Marketing

Monet Almaraz
Marketing Coordinator

Monet Almaraz
Marketing Coordinator

Abigail Brow
Box Office Manager

Abigail Brow
Box Office Manager

Alexis Costello
Customer Experience Representative

Alexis Costello
Customer Experience Representative

Stephen McDonough
Tessitura System Administrator

Stephen McDonough
Tessitura System Administrator

Renée Rodríguez
Marketing Specialist

Renée Rodríguez
Marketing Specialist

Sarah Steuer
Customer Experience Representative

Sarah Steuer
Customer Experience Representative
Community Engagement

Claire Martinez
Director of Community Engagement

Claire Martinez
Director of Community Engagement

Haley Cantarella
Community Engagement Manager

Haley Cantarella
Community Engagement Manager

Elijah Evans
Community Engagement Coordinator

Elijah Evans
Community Engagement Coordinator

Eva Bighorse
Teaching Artist, Native American Hoop Dance

Eva Bighorse
Teaching Artist, Native American Hoop Dance

Debbie Braganza
Teaching Artist, Dance for Parkinson's Disease
From: Phoenix, Arizona
Debbie Braganza started dancing as a child in Lubbock Texas. She trained in ballet, modern, tap and jazz. She studied dance at the University of Texas at Austin. She was a member of UT’s dance company, Dance Repertory Theater, where she performed works by Woody McGriff, Deborah Hay and Yacov Sharir. She studied on scholarship with the Mark Morris Dance Group at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and School and has performed at the American College Dance Festival and Jacob’s Pillow. She was the Rehearsal Director for Ballet Lubbock, where she taught adult and children’s ballet classes.
Debbie completed the Mark Morris Dance for PD training in 2010 and started teaching classes sponsored by the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center. In 2014, the program expanded to Ballet Arizona. She continues professional development training in Brooklyn with founders David Leventhal and Misty Owens.
As a member of the PD community, Debbie has brought the PD dance classes to support groups throughout the valley. She was invited to teach special PD Dance classes as a part of the Davis Phinney Victory Summit, Tremble Clefs Music Therapy Retreat and the Annual Walk the Fight for Parkinson’s. Most recently she organized a National Dance Day Event at Ballet Arizona adapted for the PD dancers.
This is Ms. Braganza’s seventh year teaching at The School of Ballet Arizona.

Debbie Braganza
Teaching Artist, Dance for Parkinson's Disease
From: Phoenix, Arizona
Debbie Braganza started dancing as a child in Lubbock Texas. She trained in ballet, modern, tap and jazz. She studied dance at the University of Texas at Austin. She was a member of UT’s dance company, Dance Repertory Theater, where she performed works by Woody McGriff, Deborah Hay and Yacov Sharir. She studied on scholarship with the Mark Morris Dance Group at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and School and has performed at the American College Dance Festival and Jacob’s Pillow. She was the Rehearsal Director for Ballet Lubbock, where she taught adult and children’s ballet classes.
Debbie completed the Mark Morris Dance for PD training in 2010 and started teaching classes sponsored by the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center. In 2014, the program expanded to Ballet Arizona. She continues professional development training in Brooklyn with founders David Leventhal and Misty Owens.
As a member of the PD community, Debbie has brought the PD dance classes to support groups throughout the valley. She was invited to teach special PD Dance classes as a part of the Davis Phinney Victory Summit, Tremble Clefs Music Therapy Retreat and the Annual Walk the Fight for Parkinson’s. Most recently she organized a National Dance Day Event at Ballet Arizona adapted for the PD dancers.
This is Ms. Braganza’s seventh year teaching at The School of Ballet Arizona.

Debbie Braganza
Teaching Artist, Dance for Parkinson's Disease
From: Phoenix, Arizona
Debbie Braganza started dancing as a child in Lubbock Texas. She trained in ballet, modern, tap and jazz. She studied dance at the University of Texas at Austin. She was a member of UT’s dance company, Dance Repertory Theater, where she performed works by Woody McGriff, Deborah Hay and Yacov Sharir. She studied on scholarship with the Mark Morris Dance Group at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and School and has performed at the American College Dance Festival and Jacob’s Pillow. She was the Rehearsal Director for Ballet Lubbock, where she taught adult and children’s ballet classes.
Debbie completed the Mark Morris Dance for PD training in 2010 and started teaching classes sponsored by the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center. In 2014, the program expanded to Ballet Arizona. She continues professional development training in Brooklyn with founders David Leventhal and Misty Owens.
As a member of the PD community, Debbie has brought the PD dance classes to support groups throughout the valley. She was invited to teach special PD Dance classes as a part of the Davis Phinney Victory Summit, Tremble Clefs Music Therapy Retreat and the Annual Walk the Fight for Parkinson’s. Most recently she organized a National Dance Day Event at Ballet Arizona adapted for the PD dancers.
This is Ms. Braganza’s seventh year teaching at The School of Ballet Arizona.

Angela McGinty
DanceAZ Teaching Artist

Angela McGinty
DanceAZ Teaching Artist

Michelle Reissig
Teaching Artist, Adaptive Dance for Down Syndrome & DanceAZ
From: Phoenix, Arizona
Michelle has experience dancing, choreographing, and working with students from a diverse range of ages and abilities. She has participated in Boston Ballet’s Adaptive Dance Teacher Training and will be working regularly with Miss Kay throughout the year. This is Michelle’s first year teaching in the Adaptive Dance Program.

Michelle Reissig
Teaching Artist, Adaptive Dance for Down Syndrome & DanceAZ
From: Phoenix, Arizona
Michelle has experience dancing, choreographing, and working with students from a diverse range of ages and abilities. She has participated in Boston Ballet’s Adaptive Dance Teacher Training and will be working regularly with Miss Kay throughout the year. This is Michelle’s first year teaching in the Adaptive Dance Program.

Michelle Reissig
Teaching Artist, Adaptive Dance for Down Syndrome & DanceAZ
From: Phoenix, Arizona
Michelle has experience dancing, choreographing, and working with students from a diverse range of ages and abilities. She has participated in Boston Ballet’s Adaptive Dance Teacher Training and will be working regularly with Miss Kay throughout the year. This is Michelle’s first year teaching in the Adaptive Dance Program.