Biography
For over 25 years, Nancy Giles has dedicated herself to supporting the performing arts, making a significant impact by raising hundreds of millions of dollars to benefit the community. Currently serving as the Senior Director of Development for the Shepherd School of Music, she oversees all fundraising activities. Under her guidance, the development team has expanded to three members and substantially increased contributed support. Her leadership has driven the growth of the fundraising program, which now features an expanded Shepherd Society including an Annual Fund campaign for unrestricted funds, a planned giving initiative, a seat campaign, and expanding endowment support. A standout achievement was the highly successful 50th Anniversary Gala celebrated in the fall of 2025.
Before her role at the Shepherd School, Nancy spent over 15 years at the Houston Symphony—including 5 years as Chief Development Officer—where she consistently achieved double-digit growth in contributed revenue and pioneered the use of predictive modeling and data analytics within the performing arts. She also served as the Chief Development Officer for the Alley Theatre, where she managed the capital campaign to renovate the landmark theatre and doubled its annual operational support. Nancy’s first leadership role was at the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. That position positioned her for future success in Houston and a career in the arts.