Meet our Staff!
dr. emma hadley, PhD; Executive Director
Dr. Emma Hadley has been in education for 30 years, teaching primarily in colleges and universities. She completed her BA (Summa Cum Laude) in interpersonal communication, theatre and literature, and MA in interpersonal communication and theatre both, from the University of Buffalo, and her Doctorate in communication rhetoric, technology and multiculturalism from Nova Southeastern University. Over the years she has been involved in theatre and the performing arts as a performer, director, costume designer, and set/light technician. She has worked with high school theatre programs and community theatre, has been the voice and diction coach to a college forensics team, drama adviser for high school programs, and has taught oral interpretation, basic acting, theatre history, and technical theatre. Dr. Hadley recently established St. George’s Players, a community theatre troupe in Glenn Dale, Maryland, and sings with the Central Maryland Chorale. Since relocating to Maryland emma has directed Godspell, Children of Eden, Free to be You & Me, The Bible: The Complete Word of God Abridged, The Fantastiks, and Company, Noises Off, and In teh Beginning. She lives in Lanham with her partner Connie, and has two sons- Jeremy (married to Janis) and Kyle, and a cutie-petutie grrrrson – Aiden. emma is grateful to the staff of the Charis Center for the time and talent they all contribute.
Sara Riley; Art Instructor & AESOP Coordinator
Sara Riley is the Aftercare Coordinator at the Charis Center for the Arts. She is also the art instructor for both aftercare and home school students. Sara graduated from Prince George's Community College in May 2011 with an A.A. degree in General Studies/Art. While studying at PGCC, she participated in several Student Art Shows. She placed 2nd in the drawing category in the fall of 2009 and 1st place in the watercolor category in the spring of 2011. Previously, Sara worked as an art teacher for A Place for Everyone, a program for home schooled students. She taught arts-and-crafts with young kids as well as basic drawing and painting classes to high school ages. Sara graduated from the Science and Technology Program at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in 2007. She swam on the varsity swim team at Roosevelt for four years. Since the summer of 2007 she has been the coach of the College Park Woods Swim Team in the Prince-Mont Swim League. Sara hopes to further enrich the lives of the kids at the Charis Center by not only educating them but by helping them explore their creativity through visual arts.
Danielle Hutchinson; Drama Instructor & Literacy Teacher
Dannielle Hutchinson is a former English and Drama teacher for Prince George's County Public Schools. Her additional credits include Assistant Stage Management work with MetroStage theatre in Alexandria, VA. Along with being an educator and stage manager, she is also a performer. Her most recent stage credits include Active Cultures Theatre and the DC Black Theatre Festival 2011. In addition to these credits, she has also done wig design for His Eye is on the Sparrow (MetroStage). The Arts is an experience that she believes all persons should partake.
James Kavinski; Music Instructor
James Kavinski recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music with a bachelors degree in Film Scoring. He has been involved in music since elementary school age and has studied many different styles of music and various instruments including numerous forms of
percussion, piano and guitar. As student leader, he lead the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School Marching Band's percussion section to an all-state title in the fall of 2006. His original composition for wind ensemble "Midnight" debuted to a packed audience in the spring of 2007. At the beginning of 2008 he began composing for the webcast children's show "Grace Place Kids" for which he continues to compose. In the fall of 2010 he wrote the original score to the independent film "Origin" which is set to debut at the Carroll County Arts center January 20th 2012. James has an extremely passionate devotion towards music and is constantly striving to spread his knowledge to eager
minds.
percussion, piano and guitar. As student leader, he lead the Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School Marching Band's percussion section to an all-state title in the fall of 2006. His original composition for wind ensemble "Midnight" debuted to a packed audience in the spring of 2007. At the beginning of 2008 he began composing for the webcast children's show "Grace Place Kids" for which he continues to compose. In the fall of 2010 he wrote the original score to the independent film "Origin" which is set to debut at the Carroll County Arts center January 20th 2012. James has an extremely passionate devotion towards music and is constantly striving to spread his knowledge to eager
minds.
Owen Adams - Music
Owen joined the Charis Center for the Arts in our inaugural year, teaching song writing and music theory. After a leave of absence to complete his music degree at the University of Maryland - College Park we are pleased to have Owen back in the the mix. has been studying classical piano since the age of 6. He has been composing music in his own new style from a very young age and is studied with the head of the University of Maryland school of music, Dr. Robert Gibson, as a music composition major. As a senior in high school, Adams won first place in the Maryland State piano competition and 30 consecutive 1st place awards in regional competitions. Adams is always composing, recording, and producing his original music in his home studio, or rehearsing with his band. He is planning on composing for film, recording with top artists as a session musician, and is developing a marketing strategy for his band's music.