As Executive Assistant, Desmond Holliday provides high-level administrative support to the president, as well as all Vilcek Foundation initiatives, including art collections, prizes, grants, and events. In collaboration with the rest of the foundation’s team, he creates, implements, and maintains systems and practices that allow the president to prioritize other key duties.

Holliday’s eclectic professional background highlights support roles in education, film, fine arts, and theater. Notably, he has also had the opportunity to further his artistic practice by attending international residencies, such as Starlight & Storm (Arnøya, Norway) and Mudhouse (Crete, Greece). His artwork is all-encompassing and includes poetry, soft sculpture, breadmaking, and long-term durational performance.

Forever passionate about the arts and the process of making, Holliday holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University. On his days off, you can find him in standing room at the Metropolitan Opera, visiting fringe galleries in Brooklyn, or exploring new restaurants.