Christie Walser
Executive Director, Ex Officio Board Member
Since 2010, Christie Walser has served as Executive Director of Project Create, a community-based nonprofit that promotes creative youth development through multi-disciplinary arts education and enrichment in Washington, DC. Prior to her time at Project Create, Christie honed her legal and financial management skills working with nonprofit clients at District law firms Steptoe & Johnson and Morgan Lewis.
Christie is a DC CASA (Court-Appointed Special Advocate) and has served seven children throughout her twenty-year tenure as an advocate for youth with abuse and neglect cases in DC Family Court. In tandem with her service as a volunteer child advocate, Christie has consulted with child advocacy organizations on development and fundraising, program management, and strategic planning.
Christie’s acting and directing experience includes work with local professional and community theaters such as Adventure Theater, Silver Spring Stage, Port City Playhouse, Chevy Chase Players and Greenbelt Arts Center. Christie has served in the organizational management of local nonprofit theater and dance organizations as a member of the Board of Directors of Dakshina/Daniel Phoenix Singh Dance Company, Silver Spring Stage, and The Welders – A Playwrights’ Collective.
Christie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Indiana University, a Paralegal Certificate from George Washington University, and a Master’s degree in Public Administration with a concentration in nonprofit arts management from George Mason University. She has lived in the Washington, DC area for twenty-eight years.
Christie participates in many committees in youth-serving and arts organizations in Washington, DC, including the Equity and Justice Committee of the DC Collaborative for Arts & Humanities Education; the ACEE (Arts, Culture, Education and Entertainment) Advisory Council of the Anacostia BID; DC Youth Engagement Collaborative; DC Out-of-School-Time Coalition with DC Action; Coalition for Nonprofit Equity; and Arts Education Alliance.