Amistad Center For Arts & Culture Announces New Executive Director

The Amistad Center for Art & Culture has announced the appointment of Kimberly Kersey as the organization's new Executive Director, effective February 17, 2020.

Kersey will fill the role left by outgoing director W. Frank Mitchell, who has served the organization throughout the past 19 years in roles including lead curator and most recently, Executive Director.

Kersey joins The Amistad Center for Art and Culture with over 25 years of legal, business development and community relations experience. She graduated from Rutgers University with a B.A. in Art History. While at Rutgers, Kersey was an intern at the New Jersey State Council on the Arts and completed her senior study work in African American Art. She went on to earn a J.D. from Villanova University School of Law and is admitted to practice in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. While in law school, she worked with the Philadelphia Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts where she counseled artists on issues involving copyright, gallery agreements and arts related contracts.

A strong believer in civic engagement, Kersey has long been active in local and national politics. She served as Assistant Counsel to New Jersey Governor James E. McGreevey where she was his liaison to the New Jersey Department of State - home to the State Council on the Arts. Additionally, she served on the policy transition teams for President Barrack Obama and for Senator Cory Booker.

A seasoned development professional who has worked with national corporations, as well as small nonprofits, Kimberly has a proven ability to cultivate and maintain relationships and to grow annual revenues. Until her recent relocation to Connecticut, she was a college lecturer at Rowan College at Burlington County and served as a Commissioner on the New Jersey Tax Board. i?? Kimberly and her husband, Jason Arnold, have an 8-year-old son, Quincy. They reside in Avon.

Board President Richard Alleyne stated, "Kimberly's experience as a change-maker, educator, and community partner make her the ideal candidate to lead The Amistad's Center at this time as we focus on further developing our collection, strengthening our programming, and nurturing a strong base of supporters. We look forward to the next phase of The Amistad Center's evolution under her leadership."

The Amistad Center will host a meet and greet reception on Wednesday, March 4, 2020, from 5:00-7:00 pm to welcome Kimberly into her role. Stay tuned for more details.