Victim Impact Statement
Arts Council
Sentencing of Suliana Caldwell
Presented by Olga Gutierrez De Nuñez, Board President
Your Honor,
My name is Olga Gutierrez De Nuñez, and I have the privilege of serving as the President of the Board of Directors for the Fresno Arts Council.
Today, I stand before the Court on behalf of our Board of Directors, our staff, our artists, our volunteers, our donors, our community partners, and the thousands of residents throughout Fresno County who have been impacted by this crime.
The Fresno Arts Council has served our community for decades. Our mission is to strengthen Fresno County through the arts by supporting local artists, investing in cultural programs, expanding access to arts education, and fostering creativity that enriches the lives of people of all ages and backgrounds. We are a nonprofit organization built on public trust.
That trust was violated.
More than a million dollars was stolen from the Fresno Arts Council.
Those were not simply numbers on a financial statement.
Those dollars represented opportunities for artists.
They represented educational programs for children.
They represented cultural events that bring our community together.
They represented investments made by taxpayers, donors, grant makers, and partners who believed in our mission and trusted us to steward those resources responsibly.
Every dollar that was taken was a dollar that could no longer be used to serve the people of Fresno County.
When these crimes came to light, the Fresno Arts Council entered one of the most difficult periods in its history.
What followed was not simply an investigation.
It was months of uncertainty, regrouping, and extraordinary effort to ensure that this organization would survive.
Instead of focusing on expanding programs, supporting artists, and serving our community, our Board was forced to shift its attention to crisis management. We worked alongside federal investigators, legal counsel, accountants, auditors, insurance representatives, government agencies, and funding partners to determine the extent of the damage and begin rebuilding the organization's financial integrity.
We were also tasked with restoring public confidence.
The Fresno Arts Council became the focus of media attention, and every interview, every public statement, and every Board decision carried the responsibility of rebuilding trust in an organization that has faithfully served our community for decades. Instead of promoting artists, celebrating creativity, and advancing cultural programs, we found ourselves answering questions about a crime that none of us committed but all of us were left to address.
The impact extended far beyond the boardroom.
Our employees faced uncertainty about the future of the organization and, in some cases, the future of their own employment.
Artists questioned whether programs they relied upon would continue.
Community partners wondered whether projects would move forward.
Funders and government agencies sought reassurance that public resources would continue to be managed responsibly.
Donors questioned whether they could continue placing their trust in the Fresno Arts Council.
The damage extended far beyond the financial loss.
Trust is one of the most valuable assets a nonprofit organization possesses.
When that trust is broken, rebuilding it takes years.
Even today, months after Caldwell’s crimes became public, our Board and staff continue to answer questions about actions none of us committed. We continue working every day to restore confidence, strengthen governance, and reassure our community that the Fresno Arts Council remains committed to the mission it has carried for decades.
While navigating one of the greatest challenges in our organization's history, we also conducted a search for new executive leadership.
Our newly hired Executive Director accepted the challenge of leading the Fresno Arts Council during one of its most difficult chapters. Rather than beginning her role by focusing solely on the future, she stepped into an organization already facing crisis, inheriting the responsibility of rebuilding relationships, addressing media inquiries, supporting employees, reassuring stakeholders, and helping restore public confidence from her very first day.
These were burdens created by this crime, and they continue to affect our organization today.
I am incredibly proud of our Board members and staff who chose not to walk away.
Many could have resigned.
Many could have concluded that the challenge was too great.
Instead, they stayed.
They volunteered hundreds of hours because they believed the Fresno Arts Council was worth saving.
As Board President, this experience has been one of the most difficult responsibilities of my professional and volunteer life.
I accepted this role because I believe deeply in the power of the arts to transform lives, strengthen communities, and create opportunities for future generations. I never imagined that my service would require helping lead an organization through one of the most significant crises in its history.
Instead of dedicating my volunteer service entirely to advancing the arts, I have spent countless evenings, weekends, and holidays in emergency meetings, reviewing legal documents, working alongside attorneys and investigators, communicating with government officials, responding to media inquiries, supporting our staff, helping onboard new leadership during an incredibly difficult transition, and doing everything possible to help restore confidence in an organization that means so much to our community.
The emotional weight of this responsibility has been significant, not only for me, but for every Board member and staff member who has worked tirelessly to protect the organization and the people it serves.
Yet despite everything that has happened, we refuse to allow this crime to define the Fresno Arts Council.
The Fresno Arts Council is not one individual.
It is thousands of artists.
It is children discovering creativity for the first time.
It is students finding confidence through the arts.
It is neighborhoods brought together through public art.
It is cultural organizations working together to strengthen our community.
It is volunteers who generously give their time.
It is employees who dedicate themselves to public service.
It is donors, taxpayers, grant makers, and community partners who believed in our mission.
Those are the true victims.
Your Honor, this case is about far more than stolen money.
It is about stolen opportunities.
It is about children who could have benefited from arts education.
It is about artists whose work depends upon organizations like ours.
It is about donors and taxpayers whose trust was violated.
It is about employees who questioned whether the organization they loved would survive.
It is about volunteers who devoted hundreds of hours rebuilding something they did not break.
And it is about a community that deserved better.
Justice cannot restore the time, energy, opportunities, and trust that have been lost.
But we respectfully ask the Court to recognize that the harm caused by these crimes extends far beyond the financial loss. The lasting impact on public confidence, nonprofit governance, and our community will continue long after today's sentencing.
Despite everything that has happened, the Fresno Arts Council endures.
Our Board chose to stay.
Our staff chose to stay.
Our artists continued creating.
Our community continued believing.
We chose transparency.
We chose accountability.
We chose to rebuild.
We chose to move forward because the mission of the Fresno Arts Council is greater than the actions of any one individual.
Although this chapter has been painful, it has strengthened our commitment to integrity, accountability, transparency, and responsible stewardship of the public trust. We remain committed to ensuring that the Fresno Arts Council continues serving our community for generations to come.
On behalf of the Fresno Arts Council and the community we proudly serve, thank you for allowing our voices to be heard.
Thank you, Your Honor.