Kara Medoff Barnett

Medoff began working at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts during her last year at Harvard Business School through the HBS Leadership Fellows program, a program dedicated to connect graduating MBA students with nonprofit and public-sector arts organizations.^[9] After her fellowship year, Medoff remained at Lincoln Center, and worked as senior director of Lincoln Center's capital campaign and director of strategy and business development. In 2012 she was appointed as the managing director of Lincoln Center International, advising international clients on planning, building, and managing arts facilities. While serving as managing director, Medoff established advisory councils in China and Latin America on behalf of the Lincoln Center and welcomed foreign dignitaries including the Vice Premier and First Lady of China to the Center in New York City. In 2015, Medoff lead the launch of the Lincoln Center Global Exchange, a gathering of international leaders of various industries focused on exploring what roles art and culture play in facing critical challenges across the globe.^[10]

Medoff was a founding producer and board member of Ars Nova, an Off-Broadway theatre production company based in Hell's Kitchen, Manhattan. She produced theatre for Broadway and Off-Broadway, including the 2003 play Modern Orthodox.^[11] In 2003, at the 57th Tony Awards, she received a Tony Award for best revival of a play as an associate producer of Long Day's Journey into Night .^[2] She served on the advisory committee of the American Theatre Wing, which created and produces the Tony Awards.

She is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a member of the Class of 2015 Henry Crown Fellows at the Aspen Institute. She was named "40 Under 40" by Crain's New York Business in 2014.^[10]

On January 13, 2016, Medoff was appointed the executive director of American Ballet Theatre, working alongside Artistic Director Kevin McKenzie.^[12] On February 16, 2016, Barnett assumed the position officially, succeeding Rachel S. Moore.^[13][14][2] McKenzie and Barnett announced their departures from ABT in 2021.^[15]

After leaving American Ballet Theatre, Medoff served as head of communications and social impact, as senior vice president of marketing and communications, and as managing director of the Foundation at First Republic.^[16] In 2023, she joined the General Atlantic Foundation as managing director.^[16]

On August 20, 2006, Medoff married Dov Mayer Barnett, a senior analyst for a New York real estate firm, in a Jewish ceremony at Aspen Mountain's Little Nell Resort in Aspen, Colorado.^[11] They have three children and live in New York.^[17][18]