Lexington, Ky. (Oct. 22, 2014) — LexArts has appointed Ellen A. “Nan” Plummer as its new president and CEO. After a nationwide search for a successor to James Clark, who retired in June, the search committee presented its endorsement and the board of directors approved the selection unanimously. Plummer will begin her tenure Nov. 17.
Plummer is currently senior development officer for Arkansas Children’s Hospital Foundation in Little Rock, Ark. Prior to that, she served for more than seven years as executive director of Arkansas Arts Center, Arkansas’s oldest art museum and second-largest arts organization, and also held positions at the Toledo Museum of Art and the University of Michigan Museum of Art. Plummer received a bachelor’s degree in History of Art from Mount Holyoke College, and PhD and Masters degrees, also in History of Art, along with an MBA, from the University of Michigan.
“LexArts is thrilled to welcome Nan to our organization,” said John Long, chairman of the board. “She brings strong community arts leadership experience along with excellent fundraising acumen and non-profit expertise to the table, which led both the search committee and the board to unanimously approve the selection. David Smith and the Search Committee did an exemplary job and I commend them for bringing such a strong and capable individual to our organization.”
“The Search Committee recommended Nan without reservation, as we were convinced her strategic thinking, fundraising and collaborative skill sets were perfectly suited to enable LexArts to build upon the substantial legacy of Nan’s predecessors,” said Smith, chair of the Continued Search Committee.
“I’m honored to be the board’s choice to lead LexArts forward and grateful to be working with such dedicated community volunteers, talented staff, generous funders and creative partners in the arts,” Plummer said. “To lead an organization with LexArts’ history of excellence and potential for achievement is a thrilling opportunity. I look forward to learning more about Lexington and LexArts’ many collaborators as we continue to build the region’s exceptional creative economy and quality of life.”
The board’s Search Committee is comprised of LexArts Board Members, representatives of the Mayor’s Office and partner agencies, as well as an individual artist/educator. In addition to Smith, the members are: Virginia Underwood, John Long, Georgia Henkel, Stephanie Hong, Lori Houlihan, Allison Kaiser (Lexington Philharmonic Orchestra), Larry Snipes (Lexington Children’s Theatre) and Lexington poet Bianca Spriggs.
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