Kate Michel joined Cultural Development Corporation (CuDC) in November 2009. As Program Coordinator, Kate facilitates technical assistance projects by providing assistance to artists groups, arts-related businesses and cultural organizations to help in the facilities planning process. She is also responsible for helping support CuDC’s programs team by assisting with the delivery of capacity-building services to artists and arts organizations. Kate is responsible for helping the programs team with the coordination and selection process for Flashpoint Gallery, Mead Theatre Lab, Source Festival and Artist Housing Programs. She also helps coordinate programmatic events including opening receptions, business center activities, open house activities and other special events.

Before joining CuDC, Kate worked as a Research Assistant for Professor Reid Ewing at the National Center for Smart Growth. She assisted Professor Ewing with researching and writing a book on pedestrian and transit friendly design, to be published jointly by the Urban Land Institute and the American Planning Association. Kate also worked at the Maryland Department of Planning as a Land and Water Resources Planning Research Assistant, where she reviewed the water, sewer and storm water elements of municipal and county comprehensive plans.

While an undergraduate, Kate was selected to be a part of the year long Kenneth Cole Fellowship in Community Building and Social Change. As a fellow, she worked with a team to help an economically depressed community in northwest Atlanta form an arts coalition amongst its resident artists in order to help spur economic development in the neighborhood. The arts coalition went on to receive grants to produce two plays in the neighborhood.

A native of Sarasota, FL, Kate graduated Summa Cum Laude from Emory University with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Community Building and Social Change. She is currently pursuing a Masters of Community Planning with concentrations in Economic Development and Environmental Planning at the University of Maryland.