About Napa
Regional Dance
Foundation

Alyssia Walden is a dynamic professional with an MBA in Wine Business, boasting extensive experience in hospitality and business management. Specializing in the launch and management of boutique wine brands, she demonstrates expertise in business operations and strategic planning. Alyssia has left an indelible mark at prestigious wineries such as Frog’s Leap, Progeny Winery, Pulido Walker, Arborum, and more.

Growing up in the Napa Valley, Alyssia thrived in Tae Kwon Do, earning national recognition. This experience instilled in her a deep respect and dedication to technically demanding disciplines. Inspired by her daughter’s early passion for ballet, Alyssia prioritized her daughter’s artistic development, finding a supportive and nurturing environment at NRDC. Alyssia remains dedicated to preserving ballet as a vital form of artistic expression and advocates for its accessibility to all who desire it.

Chris Pacheco is excited to serve as the treasurer of the Napa Regional Dance Foundation. He and his wife, Megan, have been long-time supporters of the arts and have seen their daughter thrive as a dancer at NRDC from a young age.

A proud resident of Napa, Chris has dedicated his career to public service. After enlisting in the United States Air Force upon graduating high school, he served honorably for 7.5 years, including during the events of September 11. He later graduated from the Police Academy at Napa Valley College in 2003 and began his law enforcement career with the St. Helena Police Department. In 2005, he transitioned to the Napa County Sheriff’s Office, where he spent 18 years. In 2022, Chris took on the role of Lieutenant with the Napa Police Department, and is now serving as Captain as of 2024.

His commitment to community service extends beyond law enforcement; he is an active coach with the Napa Valley Baseball Club, a Napa Sheriff’s Activities League board member and coach, and a varsity baseball coach at Vintage High School, fostering youth engagement in sports. With a strong background in public service and a passion for community involvement, Chris looks forward to bringing his expertise and commitment to the Napa Regional Dance Foundation.

In 2006, Jeanmarie answered a casting call seeking adult dancers to join in the upcoming production of The Nutcracker. An avid community theater performer and wannabe ballerina, it was the perfect marriage and she has been active in NRDC productions ever since. Jeanmarie consults on special events and marketing projects and has spent many years in the non-profit sector. She currently sits on the board of The White Barn, a restored carriage house turned theater located in St. Helena. As the parent of a high school student, she maintains an active role in the parent group and serves on the steering committee of their annual fundraising campaign. Originally from Chicago, she holds a BA and MA in communication from Bowling Green University in Ohio. While Jeanmarie has two daughters of her own, she still feels like a proud parent of every one of the NRDC talented performers.

Wanda Martin McGill has been teaching Classical Ballet and Contemporary dance in the Bay Area and Napa Valley for over 30 years. She received her professional dance education with Dance Theater of Harlem in New York City and studied contemporary dance at The Alvin Ailey School. Returning to the Bay Area, she continued studies with Alonzo King, director of Lines Contemporary Ballet in San Francisco.

Wanda holds graduate level K-12 and Community College credentials in the areas of Fine Art and Dance. Since 1981 she has taught classical ballet and contemporary dance for Napa, Solano and Diablo Valley Community College Districts. She directed her own contemporary ballet company, Visual Moves, which performed in the Bay Area along with producing numerous dance productions for the colleges and the community. Wanda continues to provide professional dance education to hundreds of students each year and maintains the business operations for Napa Regional Dance Company.

Maggie is an advanced ballet student at NRDC. She began her life long love of ballet at a young age in Corpus Christi, Texas where she danced throughout her youth before moving to England to attend boarding school and train in the Royal Academy of Dance method. She continued taking ballet classes while studying English at the University of Georgia and in her post college life at the Ballet Austin community school. Maggie moved to the valley in 2011 to pursue a culinary degree at the CIA Greystone after which she worked as a baker for three years before taking an indefinite hiatus from the professional kitchen to join her boyfriend, Reed, in growing his business. Together they run a small company selling previously owned clothing – primarily menswear – on eBay. She enjoys this new, somewhat unconventional, career that allows her more time to perfect her pliés and pirouettes back in the ballet studio.