Thought Partner.

Influencer.

Leader.

Margie Johnson Reese has a 35-year portfolio as an arts advocate and arts management professional. She received a BA from Washington State University in Pullman, Washington and an MFA in Theater from Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas. She recently relocated to Wichita Falls, Texas to create The Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture, a new local arts agency grounded in policies and practices that advance inclusion and pubic participation in the arts.

 Margie has served as Director of the Office of Cultural Affairs for the City of Dallas and General Manager for the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. Margie’s expertise as a grantmaker was tapped by the Ford Foundation to advance cultural projects in West Africa. Based in Lagos, Nigeria, her 3-year appointment centered on cultural policy development and conservation of West Africa’s tangible and intangible cultural heritage. 

Following her service in West Africa, Margie returned to Dallas and took the position of Vice President for Programs at Big Thought, an arts learning organization. Her influence called attention to the need for equitable access to quality arts education experiences for children and their families.  

Margie continues to contribute to the field of Arts Administration as a consultant to local arts agencies and city governments, helping develop arts policies that respond to contemporary community goals. She is Director Emeritus of Americans for the Arts and an adjunct professor at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland.