Center for the Performing Arts Welcomes New Development Directors

Two experienced development professionals have joined the staff of the Center for the Performing Arts and the Great American Songbook Foundation.

Braden Hurley has served since August as Director of Corporate Development. Kendra Latta began work in October as Director of Individual Development. They join Vice President of Development Michael Pettry and other staffers in building philanthropic and corporate support for the two affiliated nonprofit organizations, which are housed on a three-venue campus that sees more than 350,000 visitors each year.

"The Center and the Foundation are still relatively young organizations, but they have advanced quickly in terms of their programming and their local and national profiles," Pettry said. "Now, we are building our development team with an aggressive eye toward expanding our strategic partnerships and long-term financial support."

Hurley arrives with substantial experience in sponsorship strategy and partnership development in the sports industry, most recently as a director at Just Marketing International, a leading marketing agency working with Formula One, IndyCar, NASCAR and other motorsports series. A former Army captain and veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, he holds a bachelor's degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and a master's degree in Sports Industry Management from Georgetown University.

Latta brings nearly two decades of experience in higher education philanthropy, having served as Executive Director of Development and Alumni Relations for Saint Joseph's College in Rensselaer and most recently as Director of Development for Purdue Convocations, the university's performing arts presenter. She holds a bachelor's degree from Huntingdon College in Alabama, an MBA from Saint Joseph's College and a Certificate in Fund Raising Management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at IUPUI.

Both plan to capitalize on the tremendous momentum at the Center and within the community, which is seeing rapid residential and economic growth and consistently draws top national rankings for its quality of life. Hurley will focus on asset development, deepening existing partnerships and exploring new sponsorship categories to maximize revenue. Latta will increase awareness of the organizations' community impact, expand the base of individual support locally and nationally, and build streams of sustainable support for both the Center and the Foundation.

About the Center for the Performing Arts

The mission of the Center for the Performing Arts is to engage and inspire the Central Indiana community through enriching arts experiences. The nonprofit Center presents and hosts hundreds of events each year on its campus in Carmel, Indiana, which includes a 1,600-seat concert hall, the Palladium; a 500-seat proscenium theater, the Tarkington; and the black-box Studio Theater. The campus houses the affiliated Great American Songbook Foundation and provides space and support services for six resident companies: Actors Theatre of Indiana, Civic Theatre, Carmel Symphony Orchestra, Central Indiana Dance Ensemble, Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre and Indiana Wind Symphony. The Center also provides educational programming for people of all ages. More information is available at TheCenterPresents.org.

About the Great American Songbook Foundation

The mission of the Great American Songbook Foundation, founded in 2007 by five-time Grammy Award nominee Michael Feinstein, is to inspire and educate by celebrating the Great American Songbook - the timeless songs of pop, jazz, Broadway and Hollywood. A Cultural Affiliate of the Los Angeles-based Grammy Museum, the Songbook Foundation is committed to preserving and elevating this rich legacy by curating physical artifacts of the Songbook's creators, performers and publishers; operating a multimedia exhibit gallery; overseeing the Songbook Hall of Fame; offering programs for the public and research opportunities for scholars and artists; and providing educational opportunities for student musicians, including the annual Songbook Academy summer intensive. More information is available at www.TheSongbook.org.

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