With a wealth of administrative and musical skills to draw from, Nixon is involved in every aspect of PCM’s business and has been instrumental in continued program growth and curriculum development. Under her leadership, the organization has grown, developed significant community partnerships, and has been honored with numerous awards including the 2015 Arizona Governor’s Arts Organization Award, the 2017 Mayor’s Arts Award, and the 2017 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award from the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities through the National Endowment of the Arts.

Nixon attended Arizona State University’s School of Music, Honors Program; the Music Theatre Program as a recipient of The Barbara Long Opera Award; and Glendale Community College’s Music Studies Program. Nationally, she completed training from the Center for Music and Young Children in Princeton, NJ; she also holds several professional certifications from the Berklee College of Music’s Berklee City Music Network (BCMN) where she is also part of an elite group of PULSE instructors chosen for regional and national training presentations. In 2016, Nixon received BCMN’s Distinguished Service Award for Sustained Leadership.

Nixon served as an Arts and Culture Commissioner for the City of Phoenix, Arts Learning and Advocacy Committees (2013-2018); she was Vice Chair for the Phoenix Arts Commission in 2018 and then chaired the Commission from 2019-2020.

Nixon’s Fellowship will include leadership training specific to leading for organizational impact, innovation, scalability, and motivating teams. She will work with an executive coach as well as participate in best practices via site visits at the Music Settlement and the Lincoln Center among other groups that are centered on expanding the continuum of youth development programs through deep early childhood learning. Nixon will also explore workforce development specific to music and music education with a focus on effective and efficient scalability.