Milena DelevaMilena Deleva holds an MA in Arts Administration from Baruch College in New York. Prior to joining the AAAE, she was the executive director of the Elizabeth Kostova Foundation for 14 years, overseeing the organization’s offices in Bulgaria and the United States. Under her leadership, the EKF spearheaded numerous fellowships for writers and collaborations with the Open Letter Books at University of Rochester in the US, the National Writers Center in Norwich and University of East Anglia in the UK and was shortlisted for the The London Book Fair's International Excellence Awards 2021. Milena helped curate the New Literature from Europe Festival in Manhattan, along with EUNIC members from the New York cluster.
Milena also served the Staten Island Council on the Arts and Humanities as a capacity building consultant and the European Cultural Foundation in Amsterdam as Cultural Policy Education Group’s coordinator and a steering committee member for the Policies for Culture Program. She has held several fellowships in the field of arts management, including CEC ArtsLink at both New York Public Library and Lincoln Center, Amsterdam-Maastricht Summer University and Salzburg Summer Academy.
Milena is a co-author of Cultural Policy, Politics and Change (Amsterdam: Boekmanstichting, 2005) and the author of Technological Park Culture (Bucharest: Ecumest, 2005).
Dani WyattA Wisconsin native, Dani Wyatt is an advocate for arts in every form. She has experience in a variety of not-for-profit organizations - most recently, Dani served as Executive Director for Monteverdi Chorale (Stevens Point, WI). She has a BA in Arts Management and Drama from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where she currently serves as Administrative Assistant II for the Department of Theatre & Dance. Dani is thrilled to join the AAAE team as the Programs & Operations Manager.
Maclain Hardin-KurzaMaclain Hardin-Kurza is thrilled to join AAAE as Technical Consultant for the Arts Administrators Pipeline Fellowship. She holds an MA in Arts Administration from Florida State University (FSU) and a BM in Voice Performance from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, NJ. She currently teaches undergraduate and graduate coursework in arts administration at FSU.
Maclain is Executive Director of the award-winning Tallahassee Community Chorus, one of the finest non-auditioned mixed community choral ensembles in the nation, comprised of over 200 singers from the North Florida and South Georgia region. As a 3rd-year PhD student in Arts Administration at FSU, her research considers how nonprofit choral organizations showcase resilience when met with crisis situations.
Minh NguyenBorn and raised in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Minh Nguyen (she/they) is currently a senior at Miami University (Ohio), pursuing a triple major in Theater, Arts Management, and East Asian Languages and Cultures. At Miami University, her academic pursuits revolve primarily around dramaturgy, directing, and researching community-based theater. With an equal passion for performance and administration, Minh’s professional journey has led her to intern in various roles at regional theaters, including an Arts Management Intern position at Surflight Theater. During her time there, she coordinated special events, worked collaboratively with the junior company, and expanded education outreach initiatives. As Minh looks towards the future, she is excited to continue such endeavors to mobilize resources and drive meaningful changes within nonprofit organizations. As an early career professional, she plans to leverage the community engagement and social media marketing skills gained through the AAAE internship program to accelerate her career in the arts.
In her free time, Minh enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, attending local performances, and practicing Japanese!
Adia Edmondson | 2023 InternAdia Edmondson (she/her) is a dancer, teaching artist, and cultural explorer. Originally from New York, Adia currently lives in Philadelphia, PA, where she is pursuing a Master’s degree in Arts Administration and Museum Leadership at Drexel University. Prior to pursuing this degree, Adia received her BA in Dance and Theater with departmental honors from Manhattanville College in Purchase, NY. Outside of the classroom, Adia is a Lead Usher at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts. Adia has also engaged in a variety of experiences in community service, education, and the arts, working with organizations such as JUNTOS Collective, Dancing Classrooms, Groove With Me, City Year, and many others. In her spare time, Adia enjoys dancing, playing video games, traveling, yoga, and exploring the rich Philadelphia arts and culture community.
Adia is an emerging arts administrator that is eager to participate in professional development initiatives and learn from industry leaders. She recently graduated from the Tessitura “Early Career Development” program on the hands-on fundraising track. Adia also joined the All Riser initiative with the Tom O’Conner consulting group. She is excited to work closely with AAAE community members and experience this year’s amazing conference.
