Meet The Board

Rebecca Griffin has resided in the Conejo Valley for nearly twenty-five years, during which time she has worked as a teacher and a real estate broker. She has
served on the Conejo Valley Art Museum Board of Directors in the capacity of Secretary, Vice President and currently serves as President. She is steadfast in her belief that a community with the population and demographics of the Conejo Valley deserves a permanent art museum.

She is certain that art expression is important for cultural connections and community enrichment. She also feels that art expression is essential for mental well-being, sighting recent studies showing that regardless of artistic skill art can play a significant roll in stress reduction and self discovery.

Rebecca has been painting with the mediums of oil, water color and gouache since a teenager and considers herself a studied portraiture artist. She most admires artists John Singer Sargent, Mary Cassatt and Richard Schmid.

Mindy Dorfman has lived in the Conejo Valley for over 40 years. She is an unbiassed supporter of art in all forms and her understanding and appreciation of artistic expression is instinctive and always highly
creative in her ideas and theory.

Currently, as Creative Beverage and Event Director at Liquid Catering, she continues to assist clients in all their full-service beverage needs creating lifetime memories with event planning and custom Specialty Cocktails for their events. Serving Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange
counties.

For over 20 years, Mindy served as Executive chef and owner of Culinary Performance, a catering concept. Taking event planning from inception through menu, décor and logistic elements for so many memorable and creative events. It’s a Mind D, One-of-a-Knd Jewelry and Accessories, she designed with vintage and antique elements. Always staying engaged in the arts. During Covid, she created the “Sidewalk Masters”, a series of the Master's Artwork on panels on the sidewalk for the community to enjoy.  From Picasso to Magritte, all were featured in the drawings. Always raising the awareness for art appreciation.

Not surprising that she continues the legacy of her Mom,
Jane Brooks, who passed in 2016. Jane was Commissioner for the Arts for the City of Thousand Oaks. She was instrumental in launching the Conejo Rabbits Public Art Project in 2004. She believed that art and creativity would engage the community in this
public art project. This program came to fruition, in her honor, with the very first Conejo Rabbit painted by world renown artist, Hassam Abrashmi. The Conejo Rabbit was placed in the park outside the TO Civic Arts Plaza. This program now has a vibrant and creative place

here in our community and sponsored by Art Trec. Many Conejo Rabbits are now located in local parks, businesses and public spaces, bringing joy and color to the city. Mindy is proud to have participated in
making her dream a reality.

Mindy continues to paint with tremendous creative expression at the Conejo Valley Adult School painting One-of-a-Kind jackets and paintings under the direction of Barbara Shannon, a true Conejo Valley local
treasure in the arts. Mindy looks forward to implementing creative initiatives, curating art programs and raising awareness and appreciation for the arts in the community. She currently serves as Vice President at the Conejo Valley Art Museum, CVAM.

Lydija Kazlas is a retired professional with 35 years of experience in print production. She served as a Senior Manager, leading global teams across various industries, including telecommunications, design, brand identity, packaging, and magazines. Most recently, she worked for over 16 years in the Nokia Design Technical Graphics Departments in Calabasas, Finland, and London, with her final year spent at Microsoft following their acquisition of Nokia.

Now, after ten years of volunteering as a hospice caregiver on weekends at the West Los Angeles Veterans Hospital through Compassion in Action, Lydija enjoys studying art history, exploring watercolor painting, and volunteering in her Thousand Oaks community. She is actively involved with the Conejo Valley Art Museum and serves as a docent at the Stagecoach Inn Museum.

John Griffin is a retired entrepreneur, attorney and university professor. After securing a degree in
engineering he worked as an airline flight attendant. It was during those years he developed an
appreciation for the arts by visiting iconic museums around the world. He now serves as the Treasurer
for three local non-profit organizations. He has a deep connection with many throughout the Conejo
Valley and Ventura County as a result of his having taught over 2,500 students in business courses at the
local state university and through his community organizing activities around social and environmental
causes. He believes that creative expressions of art bring people together in ways that make their
communities stronger and more vibrant.

Ms. Vicens is a local real estate broker and a 30-year resident of Conejo Valley. She has a lifelong passion for art and photography, which she has deepened through countless visits to museums in the U.S. and Europe.

Carole has participated in various courses and workshops to enhance her skills in art making. This includes a photography workshop in Abiquiú, New Mexico, with acclaimed photographer Craig Varjabedian, where she traced the footsteps of her favorite artist, Georgia O’Keeffe. Additionally, she has taken numerous courses in drawing, charcoal, pastels, acrylics, and sculpture through UCLA Extension and other venues. More recently, Carole has been studying landscape oil painting at the Santa Paula Art Museum under the guidance of local award-winning artist Gabriel Islas.

Currently, she is enrolled at the Raminfard School of Arts, a fine arts studio in Agoura Hills, under the instruction of recognized artist Daniel Raminfard, who serves as the president of the Westlake Village Art Guild, of which Carole is also a member.

Rachel Adams is a multidisciplinary artist, immersive experience curator, and nonprofit leader committed to creating transformative spaces where art, community, and storytelling collide.

As the founder of the Immersive Art Collective, Rachel has spent over a decade producing theatrical installations, community programs, and experiential events that foster connection and spark imagination across Los Angeles. She is the owner of The Count’s Den, a gothic-themed venue in downtown LA known for its boundary-pushing, immersive productions. In addition to her work at The Count’s Den, Rachel is also the creator of several immersive escape room experiences that combines narrative depth, environmental design, and interactive challenges to offer guests fully realized worlds where they become part of the story—extending her commitment to experiential art into the realm of play and problem-solving.

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Rachel was recently named a Creative Pioneer by the Moleskine Foundation and represented Immersive Art Collective at the 2024 Creativity Revival in Milan, Italy—an international gathering of visionary artists and cultural leaders driving social change through creativity. Inspired by this global exchange, she is currently developing new initiatives for the Conejo Valley Art Museum that will spotlight immersive and community-rooted art practices, amplify local talent, and reimagine the museum as a living, participatory space for creativity and dialogue.

Layla Koreie has spent over 30 years immersed in the world of museums and creative expression, sharing her passion for culture and community wherever she goes. A resident of Thousand Oaks for more than three decades, she has been a devoted volunteer with the Conejo Valley Art Museum, where she helped lead Kid Art, a cherished part of the museum’s annual ArtWalk that encouraged countless young visitors to explore their creativity.

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Beyond the museum, Layla directed Art Trek programs in both Thousand Oaks and Ojai, fostering engaging, hands-on experiences that inspired people of all ages to connect through creativity. Now retired, she remains deeply committed to promoting cultural awareness and supporting artistic growth within her community.

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Today, Layla is passionately involved in efforts to reopen, revitalize, and strengthen the Conejo Valley Art Museum, working to expand its reach, enrich its programs, and ensure it continues to inspire and connect generations through the transformative power of art and culture.

Born in Los Angeles, California, Mouse Rawk grew up in a family of artists — his father was an architect/artist and his mother a watercolorist. He began creating and studying art independently from childhood, with early influences from his parents’ artistic backgrounds. He spent some of his early years in Botswana, Africa, where the culture and heritage left a lasting impact on his work.

At age 12, a close friend introduced him to graffiti art, sparking a lifelong passion for street expression. His influences also include mid-century modernism, nature, comic books and music. 

Mouse is the co-founder of Outline Studios in Newbury Park, CA, a creative hub aimed at supporting local artists, fostering collaboration, and inspiring the Conejo Valley art scene. He is known for his commitment to creative community building and for navigating the challenges of building a career in a competitive local art market.