Berklee’s Taneshia Nash Laird Appointed to Massachusetts Cultural Policy Development Advisory Council

Taneshia Nash Laird, an associate professor in the Africana Studies Department, has been appointed to the Massachusetts Cultural Policy Development Advisory Council, a body of public and private sector stakeholders charged with exploring policies that support artists, cultural workers, and arts organizations while promoting cultural equity in the arts. 

"My appointment by Governor Maura Healey to the Massachusetts Cultural Policy Development Advisory Council, particularly my work on the Infrastructure for Cultural and Creative Spaces working group, aligns perfectly with my career focus on developing and operating arts centers,” said Nash Laird. “This role allows me to apply my expertise in arts facility development, creative placemaking, and economic development to create sustainable solutions that support both our creative economy and the spaces where art and culture thrive.”

In the fall of 2024, Nash Laird began teaching Entrepreneurship in Black Creative Expression, a class designed to equip students with the skills and knowledge essential for success at the intersection of entrepreneurship and creative Black expression, specifically emphasizing music, dance, and theater. The course offers practical insights and hands-on experience in establishing, managing, and expanding ventures within the for-profit or nonprofit Black performing arts industry. 

Nash Laird began her career in the early 1990s as the director of media relations at Planet Rock Music in the Bronx, New York, a label founded by hip-hop legend Afrika Bambaataa. Since that time, she has led an impressive career in bolstering the creative economy in the Greater New York City area and in Newark, Princeton, and Trenton, New Jersey. From 2018 to 2022, she served as the president and CEO of Newark Symphony Hall, where she raised $15 million for the building's historic preservation. Nash Laird relocated to Boston in 2022 to launch the Greater Roxbury Arts & Cultural Center(Opens in a new window) (GRACC) as the organization’s inaugural president and CEO. 

Nash Laird now leads the national initiative Project REAP (Real Estate Associate Program) as executive director. In this role, she uses her extensive background to empower professionals of color and ensure their success in the commercial real estate industry. As a proud REAP Academy graduate and the first alumna to serve as its leader, she is dedicated to closing the wealth gap and fostering a diverse and inclusive industry. Nash Laird holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Bernard Baruch College and a Master of Arts in live entertainment management from the University of Miami.