our staff

  • Jackie Hayes

    Executive Director

    Jackie (she/her) founded and leads the community at CFPA. She is the point of contact for neighbors, community members, and tenants looking for a way to access space to build a practice or deepen a business idea. She is a mentor, colleague, and collaborator with members of the artistic community in Minneapolis and across the country. A practicing artist of Armenian descent, her most recent work has focused on questions of site, context, commerce, and the public. Jackie has a PhD in Performance Studies from NYU. She has created or co-created dozens of workshops on art practice for Master’s students and four major conferences on performance on both West and East coasts.

  • Luis Ruiz

    Production and Scheduling Manager

    Luis (he/him) is a transplant from the garlic capitol of the world, Gilroy, California. He has experience on stage and behind the curtain, helping artists and professionals become prepared for what they do best. He was the Director of Guest Relations for several seasonal events across California for six years. His many roles consisted of resource allocation for artists, managing venue space for thousands of visitors, event and finance planning. He is currently going to school and working part-time at one of our local hospitals. Luis enjoys creative writing and spending time with his two cats.

  • Abrecia Haillasellise-Mankelklote

    Education and Community Development

    Abrecia (she/her) hails from the filming location of The Blues Brothers; also known as Danville, IL. She has been a part of the performing arts realm for the majority of her life. Abrecia completed her studies in Sociology with a focus in Ethnic Studies. She has combined her education and passion for the arts by serving as an advocate for cultural relativity and curating events, classes and workshops that highlight diverse experiences in performance from around the world. Her commitment to community education and organization has led her to joining our CFPA family.