VICE PRESIDENT: JAS GARY PEARSON
Mr. Jas Gary Pearson, VP , Co Founder / COO of House of Miles EStL, a Tennessee – Native , later raised in East St. Louis, IL. With an extensive 27 years of experience in the non-profit sector, also has an extensive background in Criminal Justice and education. Mr. Pearson served as an assistant director of student retention at a local HBCU, as well as an educator at a local charter school . Mr. Pearson was recruited and became one of the founding Drill Sergeants and Instructor of a Civilian Boot Camp that focused on the rehabilitation of youth with a criminal history which involved drug use, abuse or sale which was affiliated with incarceration sentencing, located in St. Louis County. Mr. Pearson has served on the board of a major non- profit in the metropolitan area and serves as the urban planner and design lead for HOME and its infrastructure design and development. Mr. Pearson studied at St. Louis University, Webster University as well as Mansfield.
Executive Ambassador: Tanisha Pugh
Fashion & Marketing Curator Coordinator: Lillian Parks-Goins
As our Fashion and Marketing Curator Coordinator, Lillian Parks-Goins developed a passion for the Arts early on. Upon graduating high school, she relocated to New York City to work with an agency in acting and modeling. Shortly after she furthered her education by attending Tennessee State University then transferring, due to a modeling opportunity, to Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to complete her degree. She received a Bachelor of Science Degree, majoring in Mass Communication Studies with a minor in Applied Communication Studies concentrating in Tv Radio media. She then relocated to Atlanta Georgia upon completing her schooling, to successfully pursue modeling and acting with her agency. Lillian moved back to the East Saint Louis Area in 2022 after being recruited for a marketing and promotions opportunity. She is also excited take on her role at House of Miles East Saint Louis! She enjoys traveling, swimming, fine dining, and meeting new people. She looks forward for her “eye for the arts”, to bring enthusiasm and new ideas for new projects, and for future collaborations to come to life!
Artistic Director: Jason Brown
Jason Brown was born in East Saint Louis, Illinois. His early education was fostered and nurtured in East Saint Louis District 189. He started playing the trumpet in the fifth grade and continued to develop his musical skills throughout high school. Mr. Brown’s music experiences as a jazz trumpeter in the award winning East Saint Louis Lincoln Senior High Jazz School band, exposed him to renowned musicians and performance opportunities rarely experienced by high school music students. He reached the highest level of musical accomplishments when he was recognized (by the Illinois Music Education Association) as one of the top high school trumpet players in Illinois.
After graduating from East Saint Louis Lincoln Senior High School, he attended Eastern Illinois University on a music scholarship, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education. Later, he attended Saint Louis University and earned a Masters of Arts in Education Administration. Currently, he’s a doctoral candidate in Education Administration at Lindenwood University. With over two decades of experience, Mr. Brown has served as a music educator, literacy coach and school/district administrator.
Throughout his tenure, he has worked as an educator and/or administrator in the following districts: Saint Louis Public Schools (St. Louis, MO), East Saint Louis Public Schools (East St. Louis, IL), Montgomery County Public Schools (Christiansburg, V A), Riverview Gardens Schools (Saint Louis, MO), Niles Township High School Public Schools (Skokie, IL) and Cahokia Public Schools (Cahokia Heights, IL).
Mr. Brown has received several awards and recognitions in music education and educational leadership.
Two of those awards consist of the Missouri Arts and Education Council’s Art Educator of the Year award and the Saint Louis American’s Excellence in Education award.
Currently, he serves as the Director of Fine Arts for the Cahokia Unit School district.
In addition, he is a founding member of the Art and Talent Development Center, 501(c)(3). He also serves as an executive board member for House of Miles East St. Louis (HOME). Mr. Brown has devoted his life to enriching the lives of others through performing as a freelance musician, music education and educational leadership.
CREATIVE AMBASSADOR: MYKAEL ASH
Mykael pronounced Michael, while named for his father, Mykael is uniquely different therefore, “Y” instead of the “I” and “K” in place of the “CH”. Mykael means one who is “God like” or of God.
Every since he was able to hold a pencil, crayon or ink pen he has been drawing. At the age of 2, he drew for 8 day ride from Alaska to Illinois. Mykael very seldom cried, potty trained himself, stop asking for the bottle because he saw others using a cup. A very serious and responsible child that has evolved into a more serious, more responsible and more loving man. For Mykael, everything has meaning and he uses art mediums as his communication of loves and interests or the need for change. He has donned himself contemporary urban artists. Mykael’s goal is to ignite the artistic aspects of the world we live by marketing his works and the works of others. He will one day have an Art Gallery in the City of East St Louis…..
Mykael learned in a psychology class that the most exquisite creations are developed and formulated from a pathway of the third ventricle of the brain: a vast system of fluids, cisterns and forces that resembles an inverted pyramid; therefore, the name was chosen to represent the origination of the works.
Mykael has been a featured artist in the January/February 2017 edition of I AM ESTL Magazine and February 2018 edition of St Louis Changemakers Magazine. He was the featured artist for the House of Miles East St Louis (HOME); he is a board member for House of Miles East St Louis and he has created hundreds of pieces of arts for diverse consumers.
Each piece of art is an extension of the Mykael’s love, interests and culture. “I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for, but I found colors, shapes and/or graphics could more profoundly verbalize what my words sometimes couldn’t…”