Karamu House

Karamu's Leadership

Board of Trustees

Michael Jeans, Chair 

Sheila Wright, 1st Vice Chair 

Dr. Edward M. Barksdale Jr., 2nd Vice Chair,


Michael Bowen

Frances Cudjoe Waters

Jade Davis

Diane M. Downing

Council President Blaine A. Griffin

Tamara Horne

Karen Howse

Jennifer Hurd

Colette M. Jones

Howard L. Lewis

David M. Reynolds

Marques H. Richeson

Autumn R. Russell

Roshonda B. Smith

Tiffani Sutton-Taylor

TONY F. SIAS
President + CEO

The President + CEO of Karamu House, Inc., America’s oldest Black producing theatre.  Under Sias, since 2015, Karamu stabilized finances, raised over $10 million for restoration and increased attendance.  Prior to his tenure at Karamu, Sias served in several progressive roles for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) including Director of Arts Education and Artistic Director of Cleveland School of the Arts.   As a creative Sias has produced, directed, and performed in over 100 productions.  He most recently received critical acclaim for directing Karamu’s production of Freedom on Juneteenth and in October 2021 Sias performed narration with The Cleveland Orchestra in Sinfonia No. 5 “Visions” by George Walker. His work has been highlighted nationally in The New York Times, American Theatre Magazine, on NBC’s Today Show with Al Roker, and more.  Sias served as a delegate from the U.S. Department of State in Istanbul, Turkey, representing the Council of International Programs in the Youth Arts for Peace Project.  In 2018, he was inducted into The HistoryMakers, the largest African American oral history archive collection in the U.S.In 2019, Sias was named the Cleveland Arts Prize, Barbara S. Robinson award winner.   In 2021, Sias received the Community Leader Award from Cleveland Magazine.  He is a Fellow of the National Arts Strategies Chief Executive Program through Harvard Business School.  Sias serves as a National Board member for the League of Historic American Theatres. He is a Boards member of the Cleveland School of the Arts and the Assembly for the Arts. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in dramatic art from Jackson State University and a Master of Fine Arts in acting from The Ohio University.

ASEELAH SHAREEF
Vice President + COO

Offers a unique combination and understanding of inspirational leadership, operations and logistics, organizational programming, and artistry, developed through intense non-profitenvironments demanding excellence, flexibility and the capacity to master multiple roles. Just a few ofthose roles include performing in Step Afrika!, the world’s only professional dance company dedicatedto the art of stepping (body percussion), which toured nationally and internationally, and teaching andco-creating new curriculum for Dance at Cuyahoga Community College. Aseelah was the formerexecutive director of Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theatre, Events Manager for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, and Director of Dance for Cleveland School of the Arts. Her current role is Vice President + Chief Operating Officer at Karamu House, where she implementsoperational efficiencies across product lines, has developed new arts residency programs, andcurates socially and culturally responsive community arts experiences including after-school andweekend arts education models for life-long learners. She recently and concurrently served as the InterimExecutive Director of the Cleveland Arts Prize, the nation’s oldest municipal arts award. She is a 2023 YWCA of Greater Cleveland Woman of Achievement, was a member of the inaugural 2019 Arts and Culture Leaders of Color Fellowship cohort sponsored by Americans for the Arts, The Joyce Foundation and American Express. 

ROCKELL CHURBY LLANOS

Associate Director of Patron and Donor Engagement

VONETTA FLOWERS
Director of Production

Is thrilled to return to Karamu House and theatre at large after spending the past 15 years in the Opera world as Production Manager with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis and Virginia Opera. She is an accomplished Stage Manager & Company Manager having worked in dance, children’s theatre, touring companies, and opera. She currently serves as the Director of Production of Karamu House.

Karamu Staff & Colleagues 

RAMONA GIVNER
Accountant+Bookkeeper

PROPHET SEAY
Interim Technical Director

SHANNON MCMANUS
Production Manager

NORRIS BROWN SR.
Stage Carpenter 

Maya Nicholson
Arts Education Manager
BARBARA COOPER
House Manager + Volunteer Coordinator
ANNETTE BAILEY
Archivist

CRAIG TAYLOR
Marketing+Graphic Design

LISA STOFAN
Grants Management

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