Laura Esparza
Division Manager, Cultural Affairs Division
City of Austin Parks and Recreation Dept.
Laura Esparza is the division manager of the Cultural Affairs Division for the Austin Parks Department. In that capacity she manages seven facilities with 13 programs in theater, dance, visual arts, and film. As a professional arts administrator, facility planner, and organizational consultant, her work has taken her throughout the country, having founded programs and facilities in Bellingham; San Diego; San Francisco; Seattle; San Antonio; Redwood City; and San Jose, CA. She developed a one-day workshop on building facilities for small to mid-sized arts organizations which she shared at the American Association of Museums National Conference. As vice chair of the California Association of Museums, she developed its first workshop on Developing Diverse Audiences.