• Staff Directory
• Staff Bios

Staff may be reached by e-mail or phone, 202-347-6352.

Jonathan Katz, Chief Executive Officer, ext. 102
Dennis Dewey, Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer, ext. 105
Kelly J. Barsdate, Chief Program and Planning Officer, ext. 107
Thomas L. Birch, Legislative Counsel, ext. 130
Carmen Boston, Arts Education Manager, ext. 131
Darlene Cartwright, Operations Associate, ext. 100
Sharon Gee, Director of Meetings and Events, ext. 112
Angela Han, Director of Research, ext. 115
Kelly Liu, National Standard Associate, ext. 101
Traci Slater-Rigaud, Manager, Coming Up Taller Program, 202-682-5490
Jesse Rye, Policy and Program Associate, ext. 118
Dora Shick, Membership Associate, ext. 108
Laura S.Smith, CFRE, Chief Advancement Officer, ext. 120

Jonathan Katz, Chief Executive Officer
Jonathan Katz has served as CEO of NASAA since 1985. Prior to that, he was awarded tenure as professor of public policy and administration at the University of Illinois at Springfield, where he directed the graduate program in arts administration beginning in 1978 and established the Sangamon Institute in Arts Administration. Before then, Katz was executive director of the Kansas Arts Commission, one of the first state arts agencies to focus its resources on the development of a local arts agency network. He has taught communication, literature and creative writing at universities in Indiana, Ohio and Kansas.

Katz has consulted extensively in cultural policy planning, organizational development, and leadership and management training, and has authored numerous articles, plans and consultant reports. His presentations on the policies, issues and trends that affect participation in cultural activities are a frequent feature at national and state conferences, and at state arts agency planning sessions. Recently appointed to the U.S. National Commission on UNESCO, he advises the board of the International Federation of Arts Councils and Cultural Agencies (IFACCA) and has conducted planning and professional development sessions for cultural agencies in five cities in Mexico for the U.S. government.

For NASAA, Katz has co-authored Advancing America's Creativity: An Agenda for Leadership in Support of the Arts and Cultural Activities, the State Arts Agency Strategic Planning Toolkit and Facing Controversy: Arts Issues and Crisis Communications; written the Report of the Task Force on Cultural Pluralism; edited the Arts and Education Handbook: A Guide to Productive Collaborations; and co-edited Serving the Arts in Rural Areas: Successful Programs and Potential New Strategies. His doctoral dissertation proposes a national agenda for literary activities in the United States.

Dennis Dewey, Chief Operating Officer/Chief Financial Officer
A graduate of James Madison University, Dennis Dewey has spent more than 30 years working in the arts, or arts-related fields as an educator, performer, producer and administrator. At NASAA, he is responsible for operations, financial management and special project oversight, with particular emphasis on building partnerships that promote the public benefit of the arts. He has guided and/or directly supervised collaborations with the U.S. Department of Justice, The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, The National Endowment for the Arts, The Council of Chief State School Officers, The Coca-Cola Company, MetLife, The General Electric Fund, The Getty Center for Education in the Arts, the U.S. Department of Education, The David and Lucille Packard Foundation, The National Governors' Association and the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Dewey advises the NASAA board and CEO on policy-governance issues and oversees the organization's communications activities. He has guided NASAA's events planning and budgeting activities and managed more than 60 separate grants, contracts and cooperative agreements for the organization during his tenure.

Prior to joining NASAA, Dewey supervised ticket operations for Arena Stage in Washington, DC. He advised the administrative director and business manager in the formulation of policy, assisted in the determination of pricing and extension feasibility, and supervised more than $3 million in yearly single ticket and subscription sales.

After receiving a BA Degree in Communications from James Madison University, Dewey was hired to coordinate a Title III program for the arts in rural south central Virginia. In this capacity he advised in the design and directed the utilization of the county's new Humanities Center, and created a countywide program to stimulate the arts and humanities in a rural environment. He has an extensive background in the arts--notably in theatre--where he has worked as an actor, stage manager, public relations associate, development assistant, and-most rewardingly--secondary school teacher.

