Kate’s career in arts administration and human services includes managing a community music school, sound engineering and production, and serving as the Woodwind Teaching Artist for Soundscapes – an El Sistema based after school music program for students on the Virginia Peninsula. She went on to serve as Development Manager for the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and then Director of Fundraising and Grants at PORTCO, Inc. (employing adults with differing abilities). Kate joined Tidewater Arts Outreach in 2019 as Director of Development and took on the Executive Director role in 2020.

Kate received her Bachelor of Music in Music Industry from James Madison University (Go Dukes!) and her Master of Public Administration from South University. She earned her Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential in June of 2019 and was an Inside Business Top 40 Under 40 Honoree in 2022. Kate is also a 2022 alum of the Creative Center Training Institute.

Kate believes strongly in community involvement. She is Chair of Old Dominion University’s Master of Public Administration Advisory Board, an active member of the Hampton Roads Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (including chairing both their Programs and National Philanthropy Day Committees), Board member of Tidewater Friends of Foster Care, and former commissioner on the Norfolk Mayor’s Commission on Aging and Long-Term Care.

She also enjoys facilitating professional education and serving as a mentor to other non-profit professionals. Kate has led workshops as a subject matter expert for the Virginia Fund Raising Institute, SourceAmerica National Conference, Association of Fundraising Professionals Hampton Roads Chapter, and Black BRAND (the Hampton Roads region’s Black Chamber of Commerce).

Kate can occasionally be spotted playing music with her husband, Marc. They also find time to adopt senior pugs, serveas foster parents, hike, and explore Hampton Roads’ amazing food scene.

Ashley was elected President of the Virginia Music Therapy Association in January 2022 and is an active member of the Virginia Beach Chorale.

She completed her Bachelor of Music Therapy degree at Eastern Michigan University in 2010 and her Master of Arts degree in Music Therapy from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in December of 2020. Ashley is a 2022 alum of the Creative Center Training Institute and earned her Activity Consultant Certified (ACC) credential in August 2024.

Ashley has worked in a variety of settings including hospitals, elementary and middle school special education classrooms, early childhood community music groups, community mental health, elder care, memory care and hospice. As a hospice music therapist, she witnessed how pervasive isolation is especially among older adults, creating a passion for bringing people together through music. Transitioning from clinical work, she now focuses on building relationships with artists and community partners to eliminate the barriers of access to high quality programming to our communities.

In her free time, Ashley enjoys reading, playing piano, watching movies, and spending time with her husband, two children, and two dogs.

Her professional experience includes Associate Executive Director at Hetrick-Martin Institute serving LGBTQ+ youth, Vice President of Administration at Housing Works operating an adult day center serving women living with HIV/AIDS, Site Director at NYU Lutheran Hospital Systems running a FQHC Primary Healthcare Center specializing in HIV/AIDS care, Chief Program Officer at Alliance for Positive Change running mental health and substance use programming, and most recently as Chief Program Officer at LGBT Life Center spearheading its extensive HIV/STI prevention, medical case management, and mental health services operations. Evelyn is an expert strategic planning , regulatory compliance, and program management. She is passionate about helping disfranchised communities and client advocacy.  

Evelyn holds a Masters in Public Health with a focus on International health from New York’s Medical College School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Inter-American University in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Fluent in both English and Spanish and highly skilled in case management, program, and volunteer systems, Evelyn brings both technical expertise, superb education, and a wealth of experience to her programming role at Tidewater Arts Outreach.