Thursday, January 5, 2017

Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America, today announces six additions to its 38-member Board of Directors. The group collectively includes leaders in the areas of cultural policy, business, innovation, and the arts.
 
“I am thrilled to welcome these great individuals to our group of dedicated and hard-working board members. Their experience and knowledge of business and the arts will enhance our ability to achieve our goals and greatly contribute to the mission of bringing the arts to all Americans,” states Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. 
 
Brief bios of new board members follow: 
 
Marty Albertson is the retired Chairman and CEO of Guitar Center, where he spent over 35 years as it grew from four stores to over 350 locations throughout the United States. He previously served on the boards of NAMM, NRF, NARAS, and Ambiance Radio, and currently serves on the boards of Playground Sessions, the Sun Valley Marketing Alliance, and the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation. He is the founder of All In, a music education initiative being implemented by the National Association of Music Education.
 
Danielle Brazell is the General Manager of the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), working with the agency’s Community Arts, Public Art, Grants Administration, and Marketing and Development Division directors to oversee a $56 million portfolio of facilities, programming, and initiatives providing arts and cultural services in Los Angeles. Prior to being appointed to this position in the summer of 2014, Brazell was the Executive Director of Arts for LA. 
 
Jennifer Cole is the executive director of the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission, where she leads the city’s efforts in art, culture, and creative economy. She has over 20 years of experience in organizational leadership and change management and has worked in the public and non-profit sectors in a variety of executive positions. She is the chair of Americans for the Arts’ U.S. Urban Arts Federation and serves on the board of The National Arts Executive Leadership Forum. 
 
Debra Garcia y Griego is the director of the Santa Fe Arts Commission, responsible for implementing the City’s support of arts and cultural affairs including its funding of local nonprofit arts organizations, operation of the Community Gallery, the Art in Public Places program, and the Creative Tourism initiative. Since 2000, Garcia y Griego has been responsible for management of the Arts Commission’s funding of nonprofit arts organizations as well as the public art program. Prior to joining the Arts Commission, she was a project manager for Museum Campus Chicago.  
 
Brian Stokes Mitchell is a Tony Award-winner with a career that spans Broadway, television, film, and concert appearances. He received Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards for his star turn in Kiss Me, Kate. He also gave Tony-nominated performances in Man of La Mancha, August Wilson’s King Hedley II, and Ragtime. Stokes has enjoyed working with numerous charitable organizations from the March of Dimes to the USO, and is in his 12th term as Chairman of the Board of the Actors Fund. Stokes is a great proponent of arts education and speaks passionately about the importance of art in all of our lives. He resides in New York City with his wife, son and rescued mutt, Diggidy. 
 
Andrew Zolli works at the intersection of global innovation, foresight, social change and resilience. Zolli spends much of his time advancing a global dialogue on resilience and strategically advises and speaks regularly to a wide array of leading companies, governmental organization, NGOs, startups, and cultural and civil society groups. From 2003-2014, Zolli was the primary creative and curatorial force behind PopTech, an innovation and social change network. Zolli has served as a Fellow of the National Geographic Society; on the boards of the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Blurb; and as an advisor to PlanetLabs, DataKind, and the Garrison Institute.
 
Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America. With offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, it has a record of more than 55 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org