Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance Selects Tom Woodward as New Board Chair

January 5, 2011
Karim Olaechea
Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance
karimo@philaculture.org; 215-399-3518

PHILADELPHIA (January 6, 2010) – The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance has elected Tom Woodward as Chair of its Board of Directors. Woodward has served on the board for the past four years and previously served as Treasurer.

Woodward is the Pennsylvania state president at Bank of America, responsible for the bank’s business, civic and philanthropic leadership throughout Pennsylvania, with a focus on the Philadelphia market.

The Cultural Alliance is a valued resource for, not only the cultural community, but for the entire Greater Philadelphia region,” said Woodward. “I’m honored to have the chance to help the Cultural Alliance further promote and demonstrate the profound impact our very vibrant arts and culture sector continues to have on our region’s economic growth, vitality and quality of life.

A career banker, Woodward has spent 30 years in the commercial banking field working in the Philadelphia region. Woodward is a resident of Philadelphia and devotes a great deal of his free time to the arts and charitable and civic activities.  Woodward also serves on the boards of the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce, the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, and Philadelphia’s Committee of Seventy.  He also serves on the corporate advisory boards for the National Constitution Center, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Eisenhower Fellowships regional steering committee.

Five new board appointees were also announced:

• Laura Burnham, Executive Director, Abington Art Center
• Eric Fraint, President, Your Part Time Controller
• Gail Harrity, President, Philadelphia Museum of Art
• Amy Murphy, Managing Director, Arden Theatre
• Karen Simmons, Board Member, Greater Brandywine Cultural Alliance

Additionally David Devan, Opera Company of Philadelphia; Patricia Washington, GPTMC and Jennie Sikes, Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads were named Vice Chairs.

Other appointments included Treasurer: Michael Scolamiero, PA Ballet; and Secretary: Michael Norris. The previous Board Chair was Hal Real, World Café Live. (A full board list is at the end of the release). The Cultural Alliance President is Tom Kaiden.

Full Board List:
Officers:
Thomas C. Woodward, Chair; Pennsylvania State President, Bank of America
David B. Devan, Vice Chair; Executive Director, Opera Company of Philadelphia
Virginia Sikes, Esq., Vice Chair; Partner, Montgomery, McCracken, Walker & Rhoads
Patricia Washington, Vice Chair; Vice President of Cultural Tourism, Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation
Michael L. Norris, Secretary; Executive Director, Art-Reach
Michael Scolamiero, Treasurer; Executive Director, Pennsylvania Ballet Association

Additional Board Members:
Romona Riscoe Benson, President & CEO, The African American Museum in Philadelphia
Ingrid Bogel, Executive Director, Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts
Matthew Braun, Executive Director, Samuel S. Fleisher Art Memorial
Hon. Blondell Reynolds Brown, Ex Officio, Councilwoman At-Large, Philadelphia City Council
Sean Buffington, President & CEO, The University of the Arts
Laura Burnham, Executive Director, Abington Art Center
Hon. Robert Butera
Veronica Castillo-Perez, Executive Director, Raices Culturales Latinoamericanas
John D. Conaway, Senior Vice President, PNC
Kevin Dow, Chief Operating Officer, City of Philadelphia Department of Commerce
Hon. Dwight Evans, Ex Officio, Member, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Eric Fraint, President, Your Part-Time Controller
Valerie Gay, Director of Development and Alumni Affairs, Temple University
Jane Golden, Director, City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program
Juliet Goodfriend, President, Bryn Mawr Film Institute
Gail Harrity, President and Chief Operating Officer, Philadelphia Museum of Art
Steve Highsmith, Director of Community Relations, MyPHL17
Hon. James F. Kenney, Ex Officio, Councilman At-Large, Philadelphia City Council
Kelly Lee
Leslie Anne Miller, Esq.
Amy Murphy, Managing Director, Arden Theatre Company
Hal Real, Chair Emeritus; President, World Café Live
Kim Sajet, President & CEO, Historical Society of Pennsylvania
Karen Simmons, Fiscal Administrator, Greater Brandywine Cultural Alliance
Gary Steuer, Ex Officio, Chief Cultural Officer, City of Philadelphia
Nick Stuccio, Producing Director, Philadelphia Live Arts Festival & Philly Fringe
Ed Tettemer
James Undercofler, Professor, Drexel University

About Us
The Cultural Alliance’s mission is to make Greater Philadelphia one of the foremost creative regions in the world. The Cultural Alliance believes that Greater Philadelphia grows stronger and more vibrant by growing its arts and culture. The Alliance’s work promotes that mission through initiatives that leverage arts and culture to inspire individuals and build community and civic engagement. These efforts include connecting cultural resources to community needs; providing direct services for nonprofit cultural organizations; leading cultural research, advocacy and policy work; and producing direct marketing programs for cultural consumers.

The Cultural Alliance’s work reflects these key principles: Arts and culture is an engine for economic growth.  It has the power to elevate lives.  It has the power to educate.  We own it, as residents of the Greater Philadelphia region, because it comes from us.  It helps individuals come together and grow as a community.

Attachments:
Headshot of Tom Woodward
Headshot of Eric Fraint