Member News and NASAA Resources

Melissa Santana Appointed ED in Puerto Rico

Melissa Santana Frasqueri was appointed executive director of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture in March. Santana was most recently executive director of the Musical Arts Corporation and its subsidiaries, where she led institutional restructuring, secured more than $1.9 million in revenue, increased audience engagement by more than 60% and oversaw the expansion of educational initiatives. As deputy director in the Puerto Rico Governor’s Office for the Aging, she played a key role in the restructuring and administration of four federal projects for seniors. Santana led the Puerto Rico Chapter of the American Red Cross to first place in national fundraising for eight consecutive months in 2020. She designed and executed the first capital and construction campaign for the University of Turabo and organized the first fundraising gala for the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra. Santana holds an M.B.A. in administration and marketing from the Ana G. Méndez University System at Gurabo and a bachelor’s degree in musical education and vocal performance from the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico. She succeeds Carlos Ruiz Cortés, who stepped down in March after seven years in the position.

Congratulations to 2025 Poetry Out Loud Winners

2025 Poetry Out Loud National Champion Isavel Mendoza (center) with Teonna Randle (left) and Kaitlyn Lubega. Photo by James Kegley

NASAA congratulates the winners of the national Poetry Out Loud competition, held in Washington, D.C., in May. Isavel Mendoza, a 12th-grade student at Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, is the 2025 Poetry Out Loud National Champion. She garnered a $20,000 award for taking the top prize among the more than 158,000 student-competitors nationwide who participated in the program this year. Second-place and third-place winners were South Dakota’s Teonna Randle and New Mexico’s Kaitlyn Lubega, respectively. This is the 20th year that the National Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foundation have partnered with state and jurisdictional arts agencies to support Poetry Out Loud, a contest that encourages the nation’s youth to learn about great poetry—both classic and contemporary—through memorization and recitation. The program helps students master public speaking skills, build self-confidence and learn about their literary heritage. Since the program began in 2005, more than 4.5 million students, 85,000 teachers, and 21,000 schools and organizations across the nation have participated in Poetry Out Loud. The Poetry Out Loud National semifinals and finals were administered by Mid Atlantic Arts.

Upcoming NASAA Events Calendar

NASAA has corralled our upcoming peer group meetings and learning sessions in one place: the Upcoming NASAA Events Calendar. Use this handy reference to see what’s coming up next!