James Ryan Jillson

James Ryan Jillson is a musician turned arts executive with a passion for helping cultural institutions develop strategy, navigate change, build audiences and strengthen revenue.

Jillson serves as the Vice President of Marketing, Communications, and Guest Services at the Dallas Symphony Orchestra (DSO), one of the country’s premier music ensembles and presenters. There, he leads efforts to expand audiences, grow earned revenue streams, provide exceptional patron experiences, and strengthen the DSO’s brand. He previously led the DSO’s new Analytics team, created to leverage data strategy, patron journey mapping, and audience and donor insights to support the organization’s growth objectives.

Additionally, Jillson teaches as part of the M.A./MBA Arts Management program at SMU Meadows School of the Arts and as part of the TACA (The Arts Community Alliance) Arts Accelerator for emerging cultural organizations. In recent years, Jillson has led workshops and presented research on arts marketing and fundraising at industry conferences and for arts service organizations nationally and internationally.

Jillson has previously served in marketing, communications and development leadership roles at TACA and the Nasher Sculpture Center. At the Nasher, a nonprofit modern and contemporary art museum, Jillson led the team in achieving record growth in revenue, programming and engagement. He has also previously served as a grants panelist for the City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture and for the Texas Commission on the Arts.