Makayla Santiago- Froebel joins as the arts marketing specialist, having more than 10 years of experience working in arts and cultural institutions. Her previous worked at Chautauqua includes roles in dance and ticketing operations, and. She was most recently employed as the communications and development coordinator at the Center for Elder Law & Justice in Buffalo, New York, and as the development associate at Mark Morris Dance Group in Brooklyn, New York. In addition, her tenure includes communications and development experience from Frank Lloyd Wright’s The Martin House, Canisius College, Chautauqua Regional Youth Ballet, and serving as house manager and ticketing agent for SUNY Fredonia’s Rockefeller Arts Center.   

With a passion for lifting the voices of those so often left unheard, Makayla founded the Chatty Carmens podcast in 2020 with a simple vision, that female-identifying change-makers of color deserve a platform to share their stories.  

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business with a concentration in Music Business and a Bachelor of Art in Arts Administration with a concentration in Communication from the State University at Fredonia.  She also holds a Master of Science in Communication & Leadership, Nonprofit Organizational Behavior from Canisius College. In addition, she holds the Diversity & Inclusion Certification from Cornell University and is excited to infuse all she has learned into decision-making and communication strategies. She is a board member of the CREATE Project in Dunkirk, New York, and the vice president of the board at Infinity Visual & Performing Arts in Jamestown, New York.