Taylor Huber: Executive Director
Taylor Dreyling Huber is a Minnesota native, who began dancing with Classical Ballet Academy (CBA) in 1996 and graduated in 2001. She has received several scholarships to numerous ballet summer intensives such as; Dance Aspen with Jillana, Virginia School of the Arts, Milwaukee Ballet School and Boston Ballet School. Taylor went on to the University of Kansas and the University of Wisconsin – Madison, under dance scholarships. She was a Ballet Minnesota company member from 2001-07 dancing several soloist roles such as; Snow Queen in The Classic Nutcracker, Pas de Trois in Swan Lake, Flower Girl in Don Quixote, Willi soloist in Giselle, Dawn in Coppelia and was in several of Andrew Rist’s original works such as Italian Symphony and The Black Dog Café. Taylor has performed with several companies around the Twin Cities Metro and nationally performed the Grand Pas de Deux from The Nutcracker as a guest artist. After retirement she became a notable teacher and private coach with several schools all over the metro. She currently resides in Woodbury MN with her husband and daughter, instructs Pre-Ballet through Level 2B in both CBA Woodbury and Saint Paul locations and in her spare time teaches Barre Burn classes with Yoga Fresh in Woodbury. Taylor is incredibly proud to be a part of the Ballet Minnesota board, instructing the next generation of CBA, and to be a part of the Ballet Minnesota organization.
Lisa Gray: Board President
Biography coming soon
Laurie Parker: Vice President and Development
Laurie Parker is a former CBA dancer from the very early days of CBA/Ballet Minnesota (1987-1995). She performed in Ballet Minnesota’s Nutcrackers #1-8, sharing the role of Clara with current Ballet Minnesota company member Erin Warn in 1991. She went on to become a scientist, and is currently heading a cancer research laboratory as an Associate Professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics at the University of Minnesota. Through her science activities, she developed experience in designing and building websites, managing digital media files and administering cloud file storage solutions. After moving back to Minnesota in 2014, she joined the Ballet Minnesota board in the summer of 2015, and his excited to share her skillset with an organization that has always been near to her heart. Things have also now come full circle, as her daughter is a CBA student. She lives with her family in Saint Anthony Village, next to Northeast Minneapolis.
Beth Kockelman: Secretary
Biography coming soon
Julia Lauwagie: Community Partnerships
Biography coming soon
Annete Scotti: Community Outreach
Annette Scotti, MAIR, Partner, HRtechies, Inc. has more 20 years of experience in HR working as a HR director, manager, leadership and development trainer, and consultant. She has consulted with executives and mid-level management at regional and national organizations in industries from financial services to engineering, banking, health care, communications services, nonprofits, and education. Ms. Scotti is a frequent volunteer with many HR and groups, helping to prepare and train dislocated workers for reentry into the workforce.
Ms. Scotti is also frequent presenter on topics in change management, leadership, and strategic planning. She is an Associate Faculty member teaching numerous HR and business courses at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota Graduate and Professional Programs. She has been teaching since 1998. In 2010, she was awarded “Outstanding Faculty” for her teaching contributions to St. Mary’s University. Currently she sits on the Adjunct Faculty Advisory Board.
Ms. Scotti holds a Master of Arts in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from the Carlson School of Business at the University of Minnesota and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from the University of Minnesota’s Honors Program. She also has received formal Fundamentals of Co-Active Coaching.
Heather Rist: Advocacy
Heather Rist has 10+ years of experience in the field of marketing communications. Heather attributes her knack for agile communications and guerilla marketing tactics to her early experience with marketing for non-profits. In 2015, Heather made the move to Deluxe from Cambria and Sun Country Airlines where she managed the fast-paced communications team and developed their social media eco-systems. Today Heather is the Director of Social Media and Content with the brand relations team at Deluxe and currently serves on the board of Ballet Minnesota.
Nicole Lapides: Advisor
Nicole has served on the Board of Directors of Ballet Minnesota since the Fall of 2005, making 2015 her ten-year anniversary with this great organization! Nicole serves as a board advisor and Cast Party Coordinator.
Daniela Vaughan: Alumni Circle
Daniela Vaughan grew up in the Twin Cities and began dancing with Classical Ballet Academy at the age of 9 and graduating in 2004. She went on to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she majored in Genetics and Zoology before beginning a career full-time in dog behavior and animal welfare. In 2014, Daniela and her family moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming where she worked full-time as the Director of Operations of the Cheyenne Animal Shelter. During her time in Wyoming, Daniela returned to her ballet roots by taking adult ballet classes at a local ballet studio; soon after she began, she was asked by the studio owner to come on staff as a teacher for multiple levels of ballet for the 2016-2017 season. In 2017, Daniela returned to the Midwest, moving to Merrill, Wisconsin, where she is continuing her passion in animal behavior and welfare and has begun teaching ballet, pointe, and lyrical at the Wausau Academy of Dance.