Dana Barcellos-Allen joined CT Humanities as communications manager in 2023. She’s spent nearly three decades in communications, primarily at non-profits.  

A storyteller at heart, she began her career as a journalist, writing at locations like the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas and the March on Washington for Lesbian, Gay, and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation, one of the country’s largest rallies. She coordinated American Red Cross media relations, communicating from places of incredible chaos: the dusty shadow of the rubble of Ground Zero, the throng of thousands of Hurricane Katrina evacuees in the Astrodome, side by side with soldiers helping war-torn Kosovo refugees resettle into America.  

“For nearly my entire career, I have striven to work with organizations that have missions dedicated to affecting societal change and bettering the world around us, and I am incredibly excited to be part of CT Humanities and, by extension, the many organizations bringing the humanities to life in our state,” said Dana, who describes herself as “a deadline-addicted teller of tales who believes that communication is a crucial currency that makes or breaks any organization.”

Dana has a Master of Arts in creative writing from Sam Houston State University and earned Girl Scout’s highest honor, the Gold Award. She, her wife, young son, and four rescue pets spend their free time seeking out their next adventure to the tune of one of Dana’s obsessively curated playlists.