Trailblazers
The 2025 Trailblazers in Arts & Culture
Movers and shakers in New York’s vibrant creative spaces.
City & State presents the 2025 Trailblazers in Arts & Culture. Shatic Mitchell; Ruby Scupp; Lawrence Sumulong
New York’s arts and culture scene is made up of world-class museums, renowned theater productions, unparalleled music and dance performances, and treasured green spaces. It features venerable institutions – the American Museum of Natural History, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and The Juilliard School, to name a few – as well as attractions established in more recent decades, like the High Line.
City & State’s Trailblazers in Arts & Culture, written and researched in partnership with journalist Lon Cohen, highlights individuals who are crafting the next chapter of New York’s multifaceted cultural story. Of course, major arts institutions don’t have a monopoly on driving and documenting culture, and this list includes a variety of mid-sized organizations and smaller startups as well as a range of social services nonprofits, business improvement districts and education organizations that are all contributing to New York’s arts output. And in a reflection of the critical importance of securing arts funding, this list also highlights philanthropists, consultants, associations and coalitions that help institutions thrive and grow.
We’re pleased to present the inaugural Trailblazers in Arts & Culture.
Jennifer Anglade
Jennifer Anglade arrived at Brooklyn Academy of Music before the COVID-19 shutdown and helped steer the institution through the crisis with steady planning, clear communication and careful stewardship. As BAM’s chief financial officer and treasurer of the BAM Endowment Trust, she has managed budgets of up to $100 million. Earlier positions at New York Road Runners, Actors Fund and Deloitte underpin her financial expertise. The licensed CPA has taught accounting at NYU and had served on the board of the Nonprofit Finance Fund.
Jason Autar
Born in Guyana and raised in the Bronx, Jason Autar serves as chief operating officer of Oyate Group, where he spearheads the Caribbean Arts Series, showcasing Caribbean creativity through literature, film and exhibitions like “Current Currents.” He also designed Beyond Rising, a unique paid internship program for undocumented youth, which blends career development and cultural enrichment. Earlier roles at the Center for Alternative Incarceration and Employment Services, Goodwill and the New York City Department of Youth and Community Development informed Autar’s grassroots approach.
Román Baca
After his time serving in Fallujah, Iraq, as a U.S. Marine, Román Baca brought his backgrounds in battle and ballet with him as he co-founded Exit12 Dance Company. Its objective is to transform war stories into artistic movement that helps heal veterans, educate civilians and spark civic dialogue. Under Baca’s direction, the company has collaborated with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Intrepid Museum and the U.K. Ministry of Defence while also leading workshops across Europe. A Fulbright scholar and participant in the George W. Bush Presidential Center’s Stand-To Veteran Leadership Program, he is now pursuing doctoral research on arts-based healing.
Dahlia Bernstein
Rabbi Dahlia Bernstein draws on scholarship and education to shape Jewish cultural life at the Jewish Community Center Mid-Westchester, where she also oversees programs and care services. Formerly the rabbi of Congregation Beth Ohr on Long Island, she now organizes festivals, exhibits and performances that weave tradition with contemporary creativity. From Israeli art exhibitions and interfaith holiday events to playful offerings like Kugelfest and Hanukkah Handstands, her initiatives highlight heritage while inviting participation. Bernstein’s work builds pride through arts-driven experiences that keep Jewish culture dynamic and inclusive.
Aaron Bouska
Aaron Bouska has spent over a decade engaging with government, business and community leaders on behalf of the New York Botanical Garden. A visible advocate for arts funding, he publicly thanked New York City leaders last year for restoring funding for cultural institutions, including support for the Cultural Institutions Group, of which the New York Botanical Garden is a member. The famed Bronx botanical garden’s programming includes “Van Gogh’s Flowers” and “The Nightmare Before Christmas” light trail. Previously, Bouska held roles at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and Habitat for Humanity.
Priscilla Brendler
When federal conservation grants were slashed this year, Priscilla Brendler warned of the risk of losing irreplaceable artifacts, underscoring her role as a defender of New York’s cultural heritage. For 15 years, she has secured funding and built up programs that help museums preserve collections and connect with audiences. She continues to oversee statewide efforts, such as the Conservation Treatment Grant program, which has expanded under her leadership. Her initiatives and workshops provide smaller institutions with practical tools for engagement and safety.
