As Mayor Jud Ashman says "Gaithersburg is Great!" and it's my charge, as Division Chief for Cultural Events and Services of the Parks, Recreation and Culture Department of the City of Gaithersburg, MD, to ensure that arts and culture are dynamic and ever evolving for this progressive community of 70,000. Thanks to the work of creative staff and dedicated volunteers, Gaithersburg boasts hundreds of arts opportunities every year: from classes and workshops to large regional festivals that attract thousands of visitors each year--like the Gaithersburg Book Festival (founded by our Mayor)--to local and international performing arts talent featured at the Arts Barn or the elegant Kentlands Mansion, to partnership programs such as Diverse-City Showcase that feature the City's global community and its traditional arts. The City has a robust public art program, three art galleries, and a jewel of a community museum. The arts are infused into the City festivals, parades and cultural facilities impacting some 350,000 citizens, visitors and volunteers every year.

As Arts Administrator for the City of Gaithersburg, I plan, develop, promote, and direct comprehensive arts and humanities initiatives and programs and supervise and monitor the Arts on the Green & the Arts Barn facility and programs. I combine my broad experience in arts and culture (from performance to painting, to museum curatorial and education skills) and commitment to and passion for community engagement and inclusion to spur a dynamic climate for the arts and culture. As a strategic leader for the City, I seek to promote arts and culture at many levels and particularly the City's public art program, art galleries, performing and visual arts venue, and volunteer arts committees. I am exceedingly fortunate to work with a highly creative team of programmers who curate stellar programs for Arts on the Green and the Arts Barn.

Manage day-to-day operations. Plan and implement advocacy, communications/marketing, Internet, and arts education efforts. Manage and write grants, grant reports, cultivate grant relationships. Manage fundraising efforts including workplace giving and annual giving campaign. Convene and engage arts and humanities stakeholders to inform development of services to the county's 450 arts and humanities groups and 1,500 individual artists and scholars. Develop, implement and evaluate constituent services including marketing cooperative, professional development, and power2give—a new fundraising tool. Advise CEO and public art director regarding communications and digital presences for Kramer Gallery and public art; currently planning an interactive, multimedia, web-based public art directory. Engage board members, Montgomery County government, state and regional arts and advocacy groups on specific programs and advocacy. Develop, nurture and manage education, community, government and corporate partnerships. Highlights:• Won $1 million in grants for AHCMC, including $20,000 NEA grant for technology • Secured high-profile media partnership with Bethesda Magazine to market arts & culture• Conceived and managed development of MontgomeryTraditions.org, a multimedia website • Leading implementation of power2give.org/MontgomeryCountyMD, a new fundraising tools that helps cultural groups connect with new donors and leverages trends in microdonations

Recruited to formalize AHCMC's fundraising efforts and to develop marketing services for arts and humanities community. Initiated a fundraising strategy with calendar for annual giving, grantwriting and workplace giving. Wrote successful grants to: Clark-Winchcole Foundation, The Palmer Foundation, Starbucks Foundation, Philip L. Graham Fund, Carl M. Freeman Foundation, and Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC). Secured participation for AHCMC in Combined Federal Campaign and Montgomery County Employees Giving Campaign. Managed the annual MSAC grant process including: completion of Cultural Data Project, online grant application, writing and filing reports. Developed dynamic suite of marketing services that help arts and humanities reach new audiences, including: cooperative marketing opportunities, digital and print outreach campaigns, social media strategies, development of a new cultural calendar—DOandGO.org—and a strong capacity-building program for cultural nonprofits. Oversaw development of a new graphic identity, launched AHCMC on Facebook and Twitter, redesigned agency website, Creativemoco.com. Developed public relations strategy that activates on traditional and social media channels. Established strong partnerships with other county and regional arts and humanities organizations, association and government entities.

Management consultant for one of the world’s leading museum planning firms. Conducted 43 planning projects in U.S. with specialty in strategic planning, community needs assessment as part of policy, programming, marketing, and facility planning. Engaged clients to produce actionable recommendations that would engage communities, schools and business partners with institutions. In 2000, relocated East Coast headquarters to Washington DC from Florida. Established DC office and managed staff and interns. Frequent speaker, conference session panelist and organizer. Select projects included: The Smithsonian Affiliations Program, Princeton University Art Museum, the Arts & Science Council of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, and the August Wilson Center for African American Culture in Pittsburgh.

Developed and managed adult learning, multi-disciplinary programs, and curriculum-based education. Supervised assistant, paid museum teachers, docent corps of 25, and interns. Commissioned original play, Courage By the Sea, to create a multidisciplinary education program for K-8 students. Courage By the Sea met South Carolina social studies curriculum standards. Developed Poets & Painters a K-12 language arts program with South Carolina Poet Laureate. Researched and wrote for exhibitions, publications, gallery guides, education guides, and other communications. Wrote grants to fund programs as needed. Managed a board-led education committee and cultivated partnerships with diverse groups including advisory committee for people with disabilities for purposes of enhancing museum accessibility. Managed a travelling exhibition program from other vendors in concert with registrar. Highlights:South Carolina Federation of Museums Award of Achievement for Education Programs for Courage By the Sea (1997)South Carolina Federation of Museums Award of Achievement for Education Programs for Poets & Painters (1998)Secured $20,000 grant funds to retrofit this historic building so that people with disabilities could enter with dignity