Betsie Becker Named Executive Director of Berklee NYC

Betsie Becker Named Executive Director of Berklee NYC A veteran arts and education leader, Becker brings a strategic vision for academic innovation and community partnership to Berklee's New York City campus.

June 3, 2025

Image by Ryan Nava

Betsie Becker has been appointed executive director of Berklee NYC, effective immediately, following her service as interim executive director since August 2024 and acting executive director since September 2023.

Over the past two years, Becker has demonstrated visionary leadership and a steadfast commitment to innovation, driving growth and expanding Berklee NYC's role within the broader Berklee ecosystem. During her interim leadership, she oversaw the creation of a new associate dean position, filled by Merrily James, program director for Songwriting and Production; the appointment of Daniel Pembroke as program director for Live Music Production and Design; and the expansion of community engagement through partnerships with New York City Public Schools, Carnegie Hall's B-Side program, and the Fashion Institute of Technology.

Betsie has played an instrumental role in shaping a bold, forward-looking vision for Berklee's engagement in New York City, said David Bogen, Berklee's executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. Her strategic insight, collaborative spirit, and deep experience in higher education and the arts make her the ideal leader for this next chapter at Berklee NYC.

Becker joined Berklee in 2019 as assistant vice president for global program development, providing strategic leadership across campuses in Boston, Valencia, New York, and Abu Dhabi. She also co-led the Emerging Issues Task Force, guiding Berklee's early response to the COVID-19 pandemic and helping to establish new models for remote and hybrid learning.

Prior to Berklee, Becker served as managing director of global K-12 programs at Juilliard, executive director of Decoda, and a founding administrator of Ensemble Connect, a collaboration between Carnegie Hall, Juilliard, and the New York City Department of Education. She holds a Bachelor of Music in voice from Indiana University Bloomington and a master's degree in organizational leadership from the University of Colorado Boulder.

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