Our Team

We are transdisciplinary creatives and educators dedicated to empowering individuals and organizations to strive for the most beneficial outcome for all invested parties. We work across sectors—nonprofits, government agencies, educational institutions, and businesses. We aim to become a repository of best practices and a resource to convene and assist changemakers in solving collective challenges and driving positive change.

Staff

Creative Santa Fe Executive Director Sorakamol Prapasiri

Sorakamol Annette Prapasiri (she, her, hers)

Executive Director

Sorakamol believes we can simultaneously design for better outcomes, higher ROI, stronger communities, and happier humans. Fascinated by neuroscience and behavioral economics, you’ll find her always out on the frontier, prospecting for the incentives that shape human actions.

Sorakamol is a graduate of The Seattle Art Institute’s Graphic Design Department and the St. John’s College Great Books Program. She attributes her ability to instill beauty in every project she leads to her ability to distill complex ideas into their core essences. Prior to her stepping into leadership at Creative Santa Fe (CrSF), she has applied her craft and critical thinking skills to her own brand design practice, Six Blooms, and to multiple community projects she organized—all geared toward  strengthening the social fabric, exciting financial investments, and aligning diverse needs. Under her leadership, CrSF has expanded its capabilities to include strategic design support to other organizations and governmental agencies who are committed to building vibrant, inclusive, and resilient communities in Santa Fe and throughout New Mexico.

Creative Santa Fe Multimedia Specialist and Web Developer Anthony Colombo

Anthony Colombo (he, him, his)

Multimedia Specialist + Web Development

Anthony Colombo brings over 30 years’ experience in developing data-driven websites and award-winning software. As a University of Arizona professor, he taught interactive multimedia production, design and ethics courses. His unwavering commitment to the ethical application of technology, has set him on a path to work primarily for organizations focused on environmental and social causes.

Anthony stands out from other developers by virtue of his proficiency in a myriad of areas — from software coding with PHP, JavaScript and Python, to multimedia production with high-end visual effects and 2D/3D animation applications. Drawing upon his diverse skill set, he employs whole systems thinking to design and deliver creative solutions that address multiple client needs simultaneously.

Gray Garmon is a Design Strategist for Creative Santa Fe

Gray Garmon (he, him, his)

Design Strategist

Gray Garmon is Director of the Center for Integrated Design in the School of Design and Creative Technologies at The University of Texas at Austin. Garmon holds a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, where he received the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Henry Adams Medal and was a University of Pennsylvania Social Impact Fellow. Before arriving at UT in 2018, Garmon served in Peace Corps Ghana and was a faculty member and co-founder of the Master of Arts in Design and Innovation program at Southern Methodist University.

Garmon practices human-centered design (HCD): a problem-solving approach widely used in industry, governments, schools and NGOs. HCD puts people first, using qualitative research methods to understand the human contexts, behaviors, emotions and motivations that can lead to better design solutions. His recent design work includes advising the Aga Khan Foundation on a global HCD toolkit that was honored with a Fast Company Innovation by Design Award, being a Designer-in-Residence with the Design Science Studio at the Buckminster Fuller Institute, and a National Endowment for the Arts-funded interactive art project called the WonderPhone. At UT, he teaches human-centered design courses to B.A., B.F.A., M.A., and M.F.A. students in Design, as well as design courses from across campus through the Design Strategies “Bridging Disciplines” certificate program.

Creative Santa Fe Designer Ticho Japp

Ticoh Japp (she, her, they, them)

Designer

Ticoh Japp is a passionate visual storyteller with a deep commitment to helping others. Through her experience working for various nonprofits and education at Vancouver Community College in Vancouver, Canada, Ticoh loves to create powerful designs that can make a real, meaningful impact in the world.

For the past few years, Ticoh has worked at nonprofits with a specialty in brand identity and social media and loves telling visual stories with an eye for detail. As someone who is First Nations, Ticoh has found herself working with Indigenous organizations such as the Santa Fe Indigenous Center, Honor The Earth, and Anishinaabe Agriculture.

With experiences from living in the Midwest to the Southwest and a passion for travelling the world, Ticoh brings a unique perspective and strives to create powerful designs that can make a meaningful impact in the world.

After moving from rural Minnesota in late 2022, Ticoh now lives in Santa Fe with her family and her dog, Kiki.

Creative Santa Fe Finance and Operations Director Mayo Miller King

Mayo Miller King (she, her, hers)

Finance + Operations Director

Mayo Miller King is co-owner of Miller Strategic Consulting, LLC. She began her career in San Francisco, where she received a BA in art history at Mills College and an MA in museum studies administration from John F. Kennedy University. She worked in public relations and marketing for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, as well as for Brown & Collins, a public relations and advertising firm. After graduate school, Mayo was co-founder of the Blue Room Gallery in San Francisco – an artist-run nonprofit art space.  

