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Stephanie Fortunato joined GCDN as Director, Special Projects in 2022. In this role, she focuses on supporting the activities, management, and development of the network – and oversees the delivery of special research and membership projects.Stephanie has been active in  the network since 2017, representing the City of Providence – and more recently as a co-host of GCDN’s podcast The Three Bells.Stephanie’s approach is informed by her experience within city government, where she served as Director of Art, Culture & Tourism for Providence, working at the intersection of cultural planning and community development. Throughout her career, she has collaborated with local communities to co-create arts-based policies, programs and partnerships designed to strengthen neighborhoods and transform public spaces. Her experience covers arts administration, public art, festivals, commemorative works, cultural planning, policymaking, community cultural development, creative economic development, public humanities, cross-sector partnerships, and creative placemaking.In 2018, Stephanie received the Mary Brennan Tourism Award from the RI Hospitality Association. She has presented for the National Endowment for the Arts, ArtPlace America, and Local Initiatives Support Corporation, and is a regular guest lecturer at universities and colleges. Stephanie is on the advisory committee for the New England Foundation for the Arts. She received her M.A. in public humanities from Brown University and a B.A. from Providence College.