Anna Cross began her career as an Event Manager at the UCLA Center for the Performing Arts before going on to lead municipal performing arts centers. She is currently the Cultural Arts Manager for the City of Tracy in Northern California where she oversees the Grand Theatre Center for the Arts which is made up of a historic 547 seat theatre, a black box studio, eight arts education studios and three exhibition galleries. Anna oversees all Cultural Arts programs and initiatives for the City Manager’s Cultural Arts Division which includes oversight of the Tracy Arts Commission, the Grand Foundation (a 501c3 fundraising partner), and the Civic Art/Public Art program.

Her annual programmatic work includes presenting over 60 performances, over five professional visual art exhibitions, and nearly 600 arts education classes in a variety of disciplines. Her work focuses on listening to and engaging both existing and new communities by creating space for arts programs that provide resources and serve the community’s interests. Working in a municipal setting has allowed her to affect policy that achieves measurable results and demonstrates how the arts are a catalyst for social change and economic development.

Anna has served as a grant review panelist for the California Arts Council and the LA County Arts Commission. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for California Presenters, Leela Dance Collective, Nevenka Folk Ensemble, and is an Advisory Council Member for Clazzical Notes – creating programs that foster community understanding across cultures, genres, and generations.