Education

Posted on: September 22, 2022
| | 6:23 p.m.

David Yoshitomi

The Ventura County Office has selected David Yoshitomi as the new Arts and Cultural Manager to lead countywide arts, culture and economic vitality efforts.

“Arts and culture are the fundamental threads in the fabric of our community and contribute significantly to the vitality of our economy and quality of life.” I am excited to give it to you.

“Our Board of Directors created this new position in May of this year. Director Carmen Ramirez built support for arts and culture initiatives in Ventura County and made this possible. I am deeply grateful for that.”

“We are grateful to welcome David Yoshitomi to the county. His 15 years of experience in fostering community ties around the arts and culture will bring our local economy to life. It will go a long way in preserving and promoting a rich culture, tradition and community ties,” said Sebett Johnson, County Executive Officer.

Yoshitomi came to Ventura County from Simi Valley City where he was responsible for developing and implementing a five-year strategic plan for the Arts and Culture Center. As part of the plan, he launched Simi Valley’s first municipal arts grant program and directed many of the Cultural Arts Center’s cultural programs, including the first multicultural festival.

Yoshitomi also served as interim managing director and chairman of the Bell Arts Factory in Ventura. Under his leadership, he is credited with improving the organization’s financial performance and implementing new programs to better serve residents of his Ventura Avenue community.

He holds a BA in Sociology from the University of California, San Diego and a Master of Public Administration from California State University, San Bernardino. In 2017, he received the Artistic Leadership Award from the Ventura County Arts Council.

“Ventura County is home to a great many cultural traditions and a rich creative heritage. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to formulate a shared vision.

“From painting and music to design and architecture, art and culture have a profound impact on our daily lives and we look forward to helping businesses and professionals in these fields grow and thrive. ”

Through community involvement, Yoshitomi supports strategic planning and coordination with local agencies and organizations to plan and develop arts and cultural strategies for Ventura County. The goal is to facilitate artist support, public art initiatives, grants, and countywide events.

Yoshitomi, who lives in Oxnard, started her new job on September 19th.

For more information on Ventura County’s commitment to economic vitality, please visit https://www.vcevsp.org/.

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