BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Mark your calendar for the OFS Annual Membership Meeting at the Capitol Theater on April 8, 2025, at 6 p.m. It’s election time, and OFS is looking for skilled community members with time to serve on the board of directors!

Monthly board meetings are open to the general public and OFS members. They are held on the 4th Tuesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. (dates vary during holiday months). Agendas, meeting minutes, and locations are posted online one week before general board meetings.  Curent meeting agenda and minutes

If you are interested in attending an orientation or meeting or joining a committee, please email audrey@olympiafilmsociety.org to make arrangements.

To be considered for the board of directors, review the Board Strategic Plan and online board application form.   Applications close March 31 at 5PM

The Olympia Film Society seeks talented, diverse, and energetic people to join. We welcome diversity and want to ensure we draw from a broad cross-section of our community. We especially welcome board members who broadly represent the community and bring various experiences and cultural and economic backgrounds to the role.    The OFS Board sets policies, develops strategic plans for the future, provides fiscal oversight and fundraisers, and advocates for the theater within the community. Note: the board does not select films to be screened, bands to perform, or involve itself in day-to-day operations. The excellent OFS staff handles this work!  

The OFS Board is here to ensure the longevity and health of OFS by

1. Fundraising for operational and capital improvements,
2. Advocating and creating diverse community partnerships, 
3. Stewarding responsible governance and fiscal management.

Lela Cross
I never know how to talk about myself! I’ve owned all my business in the heart of downtown Olympia. My first get off the bus moment goes all the way back to Capitale, a neighborhood place for 11yrs located across from the park 601 Capital Way, my first introduction to this sweet town of Olympia . Dillinger’s Cocktails and Kitchen the value of so many new friends and supporters was humbling ..My love language is through food and how I show up for my community.

Jeff DeLuca – 2nd Term
I am excited to stand for my third and final two-year term on the Board of the Olympia Film Society Board of Directors. I have served as Acting President of OFS for several months now after having been elected Treasurer in 2023. I am looking to spending these next two years focused on rebuilding and guiding the new board toward sustainability in whatever capacity the majority of new Directors see fit when the Board is ready to elect Officers. 

Having a strong background in OFS’s finances, I am even more blown away by the work of the staff and volunteers of OFS. Despite tremendous challenges of producing profitable live events, film is back to breaking $100K in revenues. Those elected to this Board will be here to see us pay off the theater. At this point, we are stretching dollars to the breaking point and we need the capacity to spend the team as the Board and staff leadership going out for grants and partnership opportunities. I am excited for all my fellow candidates. 

By way of background, I grew up in Jupiter, Florida and moved from Chapel Hill, NC to Olympia with my partner in 2017. I ran the 2017 campaign of former Olympia City Councilor Renata Rollins. Since January 2018, I have worked for the Washington State Community Action Partnership and have served as Executive Director there since December 2019. WSCAP is a statewide association of 30 Community Action Agencies fighting poverty and inequality all across Washington State. In that capacity, I also serve on the Board of Directors of Washington 211. I am also a lifelong guitarist and play in a local psychedelic rock band called Lazy UFOs!

Nate Gomez|
I moved to Olympia from Monterey, CA in 2022. I work in community engagement, fundraising, and marketing for a local non-profit. A former sommelier and wine bar manager for over 8 years before moving to Washington. My interest in film and community experiences stems from spending my twenties in Fresno, CA where there were myriad film festivals and community events. (SwedeFest, ReelPride, Rogue Festival, ArtHop). I could go on and on about the films, comedians, and live music which has shaped my life… But Olympia seems to have everything I love in one place.

Megan Kernan
An Olympia native, I have been seeing shows and movies at the Capitol Theater for three decades. The Olympia Film Society is one of the South Sound’s most indelible institutions; by bringing diverse arts entertainment and offering volunteer opportunities and community, it is a big part of what makes downtown Olympia vibrant and unique. Volunteer service is important to me, and I bring experience in fundraising, advocacy, and strategic planning. I love problem-solving creatively and collaboratively. Professionally, I have worked in natural resources management in both non-profit and government sectors and am a licensed attorney. I am excited about this opportunity to leverage my skills and experience to support the Olympia Film Society and the Capitol Theater!

Hai-Yen
Hai-Yen was born and raised in Olympia and has a deep abiding fondness for the Olympia Film Society and the Capitol Theater. It has provided many memories and experiences that were formative for her including being toted along as a child after school while her uncle volunteered in the 90’s. Having returned back to Olympia as an adult, she has seen how OFS has continued to be a place of community to a diverse range of people. She is committed and eager to help maintain its legacy for all future Olympians.

