CAPE staff members come from a variety of professional and artistic backgrounds, including visual, performing, and digital arts. They bring a unique blend of talents and a strong commitment to arts integration to their work. For staff directory, click here.

Amy Rasmussen, Executive Director
Amy Rasmussen, Executive Director
Amy is an experienced arts administrator, strategic planner, marketer and fundraiser. She holds degrees from DePaul University and Columbia College Chicago. Named a Champion of Change for Arts Education by President Obama! She plays oboe, flute, alto sax and guitar and has a passion for chamber music.
Teju Adesida, Assoc. Dir. of Education
Teju Adesida, Assoc. Dir. of Education
Teju holds a B.A. and M.A. in Communications from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, and a Ph.D. in Performance Studies from Northwestern University. She is also the artistic director of Fehinty African Theatre Ensemble, a company founded by African immigrants in Chicago.
Mark Diaz, Assoc. Dir. of Education
Mark Diaz, Assoc. Dir. of Education
Mark oversees in-school arts integration programs and CAPE Exhibitions, supporting teacher- and teaching-artist partnerships to expand pedagogical arts practice. Mark is an artist and educator who received an MFA from U of Illinois at Chicago.
Brandon Phouybanhdyt, Program Coordinator
Brandon Phouybanhdyt, Program Coordinator
Brandon liaises with teachers and artists and manages professional development workshops for CAPE’s in-school programs. He holds a B.A. in Art History, as well as certificates in computer science, gender and women’s studies, and digital studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Hannah Martin, Program Coordinator
Hannah Martin, Program Coordinator
As Program Coordinator, Hannah assists with CAPE’s After School Programs and professional development workshops in West Chicago. Hannah is an alumna from West Chicago Community High School. She holds a B.S. in Arts Administration and B.A. in Chinese Languages and Cultures from Butler University.
Noé Cuéllar, Research Program Coordinator
Noé Cuéllar, Research Program Coordinator
Noé assists in CAPE’s research and after school programs. As a CAPE Artist/Researcher, he has offered listening appreciation lessons and activities to K-12 students. Noé holds a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and a joint MA in Media Arts Cultures between Danube University Krems (Austria), Aalborg Universitet (Denmark), and Uniwersytet Łódzki (Poland).
Grace Philion, Program Coordinator
Grace Philion, Program Coordinator
As Program Coordinator, Grace works with CAPE teachers and partners to provide administrative support for CAPE's After-School Programs. Grace received her BSBA from Washington University in St. Louis with majors in Organization and Strategic Management and Political Science as well as a minor in Dance.
Jenny Heyden, Development Officer
Jenny Heyden, Development Officer
Jenny Heyden returns to CAPE with 15 years of nonprofit fundraising and communications experience, following her 12 years as a veteran teaching artist with CAPE. She holds a B.A. in German Lit. and Studio Art from Oberlin College and an M.S. in Nonprofit Management from the UWM Helen Bader Institute of Philanthropy.
Michelle Green Arnson, Communications Consultant
Michelle Green Arnson, Communications Consultant
Michelle helps CAPE achieve strategic goals for marketing, communications, and development through the planning, creation, and analysis of public events, donor engagement, and multimedia materials. She holds a B.S. in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas and an M.A. in Art Education from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.