Staff
Hélène Trudeau, Executive Director
Hélène began her career in the arts as a dancer and choreographer, with a deep-seated interest in education. She earned her Master’s Degree in Dance at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) where she is also a Ph.D. Candidate in Education. It is this combined passion for the arts and for education that led her to perform on stage and television as well as teach dance classes from the pre-school to the university levels. Hélène has been a guest speaker for the UCLA graduate dance seminars as well as international conferences such as Congress on Research in Dance. Her video documentary, Today I Learned To Dance With My Wings was used in undergraduate and graduate classes at UCLA and at the University of Québec in Montréal. Hélène also has extensive experience in curriculum development, teacher training, artist training, and the administration of outreach programs in all arts disciplines. She has managed education programs at the Los Angeles Music Center for five years, was a curriculum and program consultant for the Orange County Performing Arts Center for more than ten years, and served as Executive Director of Imagination Celebration of Orange County for two years. Hélène joined the FAE staff in 2005 as Director of Education. She was promoted to Executive Director in June 2010. Hélène oversees the day-to-day operation of the organization and is responsible for programming.
Catherine Burnett, Development Manager
Catherine Burnett has been involved with FAE for more that 10 years. She began her relationship with FAE as a home school teacher participating in numerous Professional Development Workshops and attending Educational Performances so that her three children could benefit from a quality arts education. With the arts holding a priority in her home, it was not long before she and her children became FAE volunteers. Catherine also shone through her leadership qualities and strong advocacy of arts education, and in 2005 was appointed representative of home school teachers for FAE Teacher Advisory Committee. Prior to her career as a home school teacher, Catherine earned a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from the University of California at Los Angeles and a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Southern California. She worked in the field of organizational development for five years. Catherine Burnett’s multi-facetted experience in business and arts education turned out to be the perfect preparation for her position as FAE Development Manager. Catherine joined the FAE staff in 2011.
Veronica Martinez, Full-Charge Bookkeeper
Veronica has more than 17 years of experience in bookkeeping and finance. She discovered her ability to deal with numbers when, after graduating from high school, she took a secretarial job in a small real estate firm and soon tackled the challenge of helping the owner with the books. From that point forward, her interest in numbers and finance grew and her credentials expanded. In 1998 Veronica obtained her degree in Business Administration with a minor in Administrative Office Management from Rio Hondo College in Whittier. For several years, she worked for major companies such as Wells Fargo Financial and Dickens Properties. In addition, Veronica has volunteered for many social programs including Bell Breast Cancer Walk and Mujeres Con Poder (Women Empowered). She credits her mother for teaching her the importance of community service. Veronica was excited to join the FAE staff in 2009 and to put her expertise in finance at the service of a mission she considers important to the education of all children.