Katrina Walker

Background

About Katrina Walker

As a lifelong "Museum Nerd", I am passionate about using communications, development, and education to further the work of arts and cultural organizations. Having had my own life greatly impacted by experiences through museums, theaters, and other cultural organizations, I am eager to work to expand, promote and secure similar experiences for others. Early exposure to arts and culture led to my own 12-year acting career where I took part in more than 40 productions across Northeast Ohio and beyond. Offstage, I participated in the process behind the scenes, as a production assistant, props director, and an award-winning playwright. Early internships at Cleveland cultural institutions and frequent museum visits led to my interest in museums and cultural heritage. At Sarah Lawrence College I pursued my interdisciplinary interests, studying History, Theater, Jewish Studies and Political Economics within the unique academic framework of Oxford-style tutorials and conference projects. After Sarah Lawrence I enhanced my customer service skills with roles in retail, and returned to my museum roots, joining the Ohio History Service Corps, an AmeriCorps program. At Oberlin Heritage Center, my host site, I crafted original social media posts and mini-exhibitions, worked on research for a grant proposal, and collaborated and advised on a wide range of capacity-building projects for local history organizations. Pursuing my MA in Arts Management at American University, I took courses in Financial Management, Development, Cultural Policy, Marketing, Governance, and more. During this time, I also served as the Marketing Assistant for the AU Museum, working on social media and exhibition promotion. I revisited my early experiences in museum education with a role at Tudor Place in Georgetown as the Museum Education Fellow, focused on field trip promotion, revision, and programming. In May 2022 I completed capstone on survivor testimony in Holocaust museums, entitled: To Remember After: Survivor Testimony, Holocaust Museums and What Comes Next. In Fall of 2022 I parlayed my customer service experience and admiInistrative skills into the role of Client Services Coordinator for a residential property for Tishman Speyer. In June of 2023 I transitioned into the role of Membership Engagement Senior Coordinator for the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, focusing on intentional member engagement, renewals, and working to ensure an exemplary membership experience for nearly member institutions.