Alvin Ailey's Joan H. Weill Will Step Down as Chairwoman

According to the New York Times, Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation chairwoman Joan H. Weill will step down from her current position tomorrow, October 2. She told NYT: "The institutions you support are like your children. You have to know when to step back and let them be independent of you. I look forward to seeing Ailey continue to do great things. I will still be the one applauding loudest."

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As a tireless supporter of several cultural, philanthropic and civic endeavors, Joan H. Weill commits a great deal of her life to public service and education. She joined the Board of Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation in 1994 and has served as its Chairman since 2000. Under her leadership, the Board has developed key priorities to help the organization reach its programmatic goals and maintain a strong financial standing.

Joan, along with her husband Sandy, was instrumental in the building of the Ailey organization's permanent home, which is named in her honor, The Joan Weill Center for Dance. The building, completed in 2004, is the largest dedicated to dance in New York City, the dance capital of the world. The Weills continued their leadership roles as co-chairs of The Next Step: The Campaign to Build Ailey's Endowment to commemorate Ailey's 50th anniversary in 2008 and secure the future of the organization.

In addition, Mrs. Weill is the most recent Chair of Paul Smith's College of the Adirondacks, having spearheaded the College's transition from a 2-year to 4-year institution. Paul Smith's excels in forestry, culinary arts, hospitality and life sciences, among other curricula. Mrs. Weill is Co-Chair of the Advisory Committee of the Weill Music Institute at Carnegie Hall, which promotes music education in classrooms around the world.

Mrs. Weill's dedication to women's health issues led to her appointment as Co-Chair of the New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center's Women's Health Symposium. Long an advocate for the elderly, Mrs. Weill is also an Honorary Board Member and President Emeritus of Citymeals-On-Wheels.

Mrs. Weill's personal commitment to public service also extends to many of the activities in which Mr. Weill is involved, including the National Academy Foundation (NAF), Weill Cornell Medical College and the New York Presbyterian Hospital, where she serves on the Executive Committee of their Lying-In Hospital.

Mr. and Mrs. Weill are recipients of the 2009 Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy Award in recognition of their philanthropic efforts. Mrs. Weill is a graduate of Brooklyn College with a bachelor's degree in elementary education.

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