Executive Team

Marjuan Canady

*Executive Director / Founder*
Marjuan Canady is a Tony Nominated Broadway Producer and award-winning multi-hypendated artist, entrepreneur, educator, cultural worker, literacy advocate, and mom. A DC native with Trinidadian roots, her work spans theater, film, television, children’s media and literature. Marjuan centers her work in the intersectionality of the African Diasporic experience, with a focus on uplifting the narratives of black and brown girls and women. Her original work has been seen on Sensical TV, on Issa Rae’s Hoorae Media, on Sesame Street, at The John F. Kennedy Center, The Smithsonian, The Lincoln Center for Performing Arts, The National Theatre, The Folger Theatre, and the North Carolina Museum of Art. She is the CEO/ Author and Creative Director of the children's media brand, *"Callaloo Kids"*, a children’s media brand that promotes cultural literacy through African Diaspora folklore and food culture through children’s books, animation, live theatre and arts education. In 2023, Canady was awarded the DC Mayor’s Arts Larry Neal Writer’s Award and was also named a “Woman to Watch on Broadway '' by the Broadway Women’s Fund. Marjuan's Co-Producing Broadway credits include Alicia Key’s *“Hell’s Kitchen”, “The WIZ"* and *"Death of a Salesman".* An avid artist-scholar, Canady was selected as the 2021 inaugural Front Row Productions Fellow / Adjunct Research Scholar at Columbia University's MFA Theatre Management and Producing Program. She has held fellowships and residencies at The Kennedy Center, New York Stage and Film, The Schomburg Center, the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute, Lincoln Center, Harlem Stage, the Anacostia Arts Center. Marjuan is a 15-time DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities Artist Fellow. Marjuan is Founder of her production company Sepia Works LLC and her non-profit, the Canady Foundation for the Arts, a cultural arts non-profit that empowers DMV youth of color through arts education, activism, and community outreach. Marjuan is a proud graduate of Duke Ellington School of the Arts and holds her B.A. in Theatre and Africana Studies from Fordham University and her M.A. in Arts Politics from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She is a member of the Producers Guild of America, Actors Equity Association, the Dramatist Guild, and the Parent Artist Advocacy League. When she is not working, she is usually having dance parties with her five year old daughter.

Danyel Watson

*Operations Manager / Program Director*
Danyel Watson is an avid advocate for arts education with a diverse background in all areas of the performing arts. She is a self-taught musician who plays 5 instruments and has taught music lessons for over 13 years. As a performer she has graced the stage at The Kennedy Center along with performances in Germany and Nova Scotia. Since moving to the DMV, she has worked with arts organizations such as The Theatre Lab, The National Children's Chorus,The Fairfax Choral Society and Artstream Inc.She has a Masters in Vocal Performance from James Madison University and a B.A. in Music with a double minor in Theatre and Dance from UNC Charlotte.

Anne Laurie Joseph

Production Associate
Anne Laurie Joseph is a dynamic artist and advocate for equity, blending her talents as a playwright, poet, performer, and musician to create meaningful and transformative work. With a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Music, she serves as the Executive Coordinator for the Theatre Department at Duke Ellington School of the Arts, where she manages communications and operations to support the department’s creative and academic excellence. Anne’s artistic mission centers on amplifying silenced voices, addressing social injustices, and celebrating the multidimensional beauty of diverse communities.

Chanda Jones

*Social Media Manager*
Chanda Jones has over 8 years of professional experience as a social media manager. She has also enjoyed consulting brands, businesses and entrepreneurs in the social media space. Having earned a Master of Science degree in Journalism from Boston University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from Bowling Green State University, Chanda's also a writer. Her most recent feature focused on the lack of funding available for BIPOC women entrepreneurs.

