The People Behind the Stage
Leadership Team
Allegra Padilla
As Executive Director, Allegra creates a sustainable financial foundation for Levitt LA and develops equitable community engagement strategies to connect Levitt LA to the MacArthur Park / Westlake neighborhood and beyond. A lifelong Angeleno, she brings 15 years of experience in the non-profit field, focusing on community organizing, youth development, arts, and culture.
As Executive Director, Allegra creates a sustainable financial foundation for Levitt LA and develops equitable community engagement strategies to connect Levitt LA to the MacArthur Park / Westlake neighborhood and beyond. A lifelong Angeleno, she brings 15 years of experience in the non-profit field, focusing on community organizing, youth development, arts, and culture. She received her education in the communities where she has worked—Pasadena City College and UC Santa Cruz—earning a BA in Community Studies and Art History. She has worked with: Occidental College, Jewish Vocational Service, 24th Street Theatre, Homies Unidos, and Inner-City Law Center. She completed the Executive Director Leadership Institute with Executive Service Corps (2025), served as an Arts for LA Cultural Policy ACTIVATE fellow (2016-17), and was a mentee of the Women of Color in the Arts Leadership Through Mentorship Program (2018).
Allegra has served as a grants panelist at the local, state, and national levels. The approach she takes in fundraising is rooted in building upon long-term reciprocal relationships. Her work demonstrates her commitment to being a strategic community builder who is passionate about social justice and creating equitable access to the arts.
Sidney Kimme
As Deputy Executive Director, Sidney oversees Levitt LA’s sustainable governance. Sidney is an accomplished entertainment executive with 20+ years’ experience driving quality and profitability of media production for one of the largest themed entertainment companies in the US.
As Deputy Executive Director, Sidney oversees Levitt LA’s sustainable governance. Sidney is an accomplished entertainment executive with 20+ years’ experience driving quality and profitability of media production for one of the largest themed entertainment companies in the US. Prior to the post at Levitt LA, Sidney played several roles, including an advisor for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games, creative director of media exhibitions at World Expos, and executive director of the Los Angeles Korean Festival.
During her 16 years at Showscan Entertainment as Chief Creative Officer and later Chief Operating Officer, she managed over 100 employees worldwide while producing numerous media projects for various platforms, including two award-winning documentary features and 30+ attraction films for theme parks, museums, and planetariums. Sidney is a proud graduate of the Korea Academy of Film Arts. She was recognized by the City of Los Angeles twice for her contributions to diversity and the Korean community.
Gin Beck
Gin Beck is a musician, composer, producer, Grammy-nominated recording engineer, live engineer, and instructor with a career spanning nearly 40 years. He studied music. Classical music by day at school, pop, rock, and blues guitar by night at clubs. He started working in recording studios, where he learned to record and mix Audio at a very young age. He worked as the original cast Guitar Tech for Jersey Boys on Broadway. He is a member of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 47, and serves as the producer, guitarist, and chief recording engineer at the Local 47 Studio.
Maríluz Gonzalez
Maríluz Gonzalez attended San Fernando High and was a member of the marching band, where she played the clarinet. “I very much enjoyed performing in different venues and events in the city. That was a wonderful experience.” A proud Pacoima native, she grew up in a neighborhood that was home to the likes of Ritchie Valens and Danny Trejo.
Maríluz Gonzalez attended San Fernando High and was a member of the marching band, where she played the clarinet. A proud Pacoima native, she grew up in a neighborhood that was home to the likes of Ritchie Valens and Danny Trejo.
Before graduating with a B.A. in Latin American Studies from UCLA, she hosted concert events with UCLA’s Cultural Affairs Center, booking Latin rock bands such as Los Olvidados and Maria Fatal. After graduating, she began working in the Public Relations sector with well-established entertainment labels.
Maríluz Gonzalez worked with Capitol Latin Records, Reyes Entertainment, RLPR, Epitaph Records, and Fonovisa Records before starting her own Public Relations company, Vesper PR, in 2008. Through her work with these labels, she has worked with artists including Selena, Los Tigres del Norte, and Jenni Rivera. Maríluz is also a co-owner of the now-defunct seminal Pop Punk en Español label, SourPop Records, which released over 10 albums.
