December 2020-March 2023 Executive Director, New Museum Los Gatos
- Grew the annual budget 150% during a global pandemic, where museums were disproportionately impacted due to state mandated closures. Re-established pandemic-impacted earned income programs including art classes, facility rentals, and group tours
- Wrote and was awarded NUMU’s first-ever grants from Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) ($190,000) for collections cataloging and access; National Endowment for the Arts for ArtNow, an annual juried high school exhibition ($10,000 (FY22) and $35,000 (FY23 + FY24)); California Humanities for general operating expenses ($20,000); California Arts Council for “On Ohlone Land,” a series of 2022-23 exhibitions focused on the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, the environment, and the land ($19,000); David & Lucile Packard Foundation for a board- and staff-driven diversity, equity, accessibility & inclusion (DEAI) action plan, followed by general operating support as a result of DEAI work ($22,500 (FY22) and $25,000 (FY23)); and SVCREATES Arts Access for a partnership with the Muwekma Ohlone Tribal Council ($15,000)
- Facilitated a year-long DEAI strategic planning process with a resulting Action Plan to guide NUMU for the next three years
- Supervised a robust series of art exhibitions in collaboration with staff, guest curators, artists, and community partners
- Garnered unprecedented press mentions and strengthened NUMU’s regional profile.
- Strengthened museum relationships with local nonprofits, elected officials, and regional programmatic partners
- Strengthened relationships with major donors, securing $1 million to form an endowment fund
- Secured temporary rent forgiveness from the Town of Los Gatos, with a long-term vision to remove rent from NUMU’s lease
- Elevated and empowered staff while sharpening their roles, establishing a yearly and mid-yearly review process, benefits and salary increases, and providing internal and external leadership opportunities
December 2018-November 2020; April 2023-May 2024 Director of Development, Arts Council Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz, CA
- Secured unprecedented $250,000 in COVID Relief funding from the NEA
- Manage a caseload of 100+ mid- and high-level donors. Lead development of fundraising strategy and budget, and track and report progress
- Identify, cultivate, solicit, and steward individual donors and business sponsors
- Strategize major donor cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship in partnership with Executive Director and Deputy Director
- Lead development and implementation of all outward-facing fundraising campaigns and collateral material
- Advise on grant strategy and participate in grant development
- Support Communications Team in content development
January 2017-December 2018 Development Manager, Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History, Santa Cruz, CA
- Launch fundraising strategy as the museum’s first development professional in its 115 year history
- Grew museum membership by 63%
- Secure new annual funding from local and government funders including Monterey Peninsula Foundation ($40,000), Nicholson Family Foundation ($5,000), Arts Council Santa Cruz County ($3,000), and California Humanities ($5,000)
- Develop stewardship reports, cultivated donor network, and corresponded with foundations and individual supporters
- Help guide the museum into a vibrant, sustainable institution that adheres to best practices in the field
July 2014-August 2016 Deputy Director of Collections, Exhibitions and Engagement, Monterey Museum of Art, Monterey, CA
- Lead the Museum in the areas of collections management, curatorial, exhibitions, education and public programs, visitor services, membership, and security.
- Direct museum exhibitions and education initiatives with an emphasis on innovation, interactivity, collaboration, and community engagement.
- Experiment with new models for museum education and community partnerships for a 21st century Museum including digital efforts and cross-disciplinary programming.
- Curate, plan interpretive strategy, and write didactics for exhibitions.
- Manage museum professionals with a focus on space making leadership.
October 2007-June 2014 Manager for School Programs, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA
- Establish and execute strategic vision for K-12 programs at the Getty Center and Getty Villa, serving approximately 150,000 students annually.
- Plan, develop, and administer all aspects of K-12 student programs, including high-volume on-site school visit programs and special off-site, multiple visit programs.
- Supervise education specialist, programmers and interns, and conduct trainings for Docents and Gallery Teachers.
- Develop detailed reports and projections for institutional leadership.
- Manage complex budget for operating costs, bus funding, and programming.
- Teach in the galleries on a regular basis.
December 2010-October 2012 Instructor, UCLA Extension, Los Angeles, CA
- Teach courses in art history including “Art Beyond the Museum: Lowbrow, Kitsch and Outsider Art” and “The Last Ten Years: Art in the Twenty-First Century.”
June 2006-October 2007 School & Tour Programs Manager, Orange County Museum of Art, Newport Beach, CA
- Market museum tour program to 28 school districts in Orange County.
- Manage, train, and schedule university intern gallery guides and a 100-member docent corps to lead interactive gallery tours.
- Develop and implement teacher professional development sessions, give art history lectures, and lead tours.
- Write curricula that address California state standards in visual arts, language arts, and social studies.
July-November 2005 Visual Arts and Education Program Coordinator, Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana (MACLA), San José, CA
- Coordinate and install temporary exhibitions.
- Schedule and provide administrative support for teachers of after school programs.
- Supervise the completion of a black-and-white community darkroom.
June 2004-July 2005 Education Assistant/Gallery Teacher, San José Museum of Art (SJMA), San José, CA
- Manage FileMaker database for all school and adult programs.
- Coordinate, conduct and schedule school tours and hands-on art lessons.
- Research and develop interactive gallery tours.
September 2001-May 2002 Conservation Intern, Palace of the Legion of Honor, San Francisco, CA
- Conserve works of art on paper.
December 1998-July 2004 Education Associate, Museum of Art & History (MAH), Santa Cruz, CA
- Develop, manage and implement school and public programs, outreach materials, curricula and docent materials.
- Conduct research and trainings for exhibitions.
- Develop interactive components for exhibitions.
- Manage interns and front desk.