Gina Duncan is the president of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, or BAM. For more than 150 years, the multi-arts complex has been at the center of Brooklyn’s cultural scene.

“I love being back here more than being in the audience, being in production. I’m used to watching from the sidelines as compared to in the seats,” Duncan said when asked what being on the stage makes her feel like.

The Opera House is just one of several BAM performance spaces that showcases both emerging artists and masters of dance, music, visual arts, theater and film.

“This building was built in 1908. At that time there were a lot of balls and dances, with their little dance cards,” Duncan said.

Duncan’s long list of accomplishments includes overseeing BAM’s Rose Cinemas, its film program and formerly holding the title of vice president of film and strategic programming. Duncan was asked what it feels like to be the president after wearing all her various hats.

“Really surreal still, to be quite frank. I came to BAM in 2017 to run the film program and at that time, that was my first big executive role," she said.

Duncan has won an Emmy for her work on HBO’s “Inside the NFL,” and she was producing director at the Sundance Film Festival.

“When I left to go to Sundance and work there at the festival, I think I was there for about 18 months. I started to really think about what I wanted to be as a leader, how I wanted to show up. I had never really considered myself a leader before. I always considered myself as the person who got things done,” Duncan said.

Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified Duncan’s title at BAM.