Announcing: Emerging Leaders Program Participants 2026
Congratulations and welcome to the newest cohort of participants in NYFA’s intensive professional development program for arts administrators!
New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is pleased to congratulate the 24 leaders who were selected to participate in the eighth iteration of the Emerging Leaders Program. The year-long program provides free leadership training and community support for arts administrators, with over 170 arts administrators participating in the program since its inception. The 2026 program is made possible by The Willem de Kooning Foundation.
NYFA believes that investments in cultural infrastructure build stronger links and shared knowledge between artists and arts administrators, which benefits the entire field.
2026 Emerging Leaders Cohort
Gabbie Ballesteros, Assistant Director of Learning & Community Engagement, Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC)
Ian Bjornstad, Technical Director, Roulette Intermedium
Kyra Brands, Production Assistance Program Manager, Women Make Movies
Louise Brosnan, Coordinator, Exhibitions and Collection Management, Whitney Museum of American Art
Sarah Khalid Dhobhany, Artist Programs Associate, Joan Mitchell Foundation
Larrej Drayton, Marketing Manager, Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc.
Katie Fanning, Senior Manager, Accessibility Programs, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Kelsi Ford, Operations Manager, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council
Pamela Jones, Senior Artist Development Manager, OPERA America
Celeste Kaufman, Senior Manager, Marketing and Communications, Cinereach
Sarah Kleinke, General Manager, EMERGE125
Becky Laughner, Interim Associate Director of Exhibitions (Manager of Exhibitions), Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, The New York Public Library
Rhonda Lowry, Operations Manager, Women’s Studio Workshop
S.C. Lucier, Director of Public Programs & Partnerships, The American LGBTQ+ Museum
Alexis Marie Montoya, Marketing and Communications Manager, Bronx Council on the Arts
Esther Minh Xuan Nguyen, Program Manager, Artistic Programs, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council
Parker Nolan, Finance Manager, Stage Directors & Choreographers Society
Guillermo Ruiz, Deputy Director and Curator, Storefront for Art and Architecture
Rinesty Rusli, Associate Director, Artistic Programming, The Town Hall
Sabrina Ryan, Brand Director, Ars Nova
Alexjandria Simpson, Senior Manager of Audience Development, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
Karl Rader Watson, Company Manager, Ballet Hispánico
Yun-Chi (Sally) Wu, Arts Program Manager, Taiwan Center, Inc.
Nazreth Yemane, Associate Director, Public Programs, The Africa Center
This program is part of NYFA Learning, which includes professional development for artists and arts administrators. Sign up for NYFA’s free bi-weekly newsletter to receive updates on future programs.