Jessica Leary Allen Named Executive Director of Fairmount Center for the Arts

OH-Fairmount Center for the Arts is pleased to announce the appointment of Jessica Leary Allen as its new executive director.

Allen joins Fairmount Center with more than 15 years experience in not-for-profit management, fundraising, and marketing. Most recently, she served as director of development at The City Club of Cleveland, where she was responsible for more than $500,000 in gifts annually via foundation support, corporate sponsorships, and individual giving. She also managed staff in the areas of marketing, membership, and programming.

"Jessica's hire is Fairmount's first investment in achieving our new multi-year strategy of elevating the art center's visibility and impact in our community," says Jeff Grover, president of Fairmount Center's board of directors. "She brings a strong background in fund development and organizational management as well as a solid understanding of our community."

"I grew up in Chagrin Falls, and my first introduction to Fairmount Center was as a five-year-old ballet student," says Allen. "The arts and Fairmount Center have meant so much to me and my family over the years, and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to nurture and grow this essential and powerful resource for our community."

Prior to her work at The City Club, Allen worked in corporate and foundation relations at Case Western Reserve University, for the American Cancer Society, and for Phi Kappa Tau fraternity as the director of communication.

Allen earned her masters of public administration degree with a focus in organizational management at Ohio University and her bachelors of science in journalism from the E. W. Scripps School of Journalism at OU. She is a 1993 graduate of Chagrin Falls High School. Allen resides in South Russell with her husband and three children.

For more information about Fairmount Center for the Arts, visit www.fairmountcenter.org or call
440.338.3171.

For more than four decades, Fairmount Center for the Arts has provided thousands of Geauga and Cuyahoga County residents the opportunity to explore the arts by offering classes, workshops, community performances, and opportunities for individual expression. Located in Novelty, Ohio, and at four satellite locations, Fairmount houses five major art programs: Theater, Dance, Music, Art, and Fitness. Fairmount educates more than 3,000 community members each year.