Niya John

*Production Associate*
Niya John is a lighting designer and programmer from P.G. County, Maryland. She holds a B.A in Theatre with a concentration in Production and Design from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. As a lighting designer, Niya relishes in the opportunity to create emotional, contrasting looks while uplifting the work of her fellow designers and artists. Recent projects include I Will Eat You Alive (Philly Fringe), 2024 NYSAF Summer Season, Green Theatre Revolution(UMBC), and Shutter Sisters (1st Stage). Upcoming projects include Sleepova (ALD, Olney Theatre) and The Piano Lesson (ALD, 1st Stage)If she's not in a theatre or tech booth, you can find Niya reading or doing research on owning a pig. Learn more about her at nvjdesigns.com

Jessica Teachey

Summer Camp Director / Youth Improv Event Manager

Jessica F. Teachey, an alumna of Howard University’s School of Business, boasts a youth development career that spans over 20 years focusing on engagement, programs, administration, career readiness and cultural enrichment. She also serves as CFA’s organizational project manager, event coordinator and non-profit consultant based on her working experiences with educational partners/funders such as Learn24, OSSE, DCPS, DOES/SYEP, PGPCS, and the NEA. In regards to the District, Jessica has delivered/executed programming on behalf of EventsDC, OCTFME, Ben’s Chili Bowl Foundation, St. Alban’s Early Childhood Center, The MusicianShip, 7DrumCity, Eaton Hotel, Monumental Sports, the John F. Kennedy Center, HumanitiesDC, and DMPED.

Wendy Toribio, MST, BCBA**

Bilingual Specialist / Lead Education Curriculum Consultant
Wendy is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) who earned her Masters of Science in Teaching (MST) in Early Childhood-Early Childhood Special Education from Fordham University. Wendy Báez is a dedicated special education leader and founder of innovative educational spaces designed to support neurodiverse learners. She specializes in developing and implementing holistic, evidence-based practices that integrate cutting-edge research in education, behavioral science, functional neuroimmunology, and child-centered pedagogy. With expertise in special education curriculum design and instructional leadership, she has successfully led initiatives that improve learning outcomes for children with diverse needs. In addition to her leadership work, Wendy is a college professor in special education, committed to training the next generation of educators in best practices for inclusive and effective teaching. Wendy is currently a Doctoral Candidate in Educational Leadership, Administration & Policy, Fordham University.

Meet THE CFA REP ACTORS

Teaching artists

Naimah Saleem-Mendez

***(Dance Therapy)***

Mrs. Saleem-Mendez is a licensed graduate professional counselor and registered dance/movement therapist with over 5 years of experience in the behavioral health field. She received her B.F.A from the University of Florida, M.S. from Pratt Institute in Dance/Movement Therapy, and M.A. in Mental Health Counseling and Wellness from New York University. Mrs. Saleem-Mendez is passionate about trauma-informed care, creative arts therapy, African American perinatal mental health, and providing services to children and families in Washington DC. Currently, Mrs. Saleem-Mendez facilitates individual and group therapy sessions at a non-profit behavioral health center in Washington, D.C, and D.C. Public Schools.

Shaba Lightfoot
*(Zumba)*

Shaba Lightfoot is a native Washingtonian who steadily builds upon her passion for health and wellness. Yoga, dance fitness and getting out for walks in nature are some of her favorite ways to exercise and have consistently been a part of her regimen. While she has now been a multi-formatted certified fitness instructor for over 5 years, her fitness journey began while in school. She has always believed that an active lifestyle is a key component to achieving one's health and wellness goals. She also wholeheartedly believes that fitness should be fun! With these guiding beliefs at the forefront, she continuously strives to be an instructor who enthusiastically energizes and encourages people of varying ages and backgrounds along their fitness journeys.

Jacqueline Youm
*(Acting)*

Jacqueline is a Senegalese American actor, director, playwright, producer, lawyer, and French|English|Spanish teacher. You can find many of her virtual productions on her Youtube channel CESTJACKIE and/or here: httpshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvd4LWK9h1msuj9oeFXHtng | Instagram: @jy_artiste

Krystal+Butler.jpg — Krystal Butler
*(Dance)*

Krystal is from Washington, DC and began her dance training at Duke Ellington School of the Arts under the direction of Sandra Fortune. Krystal graduated from Long Island University and received scholarships to attend Ailey School, ADF, Earl Mosley Institute for the Arts and Arke' Danza. Krystal was a member of INSPIRIT, a dance company and Forces of Nature Dance Theater. She has toured in Senegal with the theater company, Art Creates Life, performing in the play, Junkanoo and in Europe in the show, MAGNIFICO produced by Andre Heller with choreography by Pilobolus. Krystal has danced with Pilobolus Dance Theater for ten years.