People news: MWPAI names Maney director of development

UTICA, N.Y. — The Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute (MWPAI) has named Jill Maney, of Cooperstown, director of development.

She was previously individual giving manager at Bassett Healthcare Network in Cooperstown, where she secured more than $1 million in grants and foundation support and developed a portfolio of major donors, generating multiple individual gifts of $10,000 to $25,000.

MWPAI president and CEO Anna D’Ambrosio said Maney was selected after a national search. “Her years of development and business experience, combined with her community engagement, makes her a perfect fit for the Institute,” D’Ambrosio said in a release.

Maney said moving from health care to art is a “natural transition” for her. Growing up in Boston, she and her family frequently visited art museums. “Art is a big part of who I am,” she said. “I was ready for a new challenge and this was perfect for me.”

Maney graduated from Amherst College and University of Utah before receiving her doctorate degree in English and American Studies from the University of Rochester. After teaching at various colleges for more than 20 years, she managed the Thistle Hill Weavers textile mill in Cherry Valley.

Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute is a regional arts center comprised of three divisions including Museum of Art, Performing Arts, and School of Art and PrattMWP College of Art & Design. With exhibitions, concerts, community classes and a college of art and design, Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute says it engages more than 140,000 people each year.

Contact the Business Journal News Network at news@cnybj.com

Photo credit: MWPAI