Staff & Board of Directors
Cristina Fittipaldi is an arts professional with a strong background in creative leadership, nonprofit management, and community engagement. As executive director of Frontline Arts, she brings a passion for sustainable programming that empowers artists and fosters meaningful cultural experiences.
Cristina has held leadership roles across the arts sector, overseeing exhibitions, public programs, and operations with a focus on equity and accessibility. Her collaborative style and strategic vision allow her to bridge the needs of artists, institutions, and audiences alike.
She holds a B.A. in Art History and an M.P.A. with a focus on nonprofit management. A lifelong advocate for the arts as a tool for social change, Cristina draws inspiration from both her professional work and her commitment to family and community.
EMAIL: Cristina@frontlinearts.org
Daniel is an illustrator, relief printmaker, fiber artist, and educator. He most recently worked as an associate professor of Illustration in the Faculty of Art at Emily Carr University of Art + Design in Vancouver, Canada, and is also currently teaching a variety of classes at The People’s Forum in NYC. His work focuses primarily on issues of displacement, dispossession, and disinheritance. His research interests focus on radical archives and the history of artist collectives, with frameworks that source primarily from the Global South. This research led to the founding in 2009 of a Beirut-based artists’ collective that has since achieved international renown. Daniel grew up in New Jersey and looks forward to returning and working with communities there.
Ron Erickson is the Program Manager for the Frontline Paper Program, coordinating scheduling and logistics for all mobile workshops, talks, festivals, exhibitions and outreach activities.
A carpenter and a fine art painter who has volunteered and worked for Frontline Paper since 2016, Ron has spent his working career in the Display Industry. He first painted the faces of mannequins, then, as a carpenter and shop foreman, began building scenery, exhibits, and props for showrooms, museums, fashion shows, events, and photo shoots.
He’s been an assistant instructor in workshops and an installer on Frontline Arts Gallery exhibits for several years.
Ron is a veteran of the Marine Corps.
Walt is a Lead Instructor and the Studio Manager for our Frontline Paper Program. He manages the in-house production of all handmade paper from military uniforms and handles Frontline Paper supplies, equipment, and archives. As a Lead Instructor, he assists in running the mobile workshops, talks, press requests, festivals, and outreach activities.
He is an artist, curator, and writer, and is a Marine Corps veteran.
Giannina Seaman, is currently the Senior Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) for Advantage Solutions: Sales Marketing Technology organization. A seasoned Human Resources professional, Giannina has worked in several industries from non-profit, retail, professional services and consumer goods, and has been a champion of equity, diversity, and inclusion efforts throughout her twenty plus year career. After attending the first Women’s March in 2017, she came away feeling a greater need to dive deeper into her DE&I journey. While at Ketchum Communications, Giannina leaned into their DE&I efforts, playing a key role in driving their efforts to create a culture of inclusion through education in the programming she developed. She was instrumental in leading and expanding their diversity councils across North America and developing a ‘Real Talk’ series globally.
Giannina is a proud immigrant, originally from Peru and attributes her success and drive to her mother, who pushed her to do her best, even when faced with adversity. She is a mother of two amazing daughters, Autumn and Serena, wife to Rick and loving fur mom to her constant companion, Sandy, her adorable Labrador. When she’s not working she loves being the “Honeydo” in her home and enjoys gardening, writing poetry, and going to music festivals and Broadway shows (when possible).
Giannina is proud to be a board member for Frontline Arts and is committed to continuing the organization’s mission to providing transformational experiences through printmaking to Veterans, Migrant communities, and Frontline Medical providers.
Jeff joined DriveWealth in 2019 and has an extensive professional background in the securities industry. He spent 17 years with FINRA where he was the Senior Vice President and Regional Director of the South Region of FINRA from 2013-2016. During the period of 2013-2016, Jeff also oversaw FINRA’s National AML Investigative Unit and the creation of FINRA’s Helpline for Seniors.
In 2017, Jeff took on the role of Managing Director and Head of Financial Crime Compliance for the Americas at UBS. After UBS, he served as the General Counsel of Benchmark Investments Inc. and American Global Wealth management, Inc. He is a graduate of Villanova University with a degree in accounting and an alum of Pace University as a Doctor of Law (JD). He is NY and CT bar licensed and was licensed as a CPA.
