CAST Appoints Moy Eng as First Executive Director

Moy Eng will lead initiative to sustain community-based arts organizations

SAN FRANCISCO, May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — After a comprehensive search, the Community Arts Stabilization Trust (CAST) has announced the appointment of Moy Eng as CAST executive director, effective June 1. Ms. Eng has worked for over three decades in the philanthropic sector as a grantmaker, consultant and senior manager in areas as diverse as arts, education, renewable energy, lesbian and gay rights, and international human rights. As executive director, she will champion CAST’s mission to create stable physical spaces for arts and cultural organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area to facilitate equitable urban transformation.

“CAST exemplifies a fresh, sophisticated approach to addressing the daunting challenge of affordable space for artists,” said Ms. Eng. “It puts the arts at the center of the development of this vibrant, burgeoning metropolis we call home, San Francisco. I’m thrilled about working with the CAST board to lead this new venture.”

Known for her visionary ability and talent in supporting progressive ideas, Ms. Eng has advised on philanthropic strategy, cultural policy and nonprofit management. She has worked as a grantmaker in numerous foundations throughout the country with assets ranging from $100 million to $9.2 billion. Ms. Eng directed the arts program at The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, one of the top ten arts grantmaking programs in the United States, investing in efforts that helped bring $800 million in new funding for arts education to California schools. She also commissioned landmark research on the dynamics of the U.S. cultural ecosystem and the state of arts education in California. She supported efforts to build more than 750,000 square feet in new, affordable performing arts space across the San Francisco Bay Area for organizations such as ODC, Intersection for the Arts and Eastside Arts Alliance.

Ms. Eng began her career in New York City in fundraising, working with both the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, attracting leadership support from American luminaries such as Bill Cosby, the late Reginald Lewis, and Harry and Julie Belafonte. She has served as moderator, commentator, panelist, and speaker for the San Francisco Arts Commission, National Endowment for the Arts and New York State Council on the arts, among others.

In her new role, Ms. Eng will provide strategic guidance and management in finance and administration and serve as the primary liaison with CAST project partners, local officials, private financing institutions, investors and developers. She will work closely with the CAST board of directors as well as the Northern California Community Loan Fund, overseeing the development and execution of CAST projects.

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am excited to welcome Moy as the new executive director,” said Eric Rodenbeck, CAST board president. “Throughout her career, she has demonstrated an exceptional ability to lead teams in developing and investing in bold, pragmatic solutions. Moy’s breadth of experience in economic justice, community development and the arts make her a perfect fit for this position. We are absolutely delighted to have her join our team.”

Ms. Eng serves on the board of the Stanford Jazz Workshop, advisory councils for the Northern California Community Loan Fund and Living Jazz, and is a Senior Fellow of the American Leadership Forum/Silicon Valley. She earned her BA in theater arts from Douglass College and an MA in arts administration from New York University. Ms. Eng’s professional experiences are complemented by her passion for music as a vocalist and lyricist.

About Community Arts Stabilization Trust (CAST)
CAST purchases and leases space for artists and arts organizations while also providing them with technical assistance to develop and expand their capacity to fundraise, manage their facilities effectively, and potentially own their building. CAST received seed funding from the Kenneth Rainin Foundation and seeks additional support from individuals, investors and funders for its expansion.

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