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Meet the HdG Arts Collective Team


At the Havre de Grace Arts Collective, our Board and Team are united by a shared passion: fostering creativity, uplifting the arts, and cultivating vibrant, inclusive communities.

We bring together a diverse range of experience across artistic disciplines and nonprofit leadership, working collaboratively to support a thriving arts scene in Havre de Grace. Each member is passionate about our mission and believes that when the arts thrive, our city
thrives too.

Together, we’re building more than programs—we’re helping shape a creative, connected future for our community.

Board Members

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Laura Kozak

Chair

Laura serves as the Chief Marketing Officer at the University of Maryland, Baltimore, where she leads strategic communications and brand initiatives. She is a 2018 graduate of the Greater Baltimore Committee’s Leadership Program, which empowers emerging leaders to drive civic engagement and regional progress. In 2022, she continued her leadership development as a graduate of Leadership Maryland, a prestigious program that brings together public and private sector executives to address key issues across the state.​ Laura holds a Master of Arts in Publications Design.

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Jamie Bennett

Treasurer

Jamie has worked as a community banker in Harford and Cecil Counties for over 18 years. He has been with Harford Bank since 2020 and currently works out of their Havre de Grace office as a Regional Branch Manager, Vice President. Through the many roles Jamie has held during his banking career from teller, to underwriter, to consumer lender to branch manager, the constant throughout has been his commitment to building relationships with his clients and being involved in the communities he serves. Jamie is a past Board Member of the Boys and Girls Club of Cecil County, past Board Member of the Rising Sun Chamber of Commerce, past President of the Rising Sun Chamber of Commerce, past President of the Rising Sun Lions Club, member of the City of Havre de Grace Marina Commission and current Board Member of the Havre de Grace Chamber of Commerce. Jamie was born and raised on the west coast of Canada and has been calling North East, Maryland home since 2006.

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Katie Noe

Secretary

Katie brings over ten years of business development, marketing, and strategic planning to the Havre de Grace Arts Collective in addition to several years of personnel, event, and venue  management. Most recently, From late 2022 - Spring 2024, she worked as the previous Executive Director of the Arts Collective.  Prior to that, she
was responsible for leading the organizational change management, communication, and training efforts for TESSCO Technologies. For the past four years, she has served as the COO of Suited Four, Inc., a film and television production,  live streaming, and media consultation company, and as Director of Events and Operations for The State Theater of Havre de Grace, the largest privately owned entertainment venue in Harford County. Prior to her work with TESSCO and The State Theater of Havre de Grace, Katie started her professional career first as Event Manager and ultimately as Manager of Strategic Partnerships for National Conference Services, Inc.

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Lauri Orzewicz

Director

Lauri is the City of Havre de Grace Tourism Manager. Lauri also manages the Havre de Grace Visitor Center at 450 Pennington Ave. Lauri serves on several boards including Harford Leadership Academy Alumni Board, Harford TV board, Havre de Grace Alliance Board and the Visit Harford Board. She is also a member of the Maryland Tourism Coalition and the Maryland Bus Association.

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Angelo Bianco

Director

Angelo is an oil painter who studies under Nancy Conrad, a graduate of Maryland Institute College of Art who teaches art using techniques practiced by the Old Masters. His focus leans toward landscapes and old city scenes of Baltimore. He is a member of the Arts by the Bay Gallery in Havre de Grace and the Harford Artists Association in Bel Air. He is also on the Board of Directors for the Marshy Point Nature Center Council in Baltimore County.

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Kate Darwent

Director

Kate is a Principal at Corona Insights, a firm that assists purpose-driven organizations with research, evaluation, and strategic decision making. At work she specializes in using data to answer critical questions for nonprofit, public, and private organizations. She has worked with many arts and cultural organizations, from museums to larger citywide cultural plans. Kate has volunteered for the HdG Arts Collective since the reopening of the Cultural Center at the Opera House, including running the marketing committee for several years.

Team Members

Haley I. M. Strong

Executive Director 

Haley has over five years of non-profit experience as an Executive Director and Board Consultant. Prior to her work in the non-profit industry, she served as the Studio and Gallery Assistant Manager at Cecil College’s Elkton Station Gallery and Milburn Stone Gallery while she pursued an Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration and Management. Haley also holds an Associate of Fine Arts degree in Ceramics and Sculpture as well as a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance from Wilmington University and spent two years on the Board of Directors for the Rising Sun Arts Alliance.

“I am exceedingly honored to be able to bring my talents and skills to the Havre de Grace Arts Collective and its community. The arts hold a special place in my personal life, and I am thrilled to join an organization dedicated to building community through the arts.”

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Lexi Hauck 

Director of Operations

Alexa has a background in theatre, photography, administration, event production, and marketing. She has a Bachelor of Science in Theatre Studies with a minor in Electronic Media & Film from Towson University. She has also completed the Teaching Artist Institute program through the Maryland State Arts Council and fulfilled a teaching artist residency in Baltimore. Prior to this role, Alexa honed her administrative skills at Constellation Energy and 

The Havre de Grace Arts Collective is an Equal Opportunity Employer. 

Havre de Grace Arts Collective

A registered 501(c)3 nonprofit
organization founded in 2017. 

 

Email: info@hdgartscollective.org

Phone: 443.526.1118 

Registered Charity: 18799
 

Staff Hours

Tuesday - Friday: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

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