Executive Board

Clubbed Thumb’s executive board was formed in September, 2002. It meets thrice annually.

• Dorothy Courtney (Secretary) recently retired after more than twenty years as Executive Director of the Richstone Family Center, which works to prevent and treat child abuse, to strengthen families, and promote nonviolent resolution of conflict in families and communities, which serves over 6,000 participants annually in 13 locations with a wide range of programs. Courtney has been a teacher, foreman of the Los Angeles County Grand Jury, a school board member, and a community volunteer focused on children and families. She serves on the regents of Loyola Marymount University and is the Chair of the Board of Governors for the California Community Foundation.

• Leslie Davol is a founder and director of the nonprofit Boston Street Lab, an organization that produces programs for public space. She has a background in the planning, development and management of cultural projects, both large and small. Previously, she served as Assistant Vice President for Memorial, Cultural, and Civic Programs at the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the agency in charge of the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan and the World Trade Center Site following the September 11 attacks. She has worked in New York City museums and as a consultant to Boston nonprofits in the areas of strategic planning, program management, and development. She has a Masters Degree in American Studies from George Washington University. Other organizations she is involved with include the New York-based Place in History (current board member), and the New York State Board for Architecture (former Public Member).

• Arne Jokela is Chief Technology Officer of Fotolog.com, one of world’s most popular websites. Previously, he has held editorial and technology management positions at American Express Publishing, AOL, and Learn Technologies/Voyager Interactive. He co-founded Clubbed Thumb in 1996.

• Pam MacKinnon is an Obie Award winning freelance director based in New York City.  She is a director of new American plays and a frequent interpreter of the plays of Edward Albee.  Favorite recent productions include Bruce Norris’ Clybourne Park (Playwrights Horizons), Rachel Axler’s Smudge (Women’s Project), Bruce Norris’ The Unmentionables (Woolly Mammoth), Itamar Moses’ The Four of Us (MTC and Old Globe), Erin Courtney’s Alice the Magnet (Clubbed Thumb) as well as Edward Albee’s A Delicate Balance (Arena Stage), Peter and Jerry (Second Stage) and Occupant (Signature).  She is a Clubbed Thumb Affiliated Artist and a Drama League alumna.

• Maria Striar (Vice-Chair) See staff.

• David Tecson (Chairman) is President of Edgeworx, which provides production and post services for television, film, and emerging media. Recent work includes the feature films Herbie: Fully Loaded, Conversations With Other Women, The Kid Stays in the Picture, DEBS, MTV’s Trippin, Hedwig and the Angry Inch and a variety of television/advertising work. Previously, David worked as a downtown lighting and set designer and then as Creative Director at CoSA, The Company of Science & Art, where he was an interface designer for After Effects. David is a graduate of Brown University and holds an M.B.A. from the NYU Stern School of Business.

• Laurel Watts (Treasurer) was an associate at the law firm Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen and Hamilton. From 1991-1992 she was a development assistant at En Garde Arts, a New York City site-specific new works theater company. In 1993, she produced two new plays as an independent producer and was the assistant producer for En Garde Arts at the London International Theatre Festival. She has also served on the board of Hausfrau, an NYC theater company. She has a B.A. from Brown University in History and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.