Paul Abegg is Director of Strings at Dixie State College where he teaches violin and viola, coaches string chamber music, and conducts the Dixie State Symphony Orchestra. He holds degrees from Michigan State and Brigham Young Universities. Dr. Abegg has presented master classes at Eastern Washington University, Whitworth College, Western Kentucky University, Utah Valley University, and Brigham Young University Idaho and served as an adjudicator at numerous competitions and festivals in Arizona, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Utah, and Washington. His students have won awards and have graduated to attend prestigious music schools. As concertmaster of the Southwest Symphony he brings the experience of playing with Utah, Phoenix, Lansing, Ballet West, Kalamazoo, and Spokane Symphonies. His summers are spent teaching at the New England Music Camp in Maine.

Sheila Bailey began her dance studies in St. George with Diane Hafen. As a scholarship student at Southern Utah University, she danced with Burch Mann’s American Folk Ballet. During her performing career as a soloist with the Arizona Ballet Theatre of Tucson she began her teaching career at the Stephanie Stigers School of Ballet, Pima Community College. Sheila taught all forms of dance at the Dancenter North, a Performing Arts School in Chicago. Sheila has continued her dance education with the University of Illinois through her 18-year membership in the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters. Sheila Bailey is currently serving on the St. George City Arts Commission and is director of the newly formed St. George Ballet Company and producer of the Nutcracker Ballet given every year for the Southern Utah community. Sheila established Westside Studio of Performing Arts in 1992 and has been teaching dance for over 20 years. She has directed performing groups, Ballet Bravo and ProStreet Entertainment (commercial work groups). She is actively involved in the community locally as well as the dance community nationally. Her work and involvement has been in the areas of dance instructor, choreographer, providing direction and instruction for many workshops in Utah, Nevada and Arizona, as well as master classes in training teachers. Through the years her students have contributed their time and talents in many community events. Community leaders know they can rely on Sheila Bailey to produce a good performance for any event she accepts because her students are trained technically and to perform. As the Founder, Director and an Instructor at Westside Studio Sheila is known for her charismatic charm, love for her students, ability to relate to the needs of each student and her continual quest for learning. Many of the teachers in the Southern Utah area and throughout the United States can thank Sheila for the coaching and support they received from her. She is a great asset to St. George as she instills in her students the importance of “sharing your art and supporting your community”.

Gail Bunker was appointed to the City Council on April 8, 2004. She has a varied art background in dance, choreography, piano and organ and has worked at Dixie State College in Cultural Activities since 1985. She is the Concert Manager for Celebrity Concert Series, the Tanner Amphitheater Summer Series and is Executive Director of the Southwest Symphony Orchestra and Chorale. Gail has served on several state and local panels including President of Utah Presenters, President of the Southwest Guild for the Performing Arts; Chair of the Southern Utah Folklife Festival; co-chair of the Zion Canyon Jazz and Art Festival; Board member of the Homeowners Magazine publication; Cancer Gala committee; member of the Utah Arts Council Change Leader program. She is currently the treasurer for Utah Presenters, Finance Chair of the CCS Guild; a member of the DSC Development Committee and member of the DSC Public Relations panel. City Council assignments include the St. George Arts Commission, the Dinosaur Discovery Site advisory board, Pioneer Center for the Arts and the St. George Historic Committee. She loves living in Dixie with its breathtaking beauty, climate and the friendliness and warmth of the people. She feels the main challenge facing the city is sensitivity and sustainability in managing growth and in balancing development and the environment. She wants to work hard to see that growth does not compromise the things that make this area so special. She wants to see newcomers welcomed as part of the community not isolated within it and businesses established that encourage people to live and work in the community. Gail is involved in her church and has served in many capacities including Stake and Ward Relief Society President, Young Women President and Primary President among others. She is married to R. Lynn Bunker, a retired businessman who was a member of the Board of Trustees for Vegas Village in Las Vegas, Nevada. They are parents to twelve children whom they adore.

Kathy Cieslewicz serves as the art curator for the Dixie State College, Sears Art Museum. She received an associate's degree from Dixie State College and a Bachelor's degree in art from Southern Utah State University. Most recently, Kathy was invited to create an installation artwork for the St. George Art Museum’s Zion exhibit. She has won many awards, shown work at the Springville Art Museum, and as she continues to pursue her own art, she promotes the growth and development of artists and the art community in Southern Utah.

