Kelsea McCrary is the Chief Economic & Cultural Development Officer for the City of Monroe. McCrary has grown arts organizations, booked live music, programmed historic buildings, executed cultural events, planned quality of life initiatives, and led creative place-keeping projects throughout Louisiana for over fifteen years. Kelsea’s areas of expertise focus on the foundational aspects of the cultural economy in a community’s ability to thrive, and ties them deeply into the economic prospects of Louisiana’s cultural richness through cultural heritage management. Her current community involvement includes the Louisiana Trust for Historic Preservation, Louisiana State Arts Council, Louisiana Music Partners, Northeast Louisiana Arts Council, Louisiana Partnership for the Arts, and the United Way of Northeast Louisiana. She is a summa cum laude graduate from University of Louisiana Monroe and Louisiana State University.