Maríluz González has been recognized by the City of Los Angeles for her work in deepening the cultural presence of artists in the city. Recently, Maríluz was honored by the popular blog I am San Fernando, alongside 31 other women from the San Fernando Valley, for her contributions to their community.
Jenny Nunfio
Jenny is the main backstage presence; she assists concert staff, including performers and the production team, while serving as a friendly Levitt LA representative. Jenny came to Levitt LA as a community volunteer in 2009, taking on various activities throughout the summer.
Jenny is the main backstage presence; she assists concert staff, including performers and the production team, while serving as a friendly Levitt LA representative. Jenny came to Levitt LA as a community volunteer in 2009. In 2010, Jenny joined the Levitt LA team as Hospitality Manager. For 14 years, she has had the privilege of hosting celebrities backstage, including Jimmy Webb, Stevie Wonder, Los Lobos, Celso Piña, and many others.
Jenny has experience as a Chief Financial Officer in her country, El Salvador, where she worked with the Government of Health. She also holds a certification from ICDC College, Los Angeles, as a Medical Office Manager. She has applied this knowledge by getting involved in various programs in the Westlake area, including community activities and events such as CicLAvia.
Luis Polanco
Luis Polanco is a bilingual music promoter and concert programmer based in Los Angeles, California. With a deep understanding of both the music industry and Latin culture, he has established himself as a leading figure in the summer concert scene.
Luis Polanco is a bilingual music promoter and concert programmer based in Los Angeles, California. With a deep understanding of both the music industry and Latin culture, he has established himself as a leading figure in the summer concert scene.
Luis began his career in the music industry as a concert promoter, working with venues and festivals to bring Latin music acts to audiences around the country. He quickly gained a reputation for identifying and promoting talented musicians.
In recent years, Luis has focused his efforts on programming concerts for the Levitt Pavilion Los Angeles, Festival Chapín Los Angeles, The Hotel Cafe, and many other foundations and venues in Los Angeles, most recently the inaugural Sunset Ecléctico Festival Alternativo in Guatemala.
MAC·LA Board
Manny Colindres
Manny Colindres is a seasoned Multicultural Marketing Consultant with over 20 years of experience in General and Hispanic Advertising. Growing up between the vibrant landscapes of Los Angeles and the sunny shores of Florida, he developed a unique perspective on multiculturalism, fueled by his love for LA sports, music, and dancing.
Manny Colindres is a seasoned Multicultural Marketing Consultant with over 20 years of experience in General and Hispanic Advertising. Growing up between the vibrant landscapes of Los Angeles and the sunny shores of Florida, he developed a unique perspective on multiculturalism, fueled by his love for LA sports, music, and dancing.
His passion for multicultural marketing was ignited by early work with independent musicians and eventually led him into brand management, where he had the privilege of working with renowned brands such as Pepsi-Cola, Verizon Wireless, Jack Daniel, Jameson Whiskey, and Don Julio Tequila. Alongside his professional journey, he pursued degrees in Recording Engineering and Communications.
Gil Gastelum
Gil Gastelum has been in the music business since 1989, when he worked at an indie record shop near the University of Arizona campus in his hometown of Tucson, AZ. Gil moved to LA in 1994 to work in the music industry, a dream he had since discovering the West Coast Punk Scene and falling in love with IRS, Warner, and Slash Records.
Gil Gastelum has been in the music business since 1989, when he worked at an indie record shop near the University of Arizona campus in his hometown of Tucson, AZ. Gil moved to LA in 1994 to work in the music industry, a dream he had since discovering the West Coast Punk Scene.
After interning at MCA Records, Gastelum worked at the legendary A&M Records in product/project management, where he worked with: Blues Traveler, Soundgarden, and many emerging artists. Gil also worked as project manager at Croshal Entertainment Group for Smokey Robinson, Jackson Browne, and The Crystal Method.
In 2004, Gastelum created the boutique music management + record company Cosmica Artists. Cosmica has represented GRAMMY/Latin GRAMMY Award winners: Lila Downs, Gaby Moreno, Carla Morrison, La Santa Cecilia, more recently The Marías, Katzü Oso, Miranda del Sol, and Twanguero.
Niña Sevilla
Niña Sevilla is a dynamic individual whose diverse talents and unwavering commitment have significantly enriched her community. A highly effective political strategist, Niña has spearheaded campaigns that showcase her leadership and expertise. Her deep understanding of the political landscape informs her community involvement, including service on the Echo Park Neighborhood Council, the Historic Filipinotown Council, and the Asian American Press Club.
