DEBBIE CHINN

Debbie Chinn

Executive Director

Debbie Chinn,
Executive Director

Over the past 20 years, Debbie has held executive leadership positions at CENTERSTAGE (the State Theater of Maryland), California Shakespeare Theater, Shakespeare Theater of New Jersey, and the San Francisco Symphony. 

She began her career at the American Conservatory Theater (A.C.T.), University of San Francisco, and Center Theatre Group of the Music Center of Los Angeles where she specialized in volunteer event management and institutional fundraising.  Most recently she served as a consultant for the Philadelphia Orchestra Association, providing strategic guidance towards the implementation of the Philadelphia Orchestra's China Residency program, which launched in May 2012 with a five-city concert Tour of China, and served as the kick-off to the 40th anniversary of President’s Nixon’s historic visit to China.

Debbie specializes in organizational assessment, strategic planning, fundraising, program planning, volunteer management, board and staff development, and special events.

She has served on the boards of Theatre Communications Group (the national consortium for professional nonprofit theaters in the United States), the Association of California Symphony Orchestras, Greater Baltimore Cultural Alliance, California Arts Advocates, and on George Soros’ Open Society Institute’s Leadership Council.  She has been a frequent grant review panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, Theatre Communications Group, and the Montgomery County Arts and Humanities Council, and she is a fervent champion for arts and education funding having testified at the legislative level in Trenton (NJ), Annapolis (MD), and Sacramento (CA).

Debbie is originally from Syosset, New York and she attended the University of Southern California where she studied Theater under the artistic direction of John Houseman.