Bernie Griffin

Consultant

Bernie’s career in service to the arts and cultural sector is a testament to her exceptional talent and dedication, spanning nearly 40 years. In July of 2023, she retired from a 21-year career at The 5th Avenue in Seattle, where she held significant roles and achieved remarkable milestones. Bernie joined The 5th in 2002 as Director of Theater Advancement and Development. In 2010, she was appointed Managing Director and oversaw the administrative, marketing, fundraising, information services, facility departments, external affairs, and Board-related activities. During her tenure, The 5th Avenue grew from a $10 million to a $30 million organization. Before The 5th Avenue, she served as Director of Development for the Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles and The Laguna Playhouse in Laguna Beach, CA. Before moving to California, she served at the Seattle Symphony, where she was proud to have been part of the team that built Benaroya Hall. In addition to the Symphony, Griffin worked for the Tony Award-winning Seattle Repertory Theatre and Tony Randall’s National Actors Theatre in New York.

She began her career at the University of Denver. She received her Bachelor of Arts from St. Martin’s University in Lacey, WA, and was born and raised in Walla Walla, WA. She is a member of Theater Communications Group and the National Alliance for Musical Theatre. She is an executive committee board member of the Downtown Seattle Association and serves on the Washington State Cultural Alliance. She has also served as a grants panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts. Griffin was named one of the Puget Sound Business Journal’s 2013 Women of Influence. She was awarded a Doctor of Humane Letters in May 2023 from Cornish College of the Arts. In July 2023, King County Executive Dow Constantine recognized her with a King County Proclamation. She is married to award-winning actor Seán G. Griffin.

In addition to serving as Managing Director Emeritus and Senior Advisor of The 5th Avenue Theatre, she serves as the Interim VP of Development at The Segerstrom Center for The Arts in Costa Mesa and advises The 4th Act. She is proud to be a board member at The Ogunquit Playhouse.