Introducing PHAME’s New Executive Director: A Message from Chrissy McNair
Dear PHAME community,
It has been such a pleasure to serve as PHAME's Interim Executive Director for the past year, and I'm pleased to announce we have selected PHAME's next leader: Carrie Siahpush!
Carrie Siahpush, PHAME’s new Executive Director.
Carrie is a nonprofit leader, fundraiser, artist, and champion of arts access who brings more than 15 years of experience guiding cultural organizations through transformation. She has spent the past three years acting in interim leadership roles and providing strategic guidance for Pacific Northwest arts and culture organizations including Oregon Children’s Theatre, Kitsap Immigrant Assistance Center, Speak with Purpose, Key to Change, and CASA Latina. Prior to her consulting work, she served as Development Director and Acting Executive Director at Arts Corps, a Seattle-based nonprofit that works to address the race and income-based opportunity gap in access to youth arts education. Carrie led Arts Corps through the pandemic, strengthening long-term financial stability, expanding organizational capacity, and integrating student and teaching artist voices into the top levels of leadership.
She shares, “I’m truly honored to join the PHAME team at such an exciting and pivotal time. With the opening of our new building, there is so much creative energy and possibility—there couldn’t be a better moment to become part of this community. I’m excited to grow alongside the students, staff, board, and teaching artists as we imagine PHAME’s next chapter together, rooted in access, creative rigor, and belonging.”
Carrie’s first day will be Monday, September 29, and she’ll be on campus throughout the week, meeting students and sitting in on classes. I am so excited to welcome her and to introduce her to our warm, creative, innovative community. Together, we’re going to do great things.
Thank you to everyone—students, families, staff, and the PHAME board—for trusting me to be your Interim Executive Director over this last year. It has been an honor to get to know PHAME on a deeper level and to steward our organization through this transition. I am overjoyed to pass the reins to Carrie and know that her leadership will help PHAME truly soar.
I’m happy to share that my journey with PHAME continues: I’ll be rejoining the board as chair at the end of the month, serving remotely from Las Vegas once my family officially makes the move. I’m returning to the board with fresh perspective and an even deeper commitment to our mission. My work here isn’t done, and I can’t wait to see how this next chapter at PHAME unfolds.
Sincerely,
Chrissy McNair
Interim Executive Director
P.S. You can read Carrie’s full bio here!