About Us

What We Do

We provide programs and services to help our creative community do what they do better.  Learn more about our work HERE.

Why We Do It

We believe that creativity lives in us all – it just takes a little care and feeding.  We also believe that the people who have spent a career exercising their creative muscles make our community more vibrant, more interesting, more provocative, more satisfying.  In this case, we believe that more is more.

We define the creative community as individuals, organizations and businesses whose work is creative at its core.  That means artists and craftspeople, nonprofits and business enterprises – working across all creative disciplines and genres.  We consider writers, actors, dancers, musicians, filmmakers, technologists, design firms, galleries, recording studios, metal workers and instrument manufacturers – and many more — all to be part of the creative community.

Who Does It

Creative Sonoma Advisory Board

  • Gia Baiocchi, The Nectary
  • Erik Castro, Photojournalist
  • Amy Critchett, AC Eclectic Creative Services Worldwide
  • Rani Goyal, Sonoma County Office of Education
  • Robert Mahar, Artist & Designer
  • Victor Ferrer, Grupo Folklórico Quetzalén & Graphic Designer

Creative Sonoma Staff 

  • Tara Thompson, Director
  • Samantha Kimpel, Program Officer
  • Bernadette Marko, Administrative Operations Coordinator
  • Debbie Yarrow, Arts Education Manager


To contact us, click HERE

County of Sonoma: Board of Supervisors

  • Susan Gorin, 1st District
  • David Rabbitt, 2nd District
  • Chris Coursey, 3rd District
  • James Gore, 4th District
  • Lynda Hopkins, 5th District

Economic Development Board: Board of Directors

  • Jorge Alcazar, Frozen Art Ice Cream
  • Skip Brand, Healdsburg Running Company
  • Betzy Chávez, Puente Internacional, INC
  • Kathryn Hecht, Alexander Valley Film Society
  • Linda Kachiu, Zainer Rinehart Clarke
  • Jordan Kivelstadt, Wayward Son
  • Regina Mahiri, Santa Rosa Junior College
  • Wayne Leach, CSWST2 Engineering
  • Richard Marzo, Lace House Linen
  • Nick Schwanz, Solarpunk Farms