Luther Burbank Center for the Arts Names New Director of Education and Community Engagement Ray Gargano

Following an extensive nationwide search, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts (LBC) announced that Ray Gargano will join the organization as its new director of education and community engagement, effective February 21, 2017. Gargano will bring dynamic new leadership to the arts center's acclaimed education, community engagement and family programs that serve more than 40,000 children, teachers, and adults each year in the five-county area. His appointment to this new senior-level position is the latest step in the LBC's strategic effort to broaden, deepen and expand its offerings in this area.

"We are thrilled to welcome Ray to Sonoma County and the LBC, says LBC President and CEO Rick Nowlin. "With more than 20 years of experience at respected arts centers around the country and in the classroom, he is the perfect choice to lead our education and community engagement efforts, which have seen tremendous growth over the past few years. All of us at the Center are excited and look forward to working with him."

Gargano added, "I am delighted to be joining such a vibrant organization in such a vibrant community. I am impressed by the LBC's commitment to community service, and by the complexity and depth of their education programs. I look forward to working with the dedicated staff, Board of Directors, volunteers, and community members to continue delivering high-quality, impactful programs to Sonoma County."

Education and community engagement are an essential part of the LBC's mission and comprise of more than a dozen individual programs and annual events. These include weekday morning School Shows throughout the year; a series of professional development workshops, Professional Development: Arts Integration Tools for Teachers, produced in conjunction with the esteemed Kennedy Center for the Arts Partners in Education program; individually-tailored Artists in the Schools residencies; the Music for Schools 450-piece instrument lending library; summer camps in theater, visual arts and music-taking place at the Center and in the community; a Reading Initiative that introduces underserved third-grade students to the blend of literature and live performance; and the annual Fiesta de Independencia and Posada Navideña events, produced by the Center's Latino Advisory Council and attended by over 5,000 people each year.

At the core of this work is a dedication to arts-integrated teaching and learning that strengthens achievement in all subjects. The LBC works directly with schools and teachers to deliver these programs. The LBC's work has recently been recognized by the County of Sonoma when the LBC's Professional Development: Arts Integration Tools for Teachers was the first arts organization's program to be included in the Upstream Investments portfolio.

In response to the growth of these programs, over the past season the LBC engaged in a strategic review of its programs, made possible by an organizational development grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. This assessment resulted in both quantifiable metrics, as well as qualitative feedback on the value and importance of these programs from community members. A key result of the process was the commitment to expanding staffing and leadership for these programs, starting with the new director of education and community engagement position.

Gargano comes to the LBC from Madison, Wisconsin where he serves as director of programming and community engagement at the Overture Center for the Arts. At Overture, he advanced the Center's work in programming, education and community engagement. He led the city-wide, collective impact initiative, Any Given Child Madison, in partnership with The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, designed to ensure equitable Arts Access for all K-8 students. Gargano managed Overture's school fieldtrip program, providing live performing arts experiences for more than 30,000 students each school year. He developed teaching artist training and arts education residency programs, facilitated the community Arts Education Roundtable and secured the Disney Musicals in Schools program, designed to bring musical theater to urban elementary schools.

Prior to Madison, Gargano held positions including director of the Orange County Arts Education Center (Orange County, Florida), director of education and community engagement at the Victoria Theatre Association in Dayton, Ohio, and the assistant director of education at Playhouse Square in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to his work in arts administration, Gargano was a high school English and theatre teacher and taught public speaking, educational technology and arts administration at the college level.

Gargano currently serves as president of the board of directors of International Performing Arts for Youth (IPAY), an international organization dedicated to enhancing performing arts for young audiences. He has chaired the Education Directors for Performing Arts Centers Consortium, served on the Advisory Council for Kennedy Center Partners in Education program, the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education Board of Directors, the Ohio Department of Education Creativity and Innovation Committee and the Ohio Department of Education Model Curriculum Advisory Committee for Fine Arts.

About Luther Burbank Center for the Arts
A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts is home to world-class performances, nationally recognized education programs, contemporary visual art, and many popular events. The Arts Center is located in the heart of the Sonoma wine country and ranked among California's top performing arts presenters. Together with its resident companies, the Center presents more than 100 performances in music, dance, theater, renowned speakers, and comedy; provides education programs serving 30,000 children and adults; and hosts more than 1,000 community events a year. Owned and operated by the Luther Burbank Memorial Foundation, the Center relies on charitable community donations to achieve its mission - to enrich, educate, and entertain.

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