Associate Program Officer

Diane Ragsdale joined the Foundation as Program Associate in the Performing Arts in 2004. Ragsdale earned a BS in Psychology and a BFA in Theater from Tulane University/Newcomb College, and an MFA in Acting and Directing from the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Before joining the Foundation, Ms. Ragsdale served as Managing Director at On the Boards in Seattle and Executive Director at a music festival in the resort town of Sandpoint in Idaho. She has worked on several major arts festivals, including: Bumbershoot, the largest urban performing and visual arts festival in the United States; WOMAD USA, Peter Gabriel's festival of world music, art and dance; and the Sundance and Seattle film festivals.

Ms. Ragsdale has worked as a communications and planning consultant, providing strategic support for various for profit and nonprofit organizations. She was an adjunct faculty member at Boise State University for three years, and has worked professionally as an actor, director and producer. In 2002 she was one of 40 arts leaders nationally selected to receive a fellowship to attend the Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, a program which was co-presented by National Arts Strategies.