Valerie Gay

Val Gay is Philadelphia’s Chief Cultural Officer and the Executive Director of Creative Philadelphia, where she helps shape the city’s artistic life and supports the people who power it. She’s a nonprofit leader, performing and recording artist, and creative collaborator who moves comfortably between boardrooms, classrooms, and rehearsal studios.

Before stepping into city leadership, Val built a career that blended finance, higher education, and the arts. She held key roles at PNC Advisors, Art Sanctuary, Temple University, and the Barnes Foundation. Her projects have earned support from the Leeway Foundation, Black Music City, and Philadelphia Cultural Treasures.

What drives her is simple: a belief that creativity and community make each other stronger. Val continues to build spaces where both can grow. She holds music degrees from Temple University and the University of the Arts.