Heather Martin, Founding Director
Lucy Cahill, Chief Operating Officer
Jasdeep Kler, Director of Program Development and Evaluation
Heather Martin, Founding Director
Heather Martin holds a Master’s of Social Work degree from the University of Michigan. Heather has extensive experience in the coordination and management of innovative, creative arts programming. She has facilitated hundreds of creative arts workshops for youth and adults involved and impacted by the criminal justice system. Additionally, she leads training on best-practices for creative arts interventions/collaborations to activate personal transformation and collaboration for community change. Heather founded Youth Arts Alliance in an effort to establish opportunities for creative expression in the juvenile justice system.
Lucy Cahill, Chief Operating Officer
Lucy is a visual artist and former curator and arts administrator living in Detroit, Michigan. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History. Lucy deeply believes in the power art has to foster a strong sense of self and to serve as a vehicle for telling stories both personal and political. She sees art making, educating, and skill sharing as a major way to form meaningful connections both interpersonally and within greater communities. Formerly the Vice President on the Youth Arts Alliance Board of Directors, Lucy has served as the YAA Chief Operating Officer since 2019.
Jasdeep Kler, Director of Program Development and Evaluation
Jasdeep holds a Master’s of Public Health degree from the University of Michigan. As a student, he had the opportunity to work with the Center for Healthy Minds, where he developed a passion for mindfulness. He is now bringing his knowledge and skills working with youth to incorporate trauma-informed mindfulness into his workshops. He is also using his public health background to assist in program development, evaluation, and reporting.