Elisabeth I. Ward
Executive Director
Elisabeth Ward is the Museum’s Executive Director. She grew up in Southern California and spent her summers with family in Iceland. She holds a Master’s degree in Anthropology with a concentration in Museum Studies, and a PhD in Scandinavian Languages and Literature from University of California, Berkeley. Before coming to Los Altos History Museum, she worked at the Smithsonian Institution’s Natural History Museum and at Pacific Lutheran University.
Janna Land is the Museum’s Deputy Director. Originally from Sweden, Janna holds an MA from Emerson College and an MBA from the Stockholm School of Economics. Her work has given her the opportunity to live in Germany, India and Boston. Prior to joining the Museum, Janna founded an eCommerce company. Passionate about museums, art and history, she has completed Museum Management classes at the Harvard Extension School, serves on the board of San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles, and was on the Public Arts Commission of Los Altos.
Georgianna Shea
Museum Educator
As Museum Educator, Georgianna Shea facilitates changing exhibitions, lecture series, school group tours, and the teen docent program. Prior to coming to the museum, Georgianna spent over twenty years as a classroom teacher in local secondary schools, including Castilleja School in Palo Alto, and devoted her summers to organizing and leading adventure and educational experiences for adults. She holds a degree in Cinematic Arts from the University of Southern California.
Diane Holcomb
Director of Communications
As the Museum’s Director of Communications, Diane Holcomb generates all publicity, manages communications and oversees the membership database. Previously she managed programs for Music for Minors and Hidden Villa, and was the book buyer for East West Bookshop in Mountain View. She also freelances as a copywriter for entrepreneurs and nonprofits. Diane has an AA degree in Theater Arts from Foothill College, and attended the American Conservatory Theater training program.
Sophia Abarca
Curator of Collections
As Curator of Collections, Sophia oversees the Museum’s over 16,000 objects, artworks and paper archives. Native to the Bay Area, she grew up in South San Francisco. She earned a BA in Anthropology from San José State University and an MA in Museum Studies with an emphasis in Collections/Registration from San Francisco State University. Before coming to Los Altos, Sophia worked as the registrar for the Hayward Area Historical Society. She enjoys hiking, reading, and playing with her Labradoodle.
Farshad Fallah
Bookkeeper & Office Administrator
Ensuring the smooth operations of the Museum offices and business transactions is Farshad “Shawn” Fallah. He holds a BS in Business from San Jose State. Fluent in Farsi, English, and Spanish, he completed MBA coursework through MCA School of Business. A Los Altos Hills native, Farshad attended St. Francis High School, and has worked for Intuit, Booking.com, and Tishman Speyer, among others.
Janna Land