Regina R. Smith
Regina R. Smith has served as a program officer on the Arts & Culture team at The Kresge Foundation since 2008. Regina identifies prospects for national funding opportunities and possible partnerships; reviews funding requests; conducts site visits; meets with prospective grantees and partners; and monitors existing grant relationships.
“I enjoy working with individuals who are passionate about what they do, and I’m inspired by those who are constantly learning,” she says. “I bring many years of experience in the arts and cultural field at the local, state, and regional levels to my work at Kresge. This position provides a rewarding opportunity to continue to learn about the field and nonprofit sector, meet new people, and explore new possibilities for how arts and culture can be used to animate our communities.”
Previously, Regina worked at the Arts & Science Council in Charlotte, N.C., where, as vice president of grants and services, she managed a $12 million grants portfolio. She served as programs and services director at Culture Works in Dayton, Ohio, from 1994 to 1999 and, earlier, managed a nationally recognized program for the Indiana Arts Commission. In 1989, while on a nine-month Arts Administration Fellowship, Regina was in residence with three arts organizations: the Madison Art Center, COMPAS in St. Paul, Minn., and Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs. She began her career as a museum educator at the Cleveland Children’s Museum and the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Regina studied art history at the University of Pittsburgh and received a master’s degree in arts administration from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C. She is currently president for Grantmakers in the Arts.