Connie Butler
Connie Butler jetted into MoMA PS1’s top job in 2023 from Los Angeles’ Hammer Museum with deep roots in New York’s contemporary scene, having previously served as chief curator of drawings at the Museum of Modern Art from 2006 to 2013. She is preparing a major exhibition on abstraction that spotlights Black artists, while emphasizing that New York and Los Angeles offer distinct but equally vital ecosystems. Early projects since taking the reins at MoMA PS1 include a Ralph Lemon survey and Greater New York’s 2026 edition, supported by a new Teiger Foundation exhibition fund. She also oversaw a strategic plan preparing for MoMA PS1’s 50th anniversary in 2026.
John Calvelli
John Calvelli, a Capitol Hill veteran who served as chief of staff to then-Rep. Eliot Engel, has spent the past 25 years at the Wildlife Conservation Society shaping public affairs and leading policy campaigns. Among his accomplishments is the 96 Elephants campaign, which helped shut down ivory markets in the U.S. He advises the Government Affairs Committee of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, is vice chair of New York City Tourism + Conventions and was recently elected chair of the National Italian American Foundation. He also helped launch REEL WILD, a new wildlife film festival in New York City.
Rose Christ
Rose Christ has become a go-to lobbyist for New York’s cultural institutions. She co-chairs the New York practice at Cozen O’Connor Public Strategies, a lobbying and communications firm affiliated with the law firm Cozen O’Connor. Christ has helped advance the redevelopment of the Apollo’s Victoria Theater in Harlem, the Whitney Museum of American Art’s Gansevoort Square initiative and the Afro Latin Jazz Alliance’s move to East Harlem’s Timbale Terrace. She has also secured funding for the Studio Museum in Harlem, the City Parks Foundation and Union Square Partnership. Christ has represented Drag Story Hour NYC pro bono.
Laurie Cumbo
In 2025, Laurie Cumbo secured record city investments for cultural funding, including a $45 million baseline increase for the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and $300 million for nonprofits across New York City. She also restored $53 million in cuts and secured $3 million to expand the Cultural Institutions Group for the first time in its history. Capital investments under her leadership have gone to such institutions as the Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx and the Studio Museum in Harlem. She has said that “cultural institutions are great drivers for the economy” because of their power to draw tourists.
Stephanie Cunningham
Stephanie Cunningham has built Museum Hue into a national voice for equity in the arts, most notably through HueArts New York State, an innovative statewide effort to document organizations led by people of color. She co-produced the Emmy-nominated program, “On Display,” spotlighting museums that confront pressing social issues. A former United Nations Human Rights fellow and Race Forward Equity fellow, she previously led education at the African American Museum in Philadelphia and is published in leading museum journals. Her contributions earned her the Americans for the Arts’ Emerging Leader Award.
Elizabeth Rose Daly
Elizabeth Rose Daly was promoted to a pivotal role at The Frick Collection in 2024, just as the art museum was completing its $220 million renovation and, in 2025, reopened with expanded galleries, restored historic rooms and greater accessibility for all visitors. Daly manages visitor services and government affairs, linking one of the world’s premier small museums to civic leaders and broader audiences. Daly, who joined the Frick in 2017, previously published an arts blog spotlighting overlooked cultural spaces across New York City.
Sean Decatur
Sean Decatur assumed the presidency of the venerable American Museum of Natural History in 2023, becoming its first African American leader. A biophysical chemist by training, he previously served as president of Kenyon College for nearly a decade, making diversity a priority and strengthening its STEM departments. At the museum, he has introduced the Discoverer membership program to grant free admission for low-income residents, revived the beloved sleepover program and welcomed Apex, the world’s most expensive stegosaurus fossil. He has said the key to rebuilding trust in science is to foster confidence in how the process works, rather than the institutions themselves.
Katherine DeFoyd
Katherine DeFoyd has helped New York cultural institutions secure millions of dollars since founding Growth for Good, where she guides nonprofits through strategic planning, capital campaigns and leadership transitions. Her approach has delivered double-digit growth in annual fundraising for multiple organizations and produced successful galas that fuel organizational momentum. She also co-founded Search for Good, which advances leadership recruitment across the nonprofit sector. Earlier, she worked in City Hall in the Koch and Dinkins administrations, experiences that shaped her expertise in public-private partnerships. She has also authored four cookbooks, including a James Beard Award-winner.
