Roxanne Messina Captor Re-elected Chair; Nicola Miner Named New Vice Chair of California Arts Council

SACRAMENTO, CA - The California Arts Council re-elected Roxanne Messina Captor and newly elected Nicola Miner to serve as Chair and Vice Chair of the Council, respectively, at its final business meeting for the year on Friday, December 12, in Sacramento.

Roxanne Messina Captor is an Emmy-nominated writer, director and producer residing in Redondo Beach. She was appointed to the California Arts Council by Governor Newsom in February of 2022. Her current term as a Council member expires in 2027.

Nicola Miner, appointed to the Council by Governor Newsom in January 2023, is founder of the Miner Anderson Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization that advances social justice and access to equal opportunity in San Francisco and throughout the United States. Her current term expires in 2027.

"First, I'd like to thank my fellow Council members who have placed their faith in me once more. I cannot think of a finer group of people to represent the diversity within the arts ecosystem here in California. It's a pleasure to serve alongside you," stated Chair Messina Captor. "Also, I'd like to thank the artists and culture bearers whose work uplifts, challenges, and transforms our state. The CAC's programs reflect the collective vision of thousands of Californians who believe in a more vibrant, inclusive, and imaginative future. California's story is made richer, more resilient, and more radiant by its artists. Together, we will continue to support the creative spirit that defines our state and drives its innovation, compassion, and beauty."

"It's been rewarding stepping into this space and learning so much about the work and impact of this agency. I look forward to working alongside the Chair and staff in ensuring that we build toward our mission of strengthening arts, culture, and creative expression as the tools to cultivate a better California for all," said Vice Chair Miner.

Council members also thanked Gerald Clarke for his service to the Council as his term came to an end.

"We thank fellow Council Member Clarke for his years of service not only to the California Arts Council, but to the people of California, and wish him all the best on his future endeavors," shared Chair Messina Captor. "He has served so diligently on this Council, with his beautiful spirit, his knowledge, and his balanced demeanor. He is a fine artist and an incredible partner in this work."

"I've truly appreciated learning more about the arts field here in the state," said Council Member Clarke. "I encourage my fellow Council members to fight the good fight and remember those that don't have a voice."

"Council Member Clarke has left a lasting, indelible mark," said CAC Executive Director Danielle Brazell. "The contributions he has made are gifts that have made us a more responsible, resilient, inclusive, and transparent organization, and we take that as a responsibility to embed into our DNA - we thank you."

The positions take effect on January 1, 2026.

About Roxanne Messina Captor, Chair

Roxanne Messina Captor is an Emmy-nominated writer, director and producer, and a directing protégé of Francis Ford Coppola. She was awarded the Chevalier de L'ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the Republic of France in 2005 and the Ohio State Award for the CBS movie Home Sweet Homeless.

Messina Captor has written, directed, and produced network and cable Movies of the Week and series. At present, she executive produced and wrote the story for the Hallmark Channel movie Dream Moms, which aired May 2023. Some of her other titles are: Her Married Lover on Lifetime TV, Dead on Sight on HBO, The Trujillos, on ABC, and CBS' Fatal Vow, In Dreams, and the Emmy-nominated Home Sweet Homeless.

Messina Captor's first career was on Broadway. She was assistant choreographer to Gene Kelly on One From the Heart. She was one of the founding original programming executives of Turner Network Television and the former executive director of the SF International Film Festival and Society, where she increased box office and attendance by 40 percent.

Messina Captor serves on the Policy-Making Committee for Governor Gavin Newsom, and the Policy Committee for the Faculty Association for California Community Colleges. In addition to the New York Film Academy, Messina Captor is a professor at Santa Monica College, heading up documentary production. She is a former faculty member at Emerson College LA and Cal-Arts. She is a member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, Who's Who in America, NAPTE, and Greenlight Women.

About Nicola Miner, Vice Chair

Nicola Miner is founder of the Miner Anderson Family Foundation, a nonprofit organization that advances social justice and access to equal opportunity in San Francisco and throughout the United States. She is also a board member of the Baker Street Foundation, which focuses on funding arts organizations in the Bay Area, and a board member of AHoM, a nonprofit focused on building affordable housing for artists in San Francisco. She is an instructor of English composition at several Bay Area community colleges. Ms. Miner is also a board member of the Presidio Trust, which manages the national park within San Francisco. She has a degree in History from Brown University, a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University, and a master's degree in English literature from Mills College.

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The California Arts Council is a state agency with a mission of strengthening arts, culture, and creative expression as the tools to cultivate a better California for all. It supports local arts infrastructure and programming statewide through grants, initiatives, and services. The California Arts Council envisions a California where all people flourish with universal access to and participation in the arts.

Members of the California Arts Council include: Roxanne Messina Captor, Chair; Leah Goodwin, Vice Chair; Gerald Clarke; Caleb Duarte; Vicki Estrada; Roy Hirabayashi; Alex Israel; Dorka Keehn; Phil Mercado; Nicola Miner; Rick Stein. Learn more at https://www.arts.ca.gov.

The California Arts Council is committed to increasing the accessibility of its online content. For language and accessibility assistance, visit https://arts.ca.gov/about/about-us/language-communications-assistance. To read this announcement in Spanish, please use the website's Google Translate tool by clicking the "Translate" link in the upper righthand corner of this page.

El Consejo de las Artes de California se compromete a aumentar la accesibilidad de sus contenidos en línea. Para obtener ayuda con el idioma y la accesibilidad, visite https://arts.ca.gov/about/about-us/language-communications-assistance. Para leer este anuncio en español, utilice la herramienta Google Translate del sitio web haciendo clic en el enlace "Traducir" situado en la esquina superior derecha de esta página.