Advancement Department - 51�� Arts

Jacob Campbell, PhD

Keely Mikkelsen — Wed, 08 Jul 2026 17:35:55 +0000

As Director of the Office of Research and Impact, Dr. Jacob Campbell leads efforts to cultivate a culture of data-informed decision-making at 51�� Arts.

Prior to joining 51�� Arts, Jacob was a Retention Specialist at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly), supporting academic advisors in using data to close graduation equity gaps. He has also worked with nonprofit organizations dedicated to expanding access to the arts in public schools, serving as Program Manager for Turnaround Arts: California and Communications Associate for P.S. ARTS.

Jacob holds a Ph.D. in Educational Studies from The Ohio State University, and his dissertation explored how Institutional Research professionals make sense of multiracial data. He also earned a M.S. in Higher Education Counseling and Student Affairs from Cal Poly, where he now teaches graduate courses in educational research methods and student development. A dancer, dance educator, and choreographer, Jacob received a B.A. in World Arts and Cultures/Dance with a minor in Visual and Performing Arts Education from UCLA.

Jacob enjoys writing in coffee shops, making dumplings, and chasing around his toddler!

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Lucy Jennings

Keely Mikkelsen — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 23:08:19 +0000

Lucy Jennings has been working as a nonprofit data professional for over a decade. Before joining 51�� Arts, Lucy worked in a variety of nonprofit spaces, including arts education, veterans’ services, and homelessness services. Outside of her work, Lucy enjoys volunteering, live music, and running after her toddler

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Melody Ryan

bjones@idyllwildarts.org — Fri, 25 Mar 2022 20:48:29 +0000

Melody was raised in San Clemente, CA, by a very artistic and musical family. She fell in love with the restaurant industry during college and spent over 25 years in that line of work before joining the 51�� Arts Advancement Team. After a first visit to 51�� with her husband, they were drawn to the trees, the music and art scenes, and the sense of community. They decided to make it their permanent home in 2018. Since moving to 51��, Melody has been playing guitar and singing at local businesses and dabbling in Stained Glass art.

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Maria Robinson Glover

Keely Mikkelsen — Fri, 13 Mar 2020 02:24:07 +0000

As a history major at Spelman College, Maria focused on East Asia and was a Research Fellow for the Martin Luther King, Jr., Papers Project at Stanford. A fellowship granted by the Office of the Georgia State Governor led to Maria’s introduction to fundraising and development at the Atlanta History Center.

Since 1999, Maria has worked in the development offices of MOCA, CalArts, Art Center, and LACMA. She has led fundraising initiatives at the Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc) in Los Angeles and the LA Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.

Maria’s familiarity with the LA arts community led to an invitation from the J. Paul Getty Museum to serve on a four-guest panel, before an audience of executives from LA’s leading arts and culture organizations and grant-making institutions. The topic, “Awareness and Engagement of Communities of Color” made space for meaningful dialogue on the importance of ethnic diversity in arts professions, and building relevant programming to attract ethnically diverse audiences.

Outside of LA, The Association of Museum Art Curators asked Maria to share her professional insights at its 15th Annual Conference and Meeting held in Houston. “It’s Complicated: The Curator-Patron Relationship” shed light on strategically strengthening the curator/donor relationship.

Maria’s advocation for women, girls, and volunteerism is clear in her past leadership roles with the JLLA, as a former board member of the YWCA-GLA; and currently, as an active member of the National Charity League, LA Founder Chapter, where she has found her greatest joy in teaching her daughters Elizabeth, Eva, and Eden the blessings that come from serving others.

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Palencia Turner

mmapel@idyllwildarts.org — Sat, 22 Oct 2016 02:53:13 +0000

Palencia J. Turner is an institutional advancement strategist with over two decades experience leading fundraising efforts, public affairs, fund development, community engagement, and marketing programs for organizations in the education, non-profit, and government sectors.

She joined 51�� Arts Foundation in July 2015 and works closely with the President to create a sustainable foundation for Advancement to include oversight of all our fundraising efforts. She is a member of the Leadership Team and leads the Development Department in the areas of Annual Giving, Major Gifts, Special Events, Planned Giving, Alumni and Parents Relations, Foundation Relations, and Development Services.

Before arriving at 51�� Arts, Palencia was the Senior Vice President, Chief Development Officer for KCET Public Television Station where she was in charge of Development and Membership for the organization, and was a member of the President’s senior staff. In her role at KCET, Palencia led Member & Viewer Services, Membership, Special Events, Corporate Sponsorship, Individual and Campaign Giving, Foundation Relations, and Development Operations raising $28,000,000 annually.

Prior to joining KCET, Palencia was Senior Development Officer for Art Center College of Design, served as Director of Community & Fund Development for the Urban Education Partnership—now the Los Angeles Education Partnership—and worked as Government Affairs Manager and Legislative Representative for the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office during both the Richard Riordan and James K. Hahn administrations.

Palencia currently serves on the Board of Directors for Volunteers of America Los Angeles and is a founding member of the Board of Directors for MUSE/IQUE. She previously served as the Vice Chair of the Pasadena Fire Foundation Board and on the City of Pasadena’s Arts & Culture Commission for over 6 years.

She is a graduate of Georgetown University’s Master of Policy Management and Howard University receiving a Bachelors of Arts in History with a minor in Political Science, both institutions located in our nation’s capital.