Stephanie Fortunato has joined GCDN as Director, Special Projects from March 2022. In this role, she is focusing on supporting and developing the network – and overseeing the delivery of projects in partnership with GCDN members.

Prior to joining the GCDN team, Stephanie had been active in the network since 2017, representing the City of Providence – and more recently as a co-host of GCDN’s podcast The Three Bells.

Stephanie’s approach is informed by her experience within city government, where she served as Director of Art, Culture & Tourism for Providence, working at the intersection of cultural planning and community development. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with local communities to co-create arts-based policies, programs and partnerships designed to strengthen neighborhoods and transform public spaces. Her experience covers arts administration, public art, festivals, commemorative works, cultural planning, policymaking, community cultural development, creative economic development, public humanities, cross-sector partnerships, and creative placemaking.

In 2018, Stephanie received the Mary Brennan Tourism Award from the RI Hospitality Association. She has presented for the National Endowment for the Arts, ArtPlace America, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and is a regular guest lecturer at universities and colleges. Stephanie is on the advisory committees for the New England Foundation for the Arts. She received her M.A. in public humanities from Brown University and a B.A. from Providence College.