Niña Sevilla is a dynamic individual whose diverse talents and unwavering commitment have significantly enriched her community. A highly effective political strategist, Niña has spearheaded campaigns that showcase her leadership and expertise. Her deep understanding of the political landscape informs her community involvement, including service on the Echo Park Neighborhood Council, the Historic Filipinotown Council, and the Asian American Press Club.
Beyond her community and political work, Niña is an accomplished athlete and motorsport enthusiast with a passion for golf, tennis, snowboarding, racing, and off-roading.
Kacey Bonner
Kacey Bonner is the Board Chair for Music, Arts, and Community Los Angeles. She is an avid live-music fan and believes that all communities deserve access to the arts that enable people to lead fuller, richer lives.
Kacey Bonner is the Board Chair for Music, Arts, and Community Los Angeles. She is an avid live-music fan and believes that all communities deserve access to the arts that enable people to lead fuller, richer lives.
Outside of her volunteer work, Kacey is a strategy expert and gifted storyteller focused on social impact and representation. Over the past 23 years, she has moved from teaching high school in South LA to leading campaigns that advance social and political issues through a justice framework. Most recently, she has worked with clients to end oil drilling in neighborhoods, translate rigorous academic research into work accessible to the communities it affects, and raise awareness of tenants’ rights and eviction-prevention services. Partners include The UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute, the UCLA Ralph J. Bunche Center for African American Studies, Stay Housed LA, and the Stand Together against Neighborhood Drilling Coalition.
Across her volunteer and professional work, Kacey brings an invaluable lens that prioritizes justice and amplifies the voices of those who too often go unheard.
Ronald Simms Jr.
Ronald Simms Jr. serves as Board Secretary for Music, Arts, and Community Los Angeles. He is also the Director of Communications at the Boston Law Association, where he oversees the Communications department’s strategic vision and the planning and production of key materials and assets for advocacy, fundraising, and event-based campaigns.
Ronald Simms Jr. serves as Board Secretary for Music, Arts, and Community Los Angeles. He is also the Director of Communications at the Boston Law Association, where he oversees the Communications department’s strategic vision and the planning and production of key materials and assets for advocacy, fundraising, and event-based campaigns.
Before joining the Boston Law Association, he worked at Catalyst California as Associate Director of Communications. Prior to that, he served as Digital Communications Manager at New American Leaders, where he created and executed social media campaigns on immigrant rights, voting rights, and stories of first- and second-generation Americans in public office. He also served as Digital Communications Specialist at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund in New York City. Ronald spent several years in Okinawa, Japan, teaching English to children and adults. He is a graduate of New York University.
Ray López-Chang
Ray López-Chang is a Queer organizer, native Angeleno, urban planner, and proud product of a Central American Chinese family of immigrants and refugees. At fifteen, he became the youngest elected official in California, serving as a Board Member of LA’s Historic Cultural Neighborhood Council.
Ray López-Chang is a Queer organizer, native Angeleno, urban planner, and proud product of a Central American Chinese family of immigrants and refugees. At fifteen, he became the youngest elected official in California, serving as a Board Member of LA’s Historic Cultural Neighborhood Council. He served as Field Deputy and Director of Community Engagement for Board District 5 at LAUSD. At the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, Ray managed the CLASS Coalition to advocate for educational equity and co-constructed a $900K pandemic-relief grantmaking strategy.
Ray holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of San Francisco and a Master’s of Urban Planning and a Certificate of Public Policy from USC. In his spare time, Ray serves on the boards of Southeast LA’s YMCA, miVacunaLA, and Asian Democrats of LA County. Ray loves spontaneous adventures, participates in drag culture, regularly attends CrossFit, and frequently watches live music.
Beth Bergman
Beth is a partner at Bergman and Allderdice. She represents numerous local and national tax-exempt organizations, affordable housing developers, charter schools, community development financial institutions, institutional lenders, and government agencies. Her practice areas include corporate, real estate, real estate financing, affordable housing, economic and community development, tax-exempt governance, and tax-exempt financing.
