Tom DeCaigny

​​​Tom DeCaigny serves as a Program Officer in Performing Arts with the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, where he manages a diverse portfolio of grants that support communities, artists, and youth throughout the Bay Area, with a particular focus on arts education policy and advocacy. Most recently, he served as the executive director of Create CA, a statewide organization that ensures every California student receives a quality arts education. Previously, he was executive director of the California Alliance for Arts Education, which merged with Create CA in 2021. Additionally, Mr. DeCaigny served in San Francisco Mayor London Breed's administration as the Director of Cultural Affairs at the San Francisco Arts Commission where he oversaw a city department with an annual budget of $42 million. He has over 20 years of experience in the fields of arts and culture as well as youth development and education, having helped found an arts middle school for youth in the juvenile justice system; managed the AIDS Memorial Quilt’s National Youth Education Program; conducted research for the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy; and helped marginalized young people develop critical thinking, creative expression, and essential learning skills through the arts as Executive Director of Performing Arts Workshop. He serves as a board member on our CDE’s Governing Board. Mr. DeCaigny earned a B.A. in dramatic arts and directing from Macalester College.​​