Jonathan Moscone

Executive Director, California Arts Council

Jonathan Moscone currently serves as the Executive Director of the California Arts Council, the state’s arts agency with a mission of strengthening arts, culture, and creative expression as the tools to cultivate a better California for all. Prior to his role as ED, Jonathan served since 2020 as a Council member.

For 7 years, from 2015-2022, Jonathan served as Chief Producer of Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco.  Through strategic leadership, political advocacy, and community and civic partnerships, Jonathan activated YBCA’s mission by creatively engaging people in shaping the future of the city.

Prior to joining YBCA’s leadership team, Jonathan served for 15 years as Artistic Director of the California Shakespeare Theater (Cal Shakes) in Berkeley, California. Under his leadership, Cal Shakes made a name for itself as one of the country’s most innovative regional theaters, while also pioneering educational and community engagement programs with a focus on developing of sustainable culture of diversity, equity and inclusion.

Jonathan is the first recipient of the Zelda Fichandler Award, given by the Stage Directors and Choreographers Foundation for “transforming the American theater through his unique and creative work.” Jonathan spent 6 years as part of the Executive Committee board leadership of Theater Communications Group in New York, was a 2016 Fellow at the Institute for the Future in Palo Alto, California and is a recipient of a Princess Grace Fellowship award for theater directing.  Jonathan received his MFA from the Yale School of Drama and BA from Williams College, and he currently lives in San Francisco with his husband, Darryl and his dog, Lucy and cat, Turtle.