Roanoke Cultural Endowment Looks To Future With Executive Director Hire

Shaleen Powell
Shaleen Powell

City leaders, community arts advocates, members of the Roanoke Arts Commission and executive directors representing various arts and cultural organizations were present, as Shaleen Powell was introduced to Roanoke City Council as the Roanoke Cultural Endowment Executive Director.

“I’m eager to step into this role and help drive the Roanoke Cultural Endowment forward,” Powell said. “A great deal of groundwork has already been accomplished throughout the last year, and I look forward to working with our skilled board members to develop the endowment that will benefit our children, and grandchildren for generations to come.”

For years, the Roanoke Cultural Endowment was a conceptual strategy for the long-term sustainability of arts and culture in the City of Roanoke. Roanoke City Council breathed new life into the concept in February of 2014, with a unanimous resolution “endorsing the creation and development of a private, charitable organization to provide a sustainable revenue source for arts and cultural organizations that serve the citizens of Roanoke.”

“We are excited about the opportunities that Powell’s perfectly diverse background of business leadership and arts experience will bring to the endowment,” David Trinkle, Vice-Mayor and Roanoke Cultural Endowment board member said. “Powell has dedicated countless hours of her life to the violin and is an active member of the Roanoke Symphony Orchestra. Additionally, she’s honed her fundraising skills by assisting with the management of various higher-education campaigns throughout her professional career. With her broad range of experiences, we feel Powell brings a unique perspective and passion to the fund that we simply couldn’t have found anywhere else.”

Powell, a Berkley College of Music graduate has called Roanoke Valley home for nearly a decade as the Associate Campaign Director and Associate Regional Director of Major Gifts at Virginia Tech, and most recently as the Associate Director for Campaign and Volunteer Relations at Roanoke College. Having earned a Master of Business Administration from Suffolk University, Powell has persistently refined her leadership and fundraising skills with a determined approach to continued education. Most recently, Powell graduated from Virginia Tech’s Executive Development Institute.

Roanoke Cultural Endowment Board Members include Warner Dalhouse, Sarah Tune Doherty, Bill Elliot, Patice Holland, Sherman Lea Jr., Lucas Thornton, David Trinkle, Katherine Walker and David Wine.

Following a thorough assessment of the long-term operational funding needs of arts organizations and a detailed study of the economic impact of arts and culture in the City of Roanoke, Roanoke City Council endorsed the creation of the Roanoke Cultural Endowment in 2014 with the purpose of ensuring the long-term sustainability and vitality of arts and culture in the City of Roanoke.

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