Meet Our Team
Stagebridge Staff
Michelle Taylor Lagunas brings more than two decades of visionary nonprofit leadership to Stagebridge, along with a deep-rooted passion for creativity, community, and the power of the arts to transform lives. Her career spans senior roles with Sisters of the Presentation of San Francisco, Center for Elders’ Independence (CEI-San Leandro), Lions Center for the Blind, and United Seniors of Oakland and Alameda County—organizations where she guided multimillion-dollar budgets, expanded vital services for older adults, and built strong, enduring partnerships throughout the Bay Area.
Michelle grew up immersed in the arts, raised in a family of musicians, performers, and creatives. She even appeared in a PBS documentary as a child—a hint of the artistic life to come. Her early love for performance inspired her to apply to the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts, and today her children carry forward that tradition as performers with Notes Music Academy in Oakland.
A certified Lean Six Sigma Greenbelt, Michelle blends strategic clarity with heart-forward leadership. She is committed to empowerment, belonging, and joyful creativity—the very values that anchor the Stagebridge mission. Her vision positions Stagebridge to grow its artistic impact, strengthen intergenerational connections, and champion the voices and stories of older adults for years to come.
“Stagebridge has always stood as a joyful, intergenerational community where creativity and connection thrive,” Michelle says. “I’m excited to guide Stagebridge into its next chapter with intention, joy, and deep respect for the voices that make this community so special.”
Executive Director
Michelle Taylor Lagunas
Barbara returned to Stagebridge after 18 years of dedicated service, most notably as the former Director of Storytelling & Storybridge Programs. Born in Louisiana and a Bay Area resident since age 10, she has been a cornerstone of Stagebridge’s artistic life and community impact for more than two decades. Her leadership, creativity, and deep commitment to older adult voices have helped shape the organization’s identity and helped generations of storytellers find their place onstage. A proud and active member of the Oakland community, Barbara is passionate about sharing Stagebridge with the many diverse neighborhoods, cultures, and communities that make the East Bay vibrant. Her work has always centered on connection, belonging, and the belief that everyone has a story worth telling.
In her role as Seniors Reaching Out Program Manager, Barbara brings her lifelong love of learning and her gift for relationship‑building to new audiences. She is excited to connect with older adults who may be unfamiliar with Stagebridge, opening doors to creativity, confidence, and community through the power of the performing arts
Barbara Johnson
Outreach & Seniors Reaching
Out Coordinator
Matthew Standley is a seasoned theatre artist and operations professional who brings a rare blend of creative insight, technical know‑how, and community‑centered care to Stagebridge. A proud New Orleanian by way of Kansas City, Missouri, Matt earned his B.F.A. in Theatre Performance from The University of Southern Mississippi and completed an acting internship at Actor’s Express in Atlanta. Over the past 18 years, he has built a rich artistic career spanning theatre, film, and voiceover, with performances on major Bay Area stages including A.C.T., SF Playhouse, Shotgun Players, Oakland Theatre Project, Bay Area Children’s Theatre, and Berkeley Playhouse. His voice and screen work have appeared on Netflix, Audible, and in numerous independent films.
Offstage, Matt has cultivated deep experience in administrative operations and audience engagement through roles at Post Intelligence, Bay Area Children’s Theatre, and Crescent Care. He brings warmth, clarity, and a lifelong belief in the transformative power of storytelling to every aspect of his work. As Stagebridge’s Technology, Operations & Public Engagement Coordinator, Matt supports our community with everything from tech troubleshooting to event logistics to helping participants find their spotlight—whether they’re in a scene, on Zoom, or simply stepping through our doors.
Matt Standley
Technology, Operations,
& Public Engagement Coordinator
Current Board of Directors
Mel Terry retired from UC Berkeley in 2007 after almost 30 years as a physical therapist, where he provided safety training and ergonomic assessments for various campus departments and participated in designing the PT department when the new health facility was created in 1991. His specialty areas included performing arts PT and holistic health. Mel is active in the community, serving on the boards of the Oakland Gay Men’s Chorus and of Friends of the Montclair Railroad Trail, and volunteering with the Coalition of Concerned Medical Professionals (CCMP) for the last 42 years.
In 2000, he graduated from a four-year Feldenkrais ® (Awareness Through Movement) training, and he taught a Feldenkrais workshop at Stagebridge in 2017.
Joining Stagebridge in 2009, Mel’s studies have included French Cabaret, Commedia del Arte, and Musical Theatre, and he was in the 2013 Stagebridge play “Counter Attack.” He loves being a member of the Stagebridge community, is a supporter and donor and has served on the Development Committee helping to produce the 2018 Gala.
Mel Terry
PRESIDENT
Eleanor comes to Stagebridge with a 23-year background in Philanthropy, beginning at the San Francisco Foundation, where she was responsible for the regional grantmaking and community initiatives of the SF Foundation. An active member of Bay Area Blacks in Philanthropy and Asian and Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy, Eleanor brings commitment to creating a better and more just world, including a decade as Chief Giving Officer at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, where she helmed grantmaking and community initiatives programs and the donor education and engagement departments. Additionally, she led public policy initiatives and worked with members of the California State Assembly and Senate to pass bills blocking payday lending and other predatory lending.
She has also worked at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and has served as Vice President of The Foundation Incubator, which provided turn-key consultant services for new foundations in the South Bay and training programs for philanthropy professionals. Additionally, her experience also includes two decades in education, working as an instructor in the Education department at San Francisco State University, Early Childhood Education and Child Development and Parent Education, working in programs that supported migrant families in the Central Valley and poor families throughout California, among other things.
With her retirement comes a renewal of creativity, as Eleanor found Stagebridge through Summer Camp where she discovered storytelling. Since then, she has taken several acting classes and recently completed the two-year E.P.I.C. Storytelling Program at Stagebridge.
Tracy Gary has been a catalyst shaped by the nonprofit community and its partners, leaders, and donors for over 50 years.
She is the author of Inspired Philanthropy: Creating a Giving and Legacy Plan, and has been to all 50 states and 25 countries promoting giving and volunteerism.
She has helped start with many others, twenty-six nonprofits, and has been on 30 boards, through which she seeks to engage multiple cultures and generations for the gifts received through giving from the heart and with intention for the greater good.
VICE PRESIDENT
Eleanor Clement Glass
Tracy Gary
TREASURER
Interested in Joining Our Board?
Stagebridge is currently recruiting qualified new members for its board. If you are interested in joining, please review the Board Information sheet, and fill out an Application form below. Contact info@stagebridge.org with any questions.
We're always looking for passionate individuals to help guide our mission. Join a dedicated team making a difference in the lives of older adults.