David Howson is a Senior Teaching Professor and the Arthur Zankel Executive Director of Arts Administration at Skidmore College. As the founding director of Skidmore’s undergraduate Arts Administration Program since 2010, he has been instrumental in shaping its curriculum and approach, teaching courses on arts management, philanthropy, and nonprofit leadership. His research centers on the role and impact of nonprofit arts organizations in New York’s Adirondack region.
David serves as a trustee of the Emma Willard School in Troy, NY, and is a trustee and former board chair of The Hyde Collection museum in Glens Falls, NY. He is also a past trustee and former president of the Depot Theatre in Westport, NY. In addition to his board roles, David frequently advises arts and nonprofit organizations on accessibility, inclusion, and governance, and is a sought-after speaker on leadership in these areas.
Before joining Skidmore College, David taught in the Department of Theatre and was the associate director of the Modlin Center for the Arts at the University of Richmond. He holds an M.F.A. in Theater Management from Yale’s David Geffen School of Drama, a Master of Liberal Arts, and a B.A. from the University of Richmond.