Beth Tuttle Named President and CEO Of Cultural Data Project, Begins 3/4

Beth Tuttle, managing director of the Alexandria, VA-based consulting firm METStrategies, LLC, will become president and CEO of the Cultural Data Project, the project's board of directors announced today. In her new role, Tuttle will lead the project-currently housed at The Pew Charitable Trusts in Philadelphia-as it transitions to an independent 501(c)(3) organization and furthers its plans to serve as a national resource for the arts and cultural sector. Tuttle will begin her new position on March 4.

The Cultural Data Project (CDP) is dedicated to strengthening arts and cultural organizations-and the sector as a whole- through the collection and reporting of reliable, standardized organizational and financial data. Created in 2004 by a small team of Pennsylvania funders and arts advocates, the CDP now serves more than 14,000 arts and cultural organizations in 12 states and the District of Columbia. After a successful incubation period at Pew, the CDP is now a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a 14-member national board, and plans to move its headquarters to Philadelphia's historic district on April 1.

CDP offers a powerful online financial management tool that is rapidly becoming a national standard and recognized source for arts data. With the CDP, regional research organizations have been able to provide a clearer snapshot of arts and culture, demonstrating how vital a role the sector plays. For example, the New York Council for the Humanities used CDP data to make the case for the economic footprint of the state's cultural sector and the impact of their work at a time when they were facing continued budget cuts. As a result, the council was fully reinstated in the state budget for the first time in two years.

CDP board Chair Glen S. Howard said in announcing the appointment, "The board of the Cultural Data Project and I are thrilled to have Beth join us at this critical moment. Beth is a highly effective leader in the cultural sector with a track record of skillfully guiding organizations at times of transformation and growth. She brings a depth of expertise in organizational development, strategic planning, communications, and fundraising, and her background is the perfect mix of cultural and entrepreneurial experience."

"The Cultural Data Project has become a leader in empowering arts organizations, researchers, funders, and advocates with information they need for organizational planning, evaluation, and making the case for arts and culture," said Tuttle. "I am honored to have the opportunity to lead CDP and look forward to working with its partners across the country to create a stronger, healthier and more sustainable arts and cultural sector."

As founder and managing director of METStrategies since 2008, Tuttle has specialized in management, planning, and branding for cultural, philanthropic, and other social benefit organizations. The firm has provided strategic guidance to nonprofit organizations in the arts, science, education, and foundation fields, helping them enhance their organizational and leadership capacity, sharpen their focus and impact, and hone their identities and communications. Her clients have included the Crocker Art Museum; National Museum of American Jewish History; Contemporary Museum; the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts; and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

A thought-leader in the museum community, Tuttle has co-authored a book, Magnetic: The Art and Science of Engagement, scheduled for publication this spring. From 2010 through 2012, she was a visiting practitioner at the Georgetown Center for Public and Nonprofit Leadership where she co-researched high-performance museums for the book. She was deputy director and chief of External Relations and Planning at the Smithsonian Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, DC from 2006 to 2008; and director of the museum's External Affairs division from 2004 to 2005. She also served as senior vice president for communications for The Freedom Forum and Newseum.

Tuttle brings significant experience with national nonprofit membership, advocacy, and service organizations to CDP. She served as senior vice president of Institutional Advancement at America's Promise-The Alliance for Youth. She was vice president and director of Communications, and director of Development at People For the American Way, where she helped create a national dialogue about First Amendment issues and participated in NGO coalitions to win reauthorization of the National Endowment for the Arts (1989) following controversy over grants to two contemporary photographers, and pass the Civil Rights Restoration Act (1988) and the National Voter Registration Act (1989).

A graduate oF Brown University, Tuttle is a frequent university guest lecturer and presenter at Cultural Industry conferences. She is a Commissioner for the Arts in Alexandria, VA, and is a past board member of the Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington. She is a member of The Museum Group consulting consortium, and of the American Association of Museums.

For more information about the Cultural Data Project, visit http://www.culturaldata.org.