Meet the Board
Nick Hobson
Nick Hobson is a lifelong entrepreneur, technical artist, and educator with nearly two decades of experience in leadership, mentorship, live event production, and creative project management.
Over the course of his career, Nick has co-founded multiple businesses and organizations spanning gaming, live entertainment, events, and creative production. His background includes managing large-scale live experiences, leading competitive athletic programs, developing collaborative creative teams, and building hands-on educational environments for students and emerging professionals.
Most recently, Nick has worked as an independent scenic construction carpenter and mentor within the Newport Mesa Unified School District, where he oversees multiple scene shops, mentors high school students in technical arts, and helps produce numerous theatrical productions each year.
As President and Facility Manager of the Technical Artists Collective, Nick combines his experience in education, fabrication, business development, and community leadership to help create accessible pathways for technical artists to continue learning, building, and growing sustainable creative careers.
Lissa Slay
Lissa Slay is a director, educator, and teaching artist, with a B.A. in Directing for the Theatre (CSUF), M.S. in Education (CSUF), M.F.A. in Theatre Education (MUW), and California Teaching Credentials in elementary (multiple-subject, authorization for Drama/Theatre – CSUF), secondary (English – UCLA), and career technical education (Arts/Media/Entertainment - OCDE). She also serves as a consultant and teaching artist through The Happy Theatre Teacher, providing professional development opportunities for theatre educators both online and through various school districts and arts organizations.
Lissa is currently the Theatre Program Director for Newport Harbor High School and adjunct faculty at Vanguard University, teaching Theatre Education, having previously served as the founding Education Director of American Coast Children’s Theatre, a subset of the university’s resident professional theatre company. During her time at Vanguard, she was integral to developing the Theatre credential and recently graduated its first cohort. Lissa has taught as both an elementary and high school theatre teacher at various school sites, Theatre adjunct faculty at Santa Ana College and Chaffey College, as a film acting teacher at the film conservatory The Playground, and toured seventeen states over four tours with the acclaimed Missoula Children’s Theatre in Missoula, Montana.
Recently, Lissa has collaborated with Cobalt Studios, No Square Theatre, and The Wayward Artist, focusing on educational workshops and programming. Lissa is a proud member of the Educational Theatre Association, California Educational Theatre Association, and Actors' Equity Association. She and her husband, Kevin, are the joyful parents to Penelope and Finley and reside in Southern California.
Sean Sand
Sean brings a unique combination of technical theatre expertise and financial experience to the Technical Artists Collective. For years, he has served the Orange County theatre community as a technical director, supporting productions, students, and arts programs across multiple school districts.
Throughout his career, Sean has worked with institutions including Golden West College, Huntington Beach High School, and numerous other schools throughout the region. He currently serves as the Technical Director at Estancia High School, where he oversees scenic production and helps develop the next generation of technical theatre professionals.
As Treasurer, Sean combines his background in finance with his extensive experience in educational theatre to help ensure the organization remains financially responsible while advancing its mission to support technical artists, educators, and students throughout Southern California.
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