Beth is a partner at Bergman and Allderdice. She represents numerous local and national tax-exempt organizations, affordable housing developers, charter schools, community development financial institutions, institutional lenders, and government agencies. Her practice areas include corporate, real estate financing, affordable housing, economic and community development, tax-exempt governance, and tax-exempt financing.
Prior to entering private practice, Beth was Assistant Housing Coordinator to Mayor Bradley. After the 1994 Northridge earthquake, she served as counsel to the Los Angeles Housing Department, facilitating real estate loans between the city and nonprofit corporations.
Beth is a graduate of Brown University, Phi Beta Kappa, and of Harvard Law School, J.D. She was an Associate Editor for the Stanford Law Review and a clerk to the Hon. Chief Judge Consuelo B. Marshall, U.S. District Court, Central District of California. Beth Bergman has been ranked a Super Lawyer from 2019 to the present and is AV rated by Martindale-Hubbell.
When not advising nonprofits, Beth plays violin and viola with local symphonies and electric violin in experimental rock-and-roll projects, including Black Cactus, an LA band with psychedelic leanings.
Advisory Council
Aurora Colindres
Aurora Colindres is the Principal at Power for Good Consulting. She served as Director of Development at CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights). Her 15-year fundraising career includes Director of Development roles at the Los Angeles Parks Foundation, the Western Center on Law and Poverty, and the Weingart Center Association.
Aurora Colindres is the Principal at Power for Good Consulting. She served as Director of Development at CHIRLA (Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights). Her 15-year fundraising career includes Director of Development roles at the Los Angeles Parks Foundation, the Western Center on Law and Poverty, and the Weingart Center Association. Her professional experience is grounded in social justice, with a focus on equitable green space, legal and policy advocacy, and homeless services. Aurora is a Cohort member of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy and a volunteer with the StepUp Los Angeles Chapter. Aurora graduated with a BA in Marketing and a minor in International Business from the University of Central Florida.
Guillermo Gonzalez Jr.
A Los Angeles native and longtime attendee of the summer concerts at MacArthur Park, Guillermo brings deep, multi-industry business consulting experience, with nearly 15 years as a broker and 7 years at IMA, where he focuses on serving social service organizations nationwide.
A Los Angeles native and longtime attendee of the summer concerts at MacArthur Park, Guillermo brings deep, multi-industry business consulting experience, with nearly 15 years as a broker and 7 years at IMA, where he focuses on serving social service organizations nationwide. He holds multiple broker licenses, including Life, Accident, Health, and Property & Casualty, and is a SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP). Guillermo is very involved in programming with the Community Clinic Association of Los Angeles County, the California Primary Care Association, and the United Cerebral Palsy National Association. He currently serves as the Programs Chair for the PIHRA DTLA Chapter. In his personal time, he enjoys discovering new music, going to concerts, working on his home in San Gabriel, walking his dogs, gardening, and cooking with his wife, Michelle.
Joey Newman
Joey Newman is an Emmy-nominated, third-generation film and television composer from the famed Hollywood musical Newman dynasty. Joey has composed music for award-winning feature films, numerous television series, and video games, and has provided arrangements for recording artists such as Rufus Wainwright and for Broadway composers Marcy & Zina and Cinco Paul.
Joey Newman is an Emmy-nominated, third-generation film and television composer from the famed Hollywood musical Newman dynasty. Joey has composed music for award-winning feature films, numerous television series, and video games, and has provided arrangements for recording artists such as Rufus Wainwright and for Broadway composers Marcy & Zina and Cinco Paul.
David Quan
David Quan is a 30-year veteran of the music industry and an expert in all facets of music publishing. He is currently the Head of Licensing & Administration at The Greater Goods Co., where his duties include business affairs, licensing, copyright, and royalties. He has worked for notable companies including Leiber & Stoller
David Quan is a 30-year veteran of the music industry and an expert in all facets of music publishing. He is currently the Head of Licensing & Administration at The Greater Goods Co., where his duties include business affairs, licensing, copyright, and royalties. He has worked for notable companies including Leiber & Stoller, All Nations Music, Warner/Chappell, BMG, Universal Records, PeerMusic, Sony Pictures Entertainment, and NBCUniversal. Quan holds a BS in Marketing from Cal State LA and an MBA with a concentration in Corporate Finance from USC. He served as President of The California Copyright Conference for two terms.