Josie Emmons Turner Brings a Wealth of Experience to

Saint Joseph Ballet

            Josie Emmons Turner, Managing Director, brings to Saint Joseph Ballet her more than 20 years experience leading cultural and community organizations.  Most recently she was Acting Executive Director of the Broadway Center for Performing Arts in Tacoma, Washington.  During a period of management reorganization, she successfully reinvigorated a $5.1 million capital campaign, and successfully positioned the non-profit organization to take over independent management of the City’s three theaters. 

            Prior to the Broadway Center, Emmons Turner spent seven years with the City of Tacoma Economic Development Department, first as the Culture and Tourism Division Manager then as Community Initiatives Division Manager.  During this time she was involved with several highly visible projects that have been credited with revitalizing the city’s downtown core.  These include Museum of Glass, the new Tacoma Art Museum, completion of the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center and Sound Transit Light Rail System public art stations.  Her division also worked with neighborhood groups and the Landmarks Preservation Commission to create the largest residential historic district in the Washington State.  With the Tacoma Arts Commission she also created a granting program for individual artists.  Her division is also noted for creating and implementing Tacoma’s nationally recognized cultural tourism marketing campaign.

            Emmons Turner also spent 11 years as the Cultural Programs Manager for the City of Auburn, a suburb of Seattle, Washington.  Accomplishments include creating and implementing several programs for at-risk youth by putting artists in the schools; creating the Auburn Symphony Orchestra with conductor Stewart Kershaw and two successful performing arts series.  During her tenure, the annual budget grew from $36,000 to $350,000.  

            Emmons Turner previously served as Development Director of Seattle’s Intiman Theatre, and General Manager of the Philadelphia String Quartet/Olympic Music Festival, and was a school teacher in the early 1980s.  She holds a bachelor of arts in humanities from Seattle University and is a candidate to receive her masters in fine arts in writing in 2007.  She has served on numerous committees and panels including the National Endowment for the Arts, and Washington State Arts Commission; is a founding member of the Washington State Arts Congress; and a member of ArtTable, a national professional organization of women in the Arts.  A published author and recognized poet, she wrote the book Auburn a Look Down Main Street, and her poetry most recently appeared in the publication Backstreet Quarterly.