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For Immediate Release
02/13/2008Contact:
Beth Olsen
Goodman Media International for Americans for the Arts
212.576.2700 ext. 243 or bolsen@goodmanmedia.com
Americans for the Arts Adds Three New Member to its Board of Directors
Washington, DC — February 13, 2008 — Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America, announces three additions to its 42-member Board of Directors: Charles X Block, president of the Bedrock Group; Dorothy Pierce McSweeny, Immediate Past Chair of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and Timothy J. McClimon, President of the American Express Foundation and Vice President for Philanthropy, American Express Company. The Board of Directors collectively includes leaders in the areas of business, cultural policy, and the arts from across the country.
“We are delighted to welcome these capable and experienced leaders to our Board of Directors,” stated Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “Their knowledge of business, philanthropy, and the arts will greatly contribute to our mission of bringing the arts to all Americans.”
Brief bios of new board members follow:
Charles X Block is president of Bedrock Group, a real estate company. Among its current projects is a Richard Meier & Partners Architects designed mixed-use development in Philadelphia. Block was the former Vice Chairman and principal shareholder of the global travel company, Rosenbluth International, prior to its 2003 sale to American Express. In addition, Block has produced a number of documentary and feature films, which have been distributed by Warner Bros., Miramax, Columbia TriStar, and Lions Gate among others. Block holds a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and currently serves on the Board of Overseers of its Institute of Contemporary Art.
Dorothy Pierce McSweeny is Immediate Past Chair of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities. She served as Chair from 1999 - 2007 and as Vice Chair from 1995 -1999. In 2007, McSweeny received the Lifetime Achievement Award at Washington’s annual Mayor’s Arts Awards. She is active as founder, officer, and trustee of numerous organizations including The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, National Symphony Orchestra, The Washington Ballet, National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation, the Federal City Council, DC Chamber of Commerce, National Museum of the American Indian, National Museum of Women in the Arts, and Washington Episcopal School.
Timothy J. McClimon is President of the American Express Foundation and Vice President for Philanthropy, American Express Company. In this role, he directs all of the American Express Company’s global philanthropy and employee engagement programs. Prior to joining American Express, McClimon was Executive Director of Second Stage Theatre, where he led one of the largest nonprofit theaters in New York City. He also served as the Executive Director of the AT&T Foundation, where he directed AT&T’s global philanthropy and corporate citizenship programs. McClimon joined AT&T from the New York law firm of Webster & Sheffield where he was a lawyer specializing in nonprofit corporate law. Prior to that, he managed the Inter-Arts Program at the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, DC.
Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts in America. With offices in Washington, DC, and New York City, it has a record of 48 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.
