Kate Durio

Kate Durio, MBA, currently serves as the Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives for Development at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette since September 2023. With a diverse background in cultural and community development, Kate founded Culture Crowd Agency in 2020, stemming from cultural mapping initiatives supported by a National Endowment for the Arts grant. Previous roles include Global Head of Projects and Chief Executive Officer for North America at Sound Diplomacy, as well as Chief Cultural Officer and Assistant to the Mayor-President for Lafayette Consolidated Government. Kate’s expertise encompasses arts and culture writing, marketing, and event management, demonstrated through leadership positions at the Lafayette Downtown Development Authority and impacting community engagement through various cultural programs. Currently an MBA candidate at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Kate's educational journey also includes degrees in journalism and broadcast journalism from the University of Oregon and Northwestern State University.