Nina is both Chief Counsel of Government and Public Affairs at Americans for the Arts as well as the Executive Director of the Americans for the Arts Action Fund. Since 1993, Nina has served as the chief policy strategist for Americans for the Arts’ federal, state, and local government and public affairs work, grassroots advocacy campaigns, policy development, and national coalition-building efforts with both cultural and civic organizations to advance the arts in America. In 2009, she spearheaded the very successful “Arts = Jobs” advocacy campaign that strategically secured $50 million of federal support for more than 7,000 arts jobs and millions of dollars more for arts infrastructure projects within the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Nina produces several programmatic events annually, including National Arts Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill; the Nancy Hanks Lecture on Arts and Public Policy at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; and the National Public Leadership in the Arts Awards, which are presented in partnership with the United States Conference of Mayors.

Serving simultaneously as the executive director of the Americans for the Arts Action Fund and its connected Political Action Committee, the only dedicated arts PAC in America, Nina mobilizes the political and legislative efforts of more than 420,000 citizen activists in advancing arts policy issues among legislators and candidates seeking federal public office.  She recently completed ArtsVote2012, culminating with high profile arts policy events at both the Republican National Convention in Tampa and the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte. She is a graduate of The George Washington University with a B.A. in French Literature, and of The University of Richmond School of Law with a J.D.  She is a member of the Virginia State Bar.

Ann S. Graham brings a strong set of leadership skills to her work as the Executive Director of Texans for the Arts, the statewide arts advocacy organization, and she has demonstrated a deep passion for the arts and the role they play in building and strengthening our communities.  She is keenly interested in the intersection of the arts and other aspects of civic life, including education, public health, military service, and social justice issues. 

She holds a Masters in Arts Administration and has an extensive career in arts management, organizational development, arts festival and event production, public art administration, and arts advocacy.  

As Executive Director of Texans for the Arts, she works to empower grassroots activism to ensure a strong public investment in the arts at the state, national and local levels.  In 2019, Texans for the Arts led the legislative strategy that secured the largest increase in the budget for the Texas Commission on the Arts (TCA) in the history of the agency, including $10 million for TCA Cultural Districts and $250,000 for arts and the military initiatives.  In 2017, Texans for the Arts initiated SB1221, the Hotel Occupancy Tax (HOT) Transparency Bill, which was signed into law – a key spark for the Hotel Occupancy Tax Tool Kit which Texans for the Arts is launching this October 14th, generously funded by The Houston Endowment.

Ann is the Chair of the Americans for the Arts’ State Arts Action Network, the national coalition of state arts advocacy organizations, and she just completed seven years of service on the Board of Directors of Preservation Austin.

Ann Marie Miller is Director of Advocacy & Public Policy for the ArtPride NJ Foundation and served as its Executive Director for 20 years. Prior to joining ArtPride, Ann Marie was Director of Development at McCarter Theatre, a Tony-award winning regional theatre and performing arts center, and Grants Coordinator at the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.  Ann Marie is a trustee of Arts Ed New Jersey, Young Audiences of NJ & Eastern PA, the South Jersey Cultural Alliance, and Chair of the Hightstown Cultural Arts Commission in her hometown.  A recipient of the 2015 Alene Valkanas State Arts Advocacy Award from Americans for the Arts, Ann Marie is a graduate of Moore College of Art & Design in Philadelphia with a B.S. in Art Education.

ArtPrideNJ Website

Sheila M. Smith is the Executive Director of Minnesota Citizens for the Arts which strengthens our cultural community by achieving arts friendly policy in Minnesota artsMN.org. As Chair of the Creative Minnesota Project, she produces important research about the arts and cultural community for education, policy making, and advocacy CreativeMN.org.

She led the arts community into the successful 2008 statewide “Legacy” ballot campaign which created 25 years of dedicated funding for the arts through a constitutional amendment. She also served on the Board of the 2012 Minnesota United campaign, protecting the rights of all Minnesotans to marry, and served as staff in the Minnesota Senate.

A national expert in arts advocacy, Smith is a frequent speaker at conferences around the country including Grantmakers in the Arts and the Rural Arts Summit and has won several national awards for her work. She has served as Chair of AFTA’s State Arts Action League and Vice-Chair of the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits.

Smith has a BA in Shakespeare and a graduate degree from St. Mary’s in Arts Administration. She also teaches at the University of Minnesota about the intersection of arts and politics. Check out her paintings at www.mnartists.org/sheila-smith. @SheWhoTravels @MNCitizen

Nate McGaha has served as the Executive Director of Arts North Carolina, the statewide advocacy organization for the arts, since 2017 where he works for public funding and policy for the arts and arts education. He helped to create the Joint Caucus on Arts and Arts Education at the NC General Assembly, shepherded the NC Arts High School Graduation Requirement into law, and has led several statewide initiatives for relief, reopening, and recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to his work in advocacy, Nate was the Executive Director of Carolina Ballet in Raleigh for five years with Artistic Director Robert Weiss. Before coming to the Raleigh area he was the Director of Operations at Charlotte Ballet under the Artistic Direction of Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and Patricia McBride for seven years after serving as that company’s Resident Lighting Designer since 1996. Nate was also the Production Manager and Lighting Designer for the Chautauqua Ballet Company in the summer months from 1997 through 2009 and toured internationally with Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson’s Complexions Dance Company. He is a graduate of UNC School of the Arts where he received a BFA in Design and Production with concentration in Lighting Design. 

Anne Katz is Executive Director of Arts Wisconsin, Wisconsin’s communitycultural development organization, whose mission is to grow Wisconsincreatively, and ensure access and investment in the arts, culture, andcreativity as essential for economic, workforce and community success.  She’s been involved with a one-ring European-style circus, playwrights’organizations, theater companies, arts and music festivals, community arts andarts ed programs, and choirs over her 30+ year career as a performer andactivist for community and creativity.