Board
Katherine Denny
President
Continuing as President for a second term, Katie intends to bring awareness of cultural policy to Wagner by surfacing relevant issues and developing partnerships between SNEAC and the greater NYU arts community. Since 2003 she has been administering public funds for arts and cultural programs, beginning on the city/state level at the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, and moving to New York City's Department of Cultural Affairs in 2005. She assisted the agency during the city's reform of its arts funding process, and is currently Director of Special Projects at DCA while specializing in Public Policy Analysis at NYU Wagner part time.
Michaella Holden
Vice President, Internal Affairs
Michaella manages special events and alumni relations for NYU Wagner, where she is also pursuing a master's degree. She has worked as a development associate for special events at High 5 Tickets to the Arts in New York City, and as a volunteer at UNESCO's Universal Forum of Cultures in Barcelona, Spain. She holds a B.A. in theater from Barnard College of Columbia University.
Kathleen McCarthy
Vice President, External Affairs
Since graduating from the College of William and Mary in 2002, Kathleen has searched for opportunities to work in arts-based nonprofits. This path first started with a volunteer position through AmeriCorps*VISTA at Bennington College in Vermont developing volunteer opportunities for arts-focused students. For the past three years, she has been working in Communications for the International Center of Photography. She has a deep interest in community-based arts programs and while here at Wagner, is hoping to explore the arts from both policy and funding perspectives to gain a better understanding of how art and culture can best be integrated into communities.
Adrian Geraldo Saldaña
Treasurer
Adrian has chosen the Public Policy Analysis specialization at the Wagner School in order to examine the policy impacts on arts nonprofits and the political environment surrounding government funding for the arts. He currently works as the Business Manager of the Abrons Arts Center, a program of Henry Street Settlement. The position oversees the accounting and bookkeeping of Abrons' theater productions, the community art school program, and the arts-in-education program serving New York City public schools.
Catherine Ward
Vice President, Programs
Catherine is happy to return to SNEAC after serving on the 2007–2008 board. A full-time management student at Wagner, she comes from a background of directing and producing theater at nonprofits across New York City.
Ruth Ann Stewart
SNEAC Advisor and Clinical Professor of Public Policy
Professor Stewart joined the Wagner School faculty in September 2003 with a specialization in cultural policy and the role of the arts in urban revitalization. She came to Wagner from Rutgers University's Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy where she held a joint appointment with the Center for Urban Policy Research. Prior to joining the academy, Professor Stewart was an associate director and the senior policy analyst in arts, humanities, and social legislation at the Congressional Research Service, the research and analysis arm of the U.S. Congress. She has also served in government as the Assistant Librarian of Congress for National Programs with responsibility for the library’s education and cultural programs. Professor Stewart held senior management positions in New York at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and The New York Public Library. She is currently a member of the board of the Smithsonian Institution's Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Studio in a School and The Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and serves on advisory councils at the Museum of Modern Art and the Alvin Ailey School of American Dance. Her recent book, Understanding the Arts and Creative Sector in the United States, was published earlier this year by Rutgers University Press.
How can I get involved with the Board?
SNEAC will begin accepting applications for Board membership during the 2009–2010 academic year in April 2009. Eligible applicants must be continuing students at NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. In 2008, SNEAC piloted an ambassador program to expand student involvement from other graduate schools in New York. If you are interested in becoming a Board Member or a Student Ambassador, email the Current Board.
