Kristen Dolan joined the California Desert Arts Council as managing director in 2021 following a decade of service with the Coachella Valley nonprofit organizations Operation Safehouse, OneFuture Coachella Valley, and most recently United Way of the Desert, where she was director of external affairs. In each of these roles, Kristen was responsible for telling the organizations’ stories with the objective of educating the public and inspiring giving and investment. In 2022, the Pennsylvania native and Nova Southeastern University graduate was promoted to executive director, and today is laser-focused on advocating for and connecting resources for the arts and culture community and creating opportunities for talented young people on their trajectory in the Coachella Valley’s creative economy.

The California Desert Arts Council board and staff are committed to supporting and advancing the arts without regard to ethnicity, color, creed, religion, age, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, military status, marital status, political opinion, national origin, familial status, mental and physical disability, or source of income. CDAC makes every effort to make its volunteer pool and employee workforce representative and reflective of the communities in which it serves.