Mentors in the Administrative Support Program

For almost two decades, Aaron McKinney (he/him) has been steadfast in creating a multi-faceted arts administration career beginning with his early work in production and project management for theatre companies in Florida and California, including a graduate-level internship with Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, one of the largest non-profit theatres in the country. In recent years, Aaron has served as Project Manager for the Sankofa Justice & Equity Fund, founded by world-renowned artist and activist, the late Harry Belafonte, and an integral member of 651 ARTS, a pillar of the contemporary black arts community. He has also served on several grant review panels, both local and national and sat on many zoom panels on the state of performing arts during a pandemic. Currently he serves as the Executive Director of Hi-ARTS. In addition to his current role, Aaron continues to pursue professional endeavors guided by his personal mantra “Aspire to Inspire before you Expire”, purposefully unifying the arts and social justice activism, as shown through his independent producer and consultative work across the performance arts landscape. In 2020, Aaron founded The A.L.M. Way, LLC, an arts management and producing consultancy. These opportunities of increasing responsibility only serve to exemplify Aaron’s affinity for urban arts and have solidified his place in performing arts leadership.

Anna Brady Marcus (she/her) started her career in arts management in 2001 at Pentacle where she worked directly with dozens of dance companies and hundreds of performing artists. In her various roles she has been a fiscal manager, booking representative, program director, development associate, and curator and producer of dance films. As a freelance grant writer, she has twenty years of experience developing proposals for private and government institutions, specializing in funding for the performing arts. She has worked for large cultural institutions, art museums, small theatre companies, and many dance companies. No matter the size, Anna prides herself in acquiring and expanding new sources of funding for artistic entities that allow them to thrive and engage communities with their art. She is also a fiction and creative nonfiction writer, and the founder of Anchor Your Legacy, a ghostwriting and personal biography business. Anna has a B.F.A. in Dance from California Institute of the Arts and a graduate certificate in media management from the New School. She currently resides in the Hudson Valley with her musician husband and teenage child.

Erin Roy (she/her) is in her fifth year serving as Executive Director of David Dorfman Dance and her third decade in arts management. She began her career at Lincoln Center’s New York Philharmonic working first in Development and then Artistic Administration. She subsequently became Director of Development for the Grand Teton Music Festival, then Junior Repertory Company Director and Executive Director of Dancers’ Workshop (Wyoming). As an artist, Erin danced with Alabama Ballet, Contemporary Dance Wyoming and the teaching staff of National Dance Institute. She studied acting at Atlantic Theater Company and has appeared in plays Off and Off-Off Broadway.

Over the past decade Erika has worked as an arts administrator, youth development professional, teaching artist and performer in not only New York City, but also her native Washington D.C. area. However, her life could have taken a very different turn if it weren't for the performing arts. At eight years old, Erika was diagnosed with hearing loss and given a hearing aid. Compound this with the fact that around that time she began to struggle with her racial identity growing up in a predominantly white area. Yet through her love of music, theater and an amazing support system Erika grew into a young confident artist.

Erika's life changing experiences growing up as a young artist led her to attend George Mason University, where she obtained a B.A. in Music. As she embarked on her professional career, she realized arts education was such an essential part of her development and she wanted to join arts educators in their mission to enrich the lives of young people. ​

Erika now serves as the Executive Director of the Bloomingdale School of Music. She holds a Master of Science in Arts Administration from Drexel University and is currently on the Board of Directors for Newport Film and The Inheirtance Theater Project. Previously, Erika has worked at Opening Act and The New Victory Theater (New York City) and Levine Music (Washington D.C.). She continues to perform and produces in the NYC area and is involved in various social justice and political causes.