Biden Nominates Orange County Native To Council On The Arts

ORANGE COUNTY, CA — Former Orange County resident Christopher Morgan this week was nominated to serve as a member of the National Council on the Arts by President Joe Biden.

Morgan, who was born in Orange County, is a choreographer, educator, facilitator, curator, and arts administrator, the White House said in a news release on Wednesday.

He is described as a "thoughtful advocate for cultural integrity, inclusivity, and diverse representation in the studio and on stage," the release reads, in part. "His Native Hawaiian ancestry and wide-ranging international performance career influence all aspects of his work."

Morgan serves as Executive Artistic Director of Dance Place in Washington, D.C., and he has directed Art Omi: Dance since 2006. The latter is a collaborative residency for choreographers.

According to the release, Morgan serves on the board of National Performance Network and is a member of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals’ Equitable Partnership Working Group. He's also on the Association of Performing Arts Professionals 2022 Conference Planning Committee.

Morgan now lives in Maryland with his husband, opera director Kyle Lang.

"Frequently sought as a speaker and grants reviewer, he has been at the forefront of national discussions on equity in the arts," the release reads.

Morgan is among 17 people nominated to serve in key positions this week. The full list of nominees is available below:

• Michael Carpenter, Nominee for U.S. Representative to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), with rank of Ambassador
• Claire Cronin, Nominee for Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ireland
• Jack Markell, Nominee for Representative of the United States of America to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, with rank of Ambassador
• Cindy Hensley McCain, Nominee for U.S. Representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture, with rank of Ambassador
• Homer Wilkes, Nominee for Under Secretary for Natural Resources and the Environment, Department of Agriculture
• Raymond Limon, Nominee for Vice Chair of the Merit Systems Protection Board of Directors
• Max Vekich, Nominee for Member of the Federal Maritime Commission
• Stacey Brandenburg, Nominee for Trustee of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation
• Robert Garcia, Nominee for Trustee of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation
• Kamilah Forbes, Nominee for Member of the National Council on the Arts
• Christopher Morgan, Nominee for Member of the National Council on the Arts
• Ismael Ahmed, Nominee for Member of the National Council on the Arts
• Kinan Azmeh, Nominee for Member of the National Council on the Arts
• Huascar Medina, Nominee for Member of the National Council on the Arts
• Jake Shimabukuro, Nominee for Member of the National Council on the Arts
• Constance Williams, Nominee for Member of the National Council on the Arts
• Fiona Whelan Prine, Nominee for Member of the National Council on the Arts