Thursday, January 5, 2012

Z Space Welcomes New Executive Director Lori Laqua

SAN FRANCISCO, January 5, 2011—Z Space’s Board of Directors and Executive Artistic Director Lisa Steindler are pleased to announce the appointment of Lori Laqua as Executive Director. Laqua brings over two decades of senior leadership and management, strategic planning, and fundraising to Z Space.

“Z Space is delighted to add Lori Laqua to our team as we move into the future,” said Board Chair Warren Cormier. “Teamed with Lisa Steindler, Lori's vast knowledge and experience in the performing arts is perfectly suited to advancing Z Space toward reaching our goals of becoming one of the preeminent sources of training, incubation, and development.”

Laqua will work shoulder-to-shoulder with Z Space’s Lisa Steindler, who has been serving as the organization’s Executive and Artistic Director since 2007. Steindler, Z Space’s Executive Artistic Director, will now dedicate more of her efforts to producing and overseeing all the artistic programming at Z Space.

“I am so very pleased to welcome Lori to our team at Z Space – Lori will be an integral force as we continue to develop our artistic contributions to the local and national performing arts communities, and to enhance our historic home,” said Executive Artistic Director Lisa Steindler.

Laqua most recently served as the Managing Director of ODC, a contemporary arts institution based in the Mission District of San Francisco, and was a key leader and contributor in ODC’s transformation over the past 21 years. During her tenure at ODC Laqua helped to guide the organization’s growth from a budget of under $1 million to over $5 million. Laqua helped grow ODC’s full-time staff from five to 25 employees, its part-time staff from 13 to 35 employees and its faculty from 11 to over 200. She played an active role in the strategy and building of the overall institution and served as the project manager for ODC’s new Dance Commons building, which opened in October 2005 and ODC Theater, which opened in September 2010.

“I am pleased to be joining Lisa Steindler and Z Space,” said Laqua. “I believe the organization is poised for great opportunity and challenge and I look forward to helping to further shape Z Space’s role in the cultural community of San Francisco and the United States.”

Laqua received a Ph.D (ABD) and a MA in Architectural History from the University of Virginia, an MA in Art History from the University of Missouri-Columbia, and a BA in History and Art History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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