Dr. Edie Demas

Dr. Edie Demas is an award-winning, internationally recognized creative leader with broad experience spanning organizational, school, community, festival, and academic environments. Her work has focused on centering the fundamental connection between artist, artwork, and audience and breaking down structures, systems, and assumptions that create barriers to these experiences.

In 2019, she was recognized as a Leading Woman in Business by 914INC and in 2018 received a Responsible 100 Award from City and State Media, honoring New York's most outstanding and socially responsible thought leaders and visionaries making transformative change. She brings over 20 years of experience in arts leadership, with particular focus on film, media, and performing arts as well as arts education and theater for young audiences.

Career History

• Vice President of Organizational Strategy at TOC Arts Partners (formerly Tom O'Connor Consulting Group), currently based in the Washington, DC Metro area
• Executive Director of Jacob Burns Film Center (2014-2019), where she led organizational transition from founding leadership, including creation of the organization's first strategic plan and workplace culture survey
• Strategic collaborator on the opening of The Wallis in Los Angeles, consulting on mission, vision, and strategy for the center's education wing
• Director of Education at New York City's New Victory Theater for 10 seasons, launching its renowned Teaching Artist Ensemble
• International experience including several years in Ireland working with Graffiti Theatre Company and The Abbey Theatre, as well as arts and music festivals

Demas holds an MA and PhD from NYU's Program in Educational Theatre, where she has held positions as a teaching fellow, producer, and adjunct faculty member. In her current role at TOC Arts Partners, she leads extensive national searches for executive positions and strategic planning initiatives, having designed and facilitated processes to articulate and design strategic foundations for organizations such as TYA/USA.

What Dr. Edie Demas could bring to Vice President of Organizational Strategy at TOC Arts Partners: Her two decades of direct leadership experience in prestigious cultural institutions positions her to provide strategic guidance to arts organizations navigating complex transitions and growth. Her expertise in designing strategic plans, building organizational culture, and launching innovative education programs—combined with her international background and educational credentials—enables her to facilitate high-level strategic initiatives and executive searches with deep cultural sector knowledge and demonstrated success in transformational organizational change.