The guard has changed at NTC Foundation overseeing the development of 26 buildings in Arts District Liberty Station, as James Halliday (above) has been named as the nonprofit’s new vice president and chief advancement officer.
Halliday has been joined by five new NTC Foundation directors – Lesley Harrington, Neisha Hernandez, Sally Preston, Jean Thomas, and Jennifer Wolfe.
“We couldn’t be more excited to welcome our new board members,” said Lisa Johnson, president and CEO of the NTC Foundation, established to renovate 26 historic buildings at the former Naval Training Center. “Each new board member along with our new VP and CAO brings a fresh perspective and new ideas that we can’t wait to implement in the coming year to enrich the lives of our community members with arts, culture, and creativity.”
Before joining the NTC Foundation team, Halliday served at a variety of different nonprofits in San Diego including his most recent position as executive director for A Reason To Survive, which brings arts education to youth of all ages. He has also served on several boards including the San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition, the Cabrillo National Monument Foundation, and the Police-Community Relations Committee for the City’s Citizens Advisory Board.
Discussing the NTC Foundation, Halliday pointed out nonprofits are “guided by their missions,” while adding that “running a financially responsible, viable organization is the name of the game.”
Regarding his role as the chief advancement officer, Halliday said: “It is about developing fundraising in broader ways to further the long-term sustainability of our programs and the organization in all its complexity.”
Halliday added he’ll be collaborating with the foundation’s executive team including president and CEO, Lisa Johnson, and VP and COO Kate Rubalcava. CFO Nina Leung and asset manager Julie Schraeger.
The NTC’s team Halliday said will be advocating for the organization as well as engaging with the community to be “a face and a voice lifting the arts and culture at NTC while promoting the Arts District as a destination in the San Diego-Tijuana bi-national region.”
The Arts District’s mission involves running core programs like Liberty School founded by the NTC Foundation in 2007, which affords students access to arts education, as well as promoting the “Installations in the Station,” an ongoing interactive public art series. One goal of the Installations series, added Halliday, is to “make the Arts District grow in its promise as a destination for arts and culture promoting dance and the visual arts.”
Concerning Arts District’s future direction and that of the NTC Foundation supporting it, Halliday concluded: “The boldest, most succinct, vision is to elevate the Arts District by providing quality art and culture through our programming, especially working and partnering with other arts organizations. It’s a rising-tide-lifts-all-ships vision enabling arts and culture to continue to grow. Our vision is really to make the Arts District more accessible, inclusive, and welcoming for this bi-national region while supporting our artists and arts organizations.”
NTC Foundation was established in 2000 as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit to enrich the lives of San Diegans by renovating this signature community asset and creating, facilitating, and operating Arts District as a 100-acre creative district. Visitors experience the arts, culture, creativity, and cuisine that are the hallmarks of the San Diego region and enjoy innovative experiences in a historic setting at Liberty Station that inspires lives for generations to come. For more information, visit ntcfoundation.org.
