THE TEAM
Samee Roberts
President/Executive Director
Samee Roberts is an accomplished marketing professional with 35+ years’ experience in private and public sector marketing, communications, public relations, and large scale event production.
As Marketing Director at the City of Oakland for nearly 15 years, Samee oversaw marketing, special events, cultural arts, graphics and film for California’s eighth largest city. She also served as the City’s liaison to Oakland Grown/Sustainable Business Alliance, Visit Oakland, and the Bay Area Sports Organizing Committee (BASOC), as well as numerous civic, business, community, cultural and arts organizations.
Prior to being promoted to Marketing Director, Samee served as the City’s Special Events Coordinator, leading Oakland’s successful hosting of numerous national-caliber events including the 1989 Oakland Athletics World Series Victory Rally, 1989 U.S. Rowing Masters National Championships, 1996 U.S. Olympic Boxing Trials, 2000 NBA All-Star Game, 2006 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Regional Playoffs and many others. Samee is co-founder and executive producer of Oakland’s iconic Art + Soul festival.
A proud Oaklander since 1981, Samee resides in the Laurel District with her spouse Karen and their son Quinn. In June 2008, Samee and Karen became the first same-sex couple to be legally married in the city of Oakland. An alum of the University of Southern California, Samee holds a B.A. in Journalism and a minor in Public Administration.
Steven Tiffin
Vice President/Director of Operations
Steven Tiffin is a seasoned event producer with a 30-year track record of delivering high quality productions ranging from citywide beautification projects to large scale regional festivals. Steven brings a full range of operational, fiscal and technical expertise, with special emphasis on logistics, systems, staffing (both paid and volunteer), permits, street closures, traffic coordination, staging/sound, rigging, and vendor management.
Steven is known for his work through his Oakland-based company, Shasta Production Services, providing a full range of project and administrative support for a wide range of area businesses since 2003. Clients include real estate developers, brokers and agents; building contractors and subs; retail establishments; business Improvement districts, nonprofit organizations and others. Services include project management, logistics support, fiscal support (accounting, bookkeeping), permit facilitation, staffing/crew and event production. Steven brings Shasta Production’s expertise in logistics, project management and beyond to his work with Heart of the Town Events.
Steven’s extensive event experience includes Festival at the Lake as Director of Operations (1989-1997); Production Manager for Temescal Street Fair (2005-present) and Rockridge Out & About (2011-present); Festival Director and co-founder of Art + Soul Oakland (2001-present).
Steven, his wife Victoria and their two daughters are longtime residents of the Temescal district of Oakland. He is a proud alum of Sacramento State University where he majored in Drama with an emphasis on Stage Management, Scenery and Lighting.
Sarah Kidder
Senior Event Producer
Sarah Kidder has been successfully producing events for 17 years, ranging from weddings and private parties to fundraisers of all sizes for non-profit organizations, and in 2013, branching into large-scale street festivals and public
events. Sarah tailors her full complement of planning, logistics, fundraising, board, committee, event staff and volunteer management and training, and marketing services to the particular needs of each unique project.
Sarah has worked closely with a range of Bay Area non-profit groups, businesses, and individuals to deliver successful events to the Bay Area community and beyond; her fundraisers have raised over 1.5 million dollars for small local non-profit groups focused on helping underserved youth, education, the arts, the disabled, and animal rescue. In addition to her event work, Sarah provides PR and marketing, business development, and etiquette training services to a wide range of local and national companies.
Highlights of Sarah’s events include the 2008 and 2009 “Tipping for Teachers Celebrity Waiter Dinner” for the San Francisco Education Fund; 2010, 2011, 2012 “Excellence in Education” fundraising dinners for West Contra Costa Public Education Fund; 2006, 2007, 2008 CinnamonGirl, Inc. fundraising events; the 2013 Bark & Meow Around the Block fundraiser for the Berkeley Humane Society; the 2015 and 2016 Revolution Ride & Festival for Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program; the monthly arts and culture street festival Oakland First Fridays in 2014.
Sarah is a longtime resident of Oakland, residing in the Uptown district. She is a proud alum of UC Berkeley, where she majored in English Literature.