She practiced law in the Tampa Bay area for more than 30 years.

ST. PETERSBURG – The Warehouse Arts District Association has appointed Diane Bailey Morton as its new executive director.

The decision by the WADA board of directors, was unanimous.

“Diane is a true community leader. She has had a stellar professional career and has been very supportive of the arts community in both service and philanthropy. We are fortunate to be able to hire and executive director now that we would hope to have been able to hire 5 years from now. Needless to say, we are thrilled to have her on board,” WADA President Mark Aeling said.

Morton has practiced law in the Tampa Bay Area for more than 30 years. She began her career as an assistant state attorney handling high profile felony cases. She opened her own trial practice in St. Petersburg and handled labor and employment cases. She served as general counsel of the Tampa Police Benevolent Association and the Tampa Firefighters. She was named general counsel to C1 Bank and guided the bank through the successful merger with Bank of the Ozarks.

“I have known Diane for many years. Diane has a true love of the arts and is a consummate professional in all the tasks she undertakes. We are lucky to have her and are excited about her advancing the mission of the Warehouse Arts District,” says Rob Kapusta, WADA vice president.

Morton is a fixture in the local arts community having served more than 20 years on the board of trustees of American Stage. She and her family sponsored all 10 years of the August Wilson Century Cycle at American Stage. She served on the International Relations Commission for the city of St. Petersburg which included being a homestay parent for exchange students from Takamatsu, Japan. Morton has sponsored numerous theater productions for the Studio@620, Stageworks and FreeFall theatre. She served on the boards of Great Explorations, USF Alumni Association and the Florida Bar Grievance Committee.

“This position combines my love of community with my love of the arts,” Morton said. “I am looking forward to putting my business experience to work for the whole district.  What WADA has created is nothing short of remarkable and I am excited about helping the organization reach its ambitious goals.”

The Warehouse Arts District Association is a 501(c)3 non-profit arts organization dedicated to building and sustaining a vibrant arts community in St. Petersburg that supports the success of all artists and the community at large through a broad spectrum of tools, including community revitalization, marketing, advocacy and educational programming within the Warehouse Arts District.

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