September 9, 2008 – Atlanta, GA – Young Audiences, Woodruff Arts Center (YAWAC) is proud to announce the addition of a new Development Director to its staff. Michelle Schweber will join Young Audiences full time on September 24th. Mrs. Schweber joins Young Audiences after a year as Director of Development at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and over a decade of experience in non-profit, events, and development at organizations such as the American Heart Association, The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, and G.WIZ – Blivas Science & Technology Center in Florida. Schweber holds a Bachelor’s degree from Newcomb College of Tulane University in Art History and was a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer in Romania.
As Director of Development, Michelle will be responsible for the planning, implementation and assessment of giving campaigns, donor cultivation strategies, and fundraising events. She will work closely with the Board of Directors and Director of Marketing & Communications in creating and implementing these initiatives.
"I’m honored to be a part of a team that is helping transform the lives and learning of young people. Young Audiences provides programs in all the arts disciplines which are integrated into school curricula and meet state and local standards. As a mom of a 4 year old, this type of hands-on education is extremely important to me. By working with the Board, staff, and most importantly, our wonderful volunteers, we will help raise funds to strengthen our existing programs and grow YA to its full potential” said Schweber.
Tony Kimbrell, Executive Director of Young Audiences, is excited stating that "Young Audiences is fortunate to have identified someone with Michelle's depth and breadth of experience. And, her energy and spark will be a welcome addition to our staff."
With the addition of a Development Director, Young Audiences has plans to evaluate and improve existing development strategies and to create a comprehensive strategic development plan to guide YAWAC through the coming years.
About Young Audiences, Woodruff Arts Center
Young Audiences, Woodruff Arts Center (YAWAC) is Georgia’s leading provider of arts-in-education programming. Part of the prestigious 31 chapter national Young Audiences organization, YAWAC brings the power of live arts experiences to Georgia students from pre-school to high school. From a small organization of nine artists in 1983, YAWAC is celebrating 25 years of service and has grown into a force in arts education, comprising more than 65 professional artists and ensembles that reach nearly 700,000 students each year in over 50 counties statewide. We fulfill our mission – to improve and enrich the lives and learning of children through high quality arts experiences – by providing a dazzling and culturally diverse array of curriculum-based assemblies, workshops and residencies in music, dance, theatre, literary and visual arts. For more information, please visit www.yawac.org.
About Woodruff Arts Center
The Woodruff Arts Center is the largest arts center in the Southeast as well as one of the four largest in the nation. The Woodruff is unique in that it combines five visual and performing arts divisions on one campus as one not-for-profit organization. Opening in 1968, the Woodruff Arts Center is home to the Alliance Theatre, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, the High Museum of Art, Young Audiences and the 14th Street Playhouse.
Contact:
Jihan François
(404) 733-5308