Anne del Castillo
At the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Anne del Castillo leads NYC Create in Place, an initiative that aims to protect creative spaces and strengthen community ties by linking city support with nonprofit and real estate partners. The framework grew out of a World Cities Culture Forum Leadership Exchange Programme, where she studied London’s Culture at Risk Office. Previously, as commissioner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, she helped stabilize the city’s $150 billion creative and nightlife economy during the COVID-19 pandemic and advanced initiatives including the Women’s Fund, the Freelancers Hub and a digital game design degree at City College of New York.
Whitney Donhauser
Whitney Donhauser returned to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2023 to oversee fundraising, membership and donor engagement at one of the world’s premier museums. In 2024, she raised nearly $300 million for various projects, including $100 million for operating support. She also advanced capital campaigns for the reimagined Great Hall and the $550 million Tang Wing for Modern and Contemporary Art, set to open in 2030. Previously, as head of the Museum of the City of New York, she doubled its endowment, expanded visibility and secured funds for COVID-19 pandemic relief and a centennial campaign. Donhauser was previously a senior adviser to the president of the Met from 2005 to 2015.
Jon Donk
Jon Donk’s career has spanned both performance and visual arts. After years working in theater, he deepened his ties to the North Country by helping launch Gallery 46, which has sold more than 10,000 works and paid over $1 million to local artists. As managing director of the recently rebranded Arts Center Lake Placid – formerly the Lake Placid Center for the Arts – he is guiding a multimillion-dollar renovation designed to preserve the venue’s intimacy while ensuring full accessibility. He also curated the center’s final pre-renovation exhibit with Marvel Designs, offering the community an interactive look at the future.
Megan Doyle
Megan Doyle has spent 15 years shaping 92NY’s musical theater program into one of the country’s leading platforms for young theatergoers, staging more than a dozen original productions and expanding the Theater for Young Audiences season, which now welcomes more than 13,000 attendees. A former touring performer who spent five years playing Anne in “The Diary of Anne Frank,” Doyle also brings residencies into New York City classrooms, including for children with disabilities. A neurodiverse artist, she has choreographed for American Girl, Netflix, Lululemon and Disney.
Indira Etwaroo
Indira Etwaroo stepped up to lead Harlem Stage in 2024, after a career championing equity in the arts. Previously the head of the Billie Holiday Theatre, she launched The Black Seed, a national strategic plan for Black theater institutions, during the COVID-19 pandemic and secured more than $10 million for Black theaters nationwide. Etwaroo also directed the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple and was founding executive producer of “NPR Presents,” the organization’s global live events platform. This year, Harlem Stage surpassed its fundraising goal at its annual gala and garnered attention for taking its “Freedom Riders” performance on a tour through the South.
Nicole Gardner
Nicole Gardner has spent more than two decades helping cultural institutions grow, drawing on her background as both a theater artist and development leader. Since 2023, she has overseen advancement at Building for the Arts, where she champions off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway theaters and highlights Theatre Row’s role in supporting 3,000 artists and 300 theater companies annually with subsidized space. Earlier posts at the Paley Center for Media, American Theatre Wing, Bedford Playhouse, Park Avenue Armory and the Center for Arts Education deepened her commitment to expand access to arts and education.
Rhoda Glickman
Rhoda Glickman oversees the state’s growing film and television tax credit program, a priority of the Hochul administration that brings major productions to the state while bolstering small production businesses and driving the state’s creative economy. Earlier in her career, Glickman spent over a decade as executive director of the Congressional Arts Caucus, shaping federal arts funding policy. She also directed government relations at the Corporation for National and Community Service before leading arts, film and cultural development initiatives in New York.
Christopher Goeken
As federal cuts have threatened to strip funding from New York’s public broadcasters, Christopher Goeken has emerged as a key advocate. The Association of Public Broadcasting Stations of New York, which he leads, has highlighted the impacts of federal funding clawbacks. Since 2016, Goeken has coordinated nine PBS member stations as the association has pressed for stable state support, rural signal resilience and educational programs. Earlier roles in environmental policy and public interest law sharpened his coalition-building skills, and he now brokers partnerships that amplify local stories, cultural programming and emergency information.
Matt Goldman
As Broadway rallied against an ultimately rejected Times Square casino proposal, Matt Goldman urged officials not to dismiss the plan outright, emphasizing the economic benefits of increased tourism. Last year, he became executive director of The Town Hall, the century-old Midtown forum for civic dialogue and cultural performance. Goldman is also co-founder of Blue Man Group, which grew from a New York City street act into a $100 million global enterprise. The closing of Blue Man Group’s 34-year run at Astor Place Theatre this year, which Goldman also co-owns, marked the end of an era.
