KidsArts is grateful to its Board of Directors for their service and commitment to KidsArts and arts education in Jamaica Plain.

Board of Directors

Becca Henderson

Becca Henderson (she/her) is originally from LA and has lived in Jamaica Plain since moving here in 2004 for graduate school.  She works as a clinical social worker.  She likes cats, reading vegan baking blogs (less so the actual baking), drinking coffee made by anyone but herself, and thrift stores.  She got involved with the KidsArts Board in September 2021 as a way to support this awesome arts after school program because it provides such an inclusive and welcoming environment to kids and families and has given so much to her family over the past five years.

Jeremy Menchik

Jeremy Menchik (he/his) has been a KidsArts parent since 2019 and a board member since 2022. He is a writer, father, professor, and mediocre gardener. He has an older kid who has attended KidsArts since the first day it was possible for them to join and a younger one eager to start in fall 2024. Jeremy is an unabashed supporter of KidsArts because it provides JP children and our community with a vibrant home for creativity, inclusivity, and unfettered joy. 

Cori Bodley

Cori Bodley started her career as a teacher and Site Director at Kids Arts, which ignited her passion for creative youth development and education. She has gone on to work for a wide range of nonprofits and educational institutions as an advocate for educational access and the arts. She is currently the Chief Programming Officer at Community Music Center of Boston.

Stefanie Shull

Stefanie Shull’s (she/her) professional background is in public policy, public administration, and non-profit management, and she currently works as a grant writer/fundraising consultant.  She and her husband moved to Boston in 2013 and are raising twin boys in JP.  KidsArts has been an amazing part of the JP community for over 30 years and has made a big difference in her family's life, so she was honored when asked to join the Board in Fall 2023.  She is very excited to be part of helping JP KidsArts through an important phase in its development, and that the work as a Board today will lay the foundation for KidsArts to continue serving JP families for decades to come.

Jen Mason Stott

Jen Mason Stott (she/her) has been a JP KidsArts parent since 2021 and a Board member since 2023. Jen is a librarian for Cambridge Public Schools and shares KidsArts' mission of creating joyful community spaces where every child belongs. As a fellow educator, Jen is passionate about supporting KidsArts teachers' creativity and growth. Jen also serves on the Boston Public Schools Library Services Advisory Board and has been part of the JP community for over 20 years.

Julia Soyer

Julia Soyer (she/her) has been involved with educating and supporting children for over 15 years, most of those years as an early childhood teacher. She also has a love for and background in theater. Julia fell in love with KidsArts the moment she first volunteered to help with preparations for Wake Up the Earth; it was so obviously guided by a focus on artistic self-expression and community. In addition to serving on the KidsArts board, Julia is one of the coordinators for the Hawkins Centers of Learning New England, a group that designs experiences for educators, parents, and community members to come together to engage in open-ended exploration of materials in order to inform their own teaching, learning, and creative practices.