Jessica Jecmen is a Managing Director at Accenture and Executive Director of the Accenture Foundation. She is an active volunteer in her community. She is the Second Vice President of the Joffrey Women’s Board in Chicago and has previously Co-Chaired their Annual Luncheon and served as First Vice President. She also serves Gamma Phi Beta on as a Vice President on their International Council. She has served in leadership roles in the Junior League of Kane & DuPage Counties and Harrison Street School PTO.

Jessica has a deep love of the arts, specifically dance. She grew up dancing, inspired and encouraged by her mother, who was also a dancer. Many of Jessica’s extended family are artists in various mediums and she loves encouraging artists of all ages to develop their passion.

Jessica lives with her husband, Dave, and two children, Leo, and Eva, in Geneva. You can reach Jessica at president@waterstreetstudios.org

Bill McGrath is a Water Street Studios Board member and a long-time (1978) resident of Batavia. As an attorney he represented the City of Batavia, and loving working in his own community, changed careers in 1998 and became Batavia's City Administrator, from which position he retired in 2016. He serves as the chair of the Fundraising Committee.

He witnessed and was active in Batavia's growth surge of the 80's and 90's, and was particularly active in the downtown, the "heart" of Batavia, where he championed infrastructure improvements, but in a manner which strengthened community, such as the River Street "woonerf", its arch and custom fencing, "Storehenge" a monument to downtown business and industry, and the sculpture pedestals on the Donovan Bridge to mention a few. He is most proud of the City's instrumental support in the creation of Water Street Studios, the Art in Your Eye art festival, and Art in Your Ear, a songwriting competition.

In retirement, Bill is engaged in his passion of large-scale metal sculpture. His works have been exhibited in several Illinois communities, including Chicago, Aurora, and Rockford, and has also shown as in Iowa and Indiana.

Bill is married with 4 children and 6 grandchildren. He plays guitar and spends a lot of time in the North Woods of Wisconsin.

You can reach Bill at vicepresident@waterstreetstudios.org

Bonnie Baumgartner is a local children's book author and entrepreneur. She has five years of non-profit experience in the Batavia community previously serving as the Batavia MainStreet Event Coordinator and the Executive Director of Batavia United Way.

Bonnie is a creative with a deep appreciation of art. She has spent the past three years co-chairing a program that supports local makers and artists. She is looking forward to continuing that support as a part of the Water Street Studios board and hopes to continue strengthening their community arts outreach and assist in bringing new installations of public art to the downtown.

Bonnie lives in Batavia with her husband, Matt, and their three young children. She enjoys biking the fox and traveling with her family.

Reach her at Bonnie@waterstreetstudios.org

Marcia Boyce is the long-time owner of a family business- Boyce Body Werks in Batavia and Naperville. She has been an active volunteer in her community- with a focus on financial management, previously being Treasurer for the Batavia Chamber of Commerce, Batavia United Way and Batavia Main Street. She is currently also a SCORE mentor, helping new businesses. She loves spreadsheets, genealogy research and travel.

contact Marcia at treasurer@waterstreetstudios.org

Marissa Amoni is the owner of Marissa Bright PR, a public relations and event management company specializing in small businesses and nonprofit organizations. She is also the coordinator of Geneva Arts Fair, and she founded Alley Art Festival with a group of artists in 2010, which she continues to run on the last Saturday of August in downtown Aurora. 

Coming from a marketing and writing background, Marissa created Downtown Auroran Magazine, an arts and culture magazine that she published for eight years. She then worked for Aurora Downtown for a decade, completing two commissioned murals by local artists, growing the arts and culture scene, and creating more than a dozen unique community events for the business organization to host, including First Fridays, Art and Market, Wednesdays at the Plaza, Food Truck Festival, and more. With a passion for community building, Marissa continues to connect people in the Fox Valley through events.

Marissa likes to spend her time in the kitchen, in the garden, on a bike path, at an art museum, or writing a press release. She also likes to read, bowl, watch movies, and listen to live music. 

Marissa lives on the West Side of Aurora with her husband, Max, their teenage son, and their dog, Gunner. They also have a grown daughter who attends college.

