David Barocio

Born in Los Angeles, I began my early dance training with Anaheim Ballet, eventually earning scholarships to train at San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, Los Angeles Classical Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre. My professional career began with Eugene Ballet before I joined Oklahoma City Ballet in 2008. In 2011, I had the privilege of performing with Amy Seiwert’s Imagery and the National Choreographers Initiative, alongside a robust freelance career that took me to stages across the United States, France, and South America.

Following a career-ending injury in 2012, I transitioned to the administrative side of the arts by joining the Oklahoma City Ballet development team. I rose through the ranks there, ultimately serving as Operations Manager in 2017.

In 2018, I joined the University of Oklahoma Foundation as the Executive Director of Advancement for Fine Arts. Leading a dedicated team, I focused on securing sustainable, transformational support for the University’s students, faculty, and arts programs. During my tenure, I helped more than triple the five-year average of contributed revenue, generated over $20M in direct support, and played a key role in expanding our development capacity.

Today, I serve as the Senior Director of Principal Gifts at the University of Oklahoma Foundation, where I continue to secure vital philanthropic support for the University. To date, I have raised an additional $25M in this role, bringing my total fundraising impact at the Foundation to more than $50M.

I am a proud graduate of the University of Oklahoma, where I earned both a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet Performance and a Master of Business Administration. My commitment to the field has been recognized with the Million Maker Award from the OU Foundation and, in 2022, I was honored to be named the Outstanding Fundraising Professional in Oklahoma by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.