Adrienne Arsht Center Creates First Endowed Chair for Education and Community Engagement

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County received a $2.5 million gift from the Miami-based Green Family Foundation Trust to establish and endow the Dorothea Green Chair of Education and Community Engagement. This endowed chair position, a first of its kind at a performing arts center in the U.S., provides long-term financial support for Arsht Center education and community engagement initiatives, including free shows for Miami-Dade County Public School students, pop-up neighborhood performances, programs for people with disabilities and more. The official announcement took place at a ceremony in the Dorothea Green Theater of the Arsht Center's Ziff Ballet Opera House on Friday, April 26, 2024.

The Center's Vice President of Education and Community Engagement, Jairo Ontiveros, a staff member for more than a decade, has been named the inaugural chair. The distinction marks the first endowed chair at the Arsht Center as well as the first endowed position for an education and community engagement vice president at a performing arts center. An endowed chair position is one of the highest honors proffered to a member of an orchestra or, in academia, to a distinguished professor.

Through the newly created Dorothea Green Chair of Education and Community Engagement, Ontiveros will continue to advance the Center's mission to connect people from every corner of the Miami community through artistic excellence and inspiring educational experiences.

“This gift recognizes Dorothea Green's contributions and those of the entire Green Family to the Miami community, while enhancing stability for the Arsht Center's education and community engagement programs. I am honored to be the inaugural chair and represent the Arsht Center in this unique way,” said Ontiveros. More about Ontiveros here.

”The Arsht Center has a longstanding commitment to connecting many parts of our community to the arts. With this gift to the Center's endowment, we hope to contribute to the long-term stability and continued access to the arts provided by the Center,” said Dr. Kimberly Green.  A portion of the gift includes a pledge by GFFT to match up to $2 million raised from the philanthropic community.

The Green Family Foundation Trust's multi-million-dollar philanthropic support of the Arsht Center dates back to 2013 and has focused on the following:

• Funding the Arsht Center's efforts to support Haitian dance company, Ayikodans, enabling their Miami debut at the Arsht and the rebuilding of their Port Au Prince studio following the 2010 earthquake.
• AileyCamp Miami, the Arsht Center's transformative, six-week scholarship-based summer camp, which was recognized by the White House as an outstanding youth development program.
• Accessing the Arts, inclusive residencies designed to integrate the creative arts into the lives of students and adults with disabilities.
• Grants for endowment and arts education, including $2.5 million in 2019 in gratitude of which the Ziff Ballet Opera House theater is currently named the Dorothea Green Theater.

ABOUT THE GREEN FAMILY FOUNDATION TRUST

Steven J. Green, former United States Ambassador to Singapore, and his wife, Dorothea, established the Green Family Foundation Trust in 1991 to support social programs, which include HIV/AIDS prevention and education, access to the arts, youth and education, homeless assistance, disaster relief and community outreach. The Green Family Foundation Trust (GFFT) is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to supporting social programs that positively impact global health and alleviate poverty. The Green Family Foundation Trust's mission is to make a positive and meaningful impact in communities both at home and abroad. They provide funding and resources to organizations that support education, global health and community development. GFFT empowers under-served communities to fight the cycle of extreme poverty, leading to sustainable programs that improve lives. GFFT supports grassroots initiatives that provide quality care to those in need by focusing on prevention, education and treatment. The foundation empowers communities through grants that enable progressive organizations to help build self-reliance. Today, Dr.  Kimberly Green, president, continues to advance her family's vision.  Dr. Green also serves on the Arsht Center Foundation Board and as chair of the $50M Arsht Center Endowment Campaign Committee.