Meet The Team

Kathy Knecht

Executive Director

Kathy Knecht has been a community leader in the West Valley for more than two decades, having started her community involvement with Leadership West and the West Valley Arts Council. Kathy loves engaging with people. Serving our region and working to enhance communities with arts and culture are her passions. While she is not an artist herself, she’s a patron and appreciator, and brings her experience as an entrepreneur and nonprofit leader to the role of Director.

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Erika Galbasini

Programs and Communications Director

Erika Galbasini recently earned her degree in Communications and brings a fresh angle to her role as Programs and Communications Director. She combines her background in digital marketing and social media strategy with a genuine passion for the arts, helping create opportunities for artists throughout the West Valley. With a creative eye and a results-driven approach, she is dedicated to WVACs mission and expanding access to arts and culture.

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Daisy Brady

Gallery Director

Since 2021, Daisy has been the Gallery Manager and Curator for the West Valley Arts Council’s Arts HQ Gallery in Surprise, Arizona. Using her retail, woodworking, merchandising, and marketing expertise, she also helps emerging artists market themselves and creates custom merchandise displays as needed. She is an accomplished sustainable artist in her own right, and has had her Etsy shop, Distinctly Daisy, since 2009 specializing in wire-wrapped jewelry and crochet. Daisy is a multi-faceted artist preferring to work in wood, watercolor, acrylic, wire, and sculpture.