Woodside is new executive director of VAPA Foundation
Katelyn Woodside is the new executive director of the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) Foundation, whose mission is to increase access to and enhance the quality of arts education in the San Diego Unified School District.
Woodside is a dedicated music education professional and nonprofit leader with over 25 years of experience as a violinist, teaching artist, small business owner and nonprofit professional.
Her multifaceted career reflects her passion for advancing arts education, promoting innovative and resilient nonprofit organizations, and building strong relationships with the community, the foundation said in a news release.
“As the VAPA Foundation has expanded in stature and reach in the community, the organization has needed a leader with deep experience in helping a growing nonprofit realize its full potential,” Jon Bailey, the foundation’s board chair, said in the release. “We have deep confidence in Katelyn’s ability to do just that – and more.”
Woodside called the VAPA Foundation a “first-of-its-kind organization that plays a pivotal role in supporting arts education in schools and uniting the arts and culture community in San Diego.”
“It is an honor to be at the helm of this cutting-edge organization, whose values and mission align with my own,” Woodside said in the news release. “This exciting new position is a perfect fit and combines so many of my professional experiences and lifelong passions.”
A San Diego native, Woodside has worked in numerous positions for local and prominent nonprofit organizations, including UC San Diego, La Jolla Music Society, Wounded Warrior Project, Bach Collegium San Diego and Arts Education Connection San Diego.
As a violinist, she is actively engaged in the local community as a founder of the Villa Musica Community Summer Orchestra and has played in various community orchestras throughout the years. She is also a San Diego Youth Symphony alumnus and is active in their local alumni network.
Woodside studied violin performance at the University of Victoria, British Columbia. She holds a bachelor of professional studies in music business from Berklee College of Music, and a master’s of science in arts administration from Drexel University.
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