In this interview with 
LONDON BREED, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 
London Breed was appointed Executive Director of the African American Art & Cultural Complex (AAACC) in August 2002 by former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown. Situated in one of San Francisco’s most socio-economically challenged communities, the Western Addition, the AAACC was in desperate need of innovation, change and direction. Under her leadership, the Complex has become one of the most renowned and progressive institutions of African-centered cultural expression in the San Francisco Bay Area. During her tenure as Executive Director, London has strengthened economic capacity, increased fiscal austerity and fundraising capabilities, established a summer and after-school arts and cultural program for youth in the community, secured funding to build a recording studio and transformed the organization into an independent non-profit organization. She has secured over $2.5 million in capital improvement funding for the Complex and in 2009, she led the organization through a $1.5 million renovation.
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A staunch community activist, London has dedicated her life to empowering and improving the plight of her neighborhood and believes the AAACC can serve as a vehicle for emotional and social change. London is the recipient of numerous awards including the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Service Award; the Geraldine Johnson Community Advocate Award; the SF Noir Kuumba Award; and many more for her commitment to the arts, children and her community.
London is a native San Franciscan and currently serves as a Commissioner for the San Francisco Fire Department and previously served on the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency Commission for six years. She is a graduate of Emerge California 2008, a training program for women in public office. She also served as an Obama Delegate in 2008 for the Democratic National Convention, and currently serves as a delegate for the California Democratic Party. A proud graduate of Galileo High School in San Francisco, she received her B.A. in Political Science from the University of California at Davis and is currently pursuing her Masters in Public Administration at the University of San Francisco.
TAMIKA CHENIER, PROGRAM MANAGER
Tamika Chenier is an artist who has performed with many local theater companies, such as the African American Shakespeare Company, Cultural Odyssey, The Medea Project, DaddyLion Pictures Theater Ensemble and Woman’s Will. Tamika's experience also includes working on the film “Beloved,” performing at the “National Black Theater Arts Festival” in North Carolina and “Lorraine Hansberry Theater” in San Francisco with The Medea Project and curating and coordinating for “Colours Fine Arts” at the “National Black Fine Arts Show” in New York.
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Tamika was introduced to the visual and performing arts as a youth while traveling and studying abroad and all over the Caribbean. During her extensive stay in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Cuba, Grenada, Guadeloupe and Barbados, she explored the artistic cultures of Europe and the Caribbean. She speaks French and Mandarin.
MELORRA GREEN, VISUAL ARTS COORDINATOR
A native of Memphis, Tenn., Melorra Green graduated magna cum laude from Tennessee State University in Nashville before moving to San Francisco to study Motion Pictures & Television at the Academy of Art University. She graduated with honors in 2003 with a Bachelors of Arts in Motion Pictures & Television with an emphasis in editing. She began volunteering for the San Francisco Black Film Festival in 2002 and became a Co-Executive Producer in 2005.
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Along with her twin sister, Melorra helped found Infin8 Sync, LLC, and created Bring Your Own Art (BYOA) and Independent Artists' Week (IAW). Both events promote independent emerging artists and create an ego-free platform for networking. Melorra is currently pursuing her Masters of Arts in Education at the University of Phoenix. She loves all genres of art, hats, Latin and afro-beat music, and Ethiopian and Japanese food.
NICOLA FIGGINS, YOUTH PROGRAM COORDINATOR
A graduate of the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work, Nicola Figgins is a long time resident of the Western Addition community. Nicola comes with six years of experience working with children and youth in myriad capacities. As an onsite counselor for incarcerated youth, she worked to rebuild their confidence by facilitating a curriculum that encompassed self-esteem building, anger management strategies, and goal-setting and time management workshops.
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Following her youth-centered work, she shifted gears to focus on improving the quality of life for the homeless population by providing counseling and shelter and transitional housing placement services. Nicola currently oversees all of the youth and teen programming and serves as a liaison between the AAACC and several youth organizations in the Western Addition.
BRANDON BANKS, CASE MANAGER
Brandon Banks was born and raised in San Francisco, California in the Western Addition community. Leaving shortly to attend Virginia State University where he is a graduate of honors with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a concentration in Political Science. During his time at Virginia State University Brandon was extremely active around campus as an enthusiastic member of several organizations and president of the Pre-Law Society. He has returned to San Francisco to utilize his education to assist the community he was nurtured in through the African American Art & Cultural Complex (AAACC) Case Management Program.
ERROL HALL, FACILITY MANAGER
