Cynthia Harnisch Breunig joined Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio as the new Chief Executive Officer for our Council in August 2011.
For the past 13 years, Cynthia has been President and CEO of Inner-City Arts in Los Angeles, a non-profit center providing art instruction to 10,000 children in the heart of Skid Row. During the school day, after school and on weekends, elementary, middle and high school students come to Inner-City Arts to work with professional teaching artists in well-equipped studios, receiving hands-on instruction in a range of subject areas within the visual, performing and media arts. By providing access to the arts and the endless possibilities they offer, the center measurably improves academic and personal outcomes for children and youth, including those with limited English proficiency who are at risk of academic failure.
During her administration, Cynthia achieved her goal of making arts instruction accessible to more children, guiding Inner-City Arts through a period of rapid growth and national recognition, including completion of its award-winning campus.
Prior to being with Inner-City Arts, Cynthia was vice president of the Autry National Center and a member of the executive team that opened the Center. Previously she worked for the Arizona Historical Society and the University of Arizona Museum of Art. She has worked extensively with high-poverty children and adults in both urban and rural settings.
Cynthia attended Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business Executive Education Program and the Getty’s Museum Leadership Institute. She holds advanced degrees in Museum Studies and Education Administration and an undergraduate degree in Art History.
In 2010, Cynthia was named a Community Champion by the Annenberg Foundation. She is a member of several boards and advisory committees, including Arts for LA, Los Angeles Central Providers, Newton Division Community/Police, Para los Niños, and The Ryman Program for Young Artists. Cynthia is a member of Art Table and is past president of the Museum Educators of Southern California.
Cynthia Harnisch Breunig
