We are wishing the warmest welcome to Pauline Kanako Kamiyama and Kristo Sween, two fantastic people joining Forecast’s Board of Directors. Forecast’s team is excited to bring on Pauline and Kristo as we continue to make deeper connections and meaningful collaborations with communities and changemakers nationwide.

Pauline Kanako Kamiyama 

Pauline is the Director of the City of Santa Fe Arts and Culture Department which provides leadership by and for the City to support arts and cultural affairs; recommends policies and programs that develop and promote artistic excellence in the community. Under her purview are four focus areas: Youth Arts, Economic Growth, Creative Spaces and Engagement with programs including grants, art in public places, community gallery, youth and adult poet laureates, city historian, Mayor’s Awards in the Arts through the Culture Connects lens of diversity, equity, accessibility and inclusivity. In response to the coronavirus and its impact on the artistic and cultural community, she initiated the Culture Connects Coalition Artist Relief Fund to provide $500 relief awards to individual artists in all mediums.

The former Deputy Director of Civic Art for the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Pauline was responsible for planning, developing and implementing what is becoming one of the largest public art programs in the country. She created and managed the Creative Strategist Initiative that embeds artists in County Departments as part of the Arts Commission’s Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative.

Ms. Kamiyama has 20 years of experience in the arts and culture sector, primarily in civic and community based institutions, and is a strong advocate for community engagement with innovative problem solving and collaborative strategies. She has a particular interest in creative placekeeping that brings artists, residents, business owners, civic and community stakeholders together to assess and build upon the unique physical and social character of a place through creative activities. She has worked on community development initiatives around issues of homelessness, racial diversity, equity, inclusion, and sustainability. A public speaker and presenter, Pauline has a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from CSU, Fullerton, post graduate studies in public administration.

Kristo Sween

Kristo is a fractional marketing and business development leader, technologist, and business development coach who provides strategic direction and training to individuals, teams, and firms offering professional services. He currently serves as Director of Business Development and Marketing at Shelter Architecture in Minneapolis.

An expert relationship developer, team leader and consensus builder, Kristo helps individual service providers, firm leaders, and IT professionals build and better utilize tools, systems, and processes focused on revenue generation. He is a champion of diversity, equity and inclusion — helping businesses move from lip-service to action.

Kristo earned a degree in speech and theater from St. Olaf College and currently gigs as a voice and on-camera actor and video editor. The proud parent of three open-champion Irish dancers, Kristo also works as operations manager at the Celtic Junction Arts Center in Saint Paul, and serves as production manager for the music and dance productions there.