Meet Our Team

Leadership Team

Elizabeth Yang-Hellewell (She/Her)
Executive Director + CEO
eyanghellewell@thinkplaycreate.org

Gabrielle Wyrick (She/Her)
Chief Curator + Director of Audience Engagement
gwyrick@thinkplaycreate.org

Rebekah J. Hook-Held (She/Her)
Chief Strategic Advancement Officer
rhookheld@thinkplaycreate.org

Administration + Finance

Anneka Van Dongen (She/Her)
Controller
avandongen@thinkplaycreate.org

Cat D’Camp (She/Her)
Accounting Manager
cdcamp@thinkplaycreate.org

Erin Shaner (She/Her)
Assistant to the CEO / Special Projects Manager
eshaner@thinkplaycreate.org

Philanthropy + Membership

Lynn Basquez (She/Her)
Senior Grant Writer
lbasquez@thinkplaycreate.org

Katherine Fortier (She/Her)
Corporate + Foundation Relations Manager
kfortier@thinkplaycreate.org

Lauren Hartz (She/Her)
Assistant Manager
Membership + Annual Giving
membership@thinkplaycreate.org

Education + Exhibitions

Kurosh Yahyai (He/Him)
Studios Manager
kyahyai@thinkplaycreate.org

Matt Picon (He/Him)
Exhibitions + Fabrication Manager
mpicon@thinkplaycreate.org

Iyari Arteaga (She/Her)
Community Resources Manager
iarteaga@thinkplaycreate.org

Visitor Experience

Hannah Mykel (She/Her)
Manager of Engagement
hmykel@thinkplaycreate.org

Brittney DeVeau (She/Her)
Assistant Manager of Engagement

Event Services

Liz Zajd (She/Her)
Events Manager
lzajd@thinkplaycreate.org

Marketing + Communications

Mariano Diaz (He/Him)
Content Marketing Manager
mdiaz@thinkplaycreate.org

Facilities + Operations

Craig Winters (He/Him)
Director of Facilities
cwinters@thinkplaycreate.org

Menelik Bluitt (He/Him)
Security

Martin Villagomez (He/Him)
Maintenance Lead

5 North Reduced Lanes Due to Construction this Weekend

Northbound I-5 will be reduced to one lane through downtown San Diego from Friday 9/29 to Monday 10/2. Motorists are encouraged to use the Northbound 15. We are also accessible via the Trolley Green Line at the Convention Center stop.

Please plan accordingly!