The Howard Gilman Foundation Welcomes New Program Officer, Kristal Pacific
New York, NY – The Howard Gilman Foundation is pleased to share that we’ve hired a new Program Officer to help us continue serving the New York City performing arts ecosystem. Please join us in welcoming Kristal Pacific to the team!
Hailing from Brooklyn, Kristal is a first-gen Caribbean-American and empathic cultural sector leader. Her mission is to drive positive change by supporting people and places working to make our communities more equitable and enjoyable. Gilman’s team-based, holistic approach focuses on acknowledging, studying, and connecting with the unique complexities and needs of non-profit performing arts organizations. With an annual grantmaking budget of $32 million, our Program Officers oversee the awards, primarily focused on general operating support, with additional investments in organizational financial stability.
Before joining Gilman on June 13, 2022, Kristal implemented national grants programs and social justice initiatives as Director of Social Equity and Grantmaking at OPERA America and has managed hyper-local cultural investments to organizations near her current residence in Harlem as a Program Officer at the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation.
Kristal is also a trained soprano (B.M. Music History & Classical Voice, Temple University) with varied international performance experience as a soloist and a member of several prolific ensembles, including the Brooklyn Youth Chorus and MasterVoices. Outside of performing, she has had an active career as a cultural worker, holding fundraising positions at Symphony Space and Harlem Stage and serving as an adjunct instructor for Drexel University’s Arts Administration and Museum Leadership graduate program (her alma mater). Selected as a Sphinx Organization LEADer in Excellence, Arts & Diversity in 2019 and member of artEquity’s inaugural BIPOC leadership circle in partnership with Yale School of Drama in 2020, she has since emerged as an arts philanthropy practitioner.
“Gilman’s grantmaking is rooted in the ability to develop and nurture relationships with applicants and in being an active participant in our arts community. It’s invaluable to have staff who, through their lived experience, can empathize with grantees. We are thrilled to have Kristal join our team.”
- Laura Aden, President & CEO
Connect with Kristal via email to kpacific@howardgilmanfoundation.org.
About Gilman
Howard Gilman believed in the power of the arts to transform lives. In honoring his legacy, the Foundation provides funding and support to New York City-based performing arts organizations that are reflective of our City’s vibrant cultural community. www.howardgilmanfoundation.org
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