Ferron Holt was born and raised in Southern Utah in the small town of Enteprise. From an early age he developed talents and set goals to become involved in music in his life. Graduating with honors from Enterprise High School and College from Southern Utah State University with Degrees in Music Education in Instrumental and Choral Teaching he included a Spanish major and a Masters of Education with Public Education Administration Endorsement from Utah State University. Education was broken up with a stint during the Vietnam War with the US Army where he served as a Sargent in a Rifle Squad in the 3rd Infantry and as an Assistant Drill Sargent at Ft. Lewis Washington. After college graduation, his first teaching assignment was with Millard County Schools where he directed the growth of a small band into a major part of the curriculum at Delta Middle and High Schools. Coming to Washington County in 1980 he began teaching band at Dixie Jr. High School. He has been a part of the tremendous growth in the area that now has 43 public education schools. After 25 years of teaching music he accepted the offer to coordinate all of the Fine Arts for the school district. For the past 8 years with the help of superior teachers, supportive administrators and parents that want quality Arts Education, he has been a part of one of the strongest Fine Arts Teaching Teams in the State of Utah. Many Awards have come their way including Music, Art and Drama Teachers of the year, Arts Administrators of the year for the State of Utah and the Western United States. State and National recognition have been received for outstanding Fine Arts Programs developed in Public Education. Superior achievement of students recognized regionally, statewide and nationally show the excellence that has developed in the Fine Arts Classroom Instruction. With all of this growth has come the opportunity to be involved in many start-up special interest Arts Committees and Associations. He enjoys lending a hand in these groups representing not only the school fine arts programs but also his love of the area and the contribution that quality Fine Arts Activities can have on our quality of life. Although he and his wife Linda, 5 children and 13 grandchildren all reside in Washington City, he has served on the St. George City Arts Council since its early beginnings representing the fine arts education system in the Washington County Schools.

Jodi McGregor has had 30 years of professional commercial and fine art painting experience. After studying fine art and art history at Utah State University, she studied in France and lived there for several years, where her career as an artist really took off. She found herself being commissioned by the French to create works of art for families and places of business. Armed with an extensive portfolio, she moved back to the States where she settled in Las Vegas for eight years, painting murals and fine art for world-renown casinos, celebrities and the elite. She was spotlighted two years in a row for “Exclusively Las Vegas” in conjunction with the Andre Agassi Foundation. Now in St. George, she has the privilege of having a clientele base that includes the nicest people on Earth.

Rich Panessa was appointed to the City of St. George Arts Commission in early 2009. He has been a resident of St. George since retiring from a natural gas and power distribution company in New York City in 2005. His main duties were to coordinate Emergency Responses to all incidents including threats of terrorism prior to, and after the final attack on The World Trade Center. Rich is a U.S. Navy veteran and served as Gun Fire Control Specialist until 1973. He and his wife, Sheila, have been married for 37 years and have two children who still reside in New York. Rich has been an active member and is the current president of the Southern Utah Songwriters Association, which is the hub for songwriters, vocalists, musicians, and performers of all genres. As a member of the St. George “Dixie” Elks Lodge #1743, he has provided some of the lodge entertainment over the last several years. Rich also hosts a weekly program, "The American Dream", on KTIM 101.9 FM, Environmentally Friendly Radio, a community station that features a wide variety of music from around the world while providing education and programs to stimulate public awareness of environmental and energy conservation issues. His show is all about country music but also places an emphasis on SUSWA and area talent which includes live interviews and playing the music of local artists. Panessa submits a monthly column published by The Spectrum for “The Writer’s Group, conducts a weekly "open mic" in St. George and still finds time to write song lyrics to add to his catalog. He coordinates seasonal concerts at Ancestor Square, to raise public awareness and access to local musicians who entertain at “Downtown Thursday Night”, in Kayenta, concerts at the “Downtown Square”, for the St. George Arts Festivals, Washington County Fair, and many others throughout Southern Utah. Rich has also helped coordinate and produce the latest two-CD project released by SUSWA in 2008 featuring original songs by local artist and followed by a series of concerts. As a member of NSAI and BMI, Panessa often “pitches” songs to Nashville and remains confident that music publishing and production may be on the horizon as a booming new industry for St. George.

Shane Prine was appointed to the St. George Arts Commission in March 2008. He currently teaches in the Visual Technologies and Art Departments at Dixie State College, where he has been since 2006. Prior to landing in Saint George, Shane was completing his MFA in drawing and photography at Washington State University. Originally from the southeast (GA), Shane received a BA in Art from Valdosta State University then moved on to Nashville, TN. There, he cut his teeth as an artist, graphic designer and art director with a wide variety of experiences in advertising and music-industry design before beginning to teach as an adjunct design and photography professor at various educational institutions in the area. After his first semester in the classroom, he was hooked on teaching and the intrinsic benefits that come with the discipline of showing others how to learn.

Summer Robertson serves as Chair. She is originally from St. George, UT and has returned to her hometown after spending ten years on the east coast, primarily in New York City. She received a BFA in Contemporary Dance from the North Carolina School of the Arts and an MA in Dance Education from Columbia University. In 2001, she founded Summer & Company, an innovative group that presents witty and memorable work which has been seen at various New York City venues. Summer was a member of the Michael Mao Dance Company and the Avila/Weeks Dance Company. She has danced with the David Parsons Dance Company in the Millennium Celebration at Times Square, with Karla Wolfangle for Paul Taylor’s 70th birthday celebration at Jacob’s Pillow, and as a guest artist with Janis Brenner & Dancers at the Alvin Ailey School. Summer is excited to return to Southern Utah and is continuing her creative work by teaching modern dance at Dixie College and coordinating the annual St. George Contemporary Dance Concert.