Bree Polk-Bauman joined the Vilcek Foundation in 2026 as IT assistant, bringing to the role a background that spans nonprofit operations, film production, and information technology. Polk-Bauman is responsible for the administration and day-to-day support of the foundation’s digital systems and Salesforce database, working in close collaboration with the director of digital to strengthen the infrastructure that supports the foundation’s prizes, grants, and collections programs.

Before joining the Vilcek Foundation, Polk-Bauman spent five years at New York Cares, one of New York’s leading service nonprofits, where she held roles in institutional fundraising and operations. Polk-Bauman also brings seven years of experience as a film and television production manager, a career that cultivated a resourceful, systems-minded approach to solving problems in fast-moving environments.

A graduate of Barnard College with a degree in art history, Polk-Bauman came to information technology using a research-driven process, earning a CompTIA A+ certification through Per Scholas in Brooklyn. Polk-Bauman finds in the Vilcek Foundation’s mission a natural home for a lifelong commitment to the arts, to cultural exchange, and to the belief that good technology should quietly empower the people doing important work.