The Connecticut Office of the Arts created the READI Advisory Council to work with staff and to ensure that READI goals are centered in our work. The council was formed by an open call for applications, run by Giovanna Adams Director & Organizational/Educational Equity Principal Consultant for the Alliance for Collaborative Equity Inc. Five members serve on the READI Advisory Council along with Giovanna as the chair, and each member receives an annual stipend of $2500 for their commitment to advancing READI goals. Our inaugural READI Advisory Council was seated in January of 2024 and they meet once a month virtually. Currently they are working to create a charter, getting to know the staff and COA programs, and creating a team that will assist COA in fulfilling our READI goals as stated in our Strategic Plan.
Learn more about our READI Advisory Council members below:
Giovanna Adams, Chair
Giovanna Adams is an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategist with over 20 years experience across sectors. She is an experienced strategic planner and convener of multi-stakeholder groups for the creation of shared vision and values which aims to create nurturing environments and human connections while leaning into brave spaces.
She has been the director of a non-profit organization consulting for municipalities, K-12 schools, and businesses on equity analysis of policy, practice and culture to improve experiences for greater equity and impact.
Giovanna has served as an Equity Coach for a statewide community certification program for municipalities across Connecticut to leverage the collective impact of equity best practices as a part of sustainability and community resilience efforts for environmental and economic well being, regardless of city size, geography, or resources.
She holds a number of certifications and honors in racial equity, diversity, and inclusion, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communications and a Master of Arts in Social Work with a specialization in Clinical Practice and Behavioral Analysis. She has experience with both adults and teens with dual psychiatric diagnosis and specializations in working with teens with eating disorders.
Giovanna is a curriculum developer and facilitator and is endorsed by Governor Ned Lamont for the CT Council on Teacher Professional Standards
Giovanna is a classically trained vocalist, an award-winning illustrator and is always looking forward to her next visit to the ocean.
Brian Day
Brian Day is an Associate Professor at Eastern Connecticut State University and a filmmaker. He has been teaching in higher education since 2007 and has taught filmmaking at universities across the country. He has always focused on bringing diversity, equity and inclusion into the classroom and creating more equitable opportunities for diverse students. He currently is on the Social Justice and Diversity committee and the JEDI Faculty Group at ECSU. He is passionate about creating a more equitable world and breaking down unequitable systems. Brian's films tend to focus on social issues, justice, and history. Often times his films have an intersection of these areas. He has made films about racial equality in a small southern town, parental child abduction, one of the first black radio news broadcasters, the Tulsa Race Massacre, and the history of tobacco farming in CT and how the labor brought to work on the farms changed civil rights and the diversity of the population in CT.
Rya Greene
Rya Greene (she/they) is a Connecticut-based queer and nonbinary choreographer, performer, teacher, and dance administrator working on the land of the Mohican people. They graduated Magna Cum Laude from Grand Valley State University, studying Dance and Public & Nonprofit Administration. At Grand Valley, Rya worked with Helanius Wilkins, Stacy Reischman Fletcher, Rachel Abrahams, and Leslie Scott. Working with Abrahams and Scott, they performed in the 2019 GVSU Fall Arts Celebration alongside BODYART Dance. While at Grand Valley she was awarded the Alexander Calder Honors Dance Scholarship, the Upper Division Dance Scholarship, and the Excellence-in-a-Discipline award for dance. Choreographing for studios and colleges, Rya has also presented work at numerous regional dance and choreographic festivals in Michigan and Connecticut. Recently she was the guest choreographer for Garte&Co’s second annual ECLIPSE performance, was awarded a grant from the New England Foundation for the Arts’s New England Dance Fund to go towards the creation of a new work, and is a part of the 2024 Assets for Artists Capacity-Building Program at MASS Moca.
Joy Harris
Joy Harris or Empowerment Coach Joy. Many refer to her as, Coach has served at-risk youth and survivors of abuse since 2000.
Graduated from Albertus Magnus College 2008 majored in Communications
2008 after working in the Human Services field a need was noticed and thus began The Joy Company. A private community-based empowerment source that provides pre-motivational and real-life skill programming facilitated by Joy. For 20 years Joy worked to empower the city of New Haven.
In 2019, a decision was made to fulfill a childhood dream of becoming a playwright.
To stimulate this dream, Joy volunteered with the Newtown Players where she gained stage management experience. Then auditioned and earned her first stage role.
While working with the Newtown Players, Joy was chosen to participate in the New Works Program at Long Wharf Theater.
After completing Long Wharf, Joy wrote, directed and starred in her first full play that was chosen for production as a part of the New York Downtown Urban Arts Festival where her play took home the award for Best Full Length production. The play was performed in New York City at Theater Row.
In addition, Joy has written monologues for actors that were performed at the Shubert theater.
Also Joy is a commissioned playwright at the Yale University Downtown Cabaret Theater.
Today I am pleased to say that I am a member of a vibrant and impactful arts council.
"I have found that being an Empowerment Coach, a public speaker, and a playwright all feed the same mission, which is to help others in one way or another. I am a person of service."
Maybeth Morales-Davis
Maybeth Morales-Davis is a mom, wife, sister, daughter, friend, advocate, and local nonprofit leader with 20 years of experience in the sector. She currently serves as the Deputy Director at NEST (formerly known as Neighborhood Housing Services of Waterbury). In this role, Maybeth oversees all office operations, programs, marketing, and fundraising efforts at NEST.