She has been actively involved with several nonprofits in Santa Fe, including ARTsmart, Santa Fe Railyard Park, SITE Santa Fe and The Trust for Public Land. She currently is a member of the Board of Directors of NDI New Mexico.  In addition to her seat on the board, she co-chair’s NDI New Mexico’s Santa Fe Gala Committee and sits on the organization’s Santa Fe Development Committee. Mayo also serves as an Advisor for the Santa Fe Business Incubator. Mayo served as Creative Santa Fe’s Interim Executive Director from 2020-2021.

Felicia Ponca

Felicia Ponca (she, her, hers)

Development and Membership Manager

Felicia is a Santa Fe native with over twenty years of event management and production experience. Through her company, Santa Fe Art of Celebration, she has planned and produced countless fundraisers, networking events, meetings, and private celebrations. Drawing from her Osage cultural heritage, she designed all gatherings as vehicles to deepen human connections and social ties. 

Felicia received her bachelor’s degree in art history with a concentration in contemporary and Native American arts from the College of Santa Fe. She joined CrSF in 2023 to deliver memorable experiences to strengthen CrSF community building work.

Creative Santa Fe Brand Strategist John Ravitch

John Ravitch (he, him, his)

Brand Strategist

John has a deep belief in designing relationships that set the right path for creative work to succeed within complex organizations. He recently returned to the United States after two years leading an innovation team under the Chief Design Officer of a leading Australian bank. There he experienced not only the importance of designing for senior level buy-in, but also the momentum required to land new creative ideas.

Prior to client-side, John was a founding partner at IDEO for 17 years. There, guided by the belief that compelling design supports positive behavioral change within business, he focused on helping leaders build their creative confidence and define their innovation agenda. He recently keynoted on the importance of creative competitiveness and designing for momentum.

John cut his teeth at CKS Partners, the top digital brand agency in Silicon Valley which was retained by Steve Jobs to rethink Apple’s marketing effort in the 90’s. John learned a great deal about the ‘reality distortion field’ in the first person while working on the core marketing teams on Apple MacWorld.

Creative Santa Fe Communications Manager Anne Steen

Anne Steen (she, her, hers)

Communications Manager

With a background in journalism and newspaper design, Anne has over 25 years of experience using images and the written word to tell stories. A love of color and typography led Anne to study medieval illuminated manuscripts at university in Swansea, Wales, and graphic design and journalism at the University of Missouri, Columbia.

After returning home to New Mexico, Anne’s most rewarding work has been helping start-up and small businesses find their visual identities and grow their audiences. She is devoted to “supporting local,” and loves that New Mexico is still such a unique and artistic place. Anne is an avid print maker and photographer.

Creative Fellows

Max Neutra

Max Neutra has painted:
In the catacombs beneath Paris.
Aboard an airplane with the whole plane watching.
In Mumbai, on the patio of a restaurant in the middle of a monsoon.
In front of La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona.
Beneath the Eiffel Tower.
In the courtyard above the Louvre.
On a rooftop in Madrid.
On stage with rock bands.
On stage with poets.
In the shadow of a dam in Grenada.
At the Hammer Museum.
On the streets of Venice Beach.
Poolside in the outskirts of Valencia, Spain.
Poolside on a rooftop in Downtown Los Angeles.
Amongst the crowds on the Vegas Strip.
In night clubs across Hollywood.
In night clubs across India.
On the streets of Tokyo.
Now Max paints and makes music in his studio, hugs his friends and family, and builds worlds with Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, NM.

Board of Directors

William Miller is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Creative Santa Fe

William A. Miller (he, him, his)

Chairman

Mr. Miller received a BA degree in Philosophy from Ohio Wesleyan University and an MBA in Finance from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago. Bill operates a private consulting practice, which invests in and actively participates in the management and development of entrepreneurial start-up companies. As an entrepreneur, he has founded and/or co-founded some twenty companies with a concentration in medical technology.

Bill serves on the Advisory Board of Avalon Trust Company in Santa Fe, and he is Chairman of the Board of Directors of Creative Santa Fe. He is a member of the Board of Directors of SITE Santa Fe and serves as Treasurer and a member of the Board of Directors of the New Mexico School for the Arts. In 2009, he received the New Mexico Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts.

Creative Santa Fe Board Member Joel Barber

Joel F. Barber (he, him, his)

Board Member

Joel Barber is the founding principal of Eurasia Capital Limited, which invests in and provides financial, strategy and business development advice to firms in the region, focusing on technology and aviation industries. Joel grew up in Los Alamos and now splits his time between London and Santa Fe. He received his MBA from Harvard Business School and his MS in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT.