Roger E. Breisch has lived an eclectic life. He holds a Master of Science in Mathematics from Northern Illinois University and a Master of Science in Management from the Sloan School at MIT. During his career he taught high school, was a manager for a Fortune 100 company, owned a management consulting company, and, most recently, ran the Batavia Chamber of Commerce.

During his professional career, Roger has volunteered extensively. He chaired a local 4th of July Fireworks for 17 years, has worked with teens in an anti-alcohol, anti-drug program for 16 years, and has spent more than 4,000 hours answering calls on a suicide hotline over that past 19 years. He is excited to join Water Street Studios as a Board member.

Roger speaks and writes extensively. He spoke at both TEDxIIT and TEDxQuincy. He has published two books: “Questions That Matter” and “Humanity’s Journey Home: Surrendering to the Wholeness that is Gaia.” Today, Roger focuses on helping others discover a “Life That Matters.”

He and Judi, his wife of 40 years, have two grown children and live in Batavia, Illinois.

James Cardis is a Batavia resident with a strong background in marketing, storytelling, and non-profit leadership. As the Director of Marketing for the Aurora Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, James has played a pivotal role in showcasing attractions along the Fox River and enhancing the profile of the regional destination. Previously, James launched his career at the Allstate Insurance Company, where he managed digital marketing initiatives for the flagship website allstate.com and over 10,000 Allstate agency owners nationwide. 

James is a passionate advocate for the arts and community development, and a longtime supporter of Water Street Studios. Prior to joining the Water Street Studios board, James served as President of the Board of Directors for the Aurora Regional Fire Museum, where he helped establish that organization’s endowment fund in partnership with the Community Foundation of the Fox River Valley. Additionally, James has served as the marketing committee chairperson for Illinois Destinations Association, contributing to the development of the association’s re-branding initiative.

In his free time, James is a musician and avid reader with a deep appreciation for the arts, entertainment, and outdoor recreation opportunities afforded to visitors and residents of the Fox River valley.

Kimberly Luthin currently serves as the Vice President of Water Street Studios Board of Directors. She has surrounded herself with art in all aspects of her life. She is married to a professional artist, she holds an MFA in visual communication, an MA in Art History and MS in Art Education. She is committed to bringing art to her community in all forms. Her children both show promising artistic talent, and she loves fostering opportunities for them to express themselves.

In addition to art, Kimberly has a love of horses bred from growing up on a horse farm. She returns home for Charity Horse Shows and to watch her daughter ride and occasionally climbs into the saddle herself! She is an avid baseball and football fan and loves to read.

Professionally, Kimberly is the Assistant Store Manager at Barnes & Noble and Specialty Cluster Support Specialist. She serves as the President of the Geneva Academic Foundation and has been a Board member since 2013. She also is the Co-President of the Harrison Street School PTO. She loves being involved in her community however she can.

Sabrina Budasi Martin, a Resident Artist at Water Street Studios since 2015 also serves as Co-Chair for the Batavia Public Art Initiative. Her extensive volunteer work spans organizations such as Grace McWayne Elementary, Batavia High School, Boy Scouts of America, and local literacy organizations among others. Her dedication to service was recognized with the 2008 Community Volunteer of the Year award in Aurora, Illinois.

With over 30 years of experience in adult education, Sabrina has excelled as a consultant, program administrator, instructional designer, and educator. Her passion for mentoring, collaboration, and program development seamlessly transitioned into the arts, where she has designed and led workshops in a variety of art mediums for Water Street Studios, The Holmstad, and her creative collective, The Collage Sisthars.

Originally from Crystal Lake, Illinois, Sabrina’s artistic journey began early, winning her first art competition at 12. Despite earning degrees in International Studies, Spanish, and a Master of Arts in Adult Education, her passion for the arts remained a constant. Her work reflects an eclectic mix of media, including collage, painting, sculpture, book and printmaking. A Batavia resident for 22 years, Sabrina draws inspiration from people, nature, and the vibrant arts community she calls home, sharing this passion alongside her husband and two musically gifted sons.

