The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance Expands Staff to Meet Strategic Goals

November 29, 2023 (Philadelphia)—The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance has recently established a new External Relations department, meeting a significant milestone for the organization set by Patricia Wilson Aden, President and CEO. The Cultural Alliance has evolved since its founding in 1972, and this latest change to staffing reflects the organization’s focus on development, communications, membership, and marketing to better serve the arts and culture sector. 

In October 2023, Bethany Chisholm was selected to lead the department as the Vice President of External Relations. Chisholm brings over a decade of fund development experience in Philadelphia nonprofits, most recently as the Director of Development at the Rosenbach Museum & Library, a rare book library and museum located in Rittenhouse Square. 

“This is a crucial time for the arts in Philadelphia and Bethany’s depth of experience across the sector is exactly what the Cultural Alliance needs at this moment,” says Patricia Wilson Aden. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Boston, Chisholm has also held roles at the Philadelphia Parks Alliance, Girls Inc. of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, and the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. She currently serves as a board member of the Conservation Center of Art and Historic Artifacts, and previously served as the president of Neighbors Investing in Childs Elementary in Point Breeze and as Development Chair and Vice President of Young Involved Philadelphia, a civic engagement nonprofit.

Building out the External Relations department is Rosa Doherty, the Director of Strategic Communications, and Paris Gramman, the External Relations Manager. Hired in September 2023, Doherty’s career has been spent in nonprofits across the Philadelphia region, having held roles at Darlington Arts Center, the National Liberty Museum, and most recently, as the Rosenbach Museum & Library’s Manager of Communications and Marketing for five years. Gramann has worked as a contractor with the Cultural Alliance since 2017 and joined in September as a full-time staff member to support the new department. 

Since joining in as President and CEO 2021, Aden has focused on building the operational strength of the Cultural Alliance while assessing the services provided to best serve Philadelphia’s arts and culture sector. To work towards the goal of building a strong financial foundation, Sarah Christy was hired in October 2022 as the Vice President of Finance & Operations. Christy most recently served as Chief Operating Officer of International House Philadelphia and is currently the Treasurer of the Board of Directors of cinéSPEAK. In her first year, Christy has shored up the organization’s fiscal management and operational standards to ensure a strong and steady future for the Cultural Alliance. 

The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance has served the arts, culture, and humanities sector for more than fifty years and continues to evolve to meet the needs of the rapidly changing industry.

About Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance

Established in 1972, the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance is the region’s leading arts and cultural advocacy, research, and marketing organization. Our mission is to “lead, strengthen and amplify the voices of a cultural community that ignites creativity, inspires people and is essential for a healthy region.” Our membership includes more than 450 organizations ranging from museums and dance companies to community art centers, historic sites, music ensembles and zoos. For more information on the Cultural Alliance, please visit philaculture.org.