Jim Atkinson | Program Manager
email: jatkinson@jerseyarts.com
phone: 609.479.3377 ext. 304

Jim Atkinson has been active in New Jersey’s cultural community for more than a decade and has been involved in the Discover Jersey Arts program since its early days of research and development. As Program Manager he is responsible for the overall development of the project and oversees the implementation of its many initiatives.  He currently serves on several committees dedicated to enhancing cultural participation including the New Jersey Network "State of the Arts" Advisory Committee, New Jersey Poetry Out Loud Committee and the Friends of the Westmont Theater. He has also presented extensively throughout the region on a variety of topics associated with broadening audiences for the arts.

Prior to coming to New Jersey, Jim was a fixture of the Philadelphia arts and music scene having worked at WXPN-FM Public Radio, The Theatre of Living Arts and Black Irish Productions, during which time he was involved with a variety of major events including the Philadelphia Festival of World Cinema, Penn’s Landing’s Singer-Songwriter Weekend, WXPN's New Music Showcase, Lollapalooza '93 Tour and Philadelphia AIDS Walk.

Jim holds a BA in Communications from Arcadia University and is a graduate of the Antonelli Institute of Art.  He loves to travel and is an avid film buff with a weakness for good wine.  He currently lives with his wife Heather in Haddon Township, NJ.

Jonathan Elliott | Marketing & Communications Associate
email: jelliott@jerseyarts.com
phone: 609.479.3377 ext. 303

Jonathan Elliott is thrilled to have recently joined the Discover Jersey Arts program staff, having worked for a number of arts organizations throughout the state and east coast including McCarter Theatre Center, The Association of Performing Arts Presenters, The Contemporary American Theater Festival and Sycamore Rouge. Most recently he helmed The Good Guys Arts Solutions, a producing consultancy firm dedicated to helping early-career artists develop sustainable business, marketing, and fundraising platforms.

As Marketing & Communications Associate, Jonathan will be playing a key role in the implementation of the program's various initiatives aimed at increasing cultural participation. He will also be overseeing content development for JerseyArts.com and managing the program's various new media initiatives.

Jonathan holds a BA in English and Classics from The College of New Jersey, and a Master's Degree in Arts Management from Virginia's George Mason University. A self-professed media omnivore, he specializes in implementation and refinement of Web 2.0 media in the arts.

Cynthia Barthole | Membership & Development Associate
email: cbarthole@jerseyarts.com
phone: 609.479.3377 ext. 301

Cynthia Barthole started her career as an intern and Box Office Assistant at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, NJ. As Membership & Development Associate, Cynthia is in charge of processing membership requests and assisting in fundraising and development efforts associated with the program. She also plays a key role in coordinating the efforts of the regional Jersey Arts Marketers (JAM) and oversees the daily operations of several key JAM initiatives, including the Jersey Arts List Cooperative and Jersey Arts Gift Card.

Cynthia is a graduate of Mercyhurst College, holding a BA in Dance, and is currently enrolled at Drexel University as a candidate for an MS in Arts Administration. Her hobbies include traveling, spending time with friends, yoga, and thesis writing. She currently resides at the Jersey Shore.

Emily Ambash | Web Content & Promotions Coordinator
email: eambash@jerseyarts.com
phone: 609.479.3377 ext. 302

Emily Ambash joins the Discover Jersey Arts team as an arts enthusiast with a long history of web development. As a recent graduate of Bryn Mawr College with a BA in English and Theater, a web designer since the age of 11, a creative writer, and a recent marketing intern at The Wilma Theater in Philadelphia, Emily enjoys dynamic performance concepts, new media, and communication. She is thrilled to take on the Web Content & Promotions Coordinator position, a role that will require a dedication to promoting NJ arts events, a willingness to engage the public through JerseyArts.com, and a creative eye for keeping the site vibrant and up to date.

Emily brings to the position a love for communication, an interest in edgy, educational, and nontraditional plays and films, and a strong comfort level in graphic and web design programs. She is excited for the opportunity to help serve the Jersey Arts Marketers (JAM), coordinate the Discover Jersey Arts Street Team, and work on social media development. A native of eastern Massachusetts, Emily recently moved to Collingswood, NJ, where she plans to indulge in her love for coffee, dogs, moose, and round spaces.

Michelle Snyder | Marketing Intern
email: msnyder@jerseyarts.com
phone: 609.479.3377

Michelle Snyder is excited to begin her professional career with the Discover Jersey Arts team as she works to complete her BA in Interactive Multimedia and Theater from The College of New Jersey. As the office intern, she will be leaning and assisting in any and all aspects of Discover Jersey Arts' operations, with her focus being the artistic redesign of several of the websites subsections.

She has been deeply involved in the performing community since the age of three, developing her reputation as a Jill-of-all-trades in production, cast and crew, most recently exploring her success at musical comedy.

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