Lara Davis, our 2015 American Express Emerging Leaders Awardee, has been active in youth development and community arts education for more than a decade as Arts Education Manager for the City of Seattle Office of Arts & Culture. She has served as a Seattle arts commissioner and as program director for Arts Corps, an award-winning, Seattle-based youth arts organization. As Arts Education Manager for the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, Davis manages the Creative Advantage, a public/private partnership to ensure equitable access to high quality arts learning for all Seattle students. Davis serves on the National Advisory Committee for the Teaching Artists Guild, and facilitates equity and racial justice trainings for teaching artists, educators, and organizations at local and national conferences.