Kelly J. Barsdate, Chief Program and Planning Officer
Kelly Barsdate joined NASAA in 1991. She oversees the design and delivery of NASAA's services to members, including research activities, member education programs, and special initiatives that help state arts agencies adopt innovative and effective strategies for serving the public.

In addition to managing NASAA's strategic planning practices, Barsdate provides extensive consultation to state arts agencies in the development of their plans, policies and programs. She provides training, facilitation and advisory services to state arts agency staff, councils and constituent groups as well as corporate and foundation clients. She directs NASAA's "New Directions in State Arts Agency Grantmaking" curriculum (a series of workshops that helps state arts agencies enhance the results of their grant investments) and also conducts seminars on public value and program evaluation.

Barsdate has managed NASAA's strategic collaborations with partners including the National Governors Association, the National Conference of State Legislatures, The Wallace Foundation, the National Center for Charitable Statistics, Carnegie Mellon University, Grantmakers in the Arts, the Foundation Center, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Princeton University and the National Endowment for the Arts. She has authored numerous monographs and articles on state arts agency funding, planning and evaluation. She is a regular presenter at national arts and philanthropy conferences and is a contributing editor of the Journal of Arts Management, Law and Society.

Barsdate began her NASAA career as part of NASAA's research team, first studying the distribution and impact of state arts agency grants and then advancing to oversee NASAA's research, evaluation and policy analysis activities for ten years. Prior to her arrival at NASAA, Barsdate was researcher for Educational Research Services, Inc. She received training in music education and performance at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, and believes that her lifelong enthusiasm for public sector arts support is a hereditary trait.

Thomas L. Birch, Legislative Counsel
Since 1981, Tom Birch has served as NASAA's legislative counsel in Washington, DC, representing the state arts agencies on Capitol Hill and the interests of artists and arts organizations, directing advocacy efforts, and advising state and local groups on advocacy and lobbying strategies. In his work with NASAA and other nonprofit organizations, Birch has authored articles on legislative advocacy and topics of public policy, particularly in his areas of specialization in cultural affairs, child welfare and human services. Birch received the American Psychological Association's 2003 Award for Distinguished Contribution to Child Advocacy. He came to this work from Congress, having served as legislative counsel to members of the United States Senate and House of Representatives on issues of domestic policy. An attorney by training, Birch received his J.D. degree from George Washington University and his undergraduate B.A. degree in American history from Lehigh University. He was a Peace Corps volunteer for three years in Morocco.

A native of California, Birch has lived in Washington, DC, for more than 30 years where he has served as a board member and officer for a number of charitable organizations, including the Ellington Fund of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Family Stress Services of the District of Columbia, Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, the Leadership Task Force on Religion and Public Values of the DC Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy, the Crafts Center and the Folger Poetry Board. He was a founding member of the DC Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Children's Trust Fund. Birch serves on of the vestry of Christ Church Georgetown where he holds the elected position of Senior Warden. He served two terms in elected public office as Georgetown's neighborhood commissioner in Washington, DC, retiring in 2005 unchallenged and undefeated.

Carmen Boston, Arts Education Manager
Through NASAA, Carmen Boston works with state arts education managers across the country on professional development and state arts education programming initiatives. In addition, she is an advisor to Coming Up Taller, a program of the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities that recognizes outstanding after-school and out-of-school programs for children and youth. Prior to joining NASAA, Boston worked for Washington Performing Arts Society, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning through the Arts, Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival and Very Special Arts, where she had the opportunity to develop and manage an array of arts projects for adults and youth from diverse populations.

Boston received her bachelor's degree from Mount Holyoke College and a Professional Diploma in Community Dance from the Laban Centre for Movement and Dance in London. Through her experience at Laban, she interned with diverse community-based arts organizations, including English National Ballet (London) and City Moves (Aberdeen, Scotland) to gain teaching exposure with different populations and ideas for program development and management. As a board member of the DC Arts and Humanities Education Collaborative, Boston co-chairs the Arts for Every Student program committee, which focuses on arts experiences for DC public and charter school students.

