Board of
Directors
Executive Board
Meghann Oakes Rust
President
Meghann (Oakes) Rust has over 30 years of dance experience, particularly in ballet. She grew up in the Walnut Creek area, dancing under the Artistic Direction of Richard Cammack and Zola Dishong Cammack. She was a member of the Contra Costa Ballet’s pre-professional Company for 5 years. During her dancing career, she performed in Balanchine’s Serenade and Stars and Stripes, as well as prominent roles in The Story of the Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Paquita, Etudes, as well as works by Charles Anderson. Meghann also trained with a variety of instructors, including Suki Schorer, Michael Smuin, and Pascale Leroy.
Meghann graduated from the University of California, Irvine, where she earned a BA in Dance and a minor in Education. During her final year at Irvine, she trained under Diane Diefenderfer and received her Pilates Certification from Studio du Corps, Pilates Center of Orange County. She then graduated from Washington University in St. Louis, School of Medicine where she earned her Doctorate of Physical Therapy. Meghann now works as a dancemedicine physical therapist in Walnut Creek, CA and specializes in combining the principles of movement system impairment syndromes (MSI) with Pilates-based physical therapy to treat young athletes, particularly dancers, to aid in their return to sport. She lives in Pleasant Hill with her husband and daughter.
Meghann joined the Vacaville Ballet Company Board of Directors in 2013 and assumed the role of President in 2016.
Kristen Suihkonen Pucher
Secretary - Treasurer
Kristen (Suihkonen) Pucher was one of the original company members when the Vacaville Ballet Company was founded in 1994 continuing throughout high school and even returned to perform with the Company her senior year in college.
After graduating from Vacaville High School, Kristen attended UC Irvine where she received a BA in Dance & Economics and minored in accounting. Kristen then put her minor to good use and, following in her parents’ footsteps, became a CPA. She is currently a senior tax manager at a business management firm in Sherman Oaks and lives in Burbank, CA with her husband (Mike), sons (Teddy and Timmy) and poodle (Penny).
Kristen is thrilled to be on the Board of Directors for the Vacaville Ballet Company and give to the community that was such an important part of her life.
Directors
Andrea Hofmann-Miller
Director
Andrea has been a Graduate School Professor since 1994 and has been working (among other interesting assignments) as a simultaneous interpreter for the Olympic Games since 1996. She was PTO President at Bethany Lutheran School and serves currently on the Library Board at Kairos Public Charter School in Vacaville.
Andrea has lived in Vacaville since 1998. She and her husband, Don, have three daughters who have been involved with the Vacaville Ballet Company since 2002. Andrea joined the Vacaville Ballet Company Board of Directors in 2019.
Katie Long
Director, Prop Supervisor
A highly-experienced fundraiser, Katie has organized and executed charitable events such as triathlons, harvest festivals and a USO Style show at Willis Jepson Middle School. In her work with VBC, she has successfully spearheaded innovative fundraising events such as “VBC Egged My House”.
Katie is a graduate of UC Davis holds a BS in Human Development along with a multi-subject teaching credentials. She taught math at Orinda Intermediate school prior to having children.
Kristin Price
Director
Kristin is a native of Vacaville. She has voluntneered with with Vacaville Youth Soccer, Girls on the Run, and Jepson Music Boosters. Coached Vacaville High School Cheer for the last four years and volunteered in the community with cheer for the City of Vacaville, Loop the Lagoon, and Relay for Life.
Kristin graduated from Sacramento State with her BA in Child Development, and received her MPH from Capella University. Kristin is a Realtor at Realty ONE Group Fox. Kristin still lives in Vacaville with her husband of 21 years and their three teenagers.
Jean Elias
Director of Marketing & Outreach
Jean (De La Torre) Elias was raised in Vacaville and performed as a VBC Soloist during the 1994 – 1995 season. After graduating from Will C. Wood, Jean attended Stanford University where she earned her BA in economics and performed with the Stanford Ballet. During her time at Stanford, Jean expanded her dance education to encompass modern, ballroom and Afro-Brazilian disciplines as well as choreography coursework.
After living over a decade on the East Coast Jean returned to Vacaville with her husband, Bassem to raise their two children. She has served on the VBC Board of Directors since 2016 and is passionate about providing children access to the performing arts.
Carolyn Riley
Director
Lexi Tretten
Director
Lexi (Joyce) Tretten grew up in Vacaville and began dancing with the Vacaville Ballet in 1996 at the age of two. She became a member of the Vacaville Ballet Company in 2008 and continued through high school. Lexi taught lower division ballet classes while in high school and was a returning guest instructor for upper division classes while home on college breaks.
After graduating from Will C. Wood High School, Lexi attended UCLA. Upon graduating in 2016, Lexi earned her degree in Economics and later became a CPA. She currently lives in Alamo, CA with her husband Bret and their beloved pup Scooter.
Lexi excitedly joined the Vacaville Ballet Company Board of Directors in 2023 and has taken on the role of backstage coordinator during the Company’s semi-annual productions. She is overjoyed to once again be involved with the organization that created some of her most cherished childhood memories and developed her passion for dance.
A message from the President
Welcome to Vacaville Ballet Company’s 29th Season! This year has been off to a great start and it’s hard to believe it’s already Nutcracker time! Now in our second school year, we have been overjoyed to see all of our returning families and to welcome so many new families to the Vacaville Ballet Company School. VBC is the proud recipient of the City of Vacaville’s ARPA Non-profit Grant. Through this grant funding, we have been able to offer scholarships to dancers enrolled in our Student Division classes. This tuition assistance has given opportunities to children to explore the world of ballet when cost would have otherwise been prohibitive. Arts education has always held a special place in my heart. Dancers learn so many skills that extend beyond the four walls of a studio. I am thrilled to see VBC working toward this part of its mission. If your dancer is interested in ballet, be sure to ask about our scholarship program – we have lots of funds to distribute!
Kristen and I are so proud of the growth our production of The Nutcracker has seen this year. We have doubled the number of performers from last year and we are especially excited about our brand new growing tree! We’d like to thank each performer for your hard work over the past 3 months – we’re so proud of your accomplishment and watching you come alive on stage brings us such joy. Thank you to every volunteer who has tirelessly helped make this production possible. And thank YOU – our audience for supporting these young dancers and celebrating the magic with us this holiday season!
I wish you all a December full of cheer and happiness and I can’t wait for all the excitement the New Year brings!
Happy Holidays!
~ Meghann Oakes Rust