press release july 2011
(< Return to Press Releases)Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) Names New Development Director
The Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) has recently named Lisa R. James as its new development director. In this senior leadership position, she will oversee a departmental staff of three and will be responsible for fundraising, donor cultivation, recognition activities and select special events. CSMA is the largest non-profit provider of arts education programs in the region and among the top 10 schools of its kind in the U.S.
“Lisa James comes to CSMA with more than 20 years of senior-level development experience and an exceptional record of accomplishment in fundraising and donor cultivation, strategic planning, and organizational management,” said CSMA executive director Moy Eng. "Her commitment to arts education and her extensive experience in key areas, including annual funds, capital and endowment campaigns and planned giving, make her an excellent leader of our development team.” CSMA’s annual budget for 2011-12 is $4.7 million, with an annual fundraising goal of approximately $1.3 million.
James’ Bay Area experience includes five years at the San Francisco Opera, the second largest opera company in the Americas. As director of development she crafted and drove a fundraising campaign resulting in $34 million of operating support during a period of financial restructuring. As vice president for advancement at the San Francisco Art Institute, her accomplishments included rebuilding of the organization’s development operation during a period of leadership transition, and management of the Institute’s 135th Anniversary Gala, doubling attendance and income. Most recently, James served as director of development at Opera Colorado.
James also has significant development experience in other non-profit sectors, including senior-level positions at Earthjustice, the Arthritis Foundation, Northern California Chapter, and Johnson & Wales University, Denver Campus.
In commenting on her appointment as development director, James said, “CSMA plays a critical role in this arts-rich region. Our educational programs train future artists and audiences alike, fostering appreciation of the many cultures woven together in the Peninsula. I am honored to join this extraordinary team of faculty, volunteers and staff.”
Ms. James holds a Master of Arts in Business, Arts Administration, from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Bachelor of Arts, Political Science, from the University of Denver.
Throughout her career James has been an active presenter, panelist and site evaluator for arts organizations, serving on panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and regional arts foundations and federations. As a speaker, she has been a presenter at the Soros Foundation Eastern Europe Arts Management Seminar and at national and regional arts conferences in Canada and the U.S. James is currently on the national board of directors of Breast Cancer Action, where she serves as a member of the executive and finance committees and was development committee chair in 2009.
The Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA), a nonprofit arts education center founded in 1968, is committed to providing Arts for All, regardless of age, level, background or economic means. Annually, the school reaches more than 40,000 people, including over 8,500 children through its in-school programs. At its Finn Center campus in Mountain View, programs include: music, visual and digital arts classes and camps; private lessons; free concerts, lectures and exhibitions; and community outreach events. In the community, CSMA provides art and music education programs (Art4Schools; Music4Schools) at more than 30 schools in Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties. In keeping with its mission to make the arts accessible to all, the school’s Financial Aid Program will award over $275,000 this year in tuition aid and program subsidies to youth and low-income families. CSMA is located at Finn Center, 230 San Antonio Circle, Mountain View. For information about the school, its programs, people and events, call CSMA at 650-917-6800 or see www.arts4all.org.