Russell Granet
Since 2019, Russell Granet has led New 42, a performing arts nonprofit where his stewardship helped garner a 2025 Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre and a Lucy G. Moses Preservation Award. He recently launched a partnership with the New York City Housing Authority to provide free tickets for families in public housing, building on research showing the lasting impact of early arts exposure. Granet also advocated for the $57 million redesign of 42nd Street, proposing plaques to honor its historic theaters. A former teaching artist, he also guided Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts as acting president.
Lisa Gugenheim
When Lisa Gugenheim took the helm of the New York Hall of Science last year, she launched her tenure with the opening of CityWorks, a sweeping exhibition that makes the hidden systems of urban infrastructure tangible for visitors. She has addressed urgent issues like climate change and artificial intelligence literacy, underscoring the civic role of science education. Previously, at the American Museum of Natural History, she raised more than $1 billion in an endowment campaign, guided strategic planning and advanced signature initiatives. A lifelong New Yorker, she began her career in city government before moving into cultural leadership.
Andrew Hamingson
Andrew Hamingson has guided some of New York’s most influential theaters through pivotal transformations. He oversaw The Public Theater’s first major renovation and supported the Tony Award-winning revival of “Hair.” As founding executive director of St. Ann’s Warehouse, he raised $31.5 million to relocate into the historic Tobacco Warehouse in Brooklyn Bridge Park, transforming the 19th-century structure into a performance venue. His firm has helped clients secure more than $47 million in grants over the past four years and advance projects from Hudson Valley Shakespeare’s new theater to the Lake Placid Center for the Arts’ $33 million renovation.
Heather Hitchens
Since 2011, Heather Hitchens has led the nonprofit known for the Tony Awards and Obie Awards as well as education and grant programs. She has tripled the American Theatre Wing’s budget while expanding innovative initiatives in theater. Hitchens also helped launch the Andrew Lloyd Webber Initiative to make the industry more accessible, and under her leadership, “Working in the Theatre” became an Emmy-nominated series. The only woman heading one of the four major EGOT award institutions, she previously revitalized Meet The Composer, a national service group for contemporary music.
Cathy Hung
Cathay Hung joined Composers Now in August as its founding executive director, working with founder Tania León, the Pulitzer Prize winner and Kennedy Center honoree, to carry forward her legacy and vision. Hung also remains in her role as executive director of the New York City Children’s Theater, where she has expanded programs across all five boroughs and strengthened the group’s national reach. A classically trained pianist with 25 years in leadership, Hung also has led Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning as well as Young Audiences New York and has served on the boards of New Yorkers for Culture and the Arts and the Queens Museum.
Elz Cuya Jones
Elz Cuya Jones, who took the helm of the Broadway Advocacy Coalition in 2024, brings more than two decades of nonprofit and arts leadership to advance equity through storytelling and performance. She has broadened the coalition from a network of Broadway artists to include formerly incarcerated people, law and policy students, and grassroots advocates, while expanding its Artivism Fellowship that funds and mentors artist-activists to create systemic change projects. She has launched a grassroots individual fundraising campaign that brought in 150 new donors, helped balance the organization's budget and supported institutions who have lost federal grants.
Suri Kasirer
Suri Kasirer transformed a startup into New York City’s top lobbying firm, shaping the metropolis’s cultural spaces and skyline. Since 1997, she has guided projects from the Museum of Arts and Design’s Columbus Circle home to Cornell Tech and the New York Climate Exchange, while advising dozens of nonprofits and arts groups. Her firm has also been at the center of the high-stakes downstate casino bid fight. Suri Kasirer, a recipient of the Elie Wiesel Humanitarian Award in 2024, also serves as a board vice president of Citymeals on Wheels and on various boards advancing civic priorities.
Yin Kong
Yin Kong has breathed new life into overlooked spaces across Chinatown, most notably converting a neglected plaza at the mouth of the Manhattan Bridge into a nighttime market to boost struggling local businesses, starting during the COVID-19 pandemic. As co-founder of ThinkChinatown, Kong has advanced community storytelling with projects like “Our Chinatown Landmarks,” backed by a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Trained in architecture and urban design, Kong’s personal work has also been featured at the Venice and Shenzhen Biennales of Architecture.
