Olga Garay-English

[Supv. Kuehl] – The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the selection Tuesday of Olga Garay-English as the Interim Executive Director of the John Anson Ford Theatre.

Over the last 25 years, Ms. Garay-English has earned a national and international reputation as an arts administrator and performing arts producer and consultant. She served for seven years as the Director of Cultural Affairs at Miami Dade College and was the founding Program Director for the Arts at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation in New York City.  She has consulted on the presentation of festivals and programs with the Lincoln Center Festival and the Museo del Barrio, among others. She was named a Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture and Communications, among many other honors. Most recently, she was Executive Director of the City of Los Angeles’ Department of Cultural Affairs.

LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl whose district includes the Ford Theatre, said “I am so pleased to bring Ms. Garay-English to the Ford at a time of growth and promise. The Ford has recently been extensively and beautifully renovated which gives the County a great opportunity to maximize this wonderful institution’s standing and visibility in the pantheon of LA’s stellar cultural institutions. Olga is a national cultural figure who deeply understands Los Angeles and its rich cultural diversity, and is just right to lead this effort.”

David Ford, Chair of the Ford Board of Directors, said, “I am very excited about the selection of Olga Garay-English to lead the Ford in this important transitional period. The Ford Theater is a historic civic and cultural treasure, and I believe Ms. Garay-English can help us fulfill a vision of the theatre that lifts up the achievement of LA-based artists while increasing engagement of nationally and internationally recognized performers.”