Meet Our Staff

Andrea was appointed to the position of Executive Director in 2016 when the Alaska State Council on the Arts was pursuing legislation to become a public corporation. Previously, she joined the agency in 2006 in the role of Public Art and Visual Arts Program Director. During her tenure as Executive Director, Noble and the ASCA Board of Trustees established the Alaska Cultural Trust in collaboration with the Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation.

Her love for Alaska began in 1998 when she arrived from western Canada and reestablished her teaching career as an arts educator with the Anchorage School District. She attributes a former position as Curator of Art Education at the Anchorage Museum of History and Art as a pivotal career opportunity that brought her to Alaska’s State Arts Agency.

Raised in small and rural communities that valued the arts and cultural expression, Andrea later studied French, Spanish and Japanese languages and competed nationally in Tae Kwon Do. She holds two bachelor’s degrees: Arts Education from University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, and Honors Visual Arts from University of Western Ontario, London, Canada. She serves as an ex officio board member of the Alaska Arts and Culture Foundation whose mission is to support the Alaska State Council on the Arts, and a Trustee on the board of Creative West which serves a broad and diverse region across thirteen western states including the Pacific Islands.

Charlie Sears, a lifelong Alaskan from Anchorage, is the Community Arts Program Director at the Alaska State Council on the Arts (ASCA). His early passion for filmmaking led him to a successful career in the film industry, including work on the film Big Miracle starring Drew Barrymore. With over a decade of experience as a film editor, Charlie has earned a Northwest Regional Emmy®.

In addition to his film career, Charlie is dedicated to supporting the arts and community. He founded a non-profit to bolster independent filmmaking in Alaska and played a pivotal role in raising over a million dollars for the Alaska Children's Hospital. Recognized for his efforts, he was named one of the Top 40 Under 40 by the Alaska Journal of Commerce in 2018. As Community Arts Program Director, Charlie manages grants, supports community arts organizations, and oversees key initiatives like the Alaska Governor's Arts and Humanities Awards.

TeShawn "Tey" was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska, where she completed her education at the University of Alaska Anchorage, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Administration and Business Management with a minor in Dance in 2021. During her college years, she managed her own business as a dance instructor and choreographer at TMAJ Dance Studio, blending her passion for dance with entrepreneurship.

Tey has also worked for the State of Alaska, including at the Public Health Lab, where she contributed to COVID-19 response efforts, and the Department of Transportation, where she managed budgets for various departments. In her free time, she enjoys teaching and performing hip-hop and other dance styles. The rhythm and creative expression of dance are what motivate her to stay active in the art form.