Our Founders
Beginning in 2025, a group of talented museum professionals led by Gallery Director and Air Force veteran Yolanda Faye set forth to revitalize the Veterans Gallery. Due to their dedication, the Veterans Gallery now operates year-round, presenting rotating exhibitions, public programs, and cultural partnerships that explore veteran experience through art, design, storytelling, history, and civic life.
Yolanda Faye
Gallery Director
Yolanda Faye is a U.S. Air Force veteran, California native, and experienced curator dedicated to telling stories that often go unheard. She brings more than thirty-five years of connection to the military community through active duty service, life as a military spouse, and longtime advocacy for veterans and their families. Yolanda holds a Master’s degree in Museum Studies and began collaborating with the Veterans Gallery as a curator in 2023. In 2025, she formally joined the Veterans Gallery as Gallery Director, leading the revitalization of the gallery and launching its Fellowship Program. As Gallery Director, Yolanda stewards a space that embraces the full complexity of veteran identity while serving as a hub for community, storytelling, and the arts in San Francisco. She is committed to expanding access and ensuring the gallery reflects the diverse experiences of the veteran community.
Serena Kathleen Johnson
Art Director
Serena Kathleen Johnson is a multimedia creative and art director who has worked across nonprofit, exhibition, publishing, and technology sectors. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, her leadership ethos is built from a wealth of experience in design, marketing, and project management. She specializes in visual communication, moving brands forward, crafting immersive storytelling in digital and 3D spaces, and designing solutions that prioritize accessibility and community well-being. Drawing on her experience in the independent press community, she is also a passionate bookmaker and writer. Serena operates an independent design practice and serves on the Board of Directors for the Independent Publishing Resource Center. As the Veterans Gallery's Art Director, she leads our designers, communications professionals, and creatives in telling stories that expand and uplift veteran identities.
Ji Soo Kim (김지수)
Curator
Ji Soo Kim is a San Francisco-based curator whose recent work focuses on the Korean War and its aftermath. Raised across multiple countries and educated in South Korea, she is fully bilingual in Korean and English, enabling her to conduct research and oral history interviews in both cultural contexts. She holds a Master’s degree in Museum Studies from San Francisco State University. She has collected oral histories from American and South Korean veterans and civilians, translating these experiences into public exhibitions. Her recent work includes an exhibition at the USS Hornet Museum (2025), and she is currently preparing a new exhibition at the San Francisco War Memorial Building (2026). Drawing on her cross-cultural background, her work seeks to bridge historical memory between Korean and American audiences.
Nicholas Guzman
Historian and Collection Manager
Native to Southern California, Nicholas Guzman moved to San Francisco where he recently received his Master's Degree in Museum Studies from the University of San Francisco. For years he has had an enthusiasm for Historical Fashion, Military History, and the preservation of historical objects for future generations. He recently opened a permanent exhibition, Roll Call! Life on an Essex Class Carrier, as a Guest Curator, at the USS Hornet – Sea, Air, and Space Museum, blending his three enthusiasms. Currently, Nicholas acts as the Veterans Gallery's Historian, researching, recording, and documenting the activities of the Gallery, both past and present; and also acts as the Collections Manager, implementing best practices for long-term preservation of the Gallery's collection.
Hayley Blonstein
Brand & Exhibition Designer
Hayley is a San Francisco-based graphic designer whose work aims to inspire, connect, and spark curiosity. Originally from Los Angeles, she came to San Francisco for undergrad and fell in love with the Bay Area's vibrant spirit of expression and abundance of community. In 2024, she graduated from the University of San Francisco with a dual bachelor's in Design and Psychology. Fascinated by storytelling, identity, and the unique, everyday lives of people, Hayley's projects primarily exist in the realm of branding, packaging, and publication design. Her work has been featured at SOMArts, Haight Street Art Center, and 500 Capp St.
Zara Allen
Collections Research Fellow
Zara Allen was born and raised on Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i. In December 2025, she graduated from the University of San Francisco with a Master's degree in Museum Studies. Much of her work in the museum field has been shaped by her internship in the Ornithology and Mammalogy department and her volunteer role in the Botany department at the California Academy of Sciences. Zara is committed to connecting museum collections with their communities, particularly biological collections, which often contain specimens of cultural significance. She is eager to apply her experience to the Veterans Gallery, supporting the stewardship of their collections and conducting research into the provenance of these objects.
Zaarin Mizan
Administrator
Zaarin is a curator, researcher, and self-proclaimed flâneur who thrives at the intersection of history, place, and people. With an M.A. in Museum Studies from the University of San Francisco and an interdisciplinary foundation in environmental studies and urban history, she has contributed to institutions including the San Francisco Fire Department Museum, and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. She is delighted to join the Veterans Gallery to help forge a community space for empowerment — surfacing not-forgotten stories in service of a more resilient city and future. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new cities, whittling, and volunteering with local organizations throughout San Francisco.
Clay “Cash” Parsons
Founding Volunteer
Bio