Story Keepers fosters artists who tell authentic stories in new ways — stories grounded in community, curiosity, and care.
We began with a simple belief: stories have the power to bring people together. Rooted in queer creativity and community imagination, we create experiences that move beyond the stage, page, or screen and into the spaces where people live, work, and gather.
Meet the Team
Meet the artists, producers, and community members leading Story Keepers.
David DiGioacchino
(he/him)
Board Chair
David is honored to serve as Board Chair of Story Keeper’s. He guides the board’s strategic vision, fosters collaboration, and helps ensure the organization continues to grow its impact in meaningful and sustainable ways.
Professionally, David is a director in marketing at a Fortune 500 company, with extensive experience leading digital engagement, creative operations, and audience strategy. He is known for balancing innovation with practical execution and has a track record of building strategies that connect with people at scale while maintaining authenticity and impact.
David brings strong business acumen to his work with Story Keeper’s, intentionally aligning it with the mission to support the arts in a sustainable way. Recognizing that many nonprofits struggle with self-sufficiency, he is passionate about building models that ensure Story Keeper’s not only thrives in the present but also endures for the future.
A resident of St. Petersburg, Florida, David is a great appreciator of the vibrant arts scene in the Tampa Bay area and believes in the power of stories to connect, inspire, and preserve culture. Both in his career and through his nonprofit work, he is committed to creating spaces where voices are heard and stories are valued.
José Avilés
(he/him)
Co-Programming Chair
José hails from Philadelphia and is so excited to be on the board of Story Keepers! He has been an actor, director, producer, arts administrator and theatre arts educator for over 30 years.
Most recently he directed the World Premier of All My Mothers Dream In Spanish for Azuka Theatre and Teatro del Sol co-production and American Stage’s School Tour Familia de Flamingos, The Day You Begin and Cinderella Eats Rice and Beans. Other credits include: Philadelphia Premier of Elliot a Soldier’s Fugue by Philadelphia’s own Quiara Alegria Hudes for the Walnut Street Theatre Independence Studio on 3 season and a professional public reading of the same play at the Arden Theatre Co. and TYA workshop production of The Real Life Adventures of Jimmy de las Rosas by Ricardo Gamboa at Passage Theatre.
José is the co-founder/Artistic Producing Director of Teatro del Sol where he directed and produced the world premiere of Good Cuban Girls by Iraisa Ann Reilly and Philadelphia premiere of La Gringa by Carmen Rivera.
José is the Director of Performing Arts at EPACENTER and the former Director of Education for American Stage, former Director of Education Outreach for the Arden Theatre Company, Taller Puertorriqueño and former Education Associate at The Walnut Street Theatre respectively.
Julia Rifino
(she/her)
Board Member
Julia Rifino is delighted to serve on the board of Story Keepers, where she can bring her multidisciplinary creative experience to support the organization's mission of amplifying emerging artists and new work.
Professionally, Julia is a performing and visual artist based in St. Petersburg, Florida, with extensive experience across theatre, fine art, graphic design, and digital content creation. Currently serving as an Artistic Associate at freeFall Theatre Company, she has built a practice that helps organizations connect authentically with their communities while elevating bold, original storytelling.
Having had a deep passion for the arts since childhood, Julia brings a deep understanding of the creative process. Since navigating the arts ecosystem as both a performer and behind-the-scenes creator, she is passionate about building sustainable pathways for artists to develop and showcase their work. Her visual art has been featured in exhibitions at Your Arts Desire Gallery and Woodfield Fine Art Gallery and she has performed on stages throughout the Tampa Bay area, including freeFall Theatre, Stageworks, American Stage, and the Straz Center.
A proud resident of St. Petersburg, Julia is committed to fostering a thriving arts community where creators are celebrated, and new stories can find their audience. She believes in the transformative power of art to inspire connection and is dedicated to ensuring emerging artists have the support they need to share their work with the world.
Avery Anderson
(they/them)
Co-Programming Chair
Avery Anderson is a marketer, storyteller, and community strategist whose work sits at the intersection of art, access, and local culture. As the founder of Tampa Bay Arts Passport, Avery has become one of the region’s most active arts journalists and creative organizers—building platforms that center local voices, celebrate emerging work, and challenge traditional notions of who gets to participate in the arts.
A seasoned marketing and communications leader, Avery previously served as Director of Marketing & Communications at Long Wharf Theatre in New Haven, Connecticut, and at American Stage in St. Petersburg, where they led major brand overhauls, digital advertising strategy, and community engagement initiatives. Their earlier work as an Associate Producer at 10 Tampa Bay (WTSP) earned them a Suncoast Emmy Award for digital storytelling, reflecting a career rooted in narrative craft and audience connection.
Today, Avery runs a consulting practice supporting theatres, nonprofits, and mission-driven organizations—including Dunedin Public Theatre, Tzedakah House, Long Wharf Theatre, and The Studio@620—helping them build sustainable systems, sharpen their messaging, and grow their communities. They hold a Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the Nonprofit Leadership Center and a BA in Speech and Communications from Metropolitan State University of Denver.
As a founding board member of Story Keepers, Avery brings a deep commitment to queer storytelling, site-specific experiences, and arts ecosystems that center people over institutions. Their work helps ensure that Story Keepers stays bold, strategic, community-rooted, and future-focused—continuing to build an organization where new work can take risks, artists can lead with authenticity, and audiences can see themselves reflected in the stories unfolding around them.