Jenny Bilfield

President & CEO @Washington Performing Arts

Washington, DC, US

I am proud to lead a premier arts organization rooted in excellence and inclusion. Founded in 1965 by impresario Patrick Hayes, Washington Performing Arts (WPA) was awarded a 2012 National Medal of Arts. I am its 4th President & CEO.Aligning a fresh artistic vision & organizational strategy with WPA’s mission & inclusive legacy of “everybody in, nobody out,” I have: positioned WPA as an incubator of imaginative performances and arts education programs; created platforms for 100+ collaborations/partnerships with artists, cultural institutions, government/diplomatic representatives, universities/public schools, media, and civic organizations; diversified the range/depth of art forms across all programs, from classical music, jazz, gospel, to culturally-specific & multi-disciplinary forms.Ensuring that WPA programs are accessible to the widest audience, I expanded programming in such storied venues as The Kennedy Center, Sixth & I, and Strathmore to include clubs, historic sites, parks, bookstores and via streaming/social media. These strides are reflected through WPA\'s Mars Arts D.C, Gospel Choir Programs, The World In Our City, and Special Productions, and are hallmarks of our brand. As WPA’s “chief evangelist” I have secured six- and seven-figure gifts from public & private sources and serve as WPA’s media spokesperson. I oversee a budget of $7.3M, lead a team of 25, and collaborate with WPA’s Board, Women’s Committee, and Junior Board (which I launched). We prioritize equity & inclusion at every level of governance, programming, patron engagement, and operations.I serve my community & field as a member of the Federal City Council, Economic Club, Leadership Greater Washington’, and Chamber Music America. I have been cited as one of 30 “Movers & Shakers” (Musical America), and among the “Most Powerful Women in Washington” (Washingtonian), and I am an Emeritus Honorary Commander of Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling and the U.S. Air Force Band.