National Guild for Community Arts Education (National Guild) has selected Quanice G. Floyd as Executive Director, following an executive search process led by Arts Consulting Group (ACG). She will begin her tenure on January 10, 2022.
Floyd is a passionate advocate with a deep understanding of the community arts education field and a demonstrated commitment to racial equity. Most recently Floyd has served as Executive Director at Arts Education in Maryland Schools Alliance. While there, she designed advocacy strategies at the state and local level and developed strategies to support effective design of arts education programs. She also educated stakeholders about national and state policies on arts education and the benefits of strong arts programs for student and community success. Floyd previously worked at the National Guild for Community Arts Education as Director of Learning and Leadership Development. She is also the Founder and former Director of the Arts Administrators of Color Network, an arts service network that fights for equity in the arts through collaboration, forums, and outlets that provide a voice for arts administrators and artists of color where there may not be one.
A sought-after presenter, speaker, and facilitator, Floyd has worked with organizations such as City College of New York, Maryland Theatre Educators Association, SphinxConnect, and Arts Education Partnership. She holds a bachelor of music education degree from Howard University, a master of music degree in music education from Kent State University, a master of arts in arts management and nonprofit leadership from American University, and is currently working on a doctor of education degree in educational leadership and management.
In making the announcement, Chair of the Board of Trustees Duffie Adelson said, “We are very excited to welcome Ms. Floyd and eagerly anticipate her arrival as our next leader at this pivotal moment in the Guild’s history. Ms. Floyd is passionate about community arts education and its power to transform lives. Her voice is highly respected and sought after across the nation. She is a visionary leader and an ‘outside the box’ thinker with a proven ability to build organizations around equity. We look forward to supporting and working alongside her as she leads us forward in our service to our members and the field.”
“It is an honor to be able to guide the National Guild into its next chapter,” said Floyd. “It is a critical time for our sector. Artists and organizations are just beginning to understand the two pandemics we have been reckoning with (white supremacy and COVID-19). We need a space and a place to heal and reimagine—not only to move beyond the movement, but also to make sure these things are not perpetuated for future generations. The field needs leadership that is collective, collaborative, and community-centered, and the Guild will be a place that embodies, supports, and grows that type of leadership.”
“Congratulations to the board and staff of the National Guild on the selection of Quanice Floyd as Executive Director,” said ACG Senior Vice President Wyona Lynch-McWhite. “Floyd is an engaged community leader who uplifts an inclusive approach that values the skills, experiences, and input of others. She is a futuristic thinker, who will help the Guild as they set their vision going forward. We are excited to see how the National Guild grows under Floyd’s strong leadership.”
December 2021