Power of Culture Blog
Governor Healey Addresses Council Members
Her video address charges them with taking bold action to continue the Agency’s work of fostering an equitable and vibrant cultural sector across Massachusetts
Bethann Steiner, Public Affairs Director
With the launch of our first-ever Racial Equity Plan, Mass Cultural Council is very pleased to announce the creation of a new Cultural Equity & Access Initiatives Team.
Working closely with our Executive Director, this team will serve a dual purpose (1) working internally to support employee human resources needs and helping program staff incorporate equity and access goals in all program development and decision-making, and (2) working externally with grantees and stakeholders to build momentum and provide guidance and best practices for this important work across the cultural sector.
Catherine Cheng-Anderson, Director of People & Culture
She/Her/Hers
Cathy joined Mass Cultural Council on November 1 in a new senior leadership role – Director of People & Culture.
Cathy serves as the key leader in overseeing the experience of the Agency’s most important resource, our people. As a member of senior staff, she will work to ensure the development and advancement of an empowered, value-driven, diverse, and inclusive workplace culture at Mass Cultural Council.
This newly-created role is responsible for building and maintaining the human resources (HR) functions of the Agency, including talent management; internal communication; organizational design; implementing HR processes; developing and implementing HR programs; and being a strategic human resources advisor to all. Additionally, Cathy will supervise staff assigned to lead Mass Cultural Council’s equity, access, and inclusion initiatives.
Cathy has experience working in both the nonprofit and public sectors. She has a master’s degree from Massachusetts Maritime Academy, a bachelor’s degree from Curry College, and an executive leadership certificate from Suffolk University.
Charles G. Baldwin, Access & Inclusion Program Officer
He/Him/His
Since 2016 Charles has led Mass Cultural Council’s Universal Participation (UP) Initiative to direct organizational capacity that transforms Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance regulations into disability justice actions. Under his guidance, the UP Initiative developed two distinct grant programs for participating cultural nonprofits, with the impact of the Initiative recognized with a LEAD award in 2019 for its success with employing people with disabilities as consultants, teachers, artists, and panelists.
Charles is a professional theater artist and has been a production designer locally with Wheelock Family Theatre, the Gold Dust Orphans, BalletRox, City Stage, and the Harwich Junior Theatre. He has also worked in San Francisco with the Phoenix Theatre, Theater Artists of Marin, Thick Description, and the Joe Goode Performance Group. He is a founding member of the Z Collective (SF), the Consortium of Boston Area’s Children Theaters (CBACT), Theater Artists Marketing Alliance (TAMA), and serves on the executive committee of Cultural Access New England (CANE). His drawings and works on paper have been exhibited at the Towne Art Gallery, Providence Pride, Strut SF, and the Brickbottom Artists Association.
Cheyenne Cohn-Postell, Equity & Inclusion Program Officer
She/Her/Hers
Cheyenne joined Mass Cultural Council in early 2020 as a member of the Cultural Investment Portfolio (CIP) team, working to provide unrestricted operating support and relevant technical assistance to the smallest third of the 300+ organizations in the Portfolio. During this time, she also managed the Gaming Mitigation Program, which provided $3.4 million in financial support to performing arts centers that are now competing with resort-style casinos to book touring shows and artists.
As Cheyenne joins the new Cultural Equity & Access Initiatives Team, she brings with her a passion for making racial, gender, and socio-economic equity feel attainable, actionable, and achievable. Prior to taking on this new role, she was a leader in the Agency’s Race Equity Task Force and active member of the POC Employee Affinity Group. Her initial focus in this position will be to enact the steps of Mass Cultural Council’s Racial Equity Plan by creating working groups, supervising BIPOC Outreach Coordinators, and creating partnerships with experts in the cultural and anti-racism fields.
