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 Director 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 Poetry Out Loud Committee, 2011 NJ Governor's Conference on Tourism Plannning Committee and 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, Philadelphia AIDS Walk, and March of Dimes WalkAmerica.
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 and daughter Zoe in Haddon Township, NJ.
Jonathan Elliott is thrilled to be a part of 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 Manager, Jonathan manages the implementation of the program's various initiatives aimed at increasing cultural participation. He also oversees content development for JerseyArts.com and management of 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.
A playwright and screenwriter, Jonathan is also a member of the Writer's Guild of America, East, and the creator of the made-for-web television series NeverLanding.
The newest addition to the Discover Jersey Arts program staff, Kelly joins the team as Membership Manager. Having previously worked at the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, she is thrilled to bring to the position her experience in the arts and cultural sector in southern New Jersey and the tri-state area, and a great passion for supporting local visual and folk arts and historic preservation efforts.
Kelly will be the primary contact for all individual Jersey Arts Members, as well as organizational Jersey Arts Marketers (JAM) members. She is also excited to facilitate and develop the Jersey Arts List Exchange & Audience Census project, and looks forward to helping the program reach its goal of one million households in its cultural database.
Kelly earned a BFA with a concentration in Interior Design from Arcadia University in 2006. She studied design at the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland and has traveled all over the US, UK and Europe. Originally from Wenonah, NJ, Kelly is now a resident of Collingswood, NJ. She has freelance experience in web and graphic design.
Emily Ambash joins the Discover Jersey Arts team as an arts enthusiast with a long history of web development. As a graduate of Bryn Mawr College with a BA in Theater and English, a web designer since the age of 11, a creative writer, and an actor, Emily enjoys dynamic performance concepts, new media, and communication. She is thrilled to have taken on the Web Content & Promotions Coordinator position, a role that requires 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's longtime devotion to the imaginative possibilities of the web, combined with her curiosity in language and design, has led her to develop a keen focus on the interactive and online experience of the arts. Emily brings to the position a love for communication; an interest in edgy, educational, and nontraditional plays, films, and art installations; and a strong comfort level in graphic and web design protocols and programs. While interning at The Wilma Theater, Emily also developed a strong sense of marketing and brand implementation.
She is excited for the opportunity to work on social media development, implement seasonal marketing and ad campaigns, serve the Jersey Arts Marketers (JAM), and help strengthen a voice and look for the arts organizations of New Jersey. A native of eastern Massachusetts, Emily recently moved to Collingswood with her husband Chris, where she prefers to indulge in her love of coffee, dogs, moose, and round spaces.
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 Director 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 Poetry Out Loud Committee, 2011 NJ Governor's Conference on Tourism Plannning Committee and 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.
Jonathan Elliott is thrilled to be a part of 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. 
The newest addition to the Discover Jersey Arts program staff, Kelly joins the team as Membership Manager. Having previously worked at the Arts & Business Council of Greater Philadelphia, she is thrilled to bring to the position her experience in the arts and cultural sector in southern New Jersey and the tri-state area, and a great passion for supporting local visual and folk arts and historic preservation efforts.
Emily Ambash joins the Discover Jersey Arts team as an arts enthusiast with a long history of web development. As a graduate of Bryn Mawr College with a BA in Theater and English, a web designer since the age of 11, a creative writer, and an actor, Emily enjoys dynamic performance concepts, new media, and communication. She is thrilled to have taken on the Web Content & Promotions Coordinator position, a role that requires 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.
