CET Board

An 11- to 16-member board of directors oversees the CET program, focusing primarily on policy decisions, budget, communications and long-range planning. It’s a working board, and its members serve as volunteers in all aspects of the year-round and summer program. Board meetings take place the 2nd Tuesday of each month. 

Are you ready to be a part of our working board?
Anyone with initiative and enthusiasm is encouraged to apply! We are especially looking for people with:
– knowledge in law or grant writing,
– passion for kids and theatre, or
– time to give during the day or during the summer,
but are open to anyone with the time and energy to put in some hard work. 
Apply here! 

2024-2025 Board Members

Ashley Duenas, Chair  

Ashley Dueñas joined the board in the fall of 2022. While growing up, she experienced the performing arts as a ballet and tap dancer, and later minored in dance in college. She has volunteered with non-profit summer camps serving children impacted by HIV/AIDS and has years of experience in early childhood education, leading to her Master of Arts in Teaching. She has dedicated the past decade of her life to raising her own children and volunteering in their schools. During her time spent at CET through her son’s participation, Ashley has loved observing students’ enthusiasm, inclusivity, creativity, and overall positive energy as they walk the halls and engage in their classes. In her free time, Ashley enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and three children, traveling, camping, paddle boarding and skiing.

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Cheri Lentz 

Cheri Lentz moved to Salem in 2011 and began volunteering for the Pentacle Theatre in 2013 working as a production assistant, a costume assistant, stage manager, and a hospitality volunteer. She has two children who both attended CET. She joined the CET Board after spending seven years as a parent volunteer, two of which she served at the Costume Committee Chair. She lived in Mexico City for 13 years where she taught elementary school and currently she teaches Spanish at Sprague High school. Every summer Cheri looks forward to another creative and exciting season of CET and is excited about her new role.
 

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Jana Avison

Jana Avison is a Salem native and was a CET kid herself in the 80s. She spent eleven years working for the Salem Keizer School District as a middle school English teacher and a district project coordinator. Now a stay at home mom, Jana  lives with her husband and two kids in South Salem. Her favorite ways to fill her days are with reading, walking her Goldendoodle and cheering on her kids at Blanchet games. She loves CET and watching the way a variety of kids thrive with the opportunities to be themselves and explore different interests. 

 

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Steve Nass, Treasurer

Steve was born and raised in South Salem and graduated from Willamette University where he played football for the Bearcats. He has served on numerous non-profit boards and various other volunteer committees. Steve began his professional career with a small, local community bank as a commercial loan officer and after 12 years, made the switch to non-profit administration. He has spent the last 10 years with Catholic Community Services, most recently serving as Chief Financial Officer. Steve lives in South Salem with his wife and two daughters, enjoys golfing, skiing, camping, traveling and kitchen/bbq exploration. After five years of watching his oldest daughter fall in love with CET, he made the leap to do more for the theater community and joined the CET board in 2023.

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Dave Baden

Bio coming soon!

Sarah Crawford

Bio coming soon!

AJ DeBacker

Bio coming soon!

Chris Forsythe

Bio coming soon!

Gail Krumenauer

Bio coming soon!

 

Elizabeth Schaefer, Past Chair

Elizabeth Schaefer has served on the CET Board since 2021. She has lived in Salem for the past 17 years with her husband, three daughters, four cats, and one dog. CET has become a summer tradition in the Schaefer household, with her youngest daughter ecstatic to finally be old enough to participate this upcoming season. Her oldest two have loved attending CET – making new friends and growing in confidence through the years. Elizabeth has been a teacher for 25 years, and currently teaches 6th grade. She loves road trips and playing board games with her family. When she has spare time, she enjoys reading, puzzles, and watching movies.

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Ashley Casebeer

Ashley was thrilled to join the CET board in the fall of 2023 following her son’s successful first year in the program.  Her daughter will join the fun in 2024!  Ashley’s mother-in-law was among the pioneering staff members who laid the foundation for CET in Salem 50 years ago.  Originally from Alpharetta, Georgia, Ashley has called Salem home for the past 15 years.  She was the proud owner of a small business in downtown Salem for almost a decade and has a passion for fostering a vibrant community, particularly within the arts scene. Beyond her involvement in CET, Ashley dedicates her time to raising her three children, volunteering at their schools and serving on multiple other boards and non-profits including Young Life and Saint Francis Family Shelter. 
 

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Dana Lyons

Dana Lyons moved to Salem in 2020. She’s originally from New Jersey. She’s super excited to serve on the CET board to help serve and support the community as well as to give back and say thank you to CET for being such a positive experience for her daughter the last few years.
Dana spends most of her days either on the football field, basketball court, or in a theater cheering for her kids. She’s the Founder of Broken But Not Alone, a ministry that helps women grow in faith and self-confidence.

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Kate Snow, Secretary

Kate Snow joined the board in the fall of 2023. Kate’s been connected to the program since the 1980’s, when she was a CET student of Tom Hewitt and Tom Ulmer, under the direction of Phyllis Quanbeck “Q”. CET played a positive, formative role in her life, and she is grateful it continues to thrive, as her kids are current CET students who love the program as much as she does. Kate received a BA from Pitzer College in Claremont, CA, and an MBA from the University of Oregon, she owns a landscaping business with her husband that operates out of Eugene, and practices as a CPA in Salem. Kate is happy to support theater, art, music and dance in our community, and appreciates CET’s dedication to enriching and inspiring life-long creativity and appreciation for the arts.

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Claire Coulson

Claire is a lifelong resident of Salem, Oregon, and has been active in local theater, both onstage and off for over 15 years. Additionally, she brings with her experience as a costumer, teacher and mom of two at CET. Outside of theater work, Claire is an instructional assistant at a local charter school, and works to provide freelance IDEA  training (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility) in the Salem-Keizer area. She is looking forward to this opportunity to serve in a new way locally, and give back a small portion of the meaningful experience that CET provides for her children and local artists.

Angie Miller

Bio coming soon!

Isabel Trevino

Bio coming soon!