Lisa Martin Active Member Since: 2004 Local Chapter: District of Columbia Partners, US Region Qualifications: As an Executive Director of a non-profit organization, I understand the importance of a strong governing board, including the challenges many nonprofits face today particularly in terms of financial ones; however I find with these challenges come opportunities to think more creatively and collaboratively. I would additionally bring some ideas and insight for Partners to engage in stronger and more effective marketing and communications. I would particularly be interested in serving on a communications committee and working with the staff and other volunteers in this area. I am also very excited about the 50th and would welcome working on the planning of the conference and festivities. Personal Statement: With a great passion for Partners’ people-to-people mission, I currently serve as president of the DC Chapter, but have also served as VP for Programs, VP for Administration, as well as Lecture Series Chair. After nearly 10 years actively involved with Partners through the Washington DC- Brasilia partnership, I believe I am now well-poised to make a valuable contribution on the international board of directors. This is an important time for us all as Partners celebrates 50 years in people’s lives across the hemisphere. As an executive director of a small arts non-profit organization in the Washington DC metro region, I have a keen insight into running an organization understanding many of the challenges facing non-profit organizations today. I believe I could provide some knowledge and experience in not only surviving, but thriving in the current economic landscape. One area I am particularly interested in is working on Partners’ marketing and outreach, which are key to raising awareness of Partners and engaging more people in what we do. I would also like to work on strategies to bring about creative collaborations and partnerships, as well as to engage our members to work together in expanding our reach and involving even more people and organizations in our people-to-people network. This is a new era for the organization where we face some challenges, but also have opportunities to move the organization forward through the 21st century. I am very excited to be involved at this time in our history.
Background: Since 2011, Lisa Martin has served as Executive Director of Silver Spring Town Center Inc. During her tenure she has had oversight of SSTCi programs and events, including the Silver Spring Blues Festival, the Harvest Moon Festival, the SSTCi Arts Salon, and performances on Veterans Plaza, including Twilight Tuesdays and Wednesday Night STARZ. This past year she also launched two popular programs—SSTCi’s Film & Lecture Series and SSTCi’s SPARKLE “Senior Programs Aimed at Re-Kindling Lifetime Engagement.” She has over 15 years of experience working with arts and cultural events primarily in the Nation’s Capital, including the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, as well as a wide variety of embassy events. During her graduate studies in 2000, she lived in Galway Ireland doing research on the Galway Arts Festival the focus of her Master’s Thesis: The Galway Arts Festival: An International Multi-Arts Event Interwoven Into Its Physical, Socio-Cultural & Artistic Landscape. Having worked on numerous arts festivals and other large community-based events, both domestically and abroad, she is skilled in all areas of program development, marketing and promotion, membership development, as well as event management. She also has a strong background in volunteer management having recruited, trained and managed hundreds of volunteers for city- wide events, including the 2004 International VSA Arts Festival, a four-day multi-arts event which brought together over 1000 visual and performing artists with a wide array of mental and physical disabilities from all corners of the globe. Lisa is a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer having served as an English Teacher in Estonia 96-98. She currently serves as president of the DC Chapter of Partners of the Americas. She recently did a Partners visit to Brasilia where she gave presentations entitled “Community Building through the Arts in Public Spaces” which details her work with SSTCi. She has a Master’s Degree in Performing Arts Management from American University, and a BA in Journalism and a BS in Cultural Anthropology from San Diego State University. She is a Native San Diegan who has called the Nation’s Capital home since 1999.