Staff

The Possibility Project staff leads, manages and directs the organization and our three programs in New York City. They also provide training, evaluation and technical assistance to the staff and artists of affiliate organizations that sponsor Possibility Projects in other cities.

Paul Griffin – Founder & President
Paul led the founding of City at Peace-DC in 1994, and served as its Artistic Director for five years. He is now currently leading the growth and development of The Possibility Project, including serving as Artistic Director for the new Foster Care program. With over 18 years of experience working in the field of youth development and the arts, he has overseen the creation of 64 original musicals written and performed by youth. He has presented workshops and performances for dozens of major organizations and events such as the Children’s Defense Fund, District of Columbia Superior Court, National Multicultural Institute, The American University School of International Studies, and George Mason Institute of Conflict Resolution. He has appeared in various media, such as “The Bob Edwards Show,” to speak about teenagers and their development. He has been honored at The White House as a Tomorrow’s Leader Today, and received the Public Allies Changemaker Award and the National Hamilton Fish Institute Award for Service. Paul also teaches The Performing Arts for Social Change at Sarah Lawrence College where he is Francis Ann Cannon Artist-in-Residence. E-mail Paul

Kelly Claus – Program Manager
Kelly Claus, a native of Texas, is grateful to have worked with The Possibility Project since 2007. As Program Manager, Kelly handles most administrative aspects of TPP’s three programs, produces all original musical premiere events, manages the internship program, and maintains the organizational database & this website. In the coming months, she will also be developing educational materials and assisting with grassroots audience engagement initiatives for TPP’s film project, Know How, which will be completed later this year. Prior to joining TPP, Kelly coordinated an afterschool program for Publicolor, another NYC youth development organization, and held the position of Education Director for Nashville Opera where she developed and managed all student education and singer-training programs. Kelly has directed several children’s plays and operas, taught voice lessons at Middle Tennessee State University and the Academy of Music and Drama (TN), and spent a short time pursuing a career as an opera singer. Kelly holds a master’s degree in vocal performance from Middle Tennessee State University, and a bachelor’s degree in music education from Angelo State University in Texas. E-mail Kelly

Elizabeth Howard – Artistic Director, Tuesday/Thursday Program
Read a profile of Elizabeth. Elizabeth, born and raised in Chicago, has been lucky enough to be a part of The Possibility Project for the last seven years. She began as an Assistant Artistic Director for the Saturday program and then took on the formation of TPP’s Tuesday/Thursday program as an Artistic Director in 2007. Since its inception, the Tuesday/Thursday Cast has doubled in size and has completed four successful full length musicals and numerous community action projects. Elizabeth also worked with founder Paul Griffin to develop the TPP program dedicated to youth in foster care. She continues to assist with this program and was an integral part of the production of the TPP foster care film “Know How” which will be out in the fall of 2011. Prior to her work with TPP, Elizabeth worked as an actor in both New York and Chicago. She studied acting and theater at NYU, Steppenwolf Theatre and Victory Gardens Theatre. Elizabeth graduated from Loyola University of Maryland with a degree in Speech and Language Pathology. E-mail Elizabeth

Jeff Flowers – Artistic Director, Saturday Program
Jeff Flowers graduated from University of California at Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an acting emphasis. After completing his degree Jeff studied privately with Dr. Jose Santana, completing a two-year course at the Actor’s in Training-The Meisner Technique. While studying with Dr. Santana he began volunteering for City at Peace-Santa Barbara and was then hired to be the Artistic Director of City at Peace-Lompoc and Santa Maria, two satellite programs of City at Peace-Santa Barbara. He eventually became an Artistic Director there and led the program for three years before moving to New York City. In New York, Jeff volunteered for The Possibility Project and was soon hired to be an Artistic Director of the Saturday program, which he has led for the last five years. In addition to his work with The Possibility Project Jeff has developed a career as one of the foremost team-building and leadership development facilitators in the country. Using experiential education, Jeff teaches team effectiveness and leadership communication to business professionals of the world’s leading corporations. E-mail Jeff