Creative Santa Fe Board Member Angela Martin

Angela Martin (she, her, hers)

Board Member

Angela Martin is a rancher, writer, investor, philanthropist and world traveler. A native South Texan and third generation ranching family, Angela maintains a residence in Texas and is active in the ranching business. She attended Stephens College, Columbia, Missouri and at age twenty-one launched a retail home furnishings business in Houston that she built into multiple stores and sold in 1994. In 1998, Angela founded an Internet startup for secondary market blue chip art. She is currently a partner and angel investor in Digitz’s and is President and member of the board of the Campana Foundation. Her connection with Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico began at age twelve when her family purchased a remote homestead in Taos. Angela now has a permanent residence and spends a large portion of time in Santa Fe.

Creative Santa Fe Board Member Jim Patterson

James D. Patterson (he, him, his)

Co-Vice Chair

James D. Patterson retired to Santa Fe in 2000 after spending thirty-five years in the advertising community in Chicago. Jim spent most of his career running major national accounts for various Chicago advertising agencies. He was at Leo Burnett for eighteen years, a stint that included becoming a Vice President, running McDonald’s international campaign for seven years, and managing Burnett’s eighty-person Singapore office. Jim created and published the smARTbook, a guidebook to the arts in Chicago. He spent five years as Vice President of Client Service and as Chief Financial Officer of D&H, an advertising division of HA•LO in Chicago. During this time, he spent eight years (five as President) of the Board of City Lit theater company. Jim is the co-founder of The Idea Group of Santa Fe, a unique strategic solutions company. He is a graduate of Brown University. He resides in Santa Fe.

Creative Santa Fe Treasurer Matt Smith

Matt Smith (he, him, his)

Treasurer

Matt is Managing Director at MASS Design Group where he co-leads the Santa Fe Office and Global Operations. Leveraging organizational design, he has supported MASS’s growth ten-fold in staff size and revenue while ensuring the organization remains mission focused.

Raised in Montana, Matt is committed to rural community development and is interested in ways design can strengthen community capital, enable civics, and convene dialogue around critical issues of economic disinvestment, climate change, and community identity. He now lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico and is an active member of Atalaya Search & Rescue, an avid trail runner, climber, hunter, and fly fisherman.

Matt holds a Masters in Development Practice from Columbia University where he was the recipient of the U.S. Department of Education’s Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship. Matt was also the recipient of a David L. Boren Fellowship, studying Kiswahili and entrepreneurial development programs in East Africa after graduating from Montana State University where he studied Business Management and Ethics.

Creative Santa Fe Board Member Sandy Zane

Sandy Zane (she, her, hers)

Vice Chair

Sandy Zane is the owner of the Zane Bennett Contemporary Art Gallery and a new sister gallery called form and concept in a 10,000 sq ft physical space in the Railyard Arts District of Santa Fe, NM. Sandy has worked in the non-profit sector for many years as a director and as a grants writer. She is an accomplished artist and has exhibited her works in New York, Texas and New Mexico. She has served on the Foundation Boards of the New Mexico State University and Santa Fe Community College as well as on the boards of other non-profit arts and entrepreneurial organizations in New Mexico.

In her varied career, Sandy, a private pilot, has operated an airport community in the Chicago area, replacing taxiways and runways, and updating fueling systems during her tenure in office. She spent fifteen years in the brokerage industry, working for both commodities and securities companies with expertise in risk and compliance. She was employed for four years in the NYC and Boston areas as a “head hunter” in the computer industry, specializing in the recruitment of candidates for artificial intelligence and robotics projects.

Sandy earned a BA in Arts Administration from Bard College in the Hudson Valley of New York. She and her husband have six children and eleven grandchildren. She has lived in Santa Fe full time since 2005.

Advisory Council Members

David Karshmer (he, him, his)

Special Advisor

David Karshmer is a creative leader with a track record in design and business innovation. Working with small startups to Fortune 500 companies, David has established his ability to mentor creative teams in the practical steps that define achievable and measurable innovation.

David founded a leading practice at IDEO. There he developed the tools and practices that helped teams work on projects that had foundations in design thinking and grew to include multidisciplinary innovation programs. As a trained engineer and artist, he has found visual modes of discovery and communication to be key elements in his work. Video ethnography, visual prototyping, and storyboarding are tools that he has relied on to understand the present, and communicate the future.

David has worked with a wide range of companies including: Grundfos; NovoNordisk; J&J; PepsiCo; The Stanford Foundation; Innovation Center Denmark; the London Science Museum; 1747 Inc; Medtronic; Heartstream; Nellcor; Glaxo-Wellcome.

David holds an MFA degree from the Slade School at University College London.