With nearly 30 years of administration experience, Lori Zook (executive director) has worked with non-profit arts organizations since 1991, and has held management level positions – with an emphasis on fundraising – since 1998. Most recently, she was a Development Manager at Quinn Associates, a firm serving small to mid-sized non-profit organizations throughout the Bay Area, where she assisted multiple clients with grant writing, grants management, prospect research, and strategic planning. While there, she raised millions of dollars for her clients, which included presenters, music ensembles, dance companies, arts education providers, and complex public-private partnership organizations. She served as the executive director of Oakland Opera Theater from 1998-2005, and during her tenure, the company expanded its season, developed an administrative infrastructure, experienced substantial audience growth, and successfully began fundraising. She also co-founded the company's venue, the Oakland Metro in 2001. Lori served on the City of Oakland’s Cultural Affairs Commission from May 2006 through June 2010, and was Acting-Chair of that body from June 2007 through October 2009. Under her leadership, the commission became participants in the Oakland Partnership and the East Bay Cultural Corridor project, the latter involving a four-city partnership to develop marketing strategies. She has served on arts funding panels for the City of Oakland and the Arts Council of Silicon Valley, and has been involved in several arts initiatives, including ArtVote, Spokes of a Hub, and the Illuminated Corridor.