Kate’s career in arts administration and human services includes managing a community music school, sound engineering and production, and serving as the Woodwind Teaching Artist for Soundscapes – an El Sistema model after-school music program for students on the Virginia Peninsula. She went on to serve as Development Manager for the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and then Director of Fundraising and Grants at PORTCO, Inc. (employing adults with differing abilities). Kate joined Tidewater Arts Outreach in 2019 as Director of Development and took on the Executive Director role in 2020.

Kate received her Bachelor of Music in Music Industry from James Madison University (Go Dukes!) and her Master of Public Administration from South University. She earned her Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential in June of 2019. Kate was an Inside Business Top 40 Under 40 Honoree in 2022. In 2025, she was awarded both the George Robert House, Jr. Award for Outstanding Service by the American Society for Public Administration’s Hampton Roads Chapter and Outstanding Nonprofit Leader by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Hampton Roads Chapter.

Kate believes strongly in community involvement. She is Chair of Old Dominion University’s Master of Public Administration Advisory Board, previous Board member and currently active member of the Hampton Roads Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Board member of Tidewater Friends of Foster Care, and former Commissioner on the Norfolk Mayor’s Commission on Aging and Long-Term Care. She also regularly serves in mentoring and consulting roles for other non-profits and community organizations.

She also enjoys facilitating professional education and serving as a mentor to other non-profit professionals. Kate has led workshops and participated on panels as a subject matter expert for the Virginia Fund Raising Institute, SourceAmerica National Conference, Association of Fundraising Professionals Hampton Roads Chapter, Benjamin Goldberg Foundation, and Black BRAND (Black Chamber of Commerce).

Kate can occasionally be spotted playing music with her husband, Marc. They also find time to adopt senior pugs, serve as foster parents, hike, and explore Hampton Roads’ amazing food scene.

…Her doctoral research focused on the connections among community choirs, opera companies, and music education in South Africa. This research directly informs her strong background in arts outreach and her advocacy for the power of arts and community-building. She has published this research in The Opera Journal and has presented it both domestically and internationally. Forthcoming chapters drawn from this research will be published in edited volumes with Oxford University Press and Amsterdam University Press.

Allison is a founding member of the Black Opera Research Network, an international collective of scholars who provide a platform for conversations on the history, experiences, politics, and practices of Black opera. She serves on the editorial board for the Network’s peer-reviewed journal, Journal of Black Opera & Music Theatre, published by the University of Bern.

Allison is a champion of the connections between arts and literacy. In her time with both the Virginia Opera and Suffolk Public Library she has co-authored and co-produced educational programming for children and adults across Virginia. Her strong track record of public lectures and moderated roundtables on the topics of opera and music history contributes to the growth of music-loving communities in the Hampton Roads region.

In her spare time, Allison enjoys reading, writing poetry, watching opera, and spending time with her cat and husband.

…before joining ArtsConnect Virginia as its Program Director in 2022. Ashley served as President of the Virginia Music Therapy Association from 2022-2025 and is an active member of the Virginia Beach Chorale.

She completed her Bachelor of Music Therapy degree at Eastern Michigan University in 2010 and her Master of Arts degree in Music Therapy from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in December of 2020. Ashley is a 2022 alum of the Creative Center Training Institute and earned her Activity Consultant Certified (ACC) credential in August 2024.

Ashley has worked in a variety of settings including hospitals, elementary and middle school special education classrooms, early childhood community music groups, community mental health, elder care, memory care and hospice. As a hospice music therapist, she witnessed how pervasive isolation is especially among older adults, creating a passion for bringing people together through music.