Partnering with Community Foundations to Strengthen Arts Recovery

Katie Allan Zobel has served as President and CEO since 2013 and, for the eight years prior, as Vice President of Philanthropic Services. Katie worked for Amherst College for 11 years serving in a variety of fundraising roles and was director of annual giving for WGBY/Public Television prior to that. She currently serves on the Executive Committee of the Western Mass EDC, the Coordinating Council for the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission’s Plan for Progress, Cooley Dickinson Hospital’s Patient Care Excellence Committee, Springfield Business Leaders for Education, and is co‐chair of the Western Massachusetts Funders’ Network. Katie holds a B.A. in English from Boston College and a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy® (CAP®) designation from the American College.

San San Wong leads Barr Foundation’s Arts & Creativity Program which seeks to invest in bold ideas and leaders, with an overarching goal to elevate the arts and enable creative expression to engage and inspire a dynamic, thriving Massachusetts. Barr pursues this goal through three strategies: advancing the field’s capacity to adapt and take risks; fostering opportunities to connect the arts to other sectors; and activating public support for the arts. Prior to joining Barr in 2012, San San served as director of grants at the San Francisco Arts Commission, executive director of the National Performance Network, a performing arts producer and presenter, and an international consultant for foundations and non-governmental organizations. San San is a board member of Grantmakers in the Arts.

John Vasconcellos is the President of the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts, an organization which seeks to mobilize philanthropy by matching donors and resources with community needs for the benefit of the 41 communities in Southeastern Massachusetts. Previously, John served as Senior Regional Director for the Southeast and Boston Regions of The Trustees of Reservations. Other experience includes Managing Director of Development and Marketing for the Gay Men’s Health Crisis, Vice President of Development and Communications at the Buzzards Bay Coalition and Director of Development for the San Francisco AIDS Foundation.