MAAE New Executive Director

Dr. Cynthia Williams Phelps Named Executive Director of Missouri Alliance for Arts Education

A change in leadership is taking place at the Missouri Alliance for Arts Education (MAAE). Dr. Cynthia Williams Phelps has stepped into the position of Executive Director for the non-profit organization after serving the group as their Director of Professional Development. She is taking over the position from Phyllis Pasley, who is transitioning to serve the group as their Director of Outreach and Development.

“I will work to continue strengthening partnerships to advocate, to elevate, and to expand access to high-quality arts education across Missouri,” Phelps said. She will be working to lead the organization in its day-to-day operations while advancing MAAE's mission to ensure that every Missouri student has access to fine arts education.

“As I step into the role of Executive Director, I am honored to do so and will strive to build forward. Every student performance, every classroom experience, every advocacy effort represents years of dedication by educators, leaders, and champions who believe deeply in the power of the arts to transform lives,” Phelps said.

MAAE is a non-profit service organization that supports, promotes, and advocates for fine arts education for all Missouri students. The group offers professional development opportunities for fine arts educators, hosts arts and civic engagement workshops for students, and serves as a connection hub for arts organizations and schools across the state. In the spring, the group holds Fine Arts Education Week at the state capitol to recognize significant contributions to arts education in Missouri made by students, teachers, administrators, schools, elected officials, and community members. 

“Arts education opens doors for creativity, connection, and critical thinking. It gives students a voice, a sense of belonging, and the confidence to imagine what’s possible. Our mission is to ensure that every student has access to these life-changing opportunities,” Phelps said. “We accomplish this through continued professional support, arts ed promotion opportunities, and advocacy efforts for arts education organizations, fine arts educators, administrators, students, and school districts.”

Dr. Phelps is no stranger to fine arts education having started her career as a music educator before finding roles as a music teacher educator, university supervisor, and professional learning specialist.

Music has been a part of Phelps’ life since childhood when she began playing the piano at the age of 5 with encouragement from both her parents and grandparents. She was actively engaged in band and choir ensembles from elementary school through college.

“My background in fine arts deeply informs the work I do through the lens of understanding how important arts education was to me as a child.  I have seen the powerful impact it continues to have across all generations of students and learning communities,” she said.

Phelps holds a Ph.D. in Music Education, with an emphasis in learning, teaching, and curriculum, from the University of Missouri. She has collaborated with Literacy and Art Education specialists in teaching expressive arts projects, developed integrative course materials, and presented arts integration workshops at state and national conferences.

“I have always been inspired by exemplary teachers in my life,” Phelps said. “Not only music teachers, but art, theatre, dance, and literacy educators.  These teachers inspired a love for learning and the desire to more fully embrace fine arts education as a way of life.”

Dr. Phelps lives in Republic, MO with her husband and has called the southwest Missouri region home for over ten years. In her free time she enjoys engaging in local arts activities in the Springfield metro area.

You can learn more about the work of the MAAE including their upcoming webinar series for educators by visiting their website at moaae.org.