Tony Kostecki
Since 2008, Tony Kostecki has guided Seagle Festival, the nation’s oldest summer singer training program. Founded in 1915, the group rebranded from Seagle Music Colony in 2021 to better reflect its modern mission. Each summer, Kostecki oversees a selective 10-week residency in which emerging artists refine their performance and career skills, with many going on to illustrious companies like the Metropolitan Opera and the Glimmerglass Festival. The former pianist and coach previously led education and the studio at the Fort Worth Opera and worked with the Utah Opera and Florida Grand Opera.
Michael Krevet
Michael Krevet joined Jazz at Lincoln Center this year to lead government relations as the institution advances long-planned renovations at Frederick P. Rose Hall. He secured New York City Council and borough president funding for capital projects as well as education programs. Previously, as chief of staff at the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, he managed operations, helped lay the groundwork for the agency’s baseline budget increase and helped launch the NYC Create in Place initiative. He also represented the city agency on the first Live Performance Industry Council. Earlier in his career, he worked at Kasirer.
Digna Layne
Digna Layne has spent more than two decades shaping community spaces that strengthen Brooklyn communities. As community relations manager at the social services nonprofit Good Shepherd Services, she helped secure funding for the Prince Joshua Avitto Community Center and the Brownsville Houses Teen Lounge, both becoming vital hubs for recreation and healing. A longtime mentor to neighborhood kids, she also supported efforts to rebuild the Brownsville Houses Community Center and pushed to establish a community room at the New York City Police Department’s 73rd Precinct.
Jordana Leigh
Jordana Leigh has spent more than 16 years shaping Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ artistic programming, curating more than a thousand performances from over 100 nations and commissioning works from nearly 50 artists. She oversees initiatives like the Collider Fellowship, which gives artists space to explore how technology can expand live performance. Leigh led the David Rubenstein Atrium for nearly a decade, transforming it into a space for free programming and aiming to shift its audience to reflect the city’s diversity. She’s also a go-to public representative for Lincoln Center in TV and radio interviews.
Valerie Lewis
Since 2014, Valerie Lewis has led the nation’s longest-running community music school through record growth. She leveraged Third Street Music School Settlement’s 130th anniversary to raise record funds, including $1.6 million for financial aid, expanding enrollment to its highest level and doubling school and community partnerships. Under her direction, the organization now reaches all five boroughs and places instructors in 35 public schools and community centers. Previously, Lewis directed the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and co-founded the River to River Festival after 9/11 in order to support community members downtown.
Susan Marenoff-Zausner
Susan Marenoff-Zausner became the first woman to lead the Intrepid Museum in 2011 and has since guided it through an era of increased growth and visibility. Annual attendance has doubled during Marenoff-Zausner’s tenure, and she secured the museum’s acquisition of the space shuttle Enterprise in 2012, a milestone that boosted the museum’s global profile. She also directed a $115 million renovation and a rebranding effort that modernized exhibits, restored historic spaces and refreshed their identity. Under her leadership, the museum has become one of New York City’s most inclusive cultural institutions and secured a 30-year lease to safeguard its future.
Davis McCallum
Davis McCallum has led Hudson Valley Shakespeare since 2014. He launched HVStories, a yearslong exploration of the history of the Hudson Valley. He also established Full Circle, a community engagement program that built on a citizen-driven production of “Our Town.” Under his direction, the company rebranded and broke ground on the $58 million Samuel H. Scripps Theater Center, designed by Studio Gang and set to be the nation’s first purpose-built LEED Platinum-certified venue when it opens in 2026. His directing credits range from “The Matchmaker” at Hudson Valley Shakespeare to acclaimed New York stage productions, including the award-winning play “The Whale.”
Denise Murphy McGraw
Denise Murphy McGraw has carved out a niche in cultural policymaking, ensuring the arts remain an economic driver and a civic anchor in New York. She has championed protections for historic upstate theaters from competition from new live shows and performances as part of the casino licensing process and helped secure the Upstate Musical Theatre Tax Credit, aligning live performance with film and television incentives. She also helped channel more than $15 million to strengthen historic community theaters. McGraw co-hosts “Community Conversations,” a weekly public affairs program on equity and inclusion, and serves on the Irish American Heritage Museum board.
