UTICA, NY.- Jill Maney, Ph.D, of Cooperstown, has been named Director of Development for Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Insitute.

Dr. Maney was previously Individual Giving Manager at Bassett Healthcare Network, Cooperstown, where she secured more than $1 million in grant and foundation support and developed portfolio of major donors, generating multiple individual gifts of $10,000-$25,000.

MWPAI president and CEO Anna D’Ambrosio said Dr. Maney was selected after a national search. "We are delighted to have Jill join the MWPAI staff,” she said. “Her years of development and business experience, combined with her community engagement, makes her a perfect fit for the Institute."

Dr. Maney said moving from healthcare 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.”

Dr. Maney graduated from Amherst College and University of Utah before receiving her doctorate 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.

Passion for art and MWPAI’s offerings are the driving force behind Dr. Maney’s optimism about the future of her fundraising efforts. “The Institute is a wonderful combination of many forms of art,” she said. “There is a lot of opportunity to increase community involvement.”

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. Its mission is dedicated to serving diverse audiences by advancing the appreciation, understanding and enjoyment of the arts.

With exhibitions, concerts, community classes and a college of art and design, Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute is the cultural heart of Central New York, engaging more than 140,000 people each year