Four Community Leaders Elected to YA Board of Trustees

Young Audiences Arts for Learning New Jersey and Eastern PA (YA) welcomes its newest members: Jane Golden, Stephanie Lachenauer, Victor Limjoco, and Gita Varadarajan. Congratulations and welcome aboard!

Jane Golden is the founder and former executive director of Mural Arts Philadelphia, newly retired after more than three decades of leadership. Under her direction, Mural Arts created more than 3,800 works of public art through partnerships with communities, schools, nonprofits, city agencies, and philanthropies, while developing nationally recognized programs in youth arts education, restorative justice, and behavioral health. A nationally and internationally recognized leader in public art and urban transformation, Golden holds an MFA from Rutgers University and degrees in Fine Arts and Political Science from Stanford University.

Stefanie Lachenauer is a middle school teacher, mindfulness educator, author, and speaker whose work centers on supporting young people’s well-being, self-awareness, and agency. As the 2025 New Jersey State Teacher of the Year, she presents and consults nationally and internationally, translating research in neuroscience, social-emotional learning, and trauma-sensitive practice into practical, accessible strategies, and is the author of Let the Glitter Settle: Mindfulness for Teens, an Amazon bestseller.

Victor Limjoco serves as Executive Director, Content & Partnerships for Comcast NBCUniversal Brand & Digital Production, overseeing editorial content strategy, operations/partnerships, and off-site live events. Before Comcast, Victor was a journalist at NBC News for more than a decade, earning 3 Emmys as a producer for NBC Nightly News. He previously worked at the production company ScienCentral News, NPR/PBS station, and NJN’s “State of the Arts”. He earned an MBA at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, later serving as adjunct faculty, and his BSJ from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Gita Varadarajan is the acclaimed author of multiple Scholastic publications, including Save Me a Seat, My Bindi, and its companion book, My Saree. Gita is a sought-after guest author and speaker at schools across the country, inspiring children to create stories in their own voices. Gita has more than two decades of teaching experience. She currently teaches 4th graders at Riverside Elementary School in Princeton. Gita has a Master’s in Literacy Instruction from Teachers College, Columbia University, served as a student teacher supervisor at Teachers College in the Literacy Specialist Program, and as an adjunct faculty member at the School of Education at The College of New Jersey.

“We welcome our four newest trustees,” shared Stacy Mattia, Board Chair. “They bring a wealth of experience and new perspectives and join a talented group of trustees who are working to further our mission to inspire young people and expand their learning through the arts.”