On December 3, 2025, Mitch Menchaca was appointed President and CEO of the Greater Columbus Arts Council (GCAC). A fierce advocate for the arts, an innovative fundraiser, and a philanthropic leader, Mitch has served in executive arts leadership roles across the country.

Before joining GCAC, Mitch served as the Arts and Culture Director for the City of Phoenix, where he oversaw the city’s award-winning public art program, managed several cultural facilities, and administered multiple grant programs for artists and arts organizations. Mitch also supervised the city’s Youth and Education Office, Archaeology Office and Museum, and served as interim director of the Phoenix Public Library.

During his tenure, the City of Phoenix supported the arts and culture sector with over $12 million in COVID-19 relief funds through various grantmaking, capacity-building, and workforce development programs. As one of eight cities selected to receive a $1 million grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Public Art Challenge, Phoenix created ¡Sombra! Experiments in Shade, an innovative public art project that addresses extreme urban heat in the city. Mitch also approved $50 million in General Obligation Bond funds for arts and culture projects from the larger $500 million bond program and funded more than $20 million in public art projects.

An Arizona native, Mitch relocated from Phoenix to Washington, D.C., in 2009 to lead the Local Arts Advancement Department at Americans for the Arts, where he guided a team of professionals serving and advancing the nation’s 4,500 local arts agencies, including GCAC. He has also held leadership roles at the Association of California Symphony Orchestras, Chorus America, and the Arizona Commission on the Arts.

Mitch is the past vice-chair of Latinos Lead in Los Angeles, served on the board of directors for DataArts (formerly the Cultural Data Project), and was a board member of the Arizona Community Foundation and the Phoenix Public Library Foundation. Additionally, he served as the governor-appointed arts and culture co-chair for the Arizona-Mexico Commission.

Mitch is currently a board member for the League of American Orchestras. He was honored with the 2024 Leader of the Year Award in Public Policy by the Arizona Capitol Times and received the 2025 Employee Excellence Award from the City of Phoenix.

Mitch holds a bachelor’s degree in liberal studies and a master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from Arizona State University.