Ramona A. Baker is a consultant, speaker, coach, facilitator, and educator.

After more than 20 years as the CEO of arts councils and arts organizations, Ramona transitioned in 2005 into working directly with clients. She is passionate about leading both organizations and individuals to success.
 
Her consulting practice is focused on organizations that are making changes or are in transition. Organizations faced with changes in leadership, mission, or direction benefit from her experience. Organizations in transition find her assistance with crisis management and board development very valuable. She also helps organizations plan for the next phase in their life-cycle, solve staff and board challenges, or hire their next CEO

As a consultant, she works with organizations to solidify their mission and goals, to strengthen their connection to their constituents and their community, and to build participation and engagement.

As a strategic planner she helps organizations pinpoint where they are, decide where they want to go, and develop a plan to get there effectively and efficiently. As a coach, she works with individuals to successfully meet challenges and to learn respect for a diversity of thinking styles and perspectives. As a workshop leader and public speaker, Ramona engages and involves audiences with her compelling and dynamic messages delivered with energy and humor.

Ramona is also the director of the Master of Arts in Arts Administration at Goucher College. Her website is www.ramonabaker.com, and she can also be reached at ramona.baker@goucher.edu.

Emerging Leaders Preconference Session(s):   
Emerging Leaders/Experienced Leaders: Working Together

Angela Harris is the Executive Artistic Director of Dance Canvas, Inc., a career development organization for emerging professional choreographers and youth. Ms. Harris conceived and founded Dance Canvas after witnessing the difficult path and lack of professional opportunities for young choreographers. Additionally, Dance Canvas was envisioned to create relatable professional dance experiences and new dance patrons in the Atlanta area. In three short years, Dance Canvas has presented World Premier choreography from 27 emerging professional choreographers, showcased over 150 professional dancers, introduced over 900 children and teens to dance through the DC NEXT youth program curriculum, and performed for over 10,000 new audience members.

Ms. Harris has developed youth dance/career development programs for the City of Atlanta’s Office of Cultural Affairs (Culture Club and ArtsCool), recording artist, Usher’s New Look Foundation, and the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation. She has forged partnerships with the Atlanta Ballet, Atlantic Station, Rialto Center for the Arts, the French Consulate of Atlanta and Kennesaw State University. Through Dance Canvas, Ms. Harris has been a catalyst, consultant, and resource for numerous new dance organizations and artists throughout metro Atlanta. She is a member of Emerging Arts Leaders of Atlanta, and received the 2011 Emerging Leader Award from Americans for the Arts.Artistically, Ms. Harris danced professionally with Georgia Ballet, Columbia City Ballet, and Urban Ballet Theater in NYC.

Ms. Harris’ Atlanta theatre performance credits include Sophisticated Ladies and Degas’ Little Dancer (u/s) at the Tony award-winning Alliance Theatre. She also was a principal in Jasmine Guy’s production of “Daughters of Alpha” in New Orleans, as well as a soloist dancer in the 2011 national tour of ‘The Thorn’, choreographed by Deanna McBrearty of New York City Ballet. Her choreography has been performed by The Georgia Ballet, Steps on Broadway Scholarship Ensemble, Savannah Arts Academy, as well as other companies and schools across the country. Ms. Harris is an instructor at Dekalb School for the Arts and Academy of Ballet, and has been a master class instructor at colleges, universities and studios across the country.
 

Emerging Leaders Preconference Sessions(s):
Emerging Leaders/Experienced Leaders: Working Together