Jacob McNally
Jacob McNally has spent more than a decade reshaping Hudson Square, leading capital projects that infuse unique streetscape design, open space and public art into the neighborhood. He has overseen Hudson Street’s $12 million redesign, has expanded the BID’s service area by 70% and launched an award-winning tree program, which has led to more than 200 plantings. Recently, McNally and his team made possible “Walk to the Water,” a wayfinding art installation displaying community stories on 20 fiberglass spheres and secured a state grant for a Spring Street Park plaza.
Shatic Mitchell
Shatic Mitchell’s work at the Central Park Conservancy knits the world-famous park more tightly into the daily lives of residents in the park’s surrounding neighborhoods. He played a pivotal role in the $160 million addition of the Davis Center at the Harlem Meer, which, since opening this spring, has offered the park’s north end neighbors expanded recreational offerings. Mitchell also launched the first Central Park Community Farmstand to bring produce from Black-owned farms to Harlem tables and partnered with NYPD Community Link to address challenges along the park’s northern corridor. Earlier this year, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg honored Mitchell at Harlem Week for his anti-gun violence advocacy.
Jazmín Morales
Jazmín Morales, a violinist with roots in both classical and mariachi music, has built a career connecting voices from underrepresented communities to the conservatory world. As chief of staff at The Juilliard School, she is helping advance a groundbreaking campaign to make the school tuition-free. Previously at the Colburn School, she launched Fortissima, a program empowering young women of color in classical music. Named one of Musical America’s Top Movers and Shakers, she has also consulted for NPR’s “From the Top” and the Smithsonian Latino Center. A 2025 Aspen Ideas fellow, Morales is a former participant in Sphinx LEAD, a national fellowship cultivating arts leaders from Black and Latino communities.
Jimmy Nederlander
Jimmy Nederlander is the scion of a Broadway dynasty that began in 1912, and he’s now overseeing nine New York stages and a network of theaters across the U.S. and in London. A Tony Award-winning producer, his credits range from “Moulin Rouge” to “The Band’s Visit,” and he is now co-producing “Fire & Rain,” a new musical featuring songs by James Taylor. Nederlander also launched the Broadway Direct and Audience Rewards programs, serving millions of theatergoers nationwide. Recently honored with the Entertainment Community Fund Medal of Honor, Nederlander continues expanding the family business with new productions, acquisitions and partnerships.
Annie Polland
Amid renewed disputes over how to document America’s past, Annie Polland argues that museums can help people navigate today’s divisions, noting that “we are all the inheritors of this history.” She describes the Tenement Museum as a place where visitors can see their own families reflected back at them. She launched the museum’s Summer Teacher Institute, to teach Black and immigrant history side by side, expanded “Your Story, Our Story” into a digital archive of more than 17,000 contributions, and oversaw “A Union of Hope: 1869,” the museum’s first permanent apartment of a Black family.
Michael Presser
Michael Presser founded Inside Broadway in 1982 with a simple student ticket program for “Cats” – and it has since grown into one of New York City’s largest arts education nonprofits. Now in its 43rd season, the organization has introduced nearly 3 million students to Broadway, reaching close to 100,000 annually through residencies, summer camps and its hallmark “Creating the Magic” series. In 2025, Inside Broadway launched Broadway Day in the Schools, a program that brings Broadway performers to New York City schools, and toured “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown” at 45 schools, furthering the nonprofit’s mission of bringing professional theater to young audiences.
Jill Rafson
Jill Rafson has redefined Classic Stage Company since taking the reins in 2022, blending innovation with tradition. She previously spent 17 years at Roundabout Theatre Company, where she developed acclaimed works. On her watch, Classic Stage Company has featured award-winning revivals and made new accessibility efforts, such as sensory-adapted performances. Rafson thinks the company’s reach should exceed its grasp, saying, “At CSC, we punch above our weight. … We are able to do sort of magical things.” This fall’s “The Baker’s Wife” is already the fastest-selling show in the company’s history.
Kathleen Reckling
With the Trump administration terminating arts grants, Kathleen Reckling has turned advocacy into action. As CEO of ArtsWestchester, she launched a Fill the Gap campaign and rallied residents to call their representatives to tell them to fight the cuts. The draining of up to $8 million from Westchester County’s cultural economy threatens core programs like ArtsWestchester’s Heritage Ambassador initiative, a leadership training initiative for cultural ambassadors and other exhibitions. A Columbia University-trained art historian who joined the organization in 2011, Reckling was elevated to CEO in 2024.
