Board of Directors
Board of Directors’ meetings are held every second Wednesday of the month (subject to change) on Google Meet.
Please check the NCS calendar for connection information and scheduled meeting dates.
Interested in serving on the NAEF Board of Directors? Download, complete, and email this application to Sarah Winter.
Daniel Spohr-Grimes – President
Daniel Spohr-Grimes joined the Natomas Arts and Education Foundation Board in July 2021. His background in the arts spans decades in both education and experience. He is an alumnus of the Cincinnati’s School for Creative and Performing Arts, earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Bowling Green State University, and a Master of Education in Administration and Supervision from Tennessee State University.
Daniel spent ten years as a choral director in middle and high schools and is the founder of two private arts schools in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2015 he moved to Sacramento with his husband and son. He has extensive experience as a performer in theme parks across the midwest and east coast, community theaters, and film. His directing resume includes shows like Sound of Music, Annie, Oliver, Bridge to Terabithia, and many many more. In 2016 and 2017 he was the artistic director of the Sacramento RiverTrain’s Magical Christmas Train. He is a proud parent of a Star Academy student.
Eze Uzosike – Vice President
Eze Uzosike has resided in the Natomas district of Sacramento since 2016. He grew up in Alameda County in the Bay Area, California. He finished his undergraduate studies at UC Berkeley with a degree in Molecular and Cell Biology, and later proceeded to study Medicine at the University of California San Francisco. He completed his residency training in Adult and Family Medicine at University of Chicago in 2015, and soon afterwards, relocated back to California where he continued his postgraduate studies, completing additional training in Sports Medicine. He enjoys traveling, sports, movies, health education, and spending time with his wife and son. He is currently a practicing physician in the Adult Medicine department of Kaiser Permanente Sacramento where he sees patients.
Jessica Lutzker – Board Treasurer
Jessie has taught in Natomas for almost ten years and is excited to be on the NAEF board. Her connection with Natomas stems from her cousin, who was a highly regarded and well known English teacher for Natomas United and started Westlake Charter School. Jessie graduated with history honors from Brigham Young University where she minored in music. She has a Master’s in American history from Claremont Graduate University and a Master’s in teaching from Bard College. Jessie taught geography, US history, world history, English 9 & 12, music, and leadership at Discovery High School and 7th & 8th grade social studies at Paso Verde Elementary, where she developed the Individuals & Societies MYP curriculum for the school’s IB candidacy and authorization. She is thrilled to be entering her third year as a middle school ELA teacher at PFAA. Jessie grew up acting in community theatre in Auburn and Sacramento and has recently returned to the stage after a twenty plus year hiatus, inspired by her students and colleagues.
Michael Wang – Board Secretary
Chien-Yu Michael Wang joined the Natomas Arts and Education Foundation in June 2019. Michael is the managing attorney at Wilner & O’Reilly, APLC in Sacramento and practices immigration law. He obtained his Juris Doctorate at Southwestern Law School. He also graduated from U.C. Davis. He is the former President of the Asian Pacific Bar Association of Sacramento and is active in the community. He is also a proud parent of a Natomas Charter School student.
Emma Flood
Emma Flood is thrilled to be working with the NAEF Board. With a background in music, theater, and dance, Emma is passionate about the intersection of arts and education in Sacramento and is looking forward to making an impact in the Natomas community. An alumni of NCS PFAA, she has studied ballet and performed with the Sacramento Ballet and worked in various capacities with the summer programs of Broadway Sacramento, most recently as a Professional Assistant on the Development team. She will be graduating UC Davis in June 2026 with a Bachelor’s Degree in American Studies, and second Bachelor’s Degree in Theater & Dance, and a Minor in Education.
Alicia Hernandez
Alicia Hernandez is a proud mom of three amazing kids. Her son began his Natomas Charter School’s Performing and Fine Arts Academy (PFAA) journey this past fall as a sixth grader and loves his experience so far. Her fifth-grade identical twins hope to join PFAA in Fall 2026. Alicia and her husband Mike recently moved their family to North Natomas from the East Bay in the Summer of 2025 to embrace the incredible performing arts opportunities offered at PFAA. Alicia is passionate about creating enriching experiences for students and families, and she is excited to contribute her energy and expertise to the Natomas Arts and Education Foundation.
Professionally, Alicia has over 25 years of experience in oncology biotech sales and marketing. She currently partners with blood cancer healthcare teams at UC Davis, UCSF and Sutter focused in the Cell Therapy (CAR T) space. Her dedication to the cancer community extends far beyond her career—she has volunteered extensively in patient advocacy roles, including serving as a legislative ambassador for the American Cancer Society. In that role, Alicia helped ban flavored tobacco sales in her county and was part of a statewide tobacco tax proposition, demonstrating her commitment to cancer prevention and public health. She has lobbied for Cancer Patient’s Rights both on Capitol Hill and at our State Capitol. Most recently, she served on the executive committee for Blood Cancer United’s San Francisco Chapter in 2025 that collectively raised nearly 1M for their annual Light the Night event.
Alicia’s heart for advocacy and her love for the arts make her a natural fit for the Natomas Arts and Education Foundation Board. She looks forward to helping bring in more resources to the foundation and enriching the Natomas Charter School community for all families.
Gene Lee
Gene Lee joined the NAEF Board in 2023. He works for the State of California in accounting for the Water Resources and Control Board. He has helped other non-profits with his accounting background. His daughter goes to PFAA and has been at Natomas Charter since Kindergarten. He enjoys traveling and hiking with his family.
Sarah Winter – Director
Sarah Winter joined the Natomas Arts and Education Foundation Board in March 2022. She first joined the Natomas Charter School family in 2018 where she served as the PFAA Technical Director and Stagecraft instructor until 2022. In 2023, she returned as the Arts and Outreach Associate Coordinator for NCS and Director of NAEF.
Sarah’s educational and professional experience in theatre arts spans close to twenty years in the Central Valley, San Francisco, East Bay Area, and Sacramento. She earned her Master of Fine Arts in Theatre Design and Technical Production from San Francisco State University and her Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts from Fresno Pacific University. She has trained and worked with companies such as San Francisco Ballet, War Memorial Opera House, Exit Theatre, Z-Space, Epiphany Dance Theater, Sacramento Theatre Company, and more. She continues to professionally design lighting with theatres in the Sacramento area whenever she can.
