Kristin Sakoda

Kristin Sakoda is the Director of the newly-established Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture, the local arts agency dedicated to advancing arts, culture, and creativity throughout Los County, the largest county in the U.S. The Department of Arts and Culture provides grants and technical assistance to hundreds of nonprofit organizations; administer the largest paid arts internship program in the nation; coordinates public-private arts education initiatives; increases access to creative career pathways; commissions civic artwork; supports free community programs; leads the LA County Cultural Equity and Inclusion Initiative; and advances cross-sector cultural strategies to address civic issues. An arts executive, attorney, and performing artist, Ms. Sakoda has over 25 years of multi-faceted experience in the cultural field. She formerly served as the Executive Director of the LA County Arts Commission, which transitioned into the first-ever Department under her leadership. Ms. Sakoda previously served as a key strategist for arts and culture at the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs holding the posts of General Counsel and Deputy Commissioner, and holds a J.D. from NYU School of Law and B.A. from Stanford University specializing in Race and Ethnicity and Feminist Studies. She is a member of the Americans for the Arts’ United States Urban Arts Federation comprised of the chief executives of the local arts agencies of the nation’s largest 60 cities, and previously served on the board of her former dance company Urban Bush Women.