Phoenix Art Museum Names New Chief Development Officer

Dec, 14, 2018

Board of Trustees and Leadership

Phoenix Art Museum Names New Chief Development Officer

Nicole Rivet, MEd, CFRE, will lead the Museum’s fundraising and development efforts as it marks 60 years

PHOENIX (December 14, 2018) – Phoenix Art Museum announced today that Nicole Rivet, MEd, CFRE, will join Phoenix Art Museum as its Chief Development Officer (CDO), following the completion of an extensive national search led by Isaacson, Miller. Rivet will officially begin her role with the Museum on January 15, 2019.

“I am delighted to welcome Nicole Rivet to the senior leadership team of Phoenix Art Museum,” said Amada Cruz, the Museum’s Sybil Harrington Director and CEO. “Through her many years of experience in non-profit leadership and fundraising, she has developed the strong skills and expertise needed to mentor a young team of professionals, to provide continuity for the organization, and to help lead the Museum forward as we begin our 60th year. In her new role, she will have a profound impact on future growth and will work to deepen and strengthen relationships within our broader community.”

As CDO, Rivet will oversee multiple departments within the Museum’s Development Division, including major gifts, Circles of Support annual giving program, fundraising events, foundations and grants, data and research, and corporate and institutional giving. As the Museum seeks to connect more fully with both its local and regional communities, while also extending its support on a national level, Rivet will play a crucial and integral role in expanding the financial base of the Museum’s contributed revenue. Presently, contributed support comprises more than 60% of the Museum’s annual operating budget.

Prior to her time with the Museum, Rivet gained more than 20 years of experience in building philanthropic relationships that advance the missions of non-profit organizations. She worked as a consultant providing guidance in the development and implementation of fundraising strategies for a diverse range of non-profit clients in a variety of industries, including health and human services, national governing sports bodies, public radio, international aid, and environmental conservation. Previously, she served as the vice president for national development with Catholic Health Initiatives, where she established corporate philanthropic partnerships as well as an initial $1.2-million partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and led an initiative to secure a named, multi-million-dollar precision medicine endowment. Rivet also spent nearly a decade serving as the director of corporate, foundation, and agency relations with Colorado College, where she worked closely with college leadership to secure more than $50 million in grants and major gifts, including three $10-million grants that were the largest private foundation awards in the institution’s history.

“I am thrilled to join Amada’s talented team and to help advance the mission of Phoenix Art Museum,” said Rivet. “The Museum is one of the city’s—and the southwestern region’s—most important cultural resources. I see my role as presenting a wonderful opportunity to leverage philanthropic investments that will support the shared vision of creating an inclusive museum whose collections, programs, and staff reflect the community’s rich diversity.”

Rivet will relocate to the Valley of the Sun from Colorado Springs. She earned a bachelor’s degree in art from Middlebury College and a master’s degree in education from the University of Virginia. She is a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE) as well as a member of the national Association of Fundraising Professionals, and has presented at professional conferences and published in professional journals throughout her career.

Rivet is the latest addition to the Museum’s senior leadership team, which is composed of Amada Cruz, the Sybil Harrington Director and CEO; Mark Koenig, Chief Financial Officer; Nikki DeLeon Martin, Director of External Affairs; Kaela Saenz Oriti, the Gerry Grout Education Director; and Gilbert Vicario, the Selig Family Chief Curator. Along with the senior leadership team, the Museum is governed by a 40-member Board of Trustees, composed of many of the city’s prominent civic and corporate leaders and led by its chair, Jon Hulburd.

About Phoenix Art Museum

Phoenix Art Museum has provided access to visual arts and educational programs in Arizona for nearly 60 years and is the largest art museum in the southwestern United States. Critically acclaimed national and international exhibitions are shown alongside the Museum’s permanent collection of more than 19,000 works of American, Asian, European, Latin American, Western American, modern and contemporary art, and fashion design. The Museum also presents festivals, a comprehensive film program, live performances, and educational programs designed to enlighten, entertain, and stimulate visitors of all ages. Visitors also enjoy vibrant photography exhibitions through the Museum’s landmark partnership with the Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona. To learn more about Phoenix Art Museum, visit phxart.org, or call 602.257.1880.