David Holland

David Holland joined WESTAF in 2019 as director of public policy to lead its advocacy and public policy programs and services and serve as the primary liaison with federal agencies, regional arts organizations, state and local arts agencies, and state arts advocacy groups. His role has evolved to also drive the impact of WESTAF’s leadership and professional development programming, grantmaking, and technical assistance and consulting services across teams as deputy director. He is leading a new Bay Area Arts Policy and Leadership Seminar and co-directing the development of the state of Washington’s Creative Economy Strategic Plan. Since joining WESTAF, he has also launched the Creative Vitality™ Summit; authored the Creative Economies and Economic Recovery report in partnership with NASAA; chaired the redesign of the National Endowment for the Arts’ Performing Arts Discovery program working with regional and national partners; established the Western Arts Advocacy Network; collaborated on developing new equity-focused relief and resilience grantmaking programs in the West and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; spearheaded WESTAF’s Arts and the Rural West gathering; reimagined its Arts Leadership and Advocacy Seminar; joined the faculty of the Emerging Leaders of Color program; and secured private and public investment for WESTAF’s programs. Holland previously served as associate director of the Arts and Business Council of Greater Boston. Other prior roles include leadership and senior management positions with VCU da Vinci Center for Innovation, VCU School of the Arts, ART 180, the Latin Ballet of Virginia, Arts & Business, and the UK innovation foundation Nesta. Holland also served as a senior consultant with BOP Consulting and worked as campaigns officer for the UK’s National Campaign for the Arts. For more than 13 years, he has served as an independent management consultant and is currently on the faculty of the MA in Arts Administration program at Goucher College. He serves as a panelist and on steering committees for the National Endowment for the Arts, Colorado Creative Industries, and the Oregon Arts Commission. He is also co-chair of the Creative States Coalition and serves on the national Cultural Advocacy Group. He is a Salzburg Global Fellow, Evan Carroll Commager Fellow, and a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. Holland holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and Asian studies from Amherst College and masters degrees in international studies and diplomacy and the history of art from the University of London, SOAS.