October 23, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) is pleased to announce the election of a new chair and nine members to its board of directors. As part of a rigorous national nomination process, state arts agencies elected these exemplary leaders at NASAA’s 2025 business meeting.
David T. Platts was elected as chair of the NASAA board, and will serve a two-year term.
David T. Platts
Executive Director
South Carolina Arts Commission
David Platts joined the South Carolina Arts Commission team as the executive director in 2019. For 26 years prior, Platts worked in South Carolina as an educator, principal and district level administrator. He served as the arts and sciences coordinator for Lancaster County School District, a position he held for 15 years. In addition to his work as an educator, Platts has served the Lancaster County Council of the Arts as a board member and president. He has statewide experience as a member, president and treasurer of the Palmetto State Arts Education board and as a past member of the South Carolina Arts Alliance board, where he became active as an arts advocate. He is a member of the South Arts board. On the national level, Platts served as a member of the Education Advisory Committee for the John F. Kennedy Center’s Partners in Education Program and, before his election to chair, on the board and Executive Committee of NASAA. David keeps his own artistic expression fresh by serving as organist and choir director at Ebenezer Lutheran Church in Columbia. (Board term 2023-2028)
State arts agencies elected these six new directors to serve a three-year term:
Jessica Ball
Director
Delaware Division of the Arts
Jessica Ball is a visionary millennial leader and dedicated public servant who leverages the power of the arts to inspire innovation, strengthen communities and drive economic growth. As director of the Delaware Division of the Arts (DDOA), Ball leads statewide efforts to enrich lives and expand access to the arts. Under her leadership, the agency has achieved transformative milestones, including a $2.5 million increase in arts funding, the launch of new programs supporting individual artists and underserved communities, and the creation of the nation’s first Arts Equity and Innovation Incubator. Before joining DDOA, Ball served as executive director of the Delaware Arts Alliance, where she led key initiatives to advance arts and culture statewide. She spearheaded the establishment of Delaware’s Arts & Culture Caucus, collaborated with policymakers on policy and funding strategies, and secured a $1 million grant to develop the state’s Creative Economy and Cultural Tourism Growth Plan (CREATE Plan). Throughout her career, Ball has built impactful partnerships across the public, private and cultural sectors, championing equity and business innovation in the creative economy. Beyond her professional achievements, Ball is an artisan and cofounder of Handmade Modern Accessories, a business owned by women and Black creative entrepreneurs. She serves on the board of Mid Atlantic Arts and is a Delaware Fund for Women founder. Guided by a belief in the arts as a catalyst for progress, Ball remains committed to fostering creativity, inclusion and opportunity for all. (Board term 2026-2028)
Colt Chambers
Chair
Georgia Council for the Arts
Colt Chambers is the owner and producer of The Alley Stage, a comedy and live entertainment venue located on Georgia’s historic Marietta Square. Since opening in 2023, the venue has become a hub for laughter and community engagement, welcoming thousands of patrons and donating more than $200,000 in tickets and venue use to veterans and local nonprofits. Appointed by Gov. Brian P. Kemp, Chambers has served on the Georgia Council for the Arts since 2019 and was named chair in 2024. He also serves on civic and arts related boards, including Georgia Metro Dance Theatre, the Kiwanis Club of Marietta, Marietta Arts Council, Communities in Schools of Marietta-Cobb and the Cobb Young Professionals. He is a graduate of Leadership Cobb’s class of 2025. Chambers previously served as executive director of Atlanta Lyric Theatre and as director of marketing and development for The Georgia Ballet, where he advanced fundraising, audience growth and community partnerships.