Darlene Cartwright, Operations Associate
Darlene Cartwright joined the NASAA team in 2007. As Operations Associate, Darlene's key responsibility is to support and maintain a work environment that assists the productivity and efficiency of the program staff. She provides day-to-day administrative and operations support to the COO and staff. Other responsibilities include human resources management, financial and budgetary oversight, and assistance with conference and event preparation

Prior to joining NASAA, Darlene worked for the Florida Department of State, Cultural, Historical, and Information Programs in Tallahassee, Florida as their Marketing Manager. She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University in Fashion Merchandising.

Sharon Gee, Director of Meetings and Events
Sharon Gee has more than 20 years of experience in arts management, budget administration, and national meeting, exhibition and special event planning. Gee joined NASAA in 2000 and is responsible for planning and executing NASAA's meetings and special events, including board meetings, annual conferences and Leadership Institutes. She also manages meetings and events for one of NASAA's key partners, the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, including the annual Coming Up Taller awards ceremonies and the Leadership Enhancement Conferences.

Prior to joining NASAA, Gee spent 13 years at Gannett Company, Inc., where she planned the annual capital appropriations committee meetings for executives and regional division presidents and reported on monthly capital budget requests and expenditures. Gee also gained valuable committee management experience as a member of the Young Benefactors of the Smithsonian Institution, where she served as vice chair of an annual gala. She also served for 12 years on the board of a Maryland nonprofit arts organization, where she chaired its national photography competitions and exhibitions.

Gee received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maryland. She has extensive experience in the fine arts, including working with an international exhibitor that specialized in traditional and modern Japanese woodblock prints; working in a fine arts auction house and appraisal service; and with a premier fine arts gallery that specialized in 18th and 19th century English and French antiques. In addition, Gee has found success as a professional fine art and expedition photographer and her work is in the permanent collections of several U.S. embassies, corporations and private collections. She has also served as an expedition photographer on a number of projects, including a research study on killer whales, an archaeological excavation at Caesarea Maritima, and an international yacht race.

Angela Han, Director of Research
Angela Han joined the NASAA team in 2007. She directs NASAA's research services, managing the surveys and other information gathering strategies NASAA uses to maintain data about state arts agencies and their work. Han oversees NASAA's data analysis and reporting, and serves as the point-person for information requests from members and the public. She helps state arts agencies and NASAA partners use research to assist their planning, evaluation and advocacy activities. Han also monitors current arts and public policy research, keeping members abreast of trends that affect public funding for the arts.

As a former state arts agency grantee, Han has first-hand experience with the application procedures and reporting requirements employed by the states. Prior to joining NASAA, Han served as the Executive Director of River Arts, Inc. in Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin. There she managed all aspects of programming, community outreach, marketing, and fundraising for an arts presenter in the rural Midwest. Han also has extensive experience as a musician and orchestra manager. She received a Bachelor of Musical Arts with Distinction from the University of Windsor, and was the Executive Director of the Plymouth Symphony Society in Plymouth, Michigan from 2003 to 2005.

Han's research work at NASAA is also shaped by her education. She is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business, where she received an MBA in Arts Administration. She also holds a Physics degree from the California Institute of Technology.

Kelly Liu, National Standard Associate
Kelly Liu has been the National Standard Associate at NASAA since 1998. She receives the annual reports of grants awarded by the state arts agencies and regional arts organizations. Using grants data from the states, Liu helps NASAA make the case for public funding of the arts. She also provides technical assistance to members who use the National Standard for Arts Information Exchange for their grants reporting.

Prior to joining NASAA, Liu worked for the National Association of Counties, the Council on Environmental Quality and the Department of the Interior. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Drake University and a Master of Public Administration degree from Syracuse University.

