EXECUTIVE PROFILE

Nationally recognized arts advocate, public policy strategist, and nonprofit arts executive with more than 40+ years of experience advancing federal arts policy, bipartisan government relations, special projects, event production, national public awareness multi-media campaigns, nonprofit leadership training and high-profile artist relations. Longtime Chief Counsel of Government and Public Affairs at Americans for the Arts and founding Executive Director of the Americans for the Arts Action Fund. Proven record of building bipartisan coalitions, leading national arts advocacy campaigns, influencing federal arts policy and tax legislation, managing multimillion-dollar public awareness campaigns, and developing innovative programs that strengthened the voice of the arts across the United States.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Expert Advisor to the Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts (as of September 8, 2026)

SPECIAL PROJECTS

• Expert advisor on special projects within the Office of the Chair, National Endowment for the Arts, Washington, D.C.

  • NEA Liaison to the LA28 Cultural Olympiad for Olympics and Paralympics, Los Angeles and Host Cities across the Country

Chief Counsel, Gov’t and Public Affairs, Americans for the Arts (1993–2026)

ARTS POLICY and GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

• Directed federal government relations, public affairs, advocacy, and strategic partnerships on behalf of thousands of local arts agencies and cultural organizations nationwide.

• Led federal legislative strategy and advocacy for more than three decades on issues including federal arts appropriations, arts education policy, tax policy, and workforce development.

• Expanded National Arts Advocacy Day from an in-person training conference on Capitol Hill of approximately 75 advocates to nearly 800 participants representing all 50 states. Today, training is done through webinars and more targeted and frequent in-person Fly-Ins.

• Cultivated strong bipartisan relationships with senior federal agency leaders and Members of the Congressional Arts Caucus and Senate Cultural Caucus, and key committee staff.

•        Prepared congressional testimony and advocacy materials for nationally recognized artists and business leaders appearing before House and Senate Appropriations Committees in support of funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. Featured advocates included Robert Redford, Kerry Washington, John Legend, and Josh Groban.

• Served 33 years as the organization’s liaison to The United States Conference of Mayors, draftingannual arts policy resolutions that were consistently adopted unanimously and presenting regularly before the Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment, and Sports Committee.

•       Founded the Public Leadership in the Arts Awards in 1997 in partnership with The United States Conference of Mayors, recognizing bipartisan elected officials and Citizen-Artists annually for outstanding leadership in advancing the arts.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS and NATIONAL CAMPAIGNS

• Developed and led the national Arts = Jobs campaign, educating policy makers, business leaders, the media, and the public on the economic impact of the nonprofit arts industry.

•        Produced the prestigious Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy for 26 consecutive years (1997-2024) at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, securing internationally acclaimed speakers and performers including Wynton Marsalis, Rita Moreno, Norman Lear, Wendy Wasserstein, Yo-Yo Ma, and Jeffrey Wright.

•       Managed one of the largest arts education public service campaigns Art. Ask for More. in partnership with The Ad Council, NAMM Foundation, and hundreds of local arts organizations.

•        Collaborated with world-class advertising agencies Leo Burnett and GSD&M to produce Art. Ask for More. television, radio, print, outdoor, and digital PSA ads, generating more than $100 million in donated advertising, including prime-time television placements, full-page print ads in The New York Times, and thousands of radio PSAs on local stations across the country.

Executive Director, Americans for the Arts Action Fund and Political Action Committee (2004–2026)

EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP and ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT

•       Founding Executive Director of all aspects of organizational governance, including Board relations, strategic planning, financial oversight, regulatory compliance, corporate records, budgets, staffing, consultants, volunteers, program administration, and Federal Election Commission compliance.

•      Arts Action Fund PAC Treasurer and Fundraiser. Supported and attended dozens of pro-arts candidate events annually.

• Built one of the nation's largest arts advocacy networks, growing membership to more than 450,000 grassroots advocates.

•      Produced the quarterly Arts Action Newsletter and biennial Congressional Arts Report Card publications.

•        Drafted arts policy language for Democratic and Republican presidential party platforms and ArtsVote events at both the DNC and RNC national conventions.

•     Developed nationally recognized ArtsVote civic engagement and voter education campaigns.

• Launched the innovative Artist-in-Residence Program, integrating unique visual storytelling into congressional advocacy on “Why the Arts Matter” in every state.

•       Played a leading role in shaping federal COVID-19 relief policy legislation benefiting artists, nonprofit organizations, and creative businesses nationwide.

•         Hosted the nationally recognized daily Office Hours with Nina, providing free technical assistance to thousands of artists and nonprofit leaders navigating federal relief programs.

•        Helped arts organizations and creative workers secure more than $1 billion in federal pandemic relief, including:

  • Shuttered Venue Operators Grants (SVOG)

  • Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

  • Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL)

  • National Endowments for the Arts and Humanities supplemental relief grants

  • Expanded unemployment benefits for gig workers/artists

  • Rent relief and emergency assistance programs for all

Deputy Director, International Sculpture Center (1987–1993)

MARKETING and FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

• Contract management and vendor relations

• Managed finances, taxes, audits and human resources for the organization and staff

•      Marketing and retainment of membership of 40,000 sculptors, galleries, curators, public art managers, and collectors

• Legislative liaison to arts and culture coalitions

• Wrote articles for Sculpture magazine on governmental and judicial affairs updates impacting the arts in America

Legislative Assistant, Artist Equity Association (1986 1987)

RESEARCH and GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

• Worked with lobbying team on the reauthorization of U.S. Copyright Act and artist’s moral rights provisions

• Researched examples nationwide of artists’ moral rights being violated by the destruction of their public artwork

EDUCATION & PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS

• Juris Doctor (J.D.), University of Richmond, T.C. Williams School of Law, 1986

  • Associate Member in Good Standing, Virginia State Bar (1986 to current)

• Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), French Language & Literature with a minor in Spanish, George Washington University, 1983

  • L’Ecole du Louvre art history studies in Paris, New York University Study Abroad Yearlong Program, 1981-1982

  • George Washington University Distinguished Prize in French Literature, 1983

AWARDS

• Public Leadership in the Arts Award presented by The United States Conference of Mayors and Americans for the Arts (2026)

  • 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award for National Arts Leadership

• Lyndon Baines Johnson Congressional Internship Award (1980-1981)