Earlier this year, Hanan Arts elicited the help of the Arts & Business Council of Miami to conduct a board retreat at the lovely Betsy Hotel on South Beach, Miami FL. The Betsy - South Beach has long been a sponsor of Havana Habibi, so we were thrilled to be able to host our first Board Retreat there. The purpose of the retreat was to develop a board and identify the organization’s strategy moving forward while allowing all of our board candidates to meet each other and see how the energy would flow with everyone.

What once was Mideastern Dance Exchange is being renamed Hanan Arts, to better reflect the mission and purpose of Executive Director and Founder, Tiffany “hanan” Madera. The organization has continued to mature over the years, and now, with the support of an amazing group of dedicated women, the organization is ready to move forward with a renewed energy and focus for healing through the arts. This collection of “bad-ass women” have big things planned for the future of Hanan Arts!

Are you interested in joining the Hanan Arts Board? Contact us at info@havanahabibi.com and let’s start a conversation!

Our 2019-20 Board of Directors

Tiffany Madera
Executive Director; Hanan Arts and Havana Habibi Festival

Tiffany “hanan” Madera is an interdisciplinary artist at the intersection of film, dance theatre and ethnographic scholarly writing in concert with her intercultural contemporary dance practice and transnational humanitarian arts entrepreneurship. She is an educator that uniquely juxtaposes activism, social justice, and community engagement with research based and theoretically grounded creative projects. She is the winner of various prestigious grants and awards including a $100,000 Knight Arts Challenge grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and a $100, 000 matching grant from the Ware Foundation. Tiffany Madera holds a Master’s Degree in Latin American and Caribbean Studies from Florida International University and a Master’s Degree in Performance Studies from New York University Tisch School of the Arts. She directs Hanan Arts Inc, Mideastern Dance Exchange, 501c3 and produces, performs and teaches around the world.

Sandy Skelaney
Board Chair; Activist & Advocate

Sandy Skelaney (skuh-lane-ee) is an award-winning Social Venture Consultant and nationally recognized anti-trafficking expert who is passionate about social change, equity, justice, and empowering individuals, communities and organizations to mindfully engage in innovative global transformation.

Celia Cody
Board Secretary; International Field Marketing Manager, Latin America & the Caribbean, Dunkin Brands

Celia is a native New Yorker, but has called the South home since 2000. She’s been in Marketing for the duration of her career, having previously worked in the music industry, television, advertising agencies and finally found her calling with QSR (food service). She’s been with Dunkin’ Brands as a Field Marketing Manager for over 7 years, working on Baskin-Robbins, then managing Markets in the Southeast for Dunkin’ Donuts and is currently overseeing Latin America and the Caribbean. She’s the mother of 4 incredible children, Olivia – 20, Sofia – 16, K.J. – 12 and Zachary – 10. Celia is a graduate of the University of Miami and is an AVID football fan! Celia enjoys watching her beloved Hurricanes and Georgia Bulldogs (as well as NFL Football). She loves to travel, is obsessed with her garden and loves getting lost in a good book. Always improving, Always learning and having Fun along the way!

Alessandra Santos
Board Treasurer; Artist & Healer, Financial Coach

Santos current body of work explores the deconstruction and transformation of manufactured materials metaphorically representing processes of the human psyche, which engage in compartmentalization and reintegration of the aspects of a person’s identity. Her work draws a parallel to her life, where she divides, shifts and reconciles parts of herself: the corporate and the creative. Her work highlights our ability to modify the preconceived, whether it is a material or an identity. Santos was born and raised in Panama. The Former V.P. of Wealth Management for SunTrust Bank, Santos holds an MBA and MFA.

Rebecca Wakefield
Chief of Staff for the City of Miami

Chief of Staff for the City of Miami; Experienced Chief Of Staff with a demonstrated history of working in the government administration industry. Strong community and social services professional skilled in Government, Management, Crisis Communications, Breaking News, Media Relations, and Journalism.

Marie Whitman
Creative Writer

Marie Whitman is a Writer, Performer and Teaching Artist who creates dynamic written and spoken word as well as cross-pollinations of poetry, dance and visual installation. She is an accomplished Director and Producer and Co-Founder of Women Crossing the Line Performance Festival as well as the former Artistic Director and Founder of NOMAC: North Miami Arts Collective.