Leadership changes for BAVC Media in 2026
We’re excited to start our 50th year with a number of changes to the BAVC Media team, with leadership changes across a number of departments that promise to take us into 2026 with renewed energy and optimism.
Executive Director, Paula Smith Arrigoni: “We are so fortunate at BAVC Media to be led by a dynamic team of new and experienced staff directors. They are piloting and scaling new models and partnerships, and expanding our membership program to include more community connections. This team is all about supporting media makers to thrive as artists, workers, and engaged citizens!”
Among the changes are: Daniel Díaz, formerly Director of Marketing & Audience Engagement, moves into the role of Deputy Director, overseeing Artist Development and Community Media teams, while continuing to lead the organization’s marketing, communications, and audience development; Dawn D Valadez will become Director of Artist & Workforce Development, with Leena Joshi now leading youth programs as the Director of Youth & Emerging Media Makers. Brittney Réaume, who has managed the BAVC MediaMaker Fellowship for seven years in her role in the Artist Development team, steps up to the newly created position of Director of Artist Programs & Services. Jess Epstein will now lead the Development team as Director of Strategic Partnerships & Development, having previously held the position of Associate Director. We’re also thrilled to welcome Diana Chan as our new Director of Finance & Operations.
Our entire staff looks forward to celebrating the past and striving towards a more inclusive future alongside our community as we celebrate our 50th Anniversary. To learn more about what we have in store, support our work, and be part of the future of BAVC Media, contact giving@bavc.org.
Hear directly from the team on their new positions below:
Daniel Díaz, Deputy Director
BAVC Media has been a constant in my life since landing in San Francisco over six years ago, and an integral part of my growth as a cultural producer and filmmaker. I’ve seen the impact of the work that we do firsthand and believe in it unreservedly. Doing this work is a real privilege, especially among a team of equally committed colleagues. After three years leading the organization’s marketing and audience strategy, I’m honoured to take on the position of Deputy Director and expand my scope to include Artist Development and Community Media, as well as supporting BAVC Preservation, three departments that live at the soul of our 50-year history as an activist- and maker-founded organization. We all do this work because we believe in it and love nothing more than backing our people and ecosystem of artists. As we witness daily violence and terror against our communities nationwide, I’m confident these decisive changes to our leadership put us in a position where can do what we do best and provide a space for the voices that need it most.
Dawn D Valadez, Director of Artist & Workforce Development
With over two decades in nonprofit, media, and artist development, I am excited to direct the expanded and growing BAVC Media Workforce Development and Training programs alongside our artist development programs. With a passion for empowering young adults and individuals of all ages, I leverage my experience as a filmmaker, educator, and social worker to create inclusive pathways into media careers. I’m particularly excited about the opportunity to foster creativity and innovation in my programs, helping participants gain the skills and confidence needed to thrive in the ever-evolving media landscape. At BAVC Media, I have an incredible team of creative and committed colleagues, and together we are working towards placing our participants in positions with our media, production, health and human services, educational, and business partners. We envision a future where diverse voices are amplified and where everyone has access to the tools necessary for success in the industry.
Brittney Réaume, Director of Artist Programs & Services
2026 will be my seventh year managing the BAVC MediaMaker Fellowship and I’m incredibly proud of how we have continued to strengthen this legacy program each year. It’s an honor to lead not only this Fellowship but BAVC Media’s array of programs to support impact-driven creators. I am thrilled as well to see my colleagues – who I admire and love working alongside – stepping into new leadership roles and I look forward to imagining the future of BAVC Media in our 50th year and beyond!
Jess Epstein, Director of Strategic Partnerships & Development
I’m so excited to step into the role of Director of Strategic Partnerships and Development here at BAVC Media. BAVC has long stood at the intersection of storytelling, technology, and equity—equipping communities historically excluded from media and tech with the tools, training, and access needed to shape the future. As a documentary producer and impact strategist, I’ve spent my career building partnerships that connect artists, institutions, and audiences in meaningful ways, and by continuing to grow with BAVC in this way, it feels like a natural extension of my work and practice as an artist.
I am eager to continue cultivating relationships that build upon BAVC’s programs, expand opportunities for emerging creatives, and create meaningful partnerships that strengthen the media arts field. I’m inspired by BAVC’s legacy and energized by its vision for what’s possible, especially as we celebrate 50 years of BAVC Media!
Leena Joshi, Director of Youth & Emerging Media Makers
I’m honored to be stepping into the role of Director of Youth and Emerging Media Makers at this pivotal time. As a queer, genderfluid artist and media maker who is also a child of immigrants, Reel Stories is exactly the type of media and community building program I wish I had been able to access in my teens. As systems of power in our world continue to find new ways to isolate and censor young and marginalized voices, it is more important than ever to provide youth with programs that are accessible, career-oriented, and sites for connection, experimentation, and play.
Through the revisioning of our Reel Stories program, I hope to offer girls and gender expansive youth powerful inroads to careers in film and media making, with both the technical skills and the understanding that their place is vital and non-negotiable within these industries. I also look forward to continuing to build capacity within our high-caliber programs offered to all San Francisco youth alongside our incredible YEMM team of educators and staff. Through our work here at BAVC, we are proud to steadfastly support the underrepresented voices of our students through film production, animation, and new forms of digital media storytelling.
Diana Chan, Director of Finance & Operations
I first came across BAVC while working at Avid Technologies audio division, fka Digidesign and have been eager to learn about the passion driven organization. With my background heavily focused in Finance and support from our existing Operations team, I am eager to integrate processes to enhance operational efficiency and help drive strategic initiatives to better support decision-making.
