Meet the BOARD OF DIRECTORS
AYCO/ACE is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit with a volunteer board of directors..
-
Jake Weinstein has dedicated over 30 years to circus education and performance, primarily in New England and the Southeast U.S. His career includes roles as Technical Director and later as the overall Director of a major children’s circus in Connecticut, as well as serving as a founding member and board president of a nonprofit circus arts studio in Tennessee. Jake teaches aerial arts and ground skills to both children and adults, and performs across a range of disciplines, including trapeze, fabrics, vertical dance (on the sides of buildings), stilts, juggling, and clowning, among others. He also brings deep experience in social circus, contributing his expertise to create positive social impact through the circus arts.
-
After years as a competitive gymnast, Jens spent 19 years as a performer in circuses all over the world. His specialties were aerial Roman Rings, comedy chairbalancing, handbalancing, and rola bola. Over the course of his varied career he performed both solo and group acts in shows that ranged from the very small to the very large and ran the stylistic spectrum from traditional to contemporary. After retiring from performing, Jens obtained his teaching certificate and a Masters Degree in Secondary Education and spent 14 years as a high school teacher in Phoenix. In 2015 Jens embarked on his third career, by creating Phoenix Youth Circus Arts, a non-profit social circus program that conducts after-school programs at area schools.
-
Donnell Earl Griffith is a juggler and circus educator living in New York City. He found juggling nearly a decade ago at Bryant Park Juggling in Midtown, NY. Since then, he served several years as a juggling coach for the park but has also taught juggling and circus at many other institutions, including Bindlestiff Family Cirkus After School, Yonkers Youth Bureau, and the New York City Department of Transportation. He travels to juggling conventions around the country and hopes to find a way to bring circus to inner city communities who might not have otherwise had the chance to do so. He has an MFA in Creative Writing and Publishing and works as an Adjunct Professor at Hudson County Community College.
-
Craig Lewis has been fascinated with circus arts since he taught himself to juggle at age 10. He has since pursued training in aerial arts and juggling through Aerial Space in Asheville, NC, and the Aerial Dance program at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). In 2013, he founded Night Owl Circus Arts in Johnson City, TN, where he enjoys teaching Aerial Silks, Juggling, and Acro. During the pandemic of 2020 he began teaching a monthly Aerial Rigging Fundamentals class over Zoom, which has become very popular. He is very active in the juggling community, and serves as the Festival Site Director for the International Jugglers’ Association (IJA). He has a degree in Digital Media from ETSU, where today he works as a fitness instructor for the campus gym. He runs several other businesses, including a hot sauce business (Night Owl Spice), a mobile DJ business, and a circus school management software business. He enjoys international cooking, rock climbing, caving, and making hot sauce.
-
Born and raised in Louisiana, now residing in Portland, Maine, Raymond Diamond (he/him) is a professional circus artist and AYCO/ACE Board Member. As a Board member, Raymond is a member of the JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) committee, and the Safety Committee.
Raymond is a bounce juggler, handbalancer, and partner acrobat, and strives to remind those in his community that great things are often possible with support, love, and a desire to do one’s best.
-
Suzy brings over a decade of experience in community-based circus arts, grounded in her leadership as a board member with Community Circus Arts Corporation (CCAC). Since 2015, she has supported organizational governance, fundraising, and program development, helping expand access to circus arts opportunities for young people, focusing on the Great All American Youth Circus in Redlands, CA.
She actively supports the broader circus community, having supported AYCO and American Circus Educators events across the country and served on the AYCO Events Committee. Her work reflects a deep commitment to collaboration and the continued growth of youth circus programs.
As a district administrator in a large public school district, Suzy leads initiatives and develops leaders through coaching and systems-level work. Her leadership is rooted in creating inclusive, relationship-centered environments where individuals can grow and contribute meaningfully.
And as a parent of five children who grew up in circus arts, Suzy has seen firsthand the powerful impact of these programs and remains dedicated to ensuring that youth circus is accessible, supportive, and transformative for all participants. Suzy's circus skills include ball juggling, Risley, Pyramid Acro, and Perch Pole.
Board Member in Memoriam: Rick Davis
A founding member of AYCO, Rick’s 30 year career took him to Ringling Brothers Circus, Broadway, DisneyWorld, The White House, and on tours of 15 countries. He was the author of 3 books, and conducted circus school residencies for Circus Smirkus. He was also the founder of SchoolShows.com, the largest directory of school assembly performers.
Interested in joining a committee?
info@americanyouthcircus.org
Meet the Team
AYCO/ACE runs with a small but dedicated team. We are grateful to our community for all the volunteer hours that have helped build this amazing community.
-
Elena Brocade has been an active part of the international circus community since 2002. Beginning her performance career as an aerialist, Elena worked internationally in numerous circus theater productions and gala events. She began working for AYCO/ACE as a Safety Consultant in 2015 and now continues her support of our community to bring the community closer.
Interested in an internship, project-based volunteering, or something else?
Click the link or Email info@americanyouthcircus and we’ll work with you to find the right opportunity at AYCO/ACE!