Steven E. Shulman

Steven E. Shulman, an experienced leader in arts administration, economic development, fundraising, and private-sector facilities management, joined Cultural Tourism DC as executive director on April 1, 2013.
 

Shulman returned to Washington, DC after nearly seven years in Florida working in a variety of roles. As president of the Greater Hollywood Arts Foundation, Inc., Shulman was charged with raising $6.8 million for the ArtsPark at Young Circle. Following Hurricane Katrina, he coordinated the early assessment of damaged collections for the American Association of State and Local History. Based upon the teams’ recommendations, the Getty Foundation provided $2 million to the New Orleans Museum of Art.

This experience became the genesis for creating Our Heritage Vault, Inc., where he was executive director. The company offered services to digitize and protect family photographs and documents. It published Our Heritage Preservation, an electronic magazine with tips for preserving, securing, and sharing family memorabilia.

Prior to his southern experiences, Shulman was executive director of the American Red Cross Museum in Washington (1998 to 2005). In addition to launching the museum, Shulman created a “First Aid for Fine Art” fundraising program to support conservation of more than 41,000 objects.

It was during this time that Shulman was recruited to serve on the board of directors of Cultural Tourism DC and later served on its executive committee. His leadership helped the organization evolve from an initial focus on individual neighborhoods to a citywide presence.

His other areas of expertise include opening major facilities—two performing arts centers, one a restored National Historic Landmark; and two urban shopping malls, one of which served as a model for other urban projects.

A strong proponent of volunteering, Shulman has served on Alexandria Commission for the Arts, the Virginia Commission for the Arts, and the History Channel’s Save Our History grant review panel.

A native of Worcester, Massachusetts, he graduated from American International College in Springfield, Massachusetts, with a degree in business management and participated in a leadership program for nonprofit executives at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.