Maybeth's passion lies in social justice, housing, and the arts. She intentionally collaborates with residents and local/state/national partners to uplift her community and create a more equitable place. Her journey began at Naugatuck Valley Community College, where she studied art education before transferring to Southern CT State University. Although she left school during her senior year to care for her aunt, Maybeth continued working in the nonprofit sector, gradually moving into administrative and management roles.
In her current position at NEST, Maybeth has spearheaded several impactful initiatives. Notably, she organized the first-ever architectural design challenge in the area, engaging local architects in a home design competition. The winning design was brought to life within the community. She also relaunched Waterbury's annual "Housing Expo," providing a platform for housing vendors, professionals, and resources to engage with the community. Maybeth was instrumental in securing a $1 million grant from the state of Connecticut to provide financial assistance to Waterbury neighborhoods that are disproportionately harmed by cannabis prohibition and enforcement. She also led the rebranding of the organization, overseeing the creation of a new name, logo, and website.
With a keen eye and a compassionate heart for the arts, she spearheaded the Creative Community Development program at NEST. This innovative initiative brings together art, culture, and creativity to foster equitable and engaged communities. Through collaborative efforts with residents and artists, NEST commissions public works of art in the Crownbrook neighborhood of Waterbury, CT.
During the pandemic, Maybeth worked with volunteers (including her father) to erect and install several Little Free Pantries in the community. These accessible pantries provide food and cleaning supplies to families in need.
As a leader in her field and a thought partner in her community, Maybeth has contributed to various platforms and initiatives that address the issues of the nonprofit sector, activism, and housing. She has been a guest speaker on radio shows, such as WATR1320 AM and Bomba 97.1 FM, and state-wide events, where she offered her insights and knowledge. She has also published several op-eds for the CT Mirror, as part of their inaugural community editorial board initiative, which aimed to amplify diverse voices and perspectives from residents throughout the state of Connecticut.
Maybeth’s work extends beyond her professional role as a co-founder of It's Time Waterbury, a brass-roots community collaborative that offers training, networking and education for residents who want to participate more actively in the political process and access voter information. She is a founding member of The People's Place, an initiative supporting individuals and groups in developing their capacity, vision, and impact through fiscal sponsorship, organizational development, leadership training, and business incubation. Furthermore, she volunteers with various state and local organizations, including the State Consolidated Housing Plan Working Group, The Leadership University, and the CT Office of the Arts READI Advisory Council. Maybeth also serves as a certified facilitator and Commissioner of the Waterbury Arts and Tourism Commission.
In her personal life, Maybeth is a proud mother of two—Temari and Matemi—and happily married to her best friend, Michael. She has a large family whom she adores and is extremely close to. She enjoys exploring public art, museums, and galleries. Her interests extend to charcoal drawing and painting. Additionally, Maybeth eagerly seizes any opportunity to travel, especially to her ancestral homeland of Boriken (Puerto Rico).
Marcus Thomas
Marcus Thomas is an educator and entertainment attorney who is also trained as a screenwriter and publicist. During his 25-year career, he has maintained a boutique entertainment law practice and held several in-house positions with entertainment companies including a major record label, major-affiliated music publisher and the nation’s largest education music print publisher.
Thomas serves as Associate Professor, Chair of Music Industry at The Hartt School, University of Hartford. He previously served as Associate Director of The Los Angeles Film School’s Entertainment Business program, where he was an instructor and faculty training developer for five and a half years. Thomas also served five years as Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Georgia State University’s Music Management program. Previously, Thomas headed business affairs for Alfred Publishing where he negotiated digital distribution, print, and sync license agreements for a catalog of over 40,000 titles, including the entire former Warner Bros. Publications catalog.
Thomas also served as a publishing administrator for Dallas Austin Recording Projects and previously worked as an attorney for LaFace Records where he prepared and negotiated agreements for the label’s roster that included Usher, Toni Braxton, TLC, Outkast, Donell Jones, Goodie Mob, and Pink.
In addition to his executive roles, Thomas also works as a creative semi-professional. He produces and engineers for independent recording artists. He was an assistant recording engineer at Doppler Studios and an on-air personality for Country 95.5FM WNGC. Thomas mixed sound for NBC Sports’ Take A Seat: Egypt and Take A Seat Alberta. He has song placements in indie films Dead Tone (2007), The Open Door (2008), and Jesus’ Secretary (2009).
Thomas co-authored “The Commercial Music Industry in Atlanta and the State of Georgia – An Economic Impact Study.” His study served as support for passing the Georgia Entertainment Industry Act of 2005. Thomas holds a Juris Doctor from Georgia State University, a Master of Fine Arts from Full Sail University, and a Master of Mass Communication from the University of Georgia.
Thomas serves as Vice President for the Music and Entertainment Industry Educators Association. He is also a member of the New York Chapter of the Recording Academy, serving on the Education Committee. He was formerly a Governor for the Recording Academy’s Atlanta chapter. Thomas is a member of the Northeast Association of Pre-Law Advisors.
Thomas has also been a participating member of the Atlantis Music Conference’s Urban Advisory Board, the Georgia Music Industry Association, the National Association for the Study and Performance of African American Music, MusiCares, and NAMM Generation Next.
Thomas is a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.