OUR STAFF
Executive Director, Blaze D'Amico
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Blaze D’Amico is a native New Orleanian with a passion for arts and culture. She has nearly a decade of experience working in non-profit education at the Alliance Française and formerly worked in development for the New Orleans Jazz Museum. Blaze is a graduate from Tulane Law and will soon be awarded an LLM in Art Law from LUISS Guido Carli. She is dedicated to the people of New Orleans, the art and culture they create, and the nonprofits that serve them.
Sustainability Coordinator, Aubrey Mann
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Communications Coordinator, Nicole Moriarty
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Creative Reuse Shop, Shel Roumillat
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Creative Reuse Shop, Anjle Latiha C
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Anjle is a creative polymath who draws on over 20 years of experience in fiber art, costuming, performance art, theater, music, writing, drawing, and painting to create art that combines story, image, and form. Anjle enjoys the challenge of applying skills across disciplines to develop their own unique approach to their craft. combines story, image, and form. Anjle enjoys the challenge of applying skills across disciplines to develop their own unique approach to their craft.
Instructor, Carolina Gallop
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Carolina was born in La Ceiba, Honduras and was raised in Boston, MA. She moved to New Orleans from Los Angeles in 1999 where she trained as a Fashion Designer. Carolina enjoys hosting Fashion Show events and had done so since arriving in New Orleans.
Carolina has been teaching adult and children sewing since 2010 and enjoys the “Art of Sewing”. She enjoys the look on her student’s faces when they finally “get it”.
Carolina enjoys working with the Community and likes to meet new people. She is trained in Medical Administration and is also a trained Paramedic. Carolina enjoys teaching and sewing new projects and is currently creating and making hats for an upcoming show in Massachusetts. She leads several adult beginner to intermediate classes.
Instructor, Lorenza De la Puente
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Lorenza De la Puente is a New Orleans native who graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 2019 with a Bachelors in Fashion Design. She has spent the last two years working on her Masters in fashion design at Politecnico di Milano. Lorenza loves to crochet, knit, and sew and she is passionate about teaching and working with children.
Instructor, Alester Stalling
Instructor, Iz Eagles
Instructor, Gala Glyphon
Instructor, Marwan Pleasant
Instructor, Ari Chalew
OUR BOARD
Board Chair, Lauren Anderson
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Board Vice Chair, Trish Thibodeau
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Trish Thibodeau, CPA, is a costume-loving crafter with a passion for sustainability and a knack for turning scraps into something spectacular. She joined ricRACK’s Board of Directors in 2024 and serves as Vice Chair, where she helps champion the magic of reuse and hands-on creativity. Inspired by heritage skills and the joy of making, Trish brings both heart and know-how to ricRACK’s mission. When she’s not stitching, gluing, or glittering, she enjoys travel, dining, and spending time with her husband and two dogs, Rowdy and Otis.
Treasurer, Jena Hausman
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Secretary, Brooke Walker
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Brooke Walker is an immigration attorney based in New Orleans. She holds a Political Science degree from The George Washington University and a J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. A lifelong crafter inspired by her grandmother, Brooke joined ricRACK’s Board of Directors in 2024 to support its mission of preserving heritage skills. In her free time, she enjoys golf, tennis, traveling and movie nights with her pug, Mio.
Board Member, Malika Freydberg
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Board Member, Paul Tassin
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Board Member, Romina Piersanti
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Board Member, Helena Robinson
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OUR FOUNDER
Founder, Alison Parker
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Alison Parker started her professional career developing and maintaining costumes for the Cirque du Soleil. In recent years she shifted her focus to wardrobe for TV shows like Girls, NCIS New Orleans, and Stephen Soderbergh’s Mosaic, or feature films like Looper, I Am Legend, or The Highwaymen, costuming Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson.
After spending 20 years surrounded by the waste of fabrics and clothing, and finding a lack of sewing resources, Alison Parker knew ricRACK was an organization that needed to exist. Born in Bradford, England, Alison immigrated to the States in 1980, and went on to graduate from the University of Florida with a degree in theatre production, specializing in Costume Design. In November 2019, Alison accomplished her greatest feat by combining her passions, historical costuming, social justice, and repurposing clothing. She created prototypes and patterns, organized sewing circles, and in effect, costumed close to 300+ re-enactors for Dread Scott’s 1811 Slave Rebellion Re-enactment. Her techniques are the most prolific and sustainable used by any costume designer today. When Alison and her husband are not working, they live on their sailboat in Southshore Harbor with Beatrice the Boat Cat and Thibodeaux the dog.