Company Bios

Amy’s first experience with the Joe Goode Performance Group was as a participant in the Embodied Leader workshop. Joe’s invitation to participants to explore and unveil the meaning of the movement experience for themselves, rather than to unpack and explain it for them drew her in. Amy works with organizations to foster more inclusive and human-centered structures and cultures. Previously, Amy provided information, analysis, and insights to philanthropic foundations. She assisted foundations striving to create change around a wide range of issues including international intellectual property rights, digital media and children, food security, human rights, citizen journalism, healthcare technology, living wages, broadband access, youth development, economic justice, and community philanthropy. Amy holds a Masters degree from Harvard University and a B.A. from Indiana University. She is delighted to have the chance to share her professional expertise and personal passion for the arts, especially dance, with JGPG.

Jacky is the co-creator with her chocolatier/percussionist husband Michael of  Recchiuti Confections a twenty-two year old San Francisco chocolate company. They run a manufacturing kitchen and retail shop in Dogpatch and a flagship chocolate store in the iconic Ferry Building Marketplace. They offer an artistic twist on traditional European-style truffles designing recipes with a proprietary blend of couverture chocolate made for them by the French company Valrhona. Jacky and Michael reside, work and play in Dogpatch with their family of cats – Jesper, Rufus and Emma. When time permits, Jacky relaxes by indulging in the Japanese sewing art of Sashiko, wood carving and pottery. The magic of movement and voice was first introduced to Jacky in her birth state of Oahu. The Merrie Monarch Dance Festival is a weeklong cultural festival honoring King David Kalākaua, who was called the “Merrie Monarch” for his patronage of the arts and is credited with restoring many Hawaiian cultural traditions during his reign, including the hula. The storytelling gestures and chants in hula was the mesmerizing influence which lead to her discovery of the performance arts. One of her first experiences when moving to San Francisco was the introduction to the Joe Goode performance in Deeply There … hooked once again to deep cultural storytelling using movement and voice, this love for Joe’s work continued through  Traveling Light, the Rambler and Still Standing. The stewardship and preservation of the arts holds an enduring place in her ethos – JGPG represents the kinship in keeping the arts alive.

Lisa started The Yay Collective to find and express yayful strategy and storytelling aimed at bringing out even more of the good that already exists in the people and organizations in which it dwells. Maybe that’s why she joined the board of Joe Goode? When she’s not doing strategy, Lisa might be getting 10% happier (if it’s even possible), flowing with vinyasa or doing the yay show podcast. Lisa loves getting moved by music, movement and stories (did someone say JGPG?). You might spot Lisa meandering the streets of the Mission or “holding hands with strangers” in West Sonoma County with a glass of wine in her other hand. Or asking “Why” about everything… except why she gets to live this precious, wild-hearted life!

Lucille Freedman was born and raised in South Africa, graduating from the University of Cape Town, with a special emphasis in Speech and Drama. She emigrated to the US with her family in 1973, and settled in the Bay Area. An influential cooking job led to her starting her own catering business. After successfully running this line of business for 12 years, she changed careers and trained to become a tax professional, securing an Enrolled Agent License. Additionally she obtained a Series 7 (stock broker) License and established a one-stop Tax and Financial Planning practice which she operated for 35 years until her recent “semi-retirement”. Dance and movement have always been important to Lucille. Encountering Joe Goode and his Movement for Humans weekly classes was, and has continued to be, deeply influential. Joe’s community endeavors constantly inspires Lucille’s public-spirited perspective. Sharing her extensive business and financial knowledge as well as her previous experience serving on the board of another arts organization, will be a fulfilling contribution to the Joe Goode organization. Lucille lives in the Montclair district of Oakland.

MaryAnn Walter McDonald served as the Managing Director of Walter McDonald & Associates, LLC, a firm that she founded. The firm was dedicated to providing senior level executive search and executive coaching across business functions in all sectors. MaryAnn brings over 30 years of business experience to her clients, garnered from both management experience and her 20 years as an executive search consultant and coach. Prior to founding Walter McDonald & Associates, MaryAnn served as a consultant in the San Francisco office of Spencer Stuart, the countrys third largest search firm. Before joining Spencer Stuart in 1994, MaryAnn co-founded Emmott-Walter and Associates (later known as Health Direction), a consulting and executive search firm focused on the healthcare industry. MaryAnn holds an undergraduate degree from Duquesne University and a Masters degree from the University of Pittsburgh. She is married and lives in Redwood City, California.