Mr Choo Thiam Siew is the President of Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts (NAFA), a leading arts institution established in 1938.  It has expanded in the region and now plays an important role in the development of the Singapore art scene. NAFA aims to be a “World-Class Institution” and to achieve this, NAFA commits to providing excellent arts education and training for the region’s young budding artists.

Prior to this, Mr Choo was the Chief Executive Officer of the National Arts Council, Singapore from 1997 to 2003.  The Council is responsible for furthering Singapore's goal as a global city of the arts.  It does this by concentrating on the development of artists, audience, arts programmes, design and the creative industries.  His leadership resulted in a much higher profile for the Council.

He first entered public service with the then Parks & Recreation Department in 1976, and was the Deputy Commissioner till 1995, and later the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the National Parks Board.  He played a pivotal role in shaping Singapore into a garden city.

Mr Choo is a keen enthusiast of both eastern and western classical music, paintings, Chinese calligraphy, Chinese classical poetry and antiques.

OTHER APPOINTMENTS

• Director of the Singapore Symphonia Company Limited
• Director of the Singapore Chinese Orchestra Company Limited
• Director of the Singapore Arts School Limited
• Independent Director of the Composers And Authors Society of Singapore  Limited (COMPASS)
• Vice Chairman of the MICA Broadcast/ Publication/ Arts Appeal Committee
• Member of the MICA GPC Resource Panel
• Member of the Executive Committee for Interactive and Digital Media of the National Research Foundation
• Member of the Land Transport Authority Art Review Panel
• Member of the Promote Mandarin Council
• 中华语言文化基金遴选委员会委员
• 新加坡报业控股华文报咨询团成员
• Honorary Fellow of Institute of Parks & Recreation
• Member of the Chou Sing Chu Foundation (Popular Holdings Ltd)
• Director of the Asia Theatre Education Centre, China       
• 丁晓燕阮族协会顾问
• 湘灵音乐协会艺术顾问
• 全球汉诗学会会长
• 心海书法协会主席
• 狮城书法篆刻会会务顾问
• 新加坡厦门公会艺术顾问
• 亚洲艺术家杂志顾问
• 居銮中华中学吴东土文物管委员会艺术顾问（马来西亚 ）