board of directors.

TREASURER. Jay Johnson graduated form Louisiana State University with a degree in accounting. Primarily, he worked in general accounting in various banks. His current position is in a non-profit lender that loans to developers providing housing to low income families. He enjoys music of all kinds, literature and collecting French wine.

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION. Sophie Timpers is a Montessori trained educator, teaching French and “éveil musical” (musical awakening) in preschools and in Parent & Me settings throughout the Los Angeles area. Sophie has composed, written and produced 3 albums of French songs for young children. She also wrote and co-produced a series of meditation albums for children. Sophie is passionate about nurturing the whole child, fostering inner peace and self-awareness, utilizing music as a tool to empower young minds to spread peace and positivity in the world.

Carli Simons is a retired educator from the Los Angeles LAUSD. She has studied at the University of Denver.

FOUNDER & CEO. Yuval Ron is an internationally renowned World Music artist, composer, educator, peace activist and record producer. His awards include the Los Angeles Treasures Award in 2004 and prestigious grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, American Composers Forum, California Council for the Humanities and the Rockefeller Foundation.​

LEGAL COUNSEL & SECRETARY. Artur Minas is an Immigration Attorney based in Los Angeles, California. Having been the child of Armenian parents from Iran, he has a deep-rooted connection to the immigrant experience.

His work includes, but is not limited to, assisting immigrants seeking citizenship, permanent residence, asylum, and defense from deportation. Apart from immigration law, Arthur has love and passion for Middle Eastern music that was started during early childhood, encouraging him to be involved with music in his life.

He performs oud as a community member with the UCLA Near East Ensemble. Arthur also received the first scholarship from the John Bilezikjian Foundation to study Armenian music.

Ruth Broyde Sharone is the creator of Interfaith: The Musical, a joyous celebration of our cultural and religious diversity. She is also a documentary filmmaker, journalist, and author, honored internationally for her contributions to cultural education, peace and justice, Ruth Broyde Sharone served many years as co-chair of the Southern California Parliament of the World’s Religions (SCCPWR). She is an inspirational public speaker and travels frequently to college campuses to present interfaith programs. Her recent interfaith memoir, Minefields & Miracles: Why God and Allah Need to Talk (2012) , endorsed by more than 30 religious leaders including H.H.the Dalai Lama, won top awards in two literary competitions.

DEVELOPMENT. Atara Jaffe is a public health professional specializing in behavioral health and health education. Atara graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Art History and Anthropology and holds a Master’s in Public Health from the University of Cape Town in South Africa.