Noreen Major Appointed as Chief Development Officer at Arena Stage

Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater announced today the appointment of Noreen Major as Chief Development Officer. A highly strategic, results-driven fundraiser, Major brings more than 20 years of proven success executing multimillion-dollar campaigns and cultivating seven-figure donors across the United States, United Kingdom, and Asia. She joins Arena at a pivotal moment—as the theater builds on its 75-year legacy—prepared to support its future artistic and civic ambitions.

“I am delighted to welcome Noreen Major to Arena Stage,” said Arena Stage Executive Producer Edgar Dobie. “Noreen brings with her agility, know-how, and confidence to lead our development team forward in an inspiring way. We have cast a proven fundraiser and deep strategic thinker. Her knowledge, both of the local community and patrons, will allow us to deepen our existing relationships with donors and engage and steward new supporters. Noreen is the thought partner and leader that Arena needs in this moment. We look forward to working with her in our 75th Anniversary Season and beyond!”

Reporting to Dobie, Noreen will oversee all aspects of contributed revenue to the Tony Award–winning theater. She will lead advancement efforts across individual, institutional, and corporate philanthropy, working in partnership with Arena Stage's leadership, artists, staff, and Board of Trustees.

“I'm honored to be joining Arena Stage at such an important moment in its history,” shared Major. “Arena has long been a place where artists, audiences, and civic life meet in meaningful ways, and I'm excited to work alongside this talented team to strengthen the philanthropic partnerships that make that work possible. I'm especially looking forward to listening, learning, and building strong relationships with donors, board members, and community partners as Arena continues to shape its next chapter.”

Noreen Major is a senior advancement executive and strategic advisor with more than 20 years of experience leading fundraising and organizational growth across major performing arts, cultural, and educational institutions. Over the course of her career, Noreen has held senior leadership roles supporting nine-figure capital campaigns and large-scale comprehensive fundraising efforts at nationally recognized institutions. Her work has included partnership with executive leadership and trustees to advance principal and major gifts, campaign strategy, donor engagement, and long-term sustainability during periods of institutional transformation. She studied at Virginia Commonwealth University (BFA in Theatre Performance with a minor in World Religions) and earned an ALM in Management and a Certificate in Sustainability from Harvard University. Noreen is excited to return to the Washington, DC area, where she previously lived and worked, and to rejoin the region's vibrant cultural and nonprofit community.

The first racially integrated theater in our nation's capital and a pioneer of the regional theater movement, Arena Stage was founded in 1950, in Washington, DC. Today, under the leadership of Artistic Director Hana S. Sharif and Executive Producer Edgar Dobie, Arena Stage at the Mead Center for American Theater is a national center dedicated to American voices and artists. We produce plays of all that is passionate, profound, deep, and dangerous in the American spirit, and present diverse and groundbreaking work from some of the best artists around the country. Consistently contributing to the American theatrical lexicon by commissioning and developing new plays, Arena Stage impacts the lives of over 10,000 students annually through its work in community engagement and serves a diverse annual audience of more than 300,000.

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