Neil Sexton
I was fortunate to have early exposure to great music and cinema experiences growing up in a large college town. As a roadie for the Hesitation Blues Band in the late 70s, my appetite for live music was galvanized. That appetite later manifested itself in the founding of the Trinidaddio Blues Fest in Colorado where we staged 24 years of successful shows. When not watching movies or bands, my business career included 10 years with Successories in Chicago where we grew the company exponentially, eventually taking it public. Ten years owning companies followed, the largest of which was sold to my best client/friend whom I went to work with. I’ve recently retired from Northern Safety after 13 years as President & COO with another 5 years of semi-retirement working on contracts and acquisitions. My wife and I love our new lives in Olympia and hope to help OFS and our community however possible.

Rob Thomas
Rob Thomas (yes, that Rob Thomas) is an Olympia-based filmmaker and student at South Puget Sound Community College, studying Software Development. With over a decade of experience in multimedia, he’s passionate about building community—both through live events and digital spaces. He got his start in the vibrant San Francisco Bay Area film festival circuit and carries a deep love for historic movie palaces. A fan of global cinema from Soviet montage and Hong Kong action to Latin American magical realism and French New Wave, Rob is committed to supporting independent film, live music, comedy, and all the creative energy the Capitol Theater inspires. He’s excited about helping OFS thrive for years to come.

Sara White
Sara White has been a resident of the Olympia area since 2010, after moving from Seattle after graduate school. A movie fan since she was a little kid, she has been a regular attendee of OFS screenings and events since arriving in town. Sara worked for nearly eleven years as a Youth Services Librarian at the Olympia Timberland Library, and has been the Youth Services Consultant at the Washington State Library since 2021. As a result, she is passionate about spreading the love of film to kids, teens, and everyone, and would love to help find ways for OFS to connect more with youth and youth-connected organizations in the community. Sara loves all movies, but has a particular fondness for dread-filled horror and tragic love stories. 

CURRENT BOARD of DIRECTORS

Jeff DeLuca – Board Development Chair, President, Treasurer
COMMITTEES: Board Development, Finance Committee
OCCUPATION: WA State Community Action Partnership, Executive Director
AFFILIATES: n/a
TERMS: 2021 –  2023, 2023-2025

As a working musician since I was a teenager and now as a statewide nonprofit leader, I’m eager to help OFS preserve the Capitol Theater as a community asset that supports local and regional art. I want to help access funds to upgrade/maintain the space and attract national talent. I am concerned about the future of spaces like the Capitol Theater given local development pressures and the monopolization of venues by corporations like Live Nation.  After growing up in Florida and starting my career in Chapel Hill, NC, I moved to Olympia with my partner in August 2017. Upon arriving, I managed Renata Rollins’s campaign for Olympia City Council. Since January 2018, I have worked for the Washington State Community Action Partnership and have served as Executive Director there since December 2019. WSCAP is a statewide association of 30 Community Action Agencies fighting poverty and inequality all across Washington State.

Zach Havekost – Secretary
COMMITTEES: Capital Grants Team
OCCUPATION: Public Services Specialist – Olympia Timberland Library
AFFILIATES:
TERMS:2024 – 2026

Zach moved to Olympia in April 2013, and one of the first things he did was attend a screening of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial to support OFS’s digital conversion fundraiser. He was jobless at the time, but became an OFS member anyway. Zach has worked at the Olympia Timberland Library since July 2013, and created the Library Film Club (in partnership with OFS) in July 2018. So far Library Film Club has discussed 83 movies and held several special screenings for library patrons. Zach spends his free time going to the movies, listening to music while wandering aimlessly through Olympia neighborhoods, and either watching/listening to baseball – or anxiously awaiting its return each spring.

BOARD COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Finance – Elaine Fischer, Aimee Hughes, Dick Meyer (community member), Jeff DeLuca (Chair), Audrey Henley
Capital Grants Team – Audrey Henley, open OFS member seat
Board Development – Jeff DeLuca (Chair), Audrey Henley, open OFS member seat
Facilities – Shane Jewell (community member), Peter Moulton (community member), Tim Sweeney (community member), Tom Rieger (Chair), Audrey Henley

ORGANIZATIONAL INFORMATION:

Current agenda and board meeting minutes
OFS Bylaws
OFS Articles of Incorporation
NEW – Washington State Non-Profit Act 2022
Members may request access to organizational materials per the WNP Act – request to capitoltheater@olympiafilmsociety.org