PLAYA Staff
Jennifer Braley
Coordinator
Jennifer’s family recently relocated to Summer Lake after an 8-year absence. This is a place she and her husband have always loved and hoped to return to once they had their son. Jennifer is excited to be on the staff of Playa and believes her vast administrative and budget background with the federal government will help her in being successful in the position. Jennifer has a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resource Management from Oregon State University (GO BEAVS!). She is also a United States Air Force veteran. In her free time, Jennifer and her family enjoy seeing new landscapes and embarking on new experiences.
Carrie Hardison
Program Manager
Carrie comes to Playa with years of education and program management experience. In 2011, she transitioned from working as an arts educator to managing various community education programs including SUN community schools in Portland, residency and workshops programs at the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology, and family communication and connection programs for Planned Parenthood throughout the NW. She is most “at home” when managing programs at the intersection of creativity and community.
She first visited Playa in 2017 for a Cascadia Artist in Residence Network retreat and fell in love with the expansive landscape. The smell of wet sage unearthed fond memories of growing up in the desert in California. She felt immediately connected to Playa and is excited to be working as the Program Manager and dig into developing programs that foster creative reflection of this magical place.
In her spare time Carrie enjoys the outdoors with her dog Rue, nurturing her personal painting and mixed-media practice, experimenting in the kitchen with (mostly) vegetarian recipes and observing and appreciating all forms of wildlife. Her goal is to quickly obtain a pair of binoculars so can dive into observing the birdlife surrounding Playa. She’s also eager to get the garden ready to plant and experiment with new canning and pickling recipes.
Mark Hedrick
Site & Facilities Manager
I have been a resident of Summer Lake for 23 years, and I first visited PLAYA during a fire preparedness review for the High Desert Rangeland Fire Protection Association in July 2018. After finding out that PLAYA was hiring a full-time Site & Facilities Manager, I began work here in September 2018. My expertise in decreasing fire risk will continue to be of value, now from an insider’s view. I am a seasoned wildland firefighter, former facilities/fire manager for The Nature Conservancy, and specialist in Geographic Information Systems. I am excited to be at PLAYA and very much look forward to managing the facilities and meeting new residents from all over!
Shawna Negus
Cuisine and Lodging Manager
I love my job at PLAYA because I love food and making people feel welcome. There’s so much pleasure in imagining and creating delicious entrees, salads, and desserts for the people who come here from all over. I also take pride in readying PLAYA’s cabins for new residents. I grew up in this county but have lived in many beautiful places from Alaska to Arizona. Now I’m fortunate to call this area home again, as it’s my favorite place of all, where I have a wonderful garden, family, and many friends.
Elizabeth Quinn
Interim Executive Director
Elizabeth Quinn is Co-Director of Fieldworks Consulting. Since April 2018, Fieldworks Consulting has helped launch residency programs around the country. Clients include: at Oak Spring Garden Foundation in Upperville, Virginia; Pine Meadow Ranch in Sisters, Oregon; NM Bodecker Foundation in Portland, Oregon; and The Volland Foundation in Volland, Kansas. Fieldworks Consulting has also worked with different organizations to help facilitate meetings, do organizational assessments and strategic planning including Sitka Center for Art and Ecology in Otis, Oregon; Creative Arts Industries Commission of Kansas; Chamber Music at the BARN in Maize, Kansas; Playa; and In A Landscape based in Portland, Oregon.
Before Fieldworks Consulting formed, Quinn was the Programs Director at Caldera. As part of Caldera’s Leadership Team, Quinn helped provide strategic and creative direction for all of Caldera programs and initiatives. In 2015, Caldera received the National Arts and Humanities for Young People Award from the White House. Also in 2015, Quinn was the project manager for Fallen Fruit Portland which was a suite of five site-specific projects taking place throughout Portland in October and November 2015. This project included: “Paradise,” an exhibit by the artists collaborative Fallen Fruit at the Portland Art Museum; “The Geography of We,” a youth curated exhibition at Wieden + Kennedy; “Division of Identification” installed by Fallen Fruit throughout the Parks Blocks of Portland, eight commissioned works also throughout Portland by Oregon-based artist; and Urban Fruit Trails planted around Portland.
In 2016, Quinn was selected for the National Guild for Community Arts Education’s Leadership Institute. Previous to her work at Caldera, Elizabeth was the Founding Editor of High Desert Journal, a publication that strives for a deeper understanding of the interior West through arts and literature and was the Director of The Dalles Art Association. Having worked in a variety of areas, Elizabeth has developed in-depth knowledge of arts communities across the state and country and an understanding of the unique needs of artists from diverse backgrounds.