Traci Slater-Rigaud, Manager, Coming Up Taller Program
Traci Slater-Rigaud manages the Coming Up Taller Program with the President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities through a cooperative agreement with NASAA. The Coming Up Taller Awards are the nation's highest honor for after-school and out-of-school programs that use the arts and humanities to enrich the lives of at-risk children.

Slater-Rigaud is the former program coordinator for arts in education with the National PTA where she managed the Reflections Program. Prior to the National PTA, she was curator of education at Miami Art Museum. Her work there included developing and managing a broad range of educational programming for school, family and adult audiences. Slater-Rigaud's background also includes work as the public programs manager at the Baltimore Museum of Art, where she created and managed large-scale programs for the permanent collection and special exhibitions. She has several years of experience in community-based arts education and has a sincere passion for making the arts accessible to all communities. She holds a B.S. in social science and an M.A. in art education, both from the University of Cincinnati.

Jesse Rye, Policy and Program Associate
Jesse Rye joined NASAA in 2007. As NASAA's Policy and Program Associate, he documents many kinds of programs that state arts agencies use to serve state government, encourage public arts participation, and strengthen statewide arts networks. He catalogs state arts agency planning practices, grant guidelines and the services states provide to artists and arts organizations. Rye also tracks creative partnerships, innovations and "best practices" in the state arts agency field, and shares that information with the NASAA membership and other key audiences.

Prior to his service at NASAA, Rye directed Future Tenant, an alternative exhibition and performance space in the heart of Pittsburgh's downtown Cultural District. He also worked for the Flying Pig Gallery and Greenspace, in Algoma, WI, which features works by outsider, self-taught, visionary and contemporary folk artists. Rye is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz School of Public Policy and Management. While earning his Masters of Arts Management degree, Rye assisted the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Sprout Fund with a study on the roles that artists play in post-industrial communities. Rye also holds a theatre degree from Ripon College and has taught drama in the public schools.

Dora Shick, Membership Associate
Dora Shick joined NASAA in 2007. As NASAA's Membership Associate, she supports NASAA's efforts to identify and engage, solicit and retain individuals who contribute to NASAA via the Affiliate program. She supports NASAA's communications with its state arts agency members by maintaining reliable and comprehensive information about members, donors and prospects. Shick also helps with other fund development activities, such as corporate and foundation grant applications, maintaining NASAA's donor database and providing support for committees and governance activities.

Prior to joining NASAA, Shick worked for the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth, housed at the Institute for Educational Leadership in Washington, DC. Shick has a B.A. in Government from Smith College and is involved with a local dance studio as a dancer and volunteer.

Laura S. Smith, CFRE, Chief Advancement Officer
Laura Smith joined the NASAA staff in 2002. With fifteen years experience fundraising in the not-for-profit sector, she has developed special interests in nonprofit board development, individual giving, corporate relations, and establishing or revitalizing development programs. At NASAA, she plans, coordinates and implements strategies to develop donors and contributions to support NASAA; leads staff and volunteers to institutionalize philanthropy and fund development within NASAA; and develops systems that support fund development. She works with public agencies, individuals, companies and foundations to develop resources and relationships that build NASAA's capacity to serve its members and achieve its strategic goals.

In addition to managing NASAA's resource development activities, Smith works closely with the NASAA board, various committees, and other state arts agency leaders on development and governance issues. She advises NASAA members and partners on effective fund development strategies that can generate support for the arts at the local and state levels. She also represents NASAA and state arts agencies in key philanthropic forums and networks.

Prior to joining NASAA, Smith served as director of foundations for the National Mentoring Partnership and as acting director of development for the American Architectural Foundation and its historic house museum, the Octagon. She began her arts fundraising career at the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis, where she also helped found a site-specific theater performance company called Skewed Visions. She is currently on the board of a Washington, DC-based media arts organization called One In Ten, she has advised the boards of several local and national nonprofit arts organizations, and has served on grant award panels for state arts agencies and the National Governors Association. Smith has a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Minnesota and a Master of Arts in Liberal Studies from Georgetown University.