Board of Directors

KidsArts is grateful to its Board of Directors for their service and commitment to KidsArts and arts education in Jamaica Plain.

BECCA HENDERSON

BECCA HENDERSON (she/her), CO-CHAIR: Becca is originally from LA and has lived in Jamaica Plain since moving here in 2004 for graduate school.  She works as a clinical social worker.  She likes cats, reading vegan baking blogs (less so the actual baking), drinking coffee made by anyone but herself, and thrift stores.  She got involved with the KidsArts Board in September 2021 as a way to support this awesome arts after school program because it provides such an inclusive and welcoming environment to kids and families and has given so much to her family over the past five years.

JEN MASON STOTT

JEN MASON STOTT (she/her), CO-CHAIR: Jen has been a JP KidsArts parent since 2021 and a Board member since 2023. Jen is a librarian for Cambridge Public Schools and shares KidsArts' mission of creating joyful community spaces where every child belongs. As a fellow educator, Jen is passionate about supporting KidsArts teachers' creativity and growth. Jen also serves on the Boston Public Schools Library Services Advisory Board and has been part of the JP community for over 20 years.

NICOLE KROLL

NICOLE KROLL (she/her,) CLERK: Nicole first moved to JP in 2004 after graduating from Boston University. After getting a Masters in International Educational Development, she realized her true passion is early education and has been teaching PreK for over 10 years in both the childcare sector and the Boston Public Schools.  She has two children of her own, a 4th grade student and current KidsArts participant,  and a preschooler and future KidsArts participant. When she is not teaching, she enjoys gardening, cooking, walking her two dogs, riding her bike around Boston, and dabbling in visual arts. 

MICAH SACHS

MICAH SACHS (he/him) TREASURER: Micah joined the KidsArts board in 2025 after seeing his son Simon transform from a kid who was miserable in any workshop where his BFF wasn’t present to one who proudly brings home various crystals, home-made musical instruments and clay figurines three days a week. A former proud Somervillian, Micah has been on his own journey of transformation since moving to JP in 2015 from a JP skeptic to a JP truther–and the truth is, there is no place quite like JP, or KidsArts. During the day (and too often the night), Micah oversees various product and marketing functions at Opensignal, a telecom big data company. Outside of work, Micah enjoys scuba diving, paddleboarding, running, cooking, reading The Economist, and napping.

STEFANIE SHULL

STEFANIE SHULL (she/her): Stefanie’s professional background is in public policy, public administration, and non-profit management, and she currently works as a grant writer/fundraising consultant.  She and her husband moved to Boston in 2013 and are raising twin boys in JP.  KidsArts has been an amazing part of the JP community for over 30 years, and has made a big difference in her family's life, so she was honored when  asked to join the Board in Fall 2023.  She is very excited to be part of helping JP KidsArts through an important phase in its development, and that the work as a Board today will lay the foundation for KidsArts to continue serving JP families for decades to come.

Julia Soyer

Julia Soyer (she/her): Julia has been involved with educating and supporting children for over 15 years, most of those years as an early childhood teacher. She also has a love for and background in theater. Julia fell in love with KidsArts the moment she first volunteered to help with preparations for Wake Up the Earth; it was so obviously guided by a focus on artistic self-expression and community. In addition to serving on the KidsArts board, Julia is one of the coordinators for the Hawkins Centers of Learning New England, a group that designs experiences for educators, parents, and community members to come together to engage in open-ended exploration of materials in order to inform their own teaching, learning, and creative practices.

ANN NIEDERKORN

ANN NIEDERKORN (she/her): Anne  is a quilter, retired educator (afterschool teacher/director then school librarian,) 44-year resident of Jamaica Plain and the proud parent of a KidsArts alum from way back in the 90s. Her son loved KidsArts, especially Rosalba Solis's tap dancing classes. Ann truly believes that his experience at KidsArts was an important influence on his adult path as an artist and community arts educator/activist, so she was honored to be asked to join the Board in 2024. She wants to do what she can to support this life-changing organization.

GIGI KELLETT

GIGI KELLETT (she/her): Gigi has been a KidsArts parent since 2018 and each of her three children have benefited from the incredible community cultivated by this program. Gigi and her family have lived in JP for nearly 20 years and they love spending as much time as possible outside and enjoying the beauty of the neighborhood. Gigi loves reading, traveling, and volunteering in the kids’ school and with the local baseball league, and is currently working as a consultant to support the operations of local arts and education organizations in Boston.  She has 25 years of experience as a grassroots campaigner and more than a decade in non-profit management and organizational development. She is thrilled to join the Board at a time of such opportunity to bring even more joy to families and kids in the neighborhood.

ASHLEY FULLER McLELLAN

ASHLEY FULLER McLELLAN (she/her): Ashley is a West Coast transplant who found her way to Jamaica Plain after finishing undergraduate studies in Boston. For the past two decades she has built a home and family among this JP community and values KidsArts as a brave space for imagining and creating beauty and joy. As a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner, Ashley is a fierce advocate on behalf of children and families and the conditions for living full and healthy lives. She served as a health consultant to several local organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic and is excited to join the KidsArt board at this transformative moment for the organization and the broader JP community.

NICK BRANIGAN

NICK BRANIGAN (he/him/his): Nick has been a KidsArts parent since 2020 and has been a JP resident since 2006. Nick is currently working in the Nonprofit sector as a Property Manager for TSNE at various buildings in Boston and Cambridge, including The Foundry in Cambridge. Before that he worked in affordable housing and youth development. He has been a drummer for over 35 years and toured extensively. Nick was into making sourdough before it was cool, loves gritty crime movies from the 70’s, listening to records and cats. Nick hopes to bring his years working in housing in the city of Boston to the forefront as KidsArts navigates this new chapter!