Jessica is the owner of Dollar and Sense Bookkeeping in downtown Batavia.  In her early 20s, she earned her Massage Therapy license and began building a private practice. During that time, she also worked at her Mom and Grandmother’s business, Geneva Business Services, which offered bookkeeping support for local companies. After her mother’s sudden passing in August 2009, several bookkeeping clients asked Jessica to continue managing their accounts. That moment inspired her to shift career paths and open her own bookkeeping business. 

Over the past 16 years, Jessica has grown Dollar and Sense Bookkeeping from just 3 clients to more than 300 and now leads a team of seven bookkeepers. She and her team are thrilled to be moving into a newly purchased commercial building on Webster Street and feel grateful for the opportunity to invest further in downtown Batavia. 

Jessica has long been deeply involved in her community. She and her husband participated in the first Batavia Community Dinner Table and have spent countless hours volunteering throughout the city. She currently serves as Treasurer on four boards: the Batavia Interfaith Food Pantry and Clothes Closet, the Batavia Chamber of Commerce, the Fox Valley Entrepreneurial Center, and Big Hearts of Fox Valley. Her husband has also served on the Batavia MainStreet board for many years, allowing them to partner on numerous community projects.

When she’s not working or volunteering, Jessica enjoys spending time with her family—her husband, Bill, their two children, Olivia (13) and William (11), and their dogs, Stanley and Stella. Together, they love being outdoors gardening and swimming and look forward to the return of summer every year.

Art has been a constant presence in her life since childhood, sparked by early moments with her grandfathers that taught her to truly see. These formative experiences led to a lifelong commitment to making, studying, and supporting the arts. She pursued formal arts education from an early age, studying with private artists and at institutions including the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, the Swain School of Art, and the Portland Museum of Art. 

Kathleen holds a Bachelor of Science in Hotel and Restaurant Management from Northern Arizona University, with minors in Marketing and Art History, and earned a Master of Arts in Arts Administration from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her graduate thesis, Centering the Arts in Batavia, Illinois, helped catalyze local arts initiatives and contributed to the early development of what would become Water Street Studios. She was among the community members involved at the organization’s conception, contributing to mission development, naming discussions and resource coordination. Kathleen currently serves on the Events Committee and volunteers during Second Friday events. 

With 26 years of experience in higher education administration, Kathleen has supported undergraduate, Master of Fine Arts, and Master of Arts programs across a wide range of artistic disciplines. She deeply values what Water Street Studios brings to the Tri-Cities region and is passionate about ensuring the organization continues to thrive as a place where artists can create, share, and connect locally. Her strengths lie in connecting people, balancing creative vision with sustainable business practices, and fostering spaces where art serves as a powerful means of communication and community building. 

You will often find Kathleen at an orchestra or jazz concert, proudly watching her daughter play bass. When Illinois weather swings to its extremes, she practices strategic relocation. She will head west to ski with family and friends in the dead of winter or escape to the shores of Popham Beach, Maine, during the hottest week of July. 

W.C. “Buzz” Miller and his wife Linnea were involved with the conception and founding of Water Street Studios. Linnea was serving on the City Council and was the liaison between The Council and The Studios. Buzz joined the board in 2012 and has graciously served as a Board member since that time.

Buzz’s contribution to Batavia reaches beyond Water Street Studios. He has had roles in the construction of the River Walk, was a founding member of the group “Bring Batavia Windmills back to town”, Main Street Organization, The Fireworks Committee, Access Committee, Batavia Boy Scouts, Preservation Partners, High School Hall of Honor and more. He also currently serves on the Board of Valley Sheltered Workshop. Buzz is always looking for ways to contribute to his community. In 2009, Buzz and Linnea were named Batavia Citizens of the year.

Buzz and Linnea are proud parents to a daughter and two sons and as a family they enjoy all outdoor activities, particularly sailing, skiing and river rafting. He also loves to travel and has made excursions around the US, Iceland, Central America and South Africa.

Professionally, Buzz is the CEO of Du-Call Plastics in Elburn.