Lotus Education & Arts Foundation Welcomes New Executive Director
The Lotus Education and Arts Foundation Board is excited to announce that Katarina Koch has joined the organization as Executive Director. Katarina brings strategic planning, leadership and development skills to the organization, as well as a deep understanding of the role local non-profits play in creating community impact. While she has spent the past few years in Paoli, IN, she will be returning to her roots in Bloomington as a graduate of O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. We are confident Katarina will help ensure Lotus continues to serve our mission, honoring our 30-year history while embracing new opportunities for the next 30.
Katarina stated her vision for the future of Lotus includes “developing staff, volunteers, and community partners by leading a strong, creative and mission-driven team that heightens peak experiences and broadens the audience for Lotus programming. Additionally, I hope to build community connections to support quality of place initiatives throughout Southern Indiana that increase equity and access to world music and art. Finally, I will create resources for the most vulnerable in our communities to find wellness and healing in experiences that celebrate our world’s cultures.”
Katarina’s addition to the Lotus Team is part of an organizational restructuring developed to address the new challenges facing performing arts nonprofits. The previous Executive Director, Tamara Loewenthal, will be serving as the new Artistic Director for the organization, focused on developing and implementing our wonderful world artist-based programming. The Board is grateful to the entire Lotus Team for supporting this necessary transition.
We encourage our Lotus Community to keep an eye out for Katarina at our upcoming events, especially the 30th Annual Lotus World & Arts Music Festival, September 28 – October 1, 2023. Tickets will be on sale soon. For updates, please subscribe to our enewsletter at lotusfest.org.
