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NEA Discipline Directors

photo of Pennie Ojeda  

 

Pennie Ojeda
Director, International Activities

 

Photo by Kevin Allen

Ms. Ojeda has been involved in international work at the National Endowment for the Arts since 1991. Currently, she is Director of International Activities with responsibility for developing and managing international initiatives in cooperation with other government agencies or private institutions. Among the NEA's primary international activities are Big Read partnerships with Russia and Egypt and International Literary Exchanges with Mexico, Northern Ireland, Pakistan, and Russia. Additional partnerships involve programs with Russia, Japan, Central Europe, Eurasia and countries of the European Union.

Ms. Ojeda has been a part of the NEA staff for more than 20 years and has served in other positions, including Senior Assistant to the Deputy Chairman for Programs and Acting Director for Multidisciplinary and International Projects. She has managed the grant review process for a broad range of multidisciplinary and international arts projects and worked in program development related to community based arts organizations and international exchange programs.

Before joining the Arts Endowment, Ms. Ojeda was on the staff of the Peace Corps in Washington, DC. She served as Desk Officer for the Africa Region and subsequently as an agency Planning Officer covering programs in all regions. She was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Brazil working in community development and education. Ms. Ojeda has a BA from Chatham College in art history and Spanish literature.