Stephanie Reichin
Stephanie Reichin was promoted to managing director at SKDK in 2024 after nearly a decade with the firm. She also leads its Arts & Culture Practice, with a portfolio that bridges institutions, philanthropy and live events. Reichin has designed campaigns for Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Shed, the Rockefeller Foundation’s “Hamilton” collaboration and Governors Ball, while also guiding communications for Bloomberg Philanthropies, Novo Foundation and Good Shepherd Services. On the national stage, she has worked on America250’s semiquincentennial and the award-winning commemoration of Hurricane Katrina.
Terri Richardson
Terri Richardson joined Hollis Public Affairs in January, bringing a wealth of experience that spans nonprofits, museums, government and lobbying. She previously held key roles in New York City government, first as an arts and culture adviser for two deputy mayors and then as a Department of Cultural Affairs assistant commissioner for the Cultural Institutions Group. More recently, she helped the Brooklyn Children’s Museum win $15 million in city funding, guided Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center through infrastructure upgrades and strengthened family access to culture through her work with Cool Culture.
Ali Rosa-Salas
Ali Rosa-Salas began her tenure at Abrons Arts Center at Henry Street Settlement in 2017 as artistic director for the program and is now vice president of visual and performing arts with the only social services nonprofit in New York City that also houses its own cultural institution. She guides presenting, education and residency programs while advancing artists across disciplines. From 2020 to 2023, she also served as associate curator at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. A Barnard College and Wesleyan University graduate, she is trained in performance curation.
Taryn Sacramone
Taryn Sacramone has led Queens Theatre since 2013, shaping it into a hub for accessible, high-quality performance and community engagement in one of the nation’s most diverse counties. She launched Theatre For All to expand opportunities for artists with disabilities and recently chaired Arts.Culture.Queens, a group that brings together members of the borough’s cultural landscape. She’s the immediate past chair of the influential Cultural Institutions Group and remains a member of the Executive Committee of the group, which recently added five new members. Last year, she spearheaded Theaterama, a multimonth series celebrating the 60th anniversary of the World’s Fair in Flushing Meadows Corona Park.
Jerry Scupp
Jerry Scupp has been a key player at the Garment District Alliance since its founding in 1993, helping shape the Manhattan neighborhood’s shift from a manufacturing hub to a destination for arts and commerce. He has overseen its legal and government affairs while shaping a public arts program that has staged more than 300 installations, including Steve Tobin’s recent "New York Roots" sculptures on Broadway plazas. Scupp also helped launch the district’s pedestrian plaza initiative and has advocated before city lawmakers for rezoning that encourages housing while still keeping businesses anchored to the district.
Niegel Smith
Niegel Smith has led The Flea for a decade, guiding the Manhattan theater through a 2021 refounding that led to its investment in work by Black, brown and queer artists. The company sustains residencies supporting more than 150 artists annually, produces free Juneteenth performances and launched a shared leadership model funded by a Mellon Foundation grant. A Bessie Award winner, Smith co-directed Mac’s “A 24-Decade History of Popular Music,” staged “Fela!” worldwide and serves on A.R.T./New York’s board.
Alejandro Epifanio Torres
Alejandro Epifanio Torres is helping preserve Puerto Rican heritage in Manhattan’s Alphabet City while creating spaces for experimentation in media, textiles and culinary arts. A graduate of the School of Visual Arts, Torres launched programs such as the Loisaida Artists in Residence initiative, the M.U.J.E.R. media justice project and Ecolibrium, a community-driven climate effort. After Loisaida Inc. joined Acacia Network in 2012, Torres added new creative facilities, including LoisaidaTV Studio, a textiles lab and a teaching kitchen while expanding the Loisaida Festival into a staple of “artivism.”
Masha Turchinsky
Earlier this year, the Hudson River Museum won the inaugural Bridgemaker Prize from Art Bridges, capping a run that also saw its exhibition “Smoke in Our Hair: Native Memory and Unsettled Time” named a New York Times Critics’ Pick. Under Masha Turchinsky’s leadership, the museum has debuted its $11 million West Wing, earned eight consecutive Best Art Gallery honors from Westchester Magazine and secured a major grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to digitize historic photographs and other items, while drawing visitors from more than 40 states. Turchinsky previously spent 19 years at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Aditi Vaidya
Aditi Vaidya became the first woman of color to lead the Mertz Gilmore Foundation when she assumed the presidency in 2022. She has since made grantmaking easier for nonprofits by streamlining applications and reporting so organizations can focus more on their work, while also moving the foundation’s investments to better reflect its mission with new advisers. A former senior program officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Vaidya brings over two decades in organizing and philanthropy to empower grantees.
