Val Lee Acoba

Director for Red Phoenix Rising Youth Theater

Val Lee Acoba is a native Stocktonian. She is a retired high school teacher for Stockton Unified School District. Val is best known as a multi-ethnic performing arts educator. In her younger days she performed with the Maharlika dance troupe, San Joaquin Ballet, Halau Ohana Mau Loa, Linda Tregle Afro-Caribbean Dance troupe, and the Chinese Folk Dance Troupe of Stockton. Val is one of the founding members of Stockton’s FANHS association, the Community Theatre of Linden as well as the Chinese Cultural Society of Stockton. Val and Benny have received a Performing Arts award from FANHS. She received a Susan B. Anthony Award, a Stockton Arts Commission Star Award, an award from the Central Valley Asian American Chamber of Commerce, and the Dome of Hope for arts involvement. She has been a Chinese American Citizen of the Year. She is currently director of the State Right Youth Theater group in Linden as well as Red Phoenix Rising, a part of Little Manila Rising. Val is also in docent training for the San Joaquin Historical Museum.