ANDREW TYZBIR

President

Andrew has been a Valencia resident since 1984. He is married with two adult daughters and is a Realtor with Pinnacle Estate Properties specializing in residential and commercial properties throughout the Los Angeles and Ventura county areas.

In his free time, he enjoys cooking and gardening. His beautiful wife Idelle is an artist and a teacher with ARTree.

KAY KAMINSKI

Secretary, Website, Teacher

Kay is a visual artist, with formal studies in photography and graphic design. She studied English Education at Michigan State University and has a teaching certificate. She volunteers in local elementary school classrooms teaching art and has been an instructor with ARTree since 2013.

Creatively, she works in collage and printmaking, and hopes to inspire the students of ARTree in those mediums.

SHERI CARLSON

Education Chair, Teacher

Sheri lives in Valencia with her husband and daughter. She has been very involved in the community, volunteering with numerous local organizations, and most recently ARTree. She is a member of the Santa Clarita Artist's Association and loves working in watercolor. Sheri believes that art should be part of everyone's life and hopes to bring more creative opportunities to the community.

MICHAEL POWELL

Teacher

Michael is an artist and musician. He co-owned an art studio where he taught an after school art program. Michael is very passionate about art and music, saying, "If you can see it, you can draw it and if you can hear it you can play it."

Michael has been a resident of Santa Clarita for over 29 years, is married and has six grown children and three grandchildren.

MELISSA LACKMAN

Treasurer

Melissa grew up surrounded by artists and musicians and has always loved art. She has been directly involved in nonprofit management at the board level since 1995, serving a variety of organizations. 

In addition to her studio practice, she has a passion for children's mental health and travel. Melissa also servers as Chief Business Officer of International Encaustic Artists.

KAREN MARTINEZ

Social Media, Newsletter, Teacher

Karen has lived in Santa Clarita since 1984. She loved art as a child, but took a circuitous path via a degree in Electronics and a career in Medical Equipment Service Management before finding her way back to art after retirement. 

Karen enjoys assisting with and teaching classes at ARTree, watercolor painting, playing guitar and traveling. Karen is married and has two grown stepchildren and four grandchildren.

MARDILAN (MARDI) GEORGIO

Member-at-Large

Mardi enjoys multiple forms of media, including pastel, watercolor, charcoal, alcohol ink and mixed media. As an adult, Mardi studied elementary education at California State University Northridge, became a teacher, and married her sweetheart. Today, Mardi is a board member of the Santa Clarita Artists Association and a member of numerous art clubs and organizations. She currently displays her work at various venues.