Alan van Capelle
Since 2023, Alan van Capelle has led Friends of the High Line, walking the innovative West Side park in the direction of greater accessibility and inclusive programming. He also launched the High Line Network, a coalition of projects reimagining obsolete infrastructure into public space across the country. Van Capelle emphasizes youth jobs and affordability while keeping the park free to all. Earlier, as president and CEO of Educational Alliance, he expanded services for lower Manhattan families, and as executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, he helped shape New York’s landmark same-sex marriage law.
Karin Venegas
At the public relations firm Anat, Karin Venegas has led high-profile campaigns, from selling out “Anne Frank The Exhibition” before opening to securing national coverage for the Museum of Jewish Heritage’s artificial intelligence project, “Survivor Stories: An Interactive Dialogue.” She has elevated institutions from the Brooklyn Children’s Museum to the Loisaida Festival and helped the Barter Theatre in Virginia boost tourist audiences by 40%. Earlier, she directed the award-winning documentary “Unafraid: Voices from the Crime Victims Treatment Center,” which chronicles the stories of sexual assault survivors and feminist innovation. At Exploring the Arts, she expanded the nonprofit from one school to 46 across New York and Los Angeles.
Lauren Wagner
Amid proposed federal cuts, Lauren Wagner has spoken out saying federal grants “validate the importance of the arts.” As executive director of the Long Island Arts Alliance, Wagner blends advocacy with data, spearheading a regional arts economic impact study that quantifies $330 million in economic activity. She runs a monthly Creative Community Huddle and digitized the interactive Long Island Arts Map and created the region’s only arts-specific online calendar. She also runs the Scholar-Artist Awards program in partnership with Newsday, and recently launched the region’s first Arts Education Summit, bringing together educators, artists and policymakers to strengthen arts learning across Long Island.
Stephanie Hill Wilchfort
Stephanie Hill Wilchfort was hired to lead the Museum of the City of New York in 2023, as the institution marked its centennial. She has delivered immersive bilingual exhibitions, overseen a 20% increase in visitors and positioned the museum as New York City’s flagship site for America250 – marking the 250th anniversary of the country with “The Occupied City,” an exhibition on the city’s role in the American Revolution. Previously, she transformed the Brooklyn Children’s Museum with $45 million in capital projects. In earlier roles at Sesame Workshop and the Tenement Museum, she advanced global projects and nearly doubled individual giving.
John Williams
John Williams co-founded Reel Works in 2001, transforming an after-school filmmaking class into a national leader in mentoring and media workforce development. The nonprofit has trained nearly 10,000 young New Yorkers, pairing each with professional filmmakers and creating pathways into an industry that has long lacked diversity. Its MediaMKRS initiative places about 200 students a year in paid internships with major production companies, alongside new union training partnerships with Netflix, Warner Media and IATSE. Reel Works marked its 25th anniversary this year at its ChangeMakers Gala honoring Kenan Thompson.
Azzura’e Wilson
Paralyzed after a car accident at age 15, Azzura’e Wilson brings lived experience and professional insight to her role at Westchester Independent Living Center, where she helps people with disabilities return to their communities. She created Voices Without Barriers, a bimonthly workshop and storytelling platform that uplifts disabled voices. She also contributes to the organization’s Disability Pride Month art showcase, underscoring art as expression and advocacy. Wilson also exemplifies a commitment to diversity in hiring at the Westchester Independent Living Center.
Michael Woloz
Michael Woloz has become one of New York’s most influential arts advocates, most recently helping secure an unprecedented $45 million in baseline arts and culture funding in the New York City budget – plus a one-time allocation of $30 million. Woloz also fought for capital investments at the American Museum of Natural History and the Brooklyn Academy of Music, while restoring $41 million in arts education funds. Beyond lobbying, he advises dozens of cultural organizations, teaches at Yale and Columbia and has recently led workshops guiding nonprofits through the city’s complex discretionary funding process.
Corrections: This post has been updated to reflect that Priscilla Brendler of GHHN no longer manages the Path Through History Weekends program. This post has also been updated with the correct name of Jewish Community Center Mid-Westchester. This post has also been updated to reflect that Cathy Hung still leads the New York City Children’s Theater.
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