Houston Arts Leader Named M-AAA Senior Vice President

Last week, the Mid-America Arts Alliance (M-AAA) announced the appointment of Deborah McNulty, a Houston-based arts leader, as Senior Vice President.

Deborah McNulty

Ms. McNulty has over two decades of experience in arts leadership, including six years with the Cultural Arts Council of Houston/Harris County, four years as the Executive Director of Art League Houston, six years as a Program Officer of the Houston Endowment, and nearly a decade as the Director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA). In her role at MOCA, she oversaw the implementation of the city’s first Cultural Plan, as well as important initiatives that supported the cultural sector through crisis recovery from Hurricane Harvey and the COVID-19 pandemic. 

She has also served in the volunteer position of President of the Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston since 2017, and was on the Leadership Committee of Arts Connect Houston from 2018 to 2022. Ms. McNulty holds a BFA in Sculpture from the University of Houston and a BS in Accounting from Western Governors University.

Recently, Ms. McNulty worked with M-AAA in a consultancy position where she provided guidance on arts education initiatives and facilitated the organization’s partnership with Arts Connect Houston. Prior to this, during her tenure as Director of MOCA, M-AAA worked with Ms. McNulty and the City of Houston to provide $3 million in CARES Act funding to musicians and music venues. As a Program Officer at the Houston Endowment, M-AAA worked with the foundation to create the capacity-building program Engage Houston, which supported 70 local small to midsize arts and cultural organizations. 

In her role as Senior Vice President of M-AAA, Ms. McNulty will work with the organization’s leadership team to develop, grow, and promote arts and cultural programs throughout the region. She will work closely with M-AAA’s President and CEO, Todd Stein, as well as the board, staff, and partner organizations.

In a press release, Mr. Stein commented, “This newly created position for Mid-America Arts Alliance requires someone with a background in program leadership and management, organizational effectiveness, strategic alignment of resources, development, policy and process development, legal compliance, and fiscal planning and accountability. Deborah is the right fit for the breadth of responsibilities in this role.”

Ms. McNulty remarked, “I am honored to join Mid-America Arts Alliance and contribute to its mission of promoting and supporting the arts. The arts are a vital part of our communities, and I look forward to working with the talented team at M-AAA to create opportunities for artists and cultural organizations to thrive.”