Board of Directors

As a co-founder of Down For Dance, Annie Griffith is so excited to combine two of her biggest passions in this organization: dancing and working with individuals with Down syndrome. Growing up with a brother with Down syndrome, Annie always felt drawn to work with these individuals and she has always had a passion for dance. She took her first dance class at age 5 and continued through high school. She stepped away from dancing during college, double majoring in international business and marketing from George Washington University in Washington, DC and pursued a career on the corporate side of the apparel business for 8 years. She found herself back in the studio in 2013, when she started teaching adult dance fitness classes. She is thrilled that she is able to bring her love of dance to the DFD community.

Sari Anna Thomas is delighted to be working alongside Annie Griffith in their mission to offer Down For Dance to individuals with Down syndrome. Providing high quality dance programming to populations that don’t normally get exposed to these sorts of opportunities is where her passion truly lies, and of all the projects on her plate, she finds her work with DFD to be the most rewarding. A native of Seattle, Sari Anna moved to Los Angeles on a scholarship to EDGE Performing Arts Center in the summer of 2000. After working professionally for 5 years, she decided to turn her focus to teaching, choreographing and directing. She joined the faculty at Los Angeles Ballet in 2010 and has since also become involved with Elevation Studios where she now currently directs and teaches. Sari Anna started teaching dance to the Down syndrome community in 2013, and brings her expertise to DFD both inside and outside of the classroom, while also serving as the Artistic Director.

Matthew Griffith is excited to be a part of the Down For Dance mission to bring dance to individuals with Down syndrome. With a background in growing businesses and driving initiatives at startups and Fortune 500 companies, Matthew brings expertise in organization, strategy, and growth. Matthew holds an engineering degree from the University of Delaware and an MBA from Pepperdine University.

Stefanie Fujinami is passionate about children and fitness. She teaches swim lessons, personal trains, and teaches group exercise classes, as well as accounting and strategy for start-up companies. Stefanie also has her own business, VS Fitness Academy, which makes movement fun for families. She loves giving back to the community and has sat on the board of directors for Pi Beta Phi Fraternity and Rotary Club of Westchester. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University and a Master’s Degree in Business from Pepperdine University.

Reshan is passionate about maintaining safe and healthy work environments. For the past 28 years, he has been designing and delivering insurance programs, risk management strategies and resources for public agencies including municipalities, K-12 sc

Reshan Cooray is passionate about maintaining safe and healthy work environments.  For the past 28 years, he has been designing and delivering insurance programs, risk management strategies and resources for public agencies including municipalities, K-12 schools, and community colleges in California. Reshan is a dedicated father, fitness enthusiast, ardent mountaineer, and eager to help others. 

Reshan holds a Master of Public Health degree in Environmental and Occupational Health from Loma Linda University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from the University of California of Riverside.

Cole Sibus is a professional actor who has appeared in various film, television, and theatre productions. He began his career on the Emmy-winning A&E docuseries Born This Way and gained critical acclaim for his role as Arrow in Spare Room, earning the Upstream Spotlight award at the Riverbend Film Festival. Following this, Cole starred in the ABC series Stumptown alongside Cobie Smulders (How I Met Your Mother) and Jake Johnson (New Girl). Most recently, he appeared in A Thousand Tomorrows, a series based on the novel by Karen Kingsbury, which premiered on Pure Flix.

A proud Southern California native, Cole loves hitting the beach, surfing, dancing, participating in Special Olympics, and traveling. As a board member of Down for Dance, Cole is passionate about empowering individuals with Down syndrome to express themselves through the performing arts and is honored to support the organization’s mission.

With over 30 years of experience in administration and operations, Lisa Fraser has developed a strong track record of driving efficiency and growth across both for-profit and non-profit sectors. Currently serving as Chief Operations Officer at Synergy Restaurant Consultants in Newport Beach, California, Lisa oversees daily operations, manages financials, and ensures the successful delivery of client projects. She excels in process optimization, strategic planning, and leading teams to create tailored operational systems for clients.

Before joining Synergy, Lisa was Director of Operations at the Down Syndrome Foundation of Orange County, where she played a key role in strategic planning, staff management, and program delivery until the position was dissolved due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Known for her leadership, strong organizational skills, and meticulous attention to detail, Lisa thrives in dynamic, fast-paced environments. She is passionate about optimizing operations and supporting teams to achieve long-term growth and success.