Staff & Board

Sandra Bassett is a visionary and entrepreneurial arts and culture leader, with a proven record of successful executive leadership in for profit and not for profit organizations. In her previous role as President and CEO of West Valley Arts Council, Sandra secured new sources of grant funding, created innovative DEI (diversity, equity, inclusion) arts programming, and expanded existing programming to reach a broader audience. These initiatives led to increased revenue for the organization and engagement with West Valley Communities.

Sandra earned her M.B.A. in marketing from Walden University and a Bachelor’s in business management from Kentucky State University (HBCU). Originally from Detroit, she has made Phoenix her home for the past 12 years. An active advocate for arts and culture, she serves on the boards of the Arizona Presenters Alliance, The American Federation for Musicians Local #586, and the Northwest Valley YMCA. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, and other social action and arts organizations, a dynamic motivational speaker and international vocalist. Sandra is excited at the opportunity to be a part of the Phoenix Arts Center/T-Bird team, and work with the incredible staff and Board of Directors to continue bringing arts and cultural programming to Phoenix. 

A local Phoenix artist, recently returned to the desert from a decade spent in New York City. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Parsons School of Design, working in the fashion and art industries in New York City. Since relocating to Phoenix, Phillip has found engagement in the local art community; Teaching at the Herberger Institute of Design and the Arts at ASU, working in the local fashion community and the architecture industry in Phoenix. Phillip joined Phoenix Center for the Arts in the Fall of 2022 and is excited to join the team bringing his wealth of arts and cultural marketing experiences to the table. He’d love to connect with you concerning any ideas or inquiries about Phoenix Center for the Arts or the local arts community.

Mirinda is a graduate of Arizona State University, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Visual Communication. She has several years experience in the graphic design industry and has also expanded her knowledge into the multimedia design industry. Originally from Tucson, she came to Phoenix to pursue her dreams of finding a way to contribute her knowledge and enthusiasm to the art community. When not at work, you can find her taking way too many pictures of her cat, mastering her hand-eye coordination while playing console games, and creating art in all its various forms. Her favorite quote comes from Anonymous (not Mark Twain as most believe), “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.” She’s still searching for the “why”, but knows that she’s on the right path.

Cadel started with Phoenix Center for the Arts during the summer of 2019 as a theater intern. Since then, Cadel has served as the Center’s Technical Coordinator, and most recently as the Campus Manager. Cadel has a background in theatre performance, audiovisual systems, and production studio work. As an advocate for live entertainment, Cadel enjoys being able to work closely with producers and artists to bring their imagination to life on stage. Cadel is grateful to work with the Center and is always looking forward to what’s happening next.

Samantha Groff grew up within the Phoenix arts, culture, and nonprofit community. A graduate of Arizona State University she received her bachelor’s degree in Art History along with minors in Anthropology and Art Education. She interned at the Archaeological Research Institute before landing her first job at the Heard Museum. She received her master’s certificate in Nonprofit Business from ASU Lodestar and went on to work for Arizona Science Center, Arizona Citizens for the Arts, Phoenix Public Library, and Scottsdale Arts. Areas of experience include community building, arts and culture engagement and advocacy, programming, events, informal education, and volunteer management. She has served on several boards including Young Nonprofit Professionals Network, is a administrator for Arizona Informal Educators Network, and is currently the secretary for Central Arizona Museum Association and the Director of the Advisory Committee for Museum of Arizona Artists. She swims with a masters league, enjoys gardening, candle making, glasswork, and has a three year old golden retriever mix that she is happy to talk to anyone about at any and all times.

Growing up in southern California, Omei began making things at an early age.
Her experience in a diverse range of mediums eventually lead her to work as a special effects
artist, earning several awards in the movie industry and creating projects that toured the
world. Having a talent for cooking, she began to transition into the culinary arts when she
moved to Arizona. She became Chef/Owner of Terra Java Bake Shop and then the Executive
Chef Instructor of Fry’s Cooking School. Omei takes inspiration from historical references,
sacred influences, and cultural traditions. She believes art encourages us to realize we are all
connected.

Sarah is a goal-driven and accomplished professional with success in both the corporate and nonprofit worlds where she has helped teams succeed by creating processes for improvement. After a career in accounting for the Fintech industry over the past 10 years, she is returning to her first love; the arts. Sarah is originally from New York, has also lived in Key West and San Diego, but has called Phoenix her home since 2012. Sarah earned her BA in fine arts and sculpture and continues to create artwork in a variety of mediums whenever she can. Sarah is a patron to all art forms and advocates for the underserved. Grateful for this opportunity to join the Phoenix Center for the Arts team, Sarah is ready to help serve and support the community through the arts.