Date: Thursday, November 5, 2026
Time: 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Location: Virtual via Zoom
Price Per Student: $5 AMH members; $15 non-members
Age: 18+
Workshop Description: Join us for a virtual panel discussion exploring the current landscape of arts advocacy and the many ways individuals and organizations can get involved. Panelists will share their perspectives, experiences, and insights on advocacy, community engagement, and taking action to support the arts.
The conversation will provide participants with practical information and resources to help them better understand advocacy and identify ways they can make an impact within their own communities.
About the Panelists: Gully Stanford is a lifelong arts/arts education advocate, retired from 35 years in the regional theatre movement, and active with Arts Mid Hudson, Dutchess BOCES, Dutchess County Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the New York State Alliance for Arts Education. He has served in elected office, helped to draft and pass arts-friendly legislation, and testified to Joint Budget Hearings in Albany.
Ken Skrzesz currently serves as a consultant for nonprofits and teaches acting and movement in the Hudson Valley and throughout the United States. Until 2021 he served as the Executive Director of the Maryland State Arts Council emphasizing procedural equity as the path toward quality arts experiences for all Maryland residents. Ken has danced, sung, acted, choreographed and directed both nationally and internationally. He earned his Master of Fine Arts in dance from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro where he performed with the dance, opera, and theatre departments. He is a native Baltimorean where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Towson State University. www.kenskrzesz.com
Jeffrey Kosmacher works with nonprofits on strategic planning, board governance, and other organizational development matters in his role at the New York Council of Nonprofits (NYCON). He has deep staff and service experience as a communicator, advisor, facilitator, and fundraiser. He was Vassar College’s director of media relations and public affairs for more than a decade, and has held positions with The Christian Science Monitor, World Learning/School for International Training, Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, and The Progressive. His consulting clients have included historic preservation and sustainable transportation nonprofits, and his board leadership spans housing, community development, and the arts. Kosmacher holds a Master’s in Community Development from the University of New Hampshire. He has written features and op-eds for Washington Report on the Middle East, Hudson Valley, Chronogram, The Poughkeepsie Journal, and Rural Intelligence, as well as launching a local oral history program in conjunction with the Dutchess County Historical Society.
Nicole Fenichel is the Executive Director of The Art Effect, the Hudson Valley’s leading youth arts organization, where she leverages decades of experience to drive strategic growth and community transformation. An expert in organizational development, nonprofit mergers and civic engagement, Nicole serves on the boards of the Dutchess County Workforce Investment Board, Poughkeepsie Alliance, and Circle Creative Collective. Her career in community advocacy has earned her numerous accolades, including the Marist Presidential Award, the Athena Award, and the Richard K. Wager Workplace Inclusiveness Award. Nicole has dedicated her life’s work to strengthening the region through innovative youth programming and inclusive leadership.