Executive Biography

Nanci Decker has spent more than 25 years building and leading Cypress Creek Foundation for the Arts and Community Enrichment (FACE), guiding its growth from a young organization into a stable, community-centered performing arts nonprofit. Her career reflects a blend of practical leadership, creative problem-solving, and a deep belief in the value of accessible arts experiences for the community.

Nanci began her professional life in environmental and print graphic design, working with Fuller, Dyal & Stamper in Austin and later Douglas Gallagher Design in Houston. Her early projects included interpretive and wayfinding work such as wayside guides for Kenai National Park. She later moved into national and regional marketing roles at ADVO Creative Services and Randalls Food Markets, where she managed design teams and advertising operations—experience that would later prove invaluable in the nonprofit world.

In 2000, Nanci joined Cypress Creek Foundation for the Arts and Community Enrichment (FACE) during the organization’s fourth season. While she brought strong management, marketing, and design skills to the role, she stepped into the position knowing she still had much to learn about running a performing arts nonprofit. She sought out that knowledge deliberately—working closely with the organization’s co-founder and artistic director, engaging with the Texas Commission on the Arts and the Cultural Arts Council of Houston/Harris County, and immersing herself in professional development through the Southwest Performing Arts Presenters consortium and regional conferences. By 2003, she was fully leading the organization with confidence and clarity.

Under Nanci’s leadership, FACE grew from presenting 11 concerts annually across three targeted series to offering 26 performances each season, including a Family Series and the Summer Strings Orchestra Camp that Nanci created and launched with Klein ISD. She has overseen all aspects of the organization’s operations, including artistic programming, artist contracting and negotiations, budgeting and financial management, staffing, marketing, and publicity.

Nanci has also played a central role in community-wide arts initiatives such as Klein Art Day, which served more than 3,500 Klein ISD third-grade students each year, and CreekFest, a two-day community arts festival within the Cypress Creek Cultural District.

Throughout her tenure, Nanci has guided FACE through significant challenges, including Hurricane Harvey and the COVID-19 pandemic—relocating operations, securing alternative venues, transitioning performances online, and ensuring continued support for artists and audiences alike.

Drawing on her design background, Nanci personally produced all of FACE’s visual identity and marketing materials, from season brochures and concert programs to fundraising and gala collateral. She is known for building sustainable programs, strengthening community partnerships, and leading with both pragmatism and heart.