Staff

Natalie Jackson

Vendor Curator & Marketing Manager

Natalie is an artist and gardener, with over a decade of event planning and management experience.

In 2013 she completed the Nonprofit Leadership Development Program at the Center for Nonprofit Management and has trained in community-based social marketing. In 2017 she completed a Permaculture Design Certificate with the Permaculture Academy and in 2019 Natalie became a UC Master Gardener.

Natalie has been part of Greenway Arts Alliance since 2011, managing the market’s vendor systems and curating the merchandise in the market. She works on various projects for Greenway Arts, including an on-campus gardening internship program, supervises our LACAC Summer Intern, oversees the music programming, and manages special events, sponsorships and marketing for MTP.

J Scott Shonka

Operations Manager

J Scott has been managing operations for Melrose Trading Post since 2012. His expertise in handling logistics was heightened by his military experience. A graduate of the United States Military Academy, he was qualified as Airborne and Ranger for the Army, served in the Gulf War (1991), and received an honorable discharge with the rank as Captain. Currently, he is a member of the Screen Actors Guild and has acted in numerous film and television projects.

James Ventura

Vendor Booking Coordinator

James Ventura is a Fairfax High school alum, an artist and advocate for implementing arts within communities. He has actively been involved in assisting multiple artists and worked for organizations that revolved around working with the community, such as Isla Vista First Fridays, BLUNITE IV, and the Museum of Contemporary Art: Santa Barbara. In addition those experiences, he has worked as the Student Administrator for the Art Department at the college he attended, where he developed skills to become the Administrative Associate for Greenway Arts Alliance. James has earned his Bachelor of Arts degree with a double major in Art and History of Art and Architecture with an emphasis on Architecture and the Environment from the University of California, Santa Barbara. As one of the latest additions to Greenway he strives to support the administrative arms of its three internal departments.

Patrick Weinbrecht

Vendor Relations & Social Media Coordinator

Patrick began working for Greenway in 2010, and what started out as a part-time gig has become a labor of love. During the week, he assists Natalie and Jessica coordinating the massive task of vendor bookings. On Sunday, he handles the logistics of processing stand-by vendors — a challenging, time- sensitive, balancing act with many different variables in play — and also handles online PayPal invoicing for the market. In Natalie’s absence, he serve as a back-up vendor manager. His professional experience includes over 15 years in account management, customer service and sales, plus 10 years in accounting and bookkeeping.

Martin Diller

Music Coordinator

Martin has been programming the live music and entertainment series at Melrose Trading Post since 2015. He loves being able to showcase Los Angeles’s rich music scene at the MTP stages, as well as bringing in touring acts from around the world. All the musicians he schedules love performing for the great MTP crowds and supporting the arts programs at Fairfax High School.

Martin is a touring musician as well, and is often on the road with a range of acts including Yuna, Postmodern Jukebox, Amber Coffman, Haley Reinhart, Casey Abrams, GIVERS and more, but makes time to write and arrange instrumental Jazz music for his own ensembles. He recently released his first EP Quintet Live at Bluewhale.

Alma Angel

MTP Administrative Associate

Alma is from the Bay Area, and moved to Southern California for school and because she loves entertainment and live events. She’s planning to pursue Marketing and event coordination to utilize her skills in photography and digital media. She comes from a background in the performing arts and wants to keep producing events for people to enjoy.

Whitney Weston

Co-Founder/Artistic Director

Whitney Weston Co-founded Greenway Arts Alliance, along with Pierson Blaetz in 1997. She is a lifelong activist, committed to keep the arts and the community working together. Both within and outside the Greenway, Whitney has produced and performed in numerous shows and has earned recognition from the NAACP, Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle, L.A. Weekly, and the 2011 Women in Theatre Red Carpet Award.

Pierson Blaetz

Co-Founder/Artistic Director

Pierson Blaetz co-founded Greenway Arts Alliance, along with Whitney Weston` in 1997. He has spent a lifetime bridging the worlds of art and business. As a social entrepreneur he has founded three businesses including “Free Time,” a volunteer placement service, “InfoLink,” an information retrieval service and Greenway. As an artist, Pierson has produced, directed and performed in numerous film and theatre projects and has earned recognition from The Drama Circle Critics, NAACP, Garland Awards, LA Weekly and way back when The Drama-Logue Award for best male performance. Pierson has been recognized for outstanding service by the Mayors office, LA City Council, and LAUSD’s School Board and administrators union. Current Board memberships include The Melrose Business Improvement District, Friends of Fairfax and Greenway Arts Alliance.