Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacy Keith
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and attended Texas Christian University for my undergraduate degree. I then attended Texas Tech University for a Masters in Mass Communication. During an internship one summer, I fell in love with the non-profit sector and knew that I would enjoy working in this field. The idea of helping people and serving really appealed to me. I married and moved to Texarkana, Texas for about ten years where I worked much of that time in higher education. A job change for my husband opened the opportunity to move back to Lubbock. After getting settled, I worked about ten years as a fundraising and campaign consultant and had the opportunity to raise our son. When he was in high school, I was ready to get back to full time work and was fortunate to be hired as the founding Director for the Lubbock Cultural Arts Foundation. This new entity was created to manage the Music Friendly Certification, the Film Friendly Certification and cultivate and champion the arts in Lubbock, Texas.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Life is a journey. I’ve always believed in surrounding myself with people who see the bright side and are strong in character. I”ve been incredibly blessed in my career and though not every day is perfect, the journey has been a joy.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
As the Director of the Lubbock Cultural Arts Foundation, I am privileged to work with many artists and musicians in Lubbock to strengthen our thriving arts seen. One of the things we did I’m most proud of was to work alongside the City of Lubbock to administer a million dollars in ARPA funding after COVID to help musicians and artists who found themselves out of work during COVID to rebuild a piece of what they had lost during that difficult time. I hope I’m known to be a good collaborator. Someone who enjoys thinking through ideas and new ways to approach a challenge and works to make it better for all.
What does success mean to you?
Success professionally is defined by the number of people we serve and the artists who we help grow professionally through our programming. It’s also defined through our marketing efforts to support and promote the creative economy in Lubbock. Personally, it’s defined as I can look in the mirror and know I did my best in all situations and kept my truth and integrity intact.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lubbockculturalarts.org
- Instagram: lubbockculturalarts
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LubbockCulturalArts/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0yfxmQARViORZOL8rxV1hA
Image Credits
John Espinoza (photo on crosswalk). The rest I took.