The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) is seeking an Executive Director. The Executive Director is appointed by the Board of Commissioners, with the advice and consent of Council of the District of Columbia. CAH is the designated state arts agency for the District of Columbia and is supported primarily through District government funds and in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. For the past five years, CAH has ranked number one in appropriations funding per capita among the 56 state and jurisdictional arts agencies. The Agency provides nearly $42 million in grant funds annually to area artists, humanities practitioners, and arts/humanities organizations.

This is a pivotal time for the CAH. With a newly appointed Chair and refreshed slate of Commissioners, the Agency endeavors to lead the nation in driving the creative economy in the nation’s capital. The Executive Director will be responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of a staff of approximately 35 in the grants, public art, communications, finance, operations and events departments. The next Executive will also be responsible for serving CAH’s established purpose to evaluate and initiate action on matters relating to the arts and humanities and encourage programs and the development of programs which promote progress in the arts and humanities. The leader must have experience driving a high performing culture that recognizes and respects the contributions of all individual team members and leads with strong values of fairness, equity and respect. We are seeking a dynamic leader who can serve to advance the vision for CAH and lead a team that flawlessly executes our strategic plan.

Since 1968, CAH has provided funding that has supported local artists, humanities practitioners, arts/humanities organizations, and related activities for the benefit of the city. The Mission of CAH is to provide grant funds, programs and educational activities that support artistic excellence; to encourage diverse artistic expressions and learning opportunities; and to initiate and to implement programs that reflect the cultural diversity of DC. CAH offers grants to individuals and organizations through more than fifteen distinctive grant programs providing funding for programs that include; general operating support, capacity building, COVID response, facilities, and art and humanities education programs.

Salary Range: $150,000 -$190,000