A Certified Fund Raising Executive, he has helped raise millions for arts and cultural organizations while also developing innovative models for community impact through The Alley Stage. Chambers holds a master of arts in arts administration from the University of Kentucky. He is passionate about arts advocacy and is committed to advancing the role of state arts agencies in shaping a thriving and inclusive cultural landscape. (Board term 2026-2028)
Karem Gallo
Commissioner
Kansas Arts Commission
Karem M. Gallo is an artist, entrepreneur, REALTOR®, executive director of the High Plains Heritage Foundation, and an MBA candidate who blends creativity, community, art and business strategy in every aspect of her life. She currently serves as a commissioner for the Kansas Arts Commission and holds the role of vice chair. Gallo is the owner of an art studio and art supply store, where she showcases her work, teaches classes and inspires others through creativity while also building a career in real estate and venturing into the leadership of business consulting. Dedicated to empowering women, especially Latinas, to reach their fullest potential, Gallo is developing a consulting practice focused on creative career growth and entrepreneurship, with an emphasis on supporting artists. Her journey is guided by balance, resilience and a passion for transforming both art and business into platforms for growth and empowerment. (Board term 2026-2028)
David Lewis
Executive Director
Mississippi Arts Commission
David Lewis is the executive director of the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC), the state’s arts agency that provides grants and programs to the arts community in Mississippi. A Mississippi native, Lewis is passionate about the state and all it offers. In his role, Lewis travels throughout the state to local communities to meet with artists, arts organizations and community leaders about the impact of the arts and how MAC can support them. He is responsible for strategic planning, public speaking, grants administration, business management, partnership development and other duties. Since joining MAC, Lewis has significantly elevated the Governor’s Arts Awards program, earning the agency’s first regional Emmy nomination. His efforts have led to a substantial increase in sponsorships and a renewed focus on sharing the recipient’s unique story. Furthermore, he has extended the state arts conference to a two-day event, providing more networking opportunities and an evening event for attendees and the wider community. Lewis’s instrumental role in bringing the National Folk Festival to Jackson for 2025, 2026 and 2027 demonstrates his leadership and vision. He serves on multiple boards, including Mississippi Delta National Heritage Area, Mississippi Blues Trail, Mississippi Country Music Trail, Mississippi Book Festival and South Arts, and is on the commission for Mississippi’s America 250 celebration. Lewis received his bachelor’s degree in architecture from Mississippi State University and a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from Jackson State University. (Board term 2026-2028)
Christina You-sun Park
Executive Director
Arizona Commission on the Arts
Christina You-sun Park is the executive director of the Arizona Commission on the Arts, a state agency dedicated to fostering a vibrant arts and culture sector that fuels local economies, enriches communities, enhances education and promotes the health and well-being of Arizona residents. With a broad background in cultural research, creative placemaking and grant making, Park is a seasoned leader in building interdisciplinary collaborations and strengthening partnerships with local communities, national organizations and government agencies. Previously, Park was the associate director at the Studio for Creativity, Place and Equitable Communities at Arizona State University (ASU). There she led a team focused on innovative programs and research that underscore the critical role of arts and culture in community development and well-being. A practicing artist and experienced educator, Park has taught at ASU and Phoenix College, and contributed to artist groups including Eyelounge, Salem Art Works and Franconia Sculpture Park. She holds an MFA from ASU and a BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University, and is dedicated to the transformative power of art to inspire dialogue and drive positive change. (Board term 2026-2028)
Gary Whitley Jr.
Council Member
Alabama State Council on the Arts
Gary T. Whitley, Jr., is a council member of the Alabama State Council on the Arts. Currently serving as the community relations manager for Huntsville Utilities, Whitley is responsible for internal communications and external community relations. A native of Detroit, Michigan, Whitley moved to Huntsville after receiving a music scholarship to attend Alabama A&M University, where he sang in the university choir and earned his undergraduate degree in political science. During his two decades in Huntsville, Whitley has served on the board of directors for Arts Huntsville, including one year as its board chair. He is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated. Committed to community and civic service, Whitley is a graduate of Leadership Alabama Initiative and serves on the City of Huntsville Planning Commission as vice chairman. (Board term 2026-2028)
In addition, state arts agencies elected, for a second three-year term:
Sean Chandler
Council Member
Montana Arts Council
Sean Chandler, Aaniiih, is the director of American Indian Studies at Aaniiih Nakoda College (ANC), located on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. He teaches the Aaniiih (Gros Ventre) language to grade-school-aged children at the White Clay Language School at ANC. Chandler holds a bachelor of arts degree in art and a master of arts degree in Native American studies from Montana State University-Bozeman. He acquired a doctorate of education degree in educational leadership from the University of Montana in 2014. He has been on the Montana Arts Council since 2016. (Board term 2023-2028)
The NASAA board elected these at-large members for a second two-year term:
Deonté Griffin-Quick
Artist and Arts Advocate
Deonté Griffin-Quick, a New Jersey native, is a nationally recognized, award-winning actor, arts administrator and consultant with a proven track record of envisioning and implementing change at the local, regional and national levels. In 2025, Griffin-Quick stepped into entrepreneurship and launched DGQ Culture, a creative consultancy and capacity building company that aims to connect, serve and empower a global network of creatives and institutions through faith based strategies and social impact. Concurrently, Griffin-Quick is also the executive director of Jersey City Arts Council, where he leads all organizational activity to promote, protect and advocate for the local arts community of Jersey City. Previously, he served as managing director of external affairs at Artist Communities Alliance (ACA), the international service organization for artist residency programs and artist-centered organizations. Before joining ACA, Griffin-Quick served as director of programs and services at New Jersey Theatre Alliance, where he built lasting partnerships, led statewide initiatives and oversaw programming to support the cultivation of 42 professional theatre companies. In an effort to connect, empower and cultivate other arts and cultural leaders of color, in 2019 Griffin-Quick developed and spearheaded the New Jersey Arts and Culture Administrators of Color Network. He is a recipient of the inaugural Individual Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award from the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies and the Discover Jersey Arts Leadership Award from the ArtPride New Jersey Foundation. Griffin-Quick holds a B.A. in theatre with a communications minor from Kean University and a master’s degree in arts administration from Drexel University. (Board term FY2024-2027)
Gabriella Huggins
Executive Director
Art Access
Gabriella Huggins is a multimedia arts practitioner and student of social work from Salt Lake City, Utah—ancestral Shoshone, Paiute, Goshute, Ute and Diné (Navajo) territory. For more than a decade, she has worked as a youth mentor and teaching artist with a number of local nonprofits and city agencies, including Spy Hop Productions and Youth City. Her work has been recognized by Salt Lake Zoo, by Arts and Parks and in local and nationally respected publications. A skilled facilitator and forward-thinking advocate, sociopolitical equity and justice motivates Huggins’s personal and professional aspirations. The mission of Art Access is to create a diverse and inclusive arts community through centering the experience of people living with disabilities. (Board term FY2024-2027)
“We are delighted to welcome Jessica, Colt, Karem, David, Christina and Gary to the NASAA board, and we are happy that Sean, Deonté and Gabriella will continue their service,” said NASAA President and CEO Pam Breaux. “I look forward to working in partnership with Chair David Platts and the rest of NASAA’s new board leadership. These experienced leaders bring a breadth of talent and perspectives, formidable dedication to serving the public and deep passion for the arts. We are eager to get started with this new team and welcome their guidance and expertise.”
Per NASAA’s bylaws, the NASAA board elected these officers to serve on the Executive Committee:
“The 2026 NASAA board represents dynamic and dedicated leadership from our field and allied sectors,” said NASAA Chair David Platts. “I am excited to work with these outstanding leaders as we advance NASAA’s mission to strengthen state arts agencies and continue to advocate for the value of arts and creativity across all communities.”
For more information on NASAA’s board members, visit NASAA Board of Directors.
Founded in 1968, the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies (NASAA) is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization. In collaboration with the nation’s 56 state and jurisdictional arts councils, we advance the arts as a powerful path to economic prosperity, rural resilience, good health, education success and strong communities in which everyone thrives. NASAA serves as a clearinghouse for data and research about public funding for the arts as well as the policies and programs of state arts agencies. For more information about NASAA and the work of state arts agencies, visit www.nasaa-arts.org.