I help nonprofit organizations strengthen and grow philanthropic revenue—especially during moments of transition, growth, or capacity strain.
As a fractional and interim fundraising leader, I partner with boards and executive teams to bring clarity, structure, and momentum to fundraising efforts without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire. My work blends strategy with hands-on execution: building individual giving programs, launching campaigns, modernizing donor systems, and helping leaders make smarter, data-informed decisions.
I’m known for stepping in quickly, working collaboratively, and translating big-picture goals into practical next steps that staff, boards, and volunteers can realistically carry forward.
Recent work includes:
• Building an Individual Giving program that grew more than 200%
• Launching endowment and planned giving programs
• Managing capital and special campaigns ($1.5M+)
• Supporting organizations through executive and development staff transitions
• Improving CRM data, reporting, and board-ready insights
Previously, I served as Global Director of Philanthropy for an international nonprofit and Director of Development for a child-centered adoption agency. I bring more than 20 years of experience in fundraising, change management, and organizational leadership.
Mary Clare King (she/they) is a multimedia artist using photography to document and bring awareness to climate change. She explores various landscapes, often inspired by the sublimeness of artists such as Ansel Adams and Georgia O'Keeffe. Through external and internal journeys, she uncovers the wanderlust, beauty, and magic of our planet.
King graduated from Kean University with BFA in Fine Arts with a Minor in Art History. Since then, she has curated multiple shows for the Galleries at Kean. Currently, King is pursuing her Master's Degree in Art History at the Academy of Art University.
I am a collector and connector of dots.
As a Senior Manager on the Verizon Business Deal Desk, I act as a bridge builder between contracts teams and sales. My superpower is translating complex systems, non-standard financial models, and compliance guardrails into clear, actionable knowledge that helps sales organizations move fast without exposing the business to risk.
Building on a background that spans Legal, Education, Human Resources, and Financial Operations, my North Star is people-centered enablement. I love developing the tools, training, and organizational frameworks that help teams thrive.
A few of my favorite "dot-connecting" achievements include:
🔹Scaling Knowledge: Co-designed and launched an enterprise-wide centralized Info Hub that generated 12,000+ views and standardized workflows.
🔹Accelerating Growth: Re-engineered the onboarding curriculum for new commercial deal desk hires, significantly shortening their time-to-productivity on systems like Salesforce and 1ERP.
🔹Fostering Community: Directed global operations for the PRISM ERG, mobilizing a community of nearly 2,000 members and hosting 15 large-scale events centered on professional development and inclusion.
I am a Notary Public in the State of New Jersey, and an advocate for psychologically safe, high-performing corporate cultures.
At home in Green Brook, I'm a fledgling novelist supported, and occasionally interrupted, by my spouse and two sassy calico work-from-home purr-tners. When I'm not writing, you'll likely find me recharging at Duke Farms or exploring our local green spaces.
Board of Trustees
Giannina Seaman, President
Jeff Pasquerella, Treasurer
Jennifer Friedel, Trustee
Andrea Kalus, Trustee
Staff
Cristina Fittipaldi, Executive Director
Daniel Drennan ElAwar, Program Manager NJEDA Grant
Ingrid Marie Harbour, Communications Consultant
Ron Erickson, Frontline Paper Program Manager & Instructor
Walt Nygard, Frontline Paper Studio Manager & Instructor
Frontline Paper and other Mobile Workshop Instructors: Walt Nygard, Ron Erickson, James Yee, James Teichman, Bethany Bahl, Eli Wright, Nathan Lewis, Kevin Basl, Jan Barry, Joe Merritt, Ashy Palliparambil, Leslie Renn, Seema Reza, Valerie Stemac, and Camila Figueroa-Restrepo
Rotating Adult & Youth Education Workshop Instructors: Kristian Battell, Dave DiMarchi, Keith Garubba, Neal Korn, Len Merlo, Kath Yarkosky, Ingrid Marie Harbour, and many more!
Frontline Arts has an open call for per diem instructors Apply here!
