NEA’S NEW DIRECTOR OF STATE AND REGIONAL PARTNERSHIPS

According to an article from artdaily.org, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has announced Laura A. Scanlan as the agency’s new director of state and regional partnerships. Scanlan is the founder of Creative Cultural Partnerships and is also the former executive director of the Delaware Division of the Arts, the state agency responsible for providing financial, technical and promotional support for Delaware’s cultural resources.

When she joins the NEA in late November, Scanlan will provide direction concerning NEA funding and other assistance to the 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies as well as six regional arts agencies. She will also chair panels that review applicants from those organizations and participate in discussions regarding the formulation of policy and budgets related to her constituents.

"I am delighted to welcome Laura Scanlan to the National Endowment for the Arts. Her business and philanthropic experience will be a great asset to the NEA. Her years as director of the Delaware Division of the Arts and on the board of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation assure she is knowledgeable about issues facing the state and regional agencies. This familiarity is especially critical in economically challenging times when many state legislatures and therefore state arts agencies are facing tough decisions,” said NEA chairman Rocco Landesman.

Scanlan’s consulting practice, Creative Cultural Strategies, provides professional advisory services for nonprofit organizations in the cultural sector. Scanlan previously served as senior vice president for fund development and marketing at the Delaware Community Foundation.

Scanlan has served on the boards of the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, the Delaware Center for Contemporary Arts and the Delaware Theatre Company. During her tenure at the Delaware Division of the Arts she co-hosted the weekly radio show Delaware State of the Arts.