UCSB Arts & Lectures Miller McCune Executive Director Meghan Bush. Courtesy photo.
SANTA BARBARA —Following a rigorous national search, Meghan Bush has been appointed the new Miller McCune Executive Director of UCSB Arts & Lectures, effective June 30, 2025. Bush brings two decades of dedicated service to Arts & Lectures and a proven record of creative leadership, operational excellence, and deep commitment to the role of the arts in public life.
In accepting the new role, Bush said that she is “honored to succeed my mentor, Celesta Billeci, as the Miller McCune Executive Director. Having worked closely with Celesta, the Arts & Lectures Council, and our dedicated team for many years, I look forward to building on our shared legacy and supporting Arts & Lectures’ continued growth and flourishing.”
Bush currently serves as Associate Director of UCSB Arts & Lectures, where she oversees Marketing & Communications, Education & Community Engagement, and Finance & Operations. Under her leadership, the organization has enhanced its national profile, increased revenue through strategic communications, and expanded access to free masterclasses and enrichment programs serving over 25,000 students and community members annually.
In a campus-wide announcement issued Wednesday, UCSB Executive Vice Chancellor David Marshall said that he is “pleased to announce that following a rigorous national recruitment, Meghan Bush has been appointed as the next Miller McCune Executive Director for Arts & Lectures, beginning on June 30th.” Additionally Marshall thanked Celesta M. Billeci, the outgoing Miller McCune Executive Director, for “25 years of dedicated service to the campus and the community,” adding that “Arts & Lectures just announced its 2025-26 season, and it is a testament to the outstanding programming that has made A&L nationally prominent and has enriched both campus and community. We look forward to the next chapter of A&L’s history under Meghan Bush’s leadership.”
Since joining the organization in 2004, Bush has held roles including Senior Writer / Publicist, Director of Marketing & Communications, and Associate Director. She has led Arts & Lectures’ brand development, programming strategy, and financial stewardship through a period of significant growth, co-curating more than 100 public events each year and stewarding critical relationships with donors, artists, and community partners.
Bush is a UC Berkeley graduate with a background in English and Performance Studies. She currently serves on the board of Western Arts Alliance and chairs its Membership & Communications Committee. A passionate advocate for arts accessibility, creative communication, and public engagement, Bush is known for her collaborative leadership and commitment to community impact.
ABOUT UCSB ARTS & LECTURES
The 2025-2026 season marks UCSB Arts & Lectures’ 66th year of bringing unique, world-class performances, films and lectures to Central Coast and campus audiences. With a mission to “educate, entertain and inspire,” Arts & Lectures is the largest performing arts and public lectures presenter between San Francisco and Los Angeles, beloved by audiences for its award-winning, diverse and innovative programming that deeply enriches lives and extends the intellectual life of the community beyond the classroom.
Arts & Lectures’ award-winning Access for ALL educational outreach programs provide rare opportunities for students to meet and learn from visiting artists and speakers. In the 2025-26 season, most of the speakers and performers will participate in master classes, lecture-demonstrations, open rehearsals and classroom discussions at UCSB and in the community.
Through ¡Viva el Arte de Santa Bárbara!, Arts & Lectures’ nationally-recognized community program, A&L provides free public performances featuring international talents and arts education to underserved populations throughout Santa Barbara County. In 2011 the program received the prestigious APAP/MetLife Arts Access Award for “engaging underserved communities.”