25^th Anniversary Committee Members

Karen Clopton

A lifelong champion of civil and human rights, Commissioner Karen Valentia Clopton serves on the San Francisco Human Rights Commission and is the immediate past Chief Administrative Law Judge for the California Public Utilities Commission. She is currently General Counsel and Vice President of Access and Inclusion for Incendio International and has served as General Counsel for the CPUC, the California Department of Corporations, and the San Francisco State University Foundation. In addition, she was Chief of Operations for the Port of San Francisco and SFSU Foundation. Commissioner Clopton was the first African-American woman President of San Francisco’s Civil Service Commission and the first African-American President of the San Francisco League of Women Voters. A life member of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., she has served in several leadership roles in America’s premier black family organization, including National and Regional Legislative Chair, San Francisco Chapter President, Regional Bylaws Chair, and Regional Nominating Committee and Parliamentarian. A national, state, and local award winner, Commissioner Clopton has been recognized for her leadership, dedication, and commitment to access, fairness, and Inclusion by the American Bar Association, the State Bar of California, SPUR, the California Association of Black Lawyers, and the National Coalition of 100 Black Women SF.

Victoria Erville

Victoria Erville has worn many hats in the theatre world. She was the Education and Outreach Director for Marin Theatre Company and San Francisco Shakespeare Festival. Victoria was also previously the Artistic Director for African-American Shakespeare Company and Women’s Will as well as director and actor at several theatre companies throughout the Bay Area. She is currently focused on writing plays and raising her son.

Morris Karo

My name is Morris Karo and I am recent subscriber to the Company. I am an alum of the University of San Francisco and served in the Marines for seven years currently working for the Federal Government. I am advocate for ending hunger and donate to Feed America. My interest includes music, yoga, travel, and spending time with family and friends. My reasoning for being a subscriber to the company and wanting to join the committee is that I want to assist in any way possible to help bring and continue to bring the creative arts to our community. If we can continue to showcase our artistic talent and discover talent both in front of the house and back of the house, we can ensure that we can tell our story in our way and adapt contemporary works to our vibrant and unique community.

Gregory Markham

Gregory Markham has been an East Bay resident for nearly eighteen years and works as a mechanical engineer by day. He was born and raised in New York City, attended public schools, and completed his college degrees in Massachusetts (undergraduate) and Ohio (part-time graduate while working). In his spare time, Greg enjoys eating vegetarian meals (he has been vegan for over 25 years), weight training, and watching/playing ice hockey. He strives to be a continuous learner, taking a few acting classes in the early 2000s (at UC Berkeley Extension, Berkeley Rep School of Theatre, Studio A.C.T., and Chabot College) as well as a wide variety of liberal arts classes through Stanford Continuing Studies (over the past ten years, up to the present). His connection with the African-American Shakespeare Company (AASC) and many other Bay Area companies such as the Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, has been primarily as an attendee of various AASC performances over many years.

Laurie Reese

Originally from Dumont, New Jersey by way of New York, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica and Palm Springs, Laurie now calls beautiful San Rafael home. Laurie has a background in dance (The Juilliard School), estate managing, personal assistant to the stars, event coordinating, as well as work in casting, film and tv production. Her world travels continue to inspire her love of the culinary and healing arts as well as the pure joy of meeting and embracing all peoples of every culture and sharing lifes stories. Among her many passions (art, theater, cooking and everything Italian!), working with children, the elderly and volunteering bring joy to her heart like nothing else! The Santa Barbara Educational Foundation, Organic Soup Kitchen and the Palm Springs International Film Festival still holds fond memories for her.

Arelia Raenette Sanders

My name is Arelia Raenette Sanders. I am a 62 year old native of San Francisco. I absolutely love my City. I worked for the San Francisco Housing Authority in public housing management for nearly 25 years. I began in 1974 directly out of Mission High School and retired early, due to an injury in 1996. I loved serving the residents of public housing. It enabled me to help others and give back of myself, as I grew up living in the Hunters Point public housing development. I am a mother of two adult children, five grandchildren, and one great grandson, LoeRoyce who calls me GeeGee. My oldest granddaughter is a Author and Playwriter. I love spending time with my family, I love reading, arts, traveling, knitting and sewing. I dance Zumba and Line Dance 3 days a week. I became a subscriber of AASC last year after attending plays during the past couple of years. I am a subscriber of MOAD, Legion of Honors, San Francisco Zoo, and several others.

Sandra Varner

Sandra Varner, Varner PR Agency, Talk2SV Syndicated. Today, with hundreds of celebrity and faith-based interviews to her credit, Sandra Varner has travelled to and from Hollywood and faraway places, amassing a treasure chest of exclusive interviews to red carpet premieres with celebrities, dignitaries and newsmakers. She is the National Online Correspondent for the fastest growing radio syndicate for women of color, 35 and over, Café Mocha Radio broadcast in over 25 US markets, led by cities like New York (WBLS-107.5 FM); Washington, DC (WHUR-96.3 FM); Chicago (WSRB-106.3 FM); and Atlanta (WAMJ-107.5 FM);and Richmond (WKJS/WKJM 99.3/105.7 FM) to name a few. Café Mocha Radio can also be heard on SiriusXM’s HUR Voices Channel 141.