CSU Associate Professor Constance DeVereaux has been named the new director of the LEAP Institute for the Arts, beginning July 1.

DeVereaux brings a rich background in scholarly and applied studies of arts leadership, an impressive array of publications, and a host of national and international contacts to the program.

The LEAP (Leadership Entrepreneurship, Arts Advocacy, and the Public) Institute for the Arts – founded in 2012 by faculty and staff within the School of Music, Theatre and Dance, and the Department of Art and Art History – matured quickly into a center within the College of Liberal Arts, offering both a master’s degree and a minor.

Paired with practical skills in management, marketing, planning, and communication, the LEAP master’s program produces the kind of arts leader that can make a difference in the world, preparing students for a career in the ever-changing, dynamic world of arts and culture.

The LEAP minor is designed to enhance the skills of current undergraduates that are needed to be a successful artist beyond the studio, stage, classroom, therapeutic practice, and performance hall.

“Our aim, since the inception of LEAP, is to provide opportunities for students to become leaders in their chosen communities,” said DeVereaux, who is a faculty member in the School of Music, Theatre and Dance. “I have great enthusiasm about the prospect of leading a program designed to produce tomorrow’s leaders.”

DeVereaux joined the LEAP faculty in fall 2013, and has made significant strides in establishing the reputation of the program, and its students, on a regional, national, and international level.

“I am delighted to welcome Dr. DeVereaux to this new position, and have high hopes for her leadership as LEAP continues to solidify its reputation in the arts community and build its undergraduate minor and graduate masters programs,” interim LEAP Director Bruce Ronda said.

“Leadership is a collaborative effort,” said DeVereaux. “I’m part of a great team of colleagues and students, and together we are changing the face of the arts in Fort Collins and beyond.”

For more information about LEAP, visit http://leap.colostate.edu/.