Please welcome our new Director of Administration, Betsy Bates!
Betsy (she/her) joined the DC History Center team on July 1, 2024. An advocate for excellence in operational execution, she brings experience managing organizational finances, creating optimized and sustainable systems and processes, and a passion for cultivating effective and engaged teams.
In her most recent role as executive director at the Children’s Chorus of Washington (CCW), Betsy led the organization through a founder-to-first-generation transition and established a $100k need-based scholarship fund. She also was instrumental in developing a partnership with DC Public Schools that led to the evolution of the DC Honor Chorus into an inclusive city-wide program representing all eight wards while supporting the transition to a more diverse musical repertoire that better aligned with the needs and identities of the student population of the District.
One of Betsy’s greatest achievements was leading the organization through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the crisis, which led many performing arts and educational institutions to close, CCW maintained full programming, the majority of its enrollment, and all staff positions. During this time, Betsy helped expand the organization’s reach into digital media, including managing and editing virtual choir performances and beginning a collaboration with WETA. By the end of her tenure, enrollment in CCW had risen to above pre-pandemic levels.
As executive director, Betsy helped CCW increase foundation and government grant revenue, staff salaries, and employee benefits. In the 2022-2023 season, this track record of success was recognized and awarded through a $50k unsolicited grant from the Genesis Inspiration Foundation.
Prior to her work at CCW, Betsy served as an independent consultant to several nonprofit and community organizations, helping them develop and implement impactful stakeholder engagement strategies. Before that, Betsy was co-founder and managing director of a boutique marketing firm in New York which specialized in supporting arts, nonprofit, and mission-driven organizations. Along with her experience in organizational management, Betsy brings a deep knowledge of live event production stemming from her background in musical performance. A graduate of St. Mary’s College of Maryland, and the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, Betsy approaches her work with the rigor of conservatory training, the perseverance of a start-up founder, and the compassion of a non-profit leader. Betsy looks forward to supporting the team in its work to connect, empower, and inspire our vibrant Washington, DC.