Job Title: Associate Director of Development

 

Job Responsibilities: I work primarily with our Director of Development, Kelli Paul, and together we develop and implement strategies to meet our contributed income goals through major and individual giving, grant writing and reporting and corporate sponsorships. That means that on any given day, I could be drafting a letter to supporters, finishing a grant report or thinking through ways to keep our corporate sponsors engaged. The beauty of working in Development is that no two days are exactly alike.

 

Degrees/certificates: As of December 2016, I have a M.S. in Museum Leadership from Drexel University. I also have a B.A. in Anthropology (with a concentration in Cultural Anthropology) from the University of Pennsylvania.

 

Past experience working in arts and culture: I’m lucky to have worked in many different realms of the arts and culture sector. When I was in college, I worked in the Archives of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology and shortly after college; I began working in the Public Services department of the Presbyterian Historical Society (the position I held before joining the Cultural Alliance staff).

As a part of my graduate school experience, I helped to develop programs and events in the Education Department of the Academy of Natural Sciences and during the summer of 2016, I worked in the Public Information Department of WHYY where I learned all about communication and media relations in the sector.

 

Favorite thing about working at the Cultural Alliance (so far): I love how close knit the staff is and how passionate everyone is about their work. It’s truly amazing to work with so many people who are just as dedicated and passionate about arts and culture in Philadelphia! 

 

Favorite cultural institutions/attractions/events: That’s a tough one! Philly has so many incredible museums, venues and events but if I had to choose a favorite cultural event, it would have to be concerts. There’s nothing like seeing your favorite band in a tiny Philly venue. Some of my favorite venues in the city include Boot & Saddle, the Trocadero, Union Transfer and the TLA.

 

In terms of cultural institutions, I may be a little biased, but I think the Penn Museum is one of the most magical places in the city. Another one of my favorites is the Woodmere Art Museum (in Chestnut Hill), which has an incredible collection and some of the best programming and events in the city.

 

A fun fact about yourself: I’m somewhat of a fitness enthusiast and I love challenging myself with different types of workouts and styles of training. My goal this year is to try Barre and CrossFit!