CAEA Governance
The California Art Education Association state government is composed of several State Areas and is organized to include State Officers (President, President-elect, Past President, Secretary and Treasurer), an Executive Committee (State Officers and Presidents of the Areas), and a State Council (Executive Committee, President-elect of each Area, and Standing Committee Chairs). Standing Committee Chairs (Youth Art Month Chair, Professional Awards Chair, etc.) shall be appointed as voting members by the State Executive Committee to serve a two-year term concurrent with the State President's term. Contract Employees such as the Conference Manager, etc. are non-voting members in accordance with a negotiated contract. For further information regarding CAEA State Government, see the CAEA Constitution below.
Dear CAEA Colleagues,
I hope this message finds you well during what continues to be a complex and challenging time for educators and public institutions across the United States. As arts educators and advocates, we are navigating a moment marked by uncertainty, heightened public discourse, and very real pressures on schools, teachers, and students. In that context, our shared commitment to thoughtful leadership, transparency, and collaboration feels especially important.
I’m writing in my role as the outgoing and Immediate Past President of the California Art Education Association (CAEA) to share a brief leadership and governance update. As of January, Alisha Mernick has assumed the role of President of CAEA, in accordance with our established succession process. CAEA’s work continues to be guided by CAEA's collective leadership, strong organizational structures, and the deep expertise of our council, members, and partners across the state.
I also want to share that the CAEA Constitution and Bylaws were formally ratified by our membership following a thorough, two-year process that included member input and thorough review. These ratified documents are now in effect and provide clear guidance for officer roles, terms, and organizational practices, ensuring strong governance as we continue this work together. An independent external review by the NAEA Pacific Region Vice President confirmed the process and results, certifying that the amendments were validly and duly adopted.
Thank you for your continued partnership and for the ways you support visual arts and students across California. In moments like these, our collective efforts and our shared belief in the power of education and art matter more than ever. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if any additional information would be helpful.
Warmly,
Anna Pilhoefer
Immediate Past President
California Art Education Association
CAEA Regions and Areas
A CAEA member is automatically affiliated with the CAEA Region and Area in which the member resides or works.
CAEA consists of three geographical Regions: Northern, Central, and Southern. Click here for a detailed map of the CAEA Regions and the counties included within each CAEA Region.
Each CAEA Region consists of one or more CAEA Areas composed of members within specific geographic parameters of the Region. Each Area is required to have governance in the form of an Area Council composed of elected officers including a President, President-elect, Past-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.
Central Area (composed of members in the Central Region)
Northern Area (composed of members in the Northern Region)
Southern Area (composed of members in the Southern Region)
Historical Snapshot
CAEA was founded in 1965 by a union of the Southern and Northern sections of the Pacific Arts Association. The association is composed of three geographic regions: Northern Region, Central Region, and Southern Region. A State Council, which implements statewide policy and initiates activities of interest to its membership, governs each of the regions.
Members of a region can elect to form one or more CAEA Areas within the region. A CAEA Area formalizes governance, including a budget and fundraising to support Area activities; the Area governing board is elected by members that reside in that Area and includes a President, President-elect, Secretary and Treasurer. The president of an Area serves on the State Executive Committee with other elected state officers to govern the State Association.
CAEA sends two delegates to the annual National Art Education Association Convention to work on the National Art Education Association Strategic Plan, art education policies, and continued advocacy. CAEA is a part of the NAEA Pacific Region, which consists of state art education leaders from Alaska, Arizona, British Columbia, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, Guam, and American Somoa. The Pacific Region continues the work of NAEA by holding an annual summer meeting that is hosted by one of its member states.