Sara Nash Named as First Chief Impact Officer of the New England Foundation for the Arts

(Boston, MA) Following a national search, the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) announces the appointment of Sara Nash as its inaugural Chief Impact Officer (CIO). Nash joins NEFA’s executive team in driving the organization’s strategic plan implementation, evaluation, and storytelling across NEFA’s grantmaking programs and services, and work to reflect NEFA’s impact as the organization advances its 2025–2030 Strategic Plan, A Mission Forged in Collaboration.

“As NEFA celebrates its 50th Anniversary, this new role will be instrumental in ensuring our work is intentional, measurable, and deeply connected to the needs of artists and communities,” said NEFA Executive Director Harold Steward. “The CIO will shape program strategy, evaluation, and communications, helping NEFA build on its legacy, weather change, leverage opportunities, navigate risk, and strengthen the sustainability of the arts and culture sector for the next 50 years. 

Sara Nash is a nationally recognized arts leader who brings more than two decades of national and international experience as a grantmaker, program director, producer, and organizational leader in both the nonprofit and government sectors. Her work has included leading large-scale grant programs and emergency funding distributions, advancing equity-focused grantmaking strategies, partnering on research and field scans, and developing program evaluation and storytelling approaches to surface and showcase impact. Throughout her career, Sara has championed artists, creative process, and equity, and as a disabled leader, has worked to increase access and investment in disabled artists.

She most recently served as Interim Executive Director at Dance/USA, where she stewarded the organization through a leadership transition. Sara was honored to serve as the National Endowment for the Arts’ Dance Director from August 2018 through May 2025, where she led all aspects of the agency’s grantmaking and initiatives for the dance field. Sara was the Program Director for Dance at the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) for seven years, where she oversaw NEFA’s dance programs, including the National Dance Project, the development of the New England Dance Fund, and the Regional Dance Development Initiative in Chicago.

Harold Steward added, “I am honored that Sara has chosen to return to NEFA and bring her passion for the field, knowledge, and expertise to our collective work and excited for what the future holds for our organization and the field with her leadership.”

“I know first-hand the value NEFA brings regionally and nationally through its resources and programs,” said Sara. “I'm committed to listening to artists and communities, translating fieldwide needs into strategy and story, and building reciprocal partnerships that increase access and connection across the cultural sector. It’s especially meaningful to return to NEFA as we celebrate the first 50 years while building towards the next era. The opportunity to work with NEFA’s incredible staff to enact the strategic plan is exciting and motivating. I’m ready to help NEFA tell its story as a social impact leader in the region and beyond.”

Sara joins NEFA full time on June 1, 2026.

About NEFA 

The New England Foundation for the Arts invests in artists and communities, fostering equitable access to the arts and enriching the cultural landscape in New England and across the United States. Founded in 1976, NEFA has grown into a vital national and international leader, advancing opportunities for artists and strengthening the arts infrastructure through grantmaking, partnerships, convenings, and knowledge sharing. 

NEFA’s work is made possible through generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts, the six New England state arts agencies, private foundations, corporations, and individual donors. As NEFA approaches its 50th anniversary in 2026, it continues to lead with creativity, resilience, and vision, affirming the vital role of the arts in civic life and advancing a cultural landscape where all people have equitable access to artistic expression. www.nefa.org

Contact: Ann Wicks | 617-423-1390