our staff

  • Luis Ruiz

    Managing Director

    Luis (he/him) is a transplant from the garlic capitol of the world, Gilroy, California. He has experience on stage and behind the curtain, helping artists and professionals become prepared for what they do best. He was the Director of Guest Relations for several seasonal events across California for six years. His many roles consisted of resource allocation for artists, managing venue space for thousands of visitors, event and finance planning. He is currently going to school and working part-time at one of our local hospitals. Luis enjoys creative writing and spending time with his two cats.

  • Jackie Hayes

    Founder, Administration

    Jackie (she/her) founded the Center for Performing Arts in 1995 and is part of the team that manages the CFPA community.  An artist, educator, and administrator, she works in a variety of capacities including artistic development, outreach, and strategic planning. A practicing artist of Armenian descent, her most recent work explores ceremony, movement and text. Jackie has a PhD in Performance Studies from NYU and  has led and taught in higher education and non-profit educational organizations for many years.