Member News and NASAA Resources

Sandy Flores Is Acting Director in Guam

Sandy Flores has been named acting director of the Guam Council on the Arts & Humanities Agency, effective June 7. She is a native of Guam and has lived in Illinois and California in the course of her education and career. She and artist and scholar Judy Flores are co-owners of JFlores Inc., where they consult on the art and culture of Guam and provide original art, educational events and classes as well as art reproductions. Flores has had a career as an entrepreneur in the fields of health and the arts. She earned a master’s degree in peace and justice from the University of San Diego in 2021. Concurrent with her graduate studies, Flores produced cultural content for radio and TV programming at Sorensen Media. She was content coordinator for the Guam Museum catalogue for the exhibit, “Visualizing History: Art of Judy Flores,” in 2019. While living in San Diego, Flores was a columnist with Guam Pacific Daily News and wrote a weekly feature that shared stories of CHamoru cultural events and efforts in the continental United States. She is a former president of the Chamorro Optimist Club San Diego and a former vice president of the House of Chamorros nonprofit organization in San Diego, with whom she continues to consult in the effort to complete design and construction of the House of Chamorros in Balboa Park.

Ken Skrzesz Steps Down in Maryland

Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) Executive Director Ken Skrzesz departed the agency at the end of June to pursue another opportunity. Since he joined the agency in 2017, Skrzesz revised programs to focus on inclusion and access to state funding and oversaw a significant investment by MSAC in providing professional development opportunities to the arts sector. During his tenure, the agency created a network of regional folklife centers, committed resources to support independent artists, strengthened partnerships with local arts agencies in Maryland’s 24 jurisdictions, invested in the state’s 29 Arts & Entertainment Districts as local economic development tools, and delivered more than $12 million in emergency grants to artists and arts organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic. While a search for a new executive director unfolds, MSAC Deputy Director Steven Skerritt-Davis will serve as interim executive director.

NASAA’s Patricia Mullaney-Loss Moves to NEA

NASAA Research Manager Patricia Mullaney-Loss departed on July 7 to begin serving as grants management analyst for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). Since joining NASAA in 2016, she has been collecting information on state arts agency funding through our State Arts Agency Revenues survey, managing our historical funding database, overseeing NASAA’s online surveys, leading our data visualization work and coordinating information requests from members. At the NEA, Patricia will provide analytical research and grants management support for the Arts Endowment’s American Rescue Plan grants programs. Patricia dances professionally and is a teaching artist in New York City and in the D.C. area. We at NASAA wish her all the best in her new position!

Celebrate New Pathways Forward

It’s safe to say we’re all ready to move forward. The arts are in a prime position to help America recover, heal, rebuild and rejoice—and you can count on NASAA to be your partner every step of the way. Help us celebrate a new season, a new chapter and new opportunities with a gift today. Your support propels our work forward so that together NASAA and state arts agencies can advance